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July 2015

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INSIDE15 Controls & Sensors

23 Plastics

26 HVAC

29 Coils www.applianceDESIGN.com

The Impact of Variable Speed Drives on Electrical Systems

P. 18

open and shut case

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2 applianceDESIGN July 2015 www.applianceDESIGN.com

CONTENTS JULY 2015 volume 63, no. 07

DEPARTMENTS

4 Editorial: Fortune Favors the Prepared 5 Shipments/Forecasts 6 News Watch 35 New Products 39 MUST SEE products & services 40 Association Report: ASHRAE 41 Advertisers’ Index

FEATURES

CONTROLS & SENSORS15 MEMS Sensors for Novel Functionality

in Tomorrow’s Appliances And enjoy the advantages of disruptive or

sustaining innovation in your products.

MOTORS18 The Impact of Variable Speed

Drives on Electrical Systems What you need to know about harmonics—

but were afraid to ask.

PLASTICS23 Boosting Performance

without Breaking the Bank Up engineering thermoplastics using glass

and carbon fiber reinforcement.

HVAC26 The Heat Is On Mitsubishi Electric, LG Electronics turn

HVAC technology up a notch.

COILS29 Energy-Efficient Coil Configuration Fin-tube HVAC coils probe area for

significant energy and cost improvement.

WEB EXTRASOvercoming Thermal Cycling with Distinct AdhesivesBe specific about materials being joined. Adhesives for thermal cycling aim at stress-sensitive devices, ensure joint and bond strength while bonding metal and fiber-reinforced composites.

See photo galleries from the floors of the latest trade shows!

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BLOGS

White Goods in Russia—as depressing as the country itself?

WEB EXTRAS

BLOGS

COVER

Motors. What you need to know about harmonics—but were afraid to ask. Source: ebm-papst

23

29

18

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“Fortune favors the prepared” — Louis Pasteur

Although evident in earlier Turkish and other proverbs, the idea that only with preparation can one take

advantage of fortune—or chance or luck—is attributed to the renowned scientist, Louis Pasteur. If you are unfamiliar with the quote, you probably know its off-shoot, “When opportunity knocks, will you answer?”

Since the time of Pasteur (and whomever asked us to consider what to do when opportunity is at our door), many famous, quotable people have put their own spin on the concept. Noted Dodgers Owner Branch Rickey quipped that “Luck is the residue of design.” Late, great NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt once said, “All you can do is put yourself in a position to win.”

Examples are not just found among individuals, but organizations. The Boy Scouts of America’s motto is, “Always be prepared.”

And we have a tendency to give great weight to these quotes for three reasons: The quotes are catchy; they come from successful people/organizations; and they quite succinctly synthesize many of the keys to success we have seemingly all agreed upon: preparation, focus, execution (and many more, which is why their succinctness also is so compelling).

Whether you prefer Pasteur’s version or the image of opportunity knocking on a door, possibly nowhere is there better examples of the notion than the world of sports.

As I write this, the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning are engaged in battle for Lord Stanley’s Cup (hockey, if

anyone is asking). Since the beginning of the matchup, analysts and hockey experts have talked about how close these teams have played: Both teams’ skills and weaknesses seem to offset each other; no game has been won by more than a goal (in fact, no team has had more than a one-goal lead in any game at any time); and the series has already gone six of a possible seven games.

Undoubtedly, the players have practiced, conditioned their bodies and minds, and have at least one entire season of experience under their belts in preparation for these games. The coaches have studied the opponent, prepared a game plan and strategy to use its strengths to capitalize on the opponent’s weaknesses.

Clearly, each team has worked to put itself in a position to win and, now, late in the second period, the Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith has scored the first goal of the game off of a mistake by the Lightning—a botched line change. The Lightning seemingly lost focus, opportunity knocked for the Blackhawks and Keith answered the door. Will it be the only time it knocks for either team?

For the appliance industry, could that next knock of opportunity be from a battle between disruptive innovation and sustaining innovation? Be prepared to answer that question by reading Dr. Charles Chung and Paul Werbaneth’s article, “MEMS Sensors for Novel Functionality in Tomorrow’s Appliances,” in the pages of this month’s appliance DESIGN.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

p.s. By the way, the Blackhawks just won the Stanley Cup. Louis Pasteur would be proud!

