Q-Sync Motors in Commercial Refrigeration

In commercial refrigeration, most of the existing evaporator fan motors are inefficient shaded-pole motors or permanent split capacitor motors. The Q-Sync motor is a new permanent magnet synchronous motor that can save up to 80% of energy than these traditional motors. The Q-Sync motor is also more efficient than the EC motor, and has been added in the Illinois TRM (Technical Reference Manual) as a new measure for commercial reach-in and walk-in cooler/freezer evaporator fan motor retrofit.

In this session, we will introduce the Q-Sync motor and describe the process and results of Q-Sync motor field experiments at 3 Illinois small businesses conducted by Slipstream. We will also present a summary of the Q-Sync measure in the Illinois TRM.

Dr. Xiaohui "Joe" Zhou is a Senior Researcher at Slipstream. He has been in the field of energy efficiency for over 25 years, and actively involved in ASHRAE at local and national levels. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and a PhD. in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a registered professional engineer in Iowa and a Certified Energy Manager (CEM).