Through a the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, Kansas City, Missouri-based QM Power recently commercialized a high-efficiency motor for commercial refrigerators that has the potential to transform the market.

The motor’s design uses permanent magnets in a synchronous motor topology with a controller that quickly gets the motor to its targeted speed and then efficiently shifts the motor to AC power (50 or 60 Hz) supplied directly from the grid. 

This factory-mounted and wired variable-speed control is used for three-phase motors up to 10 horsepower. 

Fractional horsepower permanent split capacitor (PSC) fan motors are one of the most popular single-phase motors used in our industry, and then they fail, technicians must be able to troubleshoot and replace them.

Available for motor shafts up to 30 inches in diameter, this product is designed for high-current applications, such as generators, turbines, and medium-voltage motors. 

While there are still a significant number of single-speed motors still in operation, many OEMs are making a concerted move toward variable-speed equipment in order to meet a growing demand for higher efficiency. To help OEMs meet their goals, and to meet increasingly stringent motor efficiency regulations from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), motor and drive manufacturers have introduced their smartest, most efficient products yet.