Energy-Efficient Brushless DC Motor Ceiling Fans for AC and DC Applications for Consumer Market

Abstract

Brushless direct current motor ceiling fans (BLDCM-CFs) are becoming popular day by day due to their high performance and also compatibility with a 48V DC-grid. However, these CFs are still in developing phase and costly. Conventionally available 48V DC and 230V, 50Hz AC-DC fans are consuming power-input around 30W to 35W. This increases per year energy-cost, and their cost return time, which distracts users. Moreover, AC-DC BLDCM-CF (230V, 50Hz) uses front-end converter to drive, which has power-quality issue (PQI). Furthermore, conventional AC-DC and solar CFs use copper wire in their winding, which increases their cost. To manage these issues with merits of a future DC-home grid, this paper presents a low input-power CF operating with a 48V battery and AC grid. Battery is to be charged from solar or AC-grid. A high power factor converter (HPFC) is used at front-end of solar-CF to manage power-quality issues in AC-grid operated CF. A 48V solar-CF is rewound using aluminium-winding with an appropriate wire-gauge to reduce cost. Test-results and energy-cost comparisons under distinct operating-speeds are made between presented a 48V laboratory wound solar-CF, AC-grid operated CF, and conventionally available BLDCM-CF. The solar-CF, and AC-grid operated CF consume input power of 27.99W and 29.97W with a nearly unity power-factor (0.99963).