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Green Motor Technology by AC Kinetics Could Eliminate 26 Million Tons of CO2, 104B KwH

February 04, 2013 by Jeff Shepard

A new green technology developed by startup company AC Kinetics, Inc. could help eliminate as much as 26 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO&sub2;) annually from the air we breathe, while also reducing electricity usage by about 104 billion KwH. This next-generation motor control is compatible with existing ac induction motor drive hardware and is now available for licensing. It will debut at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Washington DC, February 25-27.

"We have developed several algorithms for electric motor control that reduce energy consumption by 10% to 40%, while simultaneously improving motor performance," explains Dr. Neil Singer, president of AC Kinetics, Inc.

"Our technology also enables motors to run cooler, and therefore last longer," says Dr. Singer. "Electric motors consume 45% of all electric energy produced globally, and two-thirds of the energy consumed for industrial production. AC Kinetics technology can substantially reduce the world's electric bill—the global spend is $570B (USD) annually—while cutting the carbon pollution generated by power plants."

The AC Kinetics software, supported by real-time adaptive algorithms, runs on standard drive hardware for motorized equipment in the consumer, industrial, and transportation markets. The drive software controls the motor to optimally generate torque on demand in a maximally efficient manner. The software automatically configures itself to achieve a level of motor performance and energy efficiency unreachable even by hand tuning present day drives with costly instrumentation.

An independent motor drive efficiency study at MIT's Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity (LMP) compared a hardware implementation of the AC Kinetics controller against some of the world's leading motor drives. The AC Kinetics motor control solution outperformed the other motor drives while using significantly less energy. The testing was completed and published by MIT in May 2012.

Benefits of AC Kinetics drive solution over present day state-of-the-art drives: Superior tracking performance, Superior disturbance rejection, Lower energy costs, Cooler operation, Software compatible with present day hardware, Automatic configuration, Outperforms both auto- and hand-tuned drives, Lower maintenance costs, Reduced carbon footprint, Payback measured in months, and Integrates into existing firmware-retrofittable.

Common applications for AC Kinetics motor drive software are expected to include: Electric Vehicles, Elevators and Escalators, Electric Rail, Air Conditioning and fans, Pumps and Compressors, Industrial Machinery, and Large home appliances.