An Investigation of PV Powered Brushless DC Motors for Solar Pumping

Typical solar domestic hot water systems use a liquid
working fluid to transfer heat from the solar
collectors to the hot water storage tank. This book
presents the results of a detailed investigation of a
unique design and integration of electric motor and
pump to circulate the liquid working fluid. The
motor''s energy source is electricity that is
generated from the sun by a photovoltaic module,
creating an autonomous heating system. The design
under review is a brushless DC motor that utilizes
the magnet of a "mag-drive" pump as its rotor. This
motor and pump technology, and integrated design
results in both increased component utilization and
increased reliability. The power switching devices of
the motor perform commutation and maintain the
photovoltaic module at the maximum power point. The
pump magnet acts as the magnetic coupling and the
motor rotor. Increased reliability is achieved
through the use of solid state power electronics for
commutation and the replacement of a dynamic pump
seal with a static O-ring seal. This investigation
reviews each major component''s characteristics under
a variety of conditions to identify appropriate
design choices and areas for improvement.

Autorentext
Mr. Swan has been involved with renewable and alternative forms
of energy throughout his academic and professional career. He is
focused on finding unique, elegant, and robust solutions to
reduce fossil fuel energy consumption. At present he is pursuing
his PhD, consulting in the electric vehicle industry, and
teaching at Dalhousie University.

Klappentext
Typical solar domestic hot water systems use a liquid working fluid to transfer heat from the solar collectors to the hot water storage tank. This book presents the results of a detailed investigation of a unique design and integration of electric motor and pump to circulate the liquid working fluid. The motor's energy source is electricity that is generated from the sun by a photovoltaic module, creating an autonomous heating system. The design under review is a brushless DC motor that utilizes the magnet of a "mag-drive" pump as its rotor. This motor and pump technology, and integrated design results in both increased component utilization and increased reliability. The power switching devices of the motor perform commutation and maintain the photovoltaic module at the maximum power point. The pump magnet acts as the magnetic coupling and the motor rotor. Increased reliability is achieved through the use of solid state power electronics for commutation and the replacement of a dynamic pump seal with a static O-ring seal. This investigation reviews each major component's characteristics under a variety of conditions to identify appropriate design choices and areas for improvement.