EDITORIAL

Fortune Favors the PreparedPutting yourself in a position to…

volume 63, no. 07

by Darryl Seland, Editorial Director


publishing staffDarrell Dal Pozzo (847) 405-4044Group Publisher [email protected]

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Editorial Advisory Board 2014-2015Joe McGuire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AHAMPresident

Jill Notini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AHAMVice President, Communications & Marketing

Francis Dietz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AHRIVice President, Public Affairs

Bob Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Branson UltrasonicsVP Marketing & Sales North America

Bill Romick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DNA Group, Inc.VP, Business Development

Richard Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Essential-Design

Steven J. Vaccaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Henkel CorporationFocus Segment Marketing Manager Derek Silva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IntertekDirector, Marketing Communications

Pat Blanc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lydall

John Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traulsen

Brian Ferriol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ULGlobal HVAC/R Business Development Manager

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www.applianceDESIGN.com applianceDESIGN July 2015 5

Product May-15 May-14 %Chg YTD 2015 YTD 2014 %ChgMAJOR APPLIANCES (Thousand of Units)All Major Appliances 6,656.70 5,628.50 18.30% 24,228.70 22,952.60 5.60%Cooking-Total 1,723.40 1,321.80 30.40% 6,387.90 5,518.30 15.80%Electric Cooking - Total 430.7 369.9 16.40% 1,683.80 1,562.50 7.80% Electric Ranges 348.2 295.6 17.80% 1,331.50 1,225.40 8.70% Electric Ovens 57 50 14.00% 239.5 228.2 4.90% Surface Cooking Units 25.5 24.4 4.50% 112.8 108.8 3.60%Gas Cooking - Total 252 217.5 15.90% 979.6 926.2 5.80% Gas Ranges 215.5 186.2 15.70% 834.8 792.6 5.30% Gas Ovens 2.1 2 4.60% 9.1 10.1 -9.20% Surface Cooking Units 34.4 29.3 17.50% 135.7 123.5 9.80% Microwave Ovens 1,040.60 734.4 41.70% 3,724.50 3,029.60 22.90%Home Laundry - Total 1,296.30 1,181.60 9.70% 4,935.80 4,878.60 1.20% Automatic Washers 726.2 662.4 9.60% 2,764.30 2,722.30 1.50% Dryers - Total 570.1 519.1 9.80% 2,171.50 2,156.40 0.70% Electric 468.5 426.6 9.80% 1,784.70 1,766.00 1.10% Gas 101.6 92.6 9.80% 386.9 390.3 -0.90%Kitchen Clean Up - Total 1,235.90 1,035.20 19.40% 4,676.00 4,506.00 3.80% Disposers 657 506.9 29.60% 2,438.40 2,332.10 4.60% Dishwashers - Total 576.2 525.5 9.70% 2,226.10 2,161.70 3.00% Built-In 572.6 521.5 9.80% 2,207.70 2,144.90 2.90% Portable 3.6 4 -9.80% 18.4 16.8 9.20% Compactors 2.7 2.8 -3.10% 11.4 12.2 -6.30%Food Preservation - Total 876.4 874.7 0.20% 3,370.00 3,300.80 2.10% Refrigerators 6.5 & Over 726.1 745.4 -2.60% 2,794.50 2,742.80 1.90% Freezers - Total 150.3 129.3 16.30% 575.5 558 3.10% Chest 103 76.5 34.60% 378.1 355.6 6.30% Upright 47.4 52.8 -10.30% 197.3 202.4 -2.50%Home Comfort - Total 1,524.70 1,215.20 25.50% 4,859.00 4,748.90 2.30% Room Air Conditioners 1,199.60 977.9 22.70% 4,095.50 4,121.00 -0.60% Dehumidifiers 325.1 237.3 37.00% 763.5 627.9 21.60%

SHIPMENTS

HVAC - Shipment figures for unitary air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, and water heaters can be found at www.ahrinet.org.

Note: Figures (in units) include shipments for the U.S. market whether imported or domestically produced. Export shipments are not included.

Source: Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).

INSIDE14 Displays & Interfaces

19 Motors

22 Insulation

29 Heating Technology

April 2015

REACHING OEM DESIGN ENGINEERS ACROSS CONSUMER AND COMMERCIAL MARKETS WORLDWIDEwww.applianceDESIGN.com

p. 26

THE STATE OF

Special

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Prepainted TechnologyPrepainted TechnologyContinues to Advance

INSIDE11 Smart Appliances

14 Internet of Things

17 Fans & Blowers

24 Connected Technology

May 2015



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June 2015


INSIDE20 Connectors & Cords

24 Quality & Standards

27 Prototyping

32 Excellence In Design

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FORECASTSDVD PLAYERS/RECORDERS – Shipments

(Thousands of Units)Qtr: 2014 2015 20161 3253.5 3029.0 3062.32 2810.0 2711.7 2630.33 2479.1 2310.5 2195.04 3835.4 3547.7 3310.0For 2014, a 42.3% decline to 12.378 million unitsFor 2015, a 6.3% decline to 11.599 million unitsFor 2016, a 3.5% decline to 11.198 million unitsData Source: CEA Forecast Source: Delano Data Insights

ELECTRIC RANGES & OVENS – Shipments (Thousands of Units)

Qtr: 2014 2015 20161 1097.9 1253.1 1312.02 1259.4 1333.7 1391.13 1349.8 1430.8 1486.64 1422.9 1525.3 1592.5For 2014, a 7.0% increase to 5.130 million unitsFor 2015, an 8.0% increase to 5.543 million units For 2016, a 4.3% increase to 5.782 million unitsData Source: AHAM Forecast Source: Delano Data Insights

RESIDENTIAL GAS WATER HEATERS – Shipments (Thousands of Units)

Qtr: 2014 2015 20161 1163.0 1279.0 1310.92 1109.6 1201.7 1249.83 1006.4 1057.7 1092.64 1192.9 1219.1 1265.5For 2014, a 4.4% increase to 4.472 million unitsFor 2015, a 6.4% increase to 4.758 million units For 2016, a 3.4% increase to 4.919 million unitsData Source: AHRI Forecast Source: Delano Data Insights

UNITARY AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS – Shipments (Thousands of Units)

Qtr: 2014 2015 20161 1406.0 1631.4 1713.02 2425.1 2747.7 2868.63 1768.6 1924.2 2014.64 1254.0 1230.1 1322.4For 2014, an 11.1% increase to 6.854 million unitsFor 2015, a 9.9% increase to 7.533 million units For 2016, a 5.1% increase to 7.919 million unitsData Source: AHRI Forecast Source: Delano Data Insights

DISPOSERS – Shipments(Thousands of Units)

Qtr: 2014 2015 20161 1715.1 1781.4 1879.42 1704.6 1846.1 1905.23 1832.1 1923.7 2014.14 1876.8 1970.6 2088.9For 2014, a 6.7% increase to 7.129 million unitsFor 2015, a 5.5% increase to 7.522 million units For 2016, a 4.9% increase to 7.888 million unitsData Source: AHAM Forecast Source: Delano Data Insights

REFRIGERATORS – Shipments (Thousands of Units)

Qtr: 2014 2015 20161 1822.3 2068.5 2122.32 2614.1 2721.3 2857.33 2745.2 2835.8 3003.14 2639.4 2713.3 2884.2For 2014, a 4.8% increase to 9.821 million unitsFor 2015, a 5.3% increase to 10.339 million units For 2016, a 5.1% increase to 10.867 million unitsData Source: AHAM Forecast Source: Delano Data Insights

Note: All forecasts begin in Q2/2015

For the most up-to-date information, visit www.applianceDESIGN.com.


NEWS WATCH

CHATSWORTH, CA — The Additive Manufacturing Users Group announced the recipients of DINO awards for additive manufacturing expertise and service. The awards were presented at the 27th annual users group conference in Jacksonville, Fla.

During the annual Awards Banquet, the association named eight DINOs, an award that recognizes industry veterans for years of experience as well as contributions back to the additive manufacturing industry.

The newly named DINOs are Vince Anewenter, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Derek Ellis, Computer Aided Technology, Inc.; Andrew Graves, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing; Steven Kossett, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota; Stephan Ritt, SLM Solutions; Harold Sears, Ford Motor Company; Ed Tackett,

University of California, Irvine; and Mark Wynn, Yazaki

North America.

“This year’s DINO recipients have an average of nearly 20

years of experience in the additive manufacturing industry,

but experience is only part of the criteria for this coveted

award,” said Mark Barfoot, AMUG president, said. “To be

a DINO, one must also give back to the industry, and these

eight men have done that in a big way.”

The new DINOs have been active within the AMUG

community in a variety of roles, including board members,

ambassadors, advisors, presenters, technical competition

participants, workshop leaders and track leaders. Outside of

AMUG, the DINOs are equally active, and they contribute to

the advancement of the additive manufacturing industry. <

Additive Manufacturing Users Group Awards Eight DINOs

OVER 190 TONS OF SCRAP PRODUCED BY SHOW FLOOR EXHIBITORS AT NPE2015

WASHINGTON - At NPE2015, 82 ex-hibitors participated in the program to recycle processing scrap generated on the show floor, twice as many as at NPE2012, causing a dramatic increase in the amount of material collected for recycling, accord-ing to SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, which produces the triennial NPE.

Commercial Plastics Recycling, the of-ficial recycling company for NPE2015, collected, sorted, and recycled 191 tons of processing scrap, which was 62 percent more than was collected at NPE2012 and 235 percent more than at NPE2009.

As the show has grown and the amount of scrap has increased, the recycling pro-gram has increased its capacity, ensuring plastics scrap is being managed properly.

“We reached out to exhibitors well in ad-vance of NPE2015 to find out their needs and get a clear idea of how we should pre-pare,” said Paul Benvenuti of CPR. “Anoth-er big help was having our containers and trucks on site during setup since machines were being operated and generating scrap well before the start of the show.”

Altogether, NPE2015 generated 518 tons of waste at the Orange County Convention

Center, including both processing scrap and post-consumer waste. Of the total, 452 tons, or 87 percent, was recycled. CPR reclaimed the processing scrap at its recy-cling facility in Tampa, Fla., and through a contract carrier, the Orange County Con-vention Center arranged for recycling of post-consumer waste. All of this was driv-en by NPE’s Recycling Committee, com-prised of representatives from companies exhibiting at NPE2015, and SPI’s director of operations, Lori Campbell.

“SPI and the plastics industry’s commit-ment to reduce, reuse, or recycle was a sig-nificant focus of the show, and we believe our recycling efforts were a realization of that commitment,” said Bill Carteaux,

SPI’s President and CEO. “As the leading trade event in plastics, we needed to model the appropriate behavior, and thanks to the efforts of our recycling program part-ners, we were able to do just that.”

These successful efforts at NPE2015 has led to an industry call for SPI to launch a new annual event to help brand owners, processors, and the plastics supply chain take its environmental goals from aspi-rational to operational. The new event, re|Focus: Recycling Summit and Expo, will provide education and solutions on plas-tics reduction, reuse, and recycling as well as sustainable practices in plastics design and manufacturing. re|Focus will be held April 25-27, 2016 in Orlando, Fla. <

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NEWS WATCH

Haier America was accredited by the Better Business Bureau serving New Jersey. The BBB requires accredited businesses to meet its ”standards of trust” that include integrity, honesty in advertising and transactions, transpar-ency, responsiveness to customer con-cerns and a commitment to honoring all agreements. The accreditation rein-forces the company’s recent moves to grow the company as more than a lead-er in home appliances and consumer electronics, but a global leader in home solutions.

“At Haier America, we’re building more than just home solutions, we’re building consumer trust,” said Adrian Micu, president and chief executive of-ficer of Haier America. “A Better Busi-ness Bureau accreditation lets consum-ers know that when they choose a Haier product they are choosing an ethical company committed to customer ser-vice and quality product.”

Haier is a new kind of appliance brand focused on home solutions de-signed for each stage of the emerging consumer’s life — from university and first apartment to every shape of family living — making each aspect of home life easy and enjoyable for consumers who seek value over status, intelligence over trend and individuality over the status quo. Euromonitor International, a world leader in strategy research for consumer markets, has named Haier the number one brand of major appli-ances by volume in the world each year for the last six years.

Stratasys Ltd. joined SME’s Bright Minds as a program partner for three industry events to help develop and en-hance future careers in additive manu-facturing.

The Bright Minds program gives stu-dents the opportunity to learn about additive manufacturing through lec-tures, workshops, panel discussions and various hands-on challenges. Program participants will also be introduced to

educational and career opportunities in additive manufacturing.

“Stratasys is proud to be sponsor-ing Bright Minds for the fifth year in a row,” said Sig Behrens, general manager of global education at Stratasys. “This program provides young students the opportunity to learn about 3D printing and its many capabilities. We believe that 3D printing is changing the way things are made. We have a core focus on inspiring and recruiting as many young people as possible to learn the skills of the future that employers are looking for. Programs like this are key to building that pipeline of talent.”

Bright Minds is an educational pro-gram created by Society of Manufac-turing Engineers for high school and college students, educators, and admin-istrators to support the future of manu-facturing careers. Each Bright Minds event enhances the collaboration with manufacturing leaders and combines workshops with hands-on challenges to give participants the necessary tools to prepare them for future career chal-lenges.

“Bright Minds creates an environ-ment for students and educators to connect with industry leaders and ex-perience technology innovations first-hand,” said Dolores Nixon, member and industry relations manager for Bright Minds. “As one of the program partners for all 2015 Bright Minds events, Strata-sys provides the education and technol-ogy resources that enable students to move beyond the classroom.”

Ellsworth Adhesives Europe signed a new agreement with Lord Corpora-tion, making it an official distributor of Lord Structural Adhesives.

“We are delighted to expand our part-nership with Lord Corporation,” Man-aging Director John Henderson said. “We believe this new range of products will be well received by large segments of our customer base and we are con-fident we can go on to become Lord’s

largest distributor across Europe.”The implementation of this new

distributor agreement strengthens the long standing partnership between Lord and Ellsworth Adhesives, and grants Ellsworth Europe permission to supply Lord structural adhesives across the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Ger-many, Spain and Portugal.

The Lord structural adhesives range consists of acrylic, epoxy and urethane adhesives that have been designed to improve manufacturing processes and final products for composite, metal and plastic assemblies. With their strength and flexibility, Lord structural adhesives provide a durable and low cost alterna-tive to rivets, welds and tapes. For your convenience, Lord adhesives are avail-able in convenience cartridge packaging to bulk packaging that includes gallons, pails, drums and totes for high volume applications. In addition to structural adhesives, Ellsworth Adhesives Europe is also authorized to supply the Lord range of electronic materials.

Stratasys Ltd. is expanding its North American channel by adding WYNIT as a value-added distribution partner.

WYNIT, an international distribu-tor of products from top brands in consumer electronics, photo, wide for-mat printing, outdoor, security and 3D printing, will now be a distributor of select Stratasys 3D Printers. WYNIT serves an established reseller network in the technical graphics market and, along with Stratasys, will be selectively authorizing resellers in this and other previously untapped market segments.

“By authorizing WYNIT as a national distributor and leveraging its extensive and focused reseller network, we aim to significantly expand Stratasys’ 3D Printer market share,” says Gilad Gans, president, Stratasys North America. “We see this as an opportunity to ex-tend our reach into new segments that are looking to adopt our leading 3D printer technology and relevant solu-

BUSINESS NEWS


NEWS WATCH

tions and applications.”WYNIT has a dedicated 3D print-

ing team that will offer comprehensive business development and support services for the Stratasys Mojo, uPrint, Objet24 and Objet30 product lines.

“We have an established community of resellers in various markets includ-ing the technical (2D) graphics vertical, which we believe has great potential for expanding into the 3D printing catego-ry,” said Geoffrey Lewis, chief executive officer and president of WYNIT. “We view Stratasys’ 3D Printers as the mar-ket leader in terms of quality and per-formance for commercial applications. We anticipate that our broad market reach and value-added distribution ser-vices will allow us to tap into additional incremental markets.”

MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, announced the completion of a MIPI UniProSM In-teroperability Test Workshop hosted by Teledyne LeCroy in Santa Clara, CA.

The workshop drew a wide range of participants from the MIPI UniProSM and MIPI M-PHY ecosystem, and in-cluded semiconductor companies, testing equipment manufacturers and IP suppliers which demonstrate wide adoption and low risk implementation of these specifications.

Leveraging MIPI M-PHY v3.0 tech-nology, the MIPI UniProSM v1.6 open specification testing validated signifi-cantly improved power savings and data transport performance, with link speed increases of up to 6Gbps per lane, or twice that of the previous MIPI Uni-ProSM specification. The testing also verified the specification’s continued backward compatibility to assure the future proofing of mobile devices.

MIPI UniPro v1.6 transport layer, combined with MIPI M-PHY v3.0, creates the MIPI UniPort-M interface, capable of connecting any application specific protocol. MIPI UniPort-M was designed as a universal, chip-to-chip, interprocess communication that is

ideal for mobile communications re-quiring high speed and low power so-lutions that are scalable and flexible. To date, several industry organizations have incorporated the MIPI M-PHY and UniPro specifications into their standards, including JEDEC Universal Flash Storage (UFS) and Google’s Proj-ect Ara.

Microchip Technology signed a de-finitive agreement to acquire Micrel for $14.00 per share. Micrel shareholders may elect to receive the purchase price in either cash or shares of Microchip common stock. The acquisition price represents a total equity value of about $839 million, and a total enterprise val-ue of about $744 million, after exclud-ing Micrel’s cash and investments on its balance sheet of approximately $95 million.

This represents a premium to Micrel’s closing stock price as of May 6, 2015 of 3 percent and a 30 percent premium to Micrel’s closing stock price on Aug. 7, 2014, the day Starboard Value LP dis-closed a 12.0 percent interest in Micrel in a Schedule 13D filing with the SEC.

“We are pleased to have Micrel be-come part of the Microchip team. Mi-crel’s portfolio of linear and power management products, LAN solutions and timing and communications prod-ucts, as well as their strong position in the industrial, automotive and commu-nications markets, complement many of Microchip’s initiatives in these ar-eas. We believe that combining Micrel’s business with Microchip’s business will enable significant synergies and cross selling opportunities,” said Steve Sang-hi, president and CEO of Microchip Technology.

“Ray Zinn founded Micrel and has led the company for the last 37 years. I want to thank Ray for his vision in guiding Micrel from a start-up to al-most a quarter billion dollars in annual sales,” added Sanghi.

Gardner Denver’s Medical Group, a provider in flow control solutions pri-

marily for medical and laboratory sec-tors, acquired TriContinent Scientific, Inc.

Headquartered in Grass Valley, CA, TriContinent Scientific is a manufac-turer of OEM precision syringe pumps and a supplier to the world’s leading medical and biotechnology diagnostic and analytics equipment manufactur-ers.

In addition to offering customized products tailored to customer needs, TriContinent Scientific offers five prod-uct lines: precision pumps, valves and syringes, XYZ robotics, microplate washers and manifolds, as well as pi-pettes and dispensers.

“The technology and portfolio of TriContinent Scientific is a perfect stra-tegic fit for Gardner Denver’s Medical Group. With the addition of both a fantastic team and product set to our business, we are now able to extend our customer offerings to include liquid handling systems,” said Patrick Ben-nett, CEO of Gardner Denver’s Medical Group.

Gardner Denver plans to integrate TriContinent Scientific’s business and products under the name TriContinent. Adding TriContinent Scientific’s core competencies in syringe pumps and liq-uid handling robots for the lab automa-tion market will enable Gardner Den-ver to offer complete solutions from a single source to its OEM and laboratory customers, giving the company a sig-nificant competitive edge.

Carrier introduced a new website to provide commercial customers with quick access to product, system, soft-ware, sales and service information on any Internet-connected device.

The new site, Carrier.com/commer-cial, utilizes advanced website design and technology to optimize the user experience.

“The new commercial systems site builds on Carrier’s heritage of innova-tion, sustainability and leadership in heating, ventilating and air condition-ing,” said Chris Opie, director, com-mercial marketing, Carrier. “The site


NEWS WATCH

doesn’t just showcase Carrier’s indus-try-leading products, system solutions and software, but a keen understand-ing of our commercial customers’ needs and expectations brought to life through relevant, engaging content in a responsive format for use on smart phones and tablets, as well as desktop computers.

The simple and intuitive organiza-tion of information allows system de-signers, installers and facilities manag-ers to quickly source the information they need to include Carrier equipment in their building’s HVAC and control systems.”

Carrier Asia, Ltd. is acquiring a minority stake in Chongqing Midea General Refrigeration Equipment Co., an extension of its long-term stra-tegic partnership with Midea Group Co., China’s leading manufacturer and wholesaler of electric appliances.

Carrier, a provider of high-technol-ogy heating, air-conditioning and re-frigeration solutions, is a part of UTC Building and Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

CQ Midea is Midea’s commercial air-conditioning business, manufacturing a range of centrifugal, screw and modular chillers as well as airside products. Car-rier and Midea established their first joint venture in 2008, Foshan Midea Carrier Air-Conditioning Equipment Co., Ltd., manufacturing residential Carrier-brand products for distribution worldwide. The business relationship between Midea and Carrier has since successfully expanded to include joint ventures in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, In-dia and Egypt. Carrier’s investment in CQ Midea will support its growth out-side of China.

“Internationalization has always been a strategic goal of CQ Midea. We want to ‘grow beyond China.’ But what’s even more important is to learn from the best,” said Paul Fang, chairman and president, Midea Group. “In the HVAC segment, Carrier has a team of experienced experts, industry-leading technologies and a top-tier quality as-

surance system. Collaborating with a brand like Carrier is an important step forward for Midea.”

At the signing ceremony, Geraud Dar-nis, president and CEO, UTC Building & Industrial Systems, emphasized the history of cooperation between Midea and Carrier, and said this new venture marks a natural extension of the exist-ing, successful partnership.

Exide Technologies, a global pro-vider in stored electrical-energy solu-tions, announced that