Technical and Economic Feasibility Study of Using Fractional Slot Concentrated Winding BLDC Motor for Evaporative Cooler Application

Considering the significant consumption of electrical energy by electrical motors, improving the efficiency of electrical motors, even to a minor extent, can play a determinant role in reducing costs, managing load consumption, and reducing peak load in the network. Although it is possible to improve the efficiency of high-power motors, the greatest potential for improving the efficiency of electrical motors is generally for fractional-horsepower motors with high operating hours. One of the most numerous loads in Iran’s electricity network is evaporative coolers, which account for a significant percentage of energy consumption in the domestic sector. Replacing fixed-speed single-phase electrical motors with high-efficiency permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) equipped with variable-speed drives will significantly reduce energy consumption and peak load demand during peak hours of consumption. In this paper, the design and simulation of a fractional slot concentrated winding (FSCW) BLDC motor used in the evaporative cooler device are presented. In addition, the performance characteristics of the BLDC motor are compared with the single-phase induction motor used in the cooler, with the laboratory results. The laboratory evaluation is done with two methods, i.e., dynamometric test and testing on the cooler device. At the end of the paper, based on the obtained laboratory results and the cost model presented using the life cycle costing (LCC) analysis, the advantages of using the BLDC motor in an evaporative cooler are investigated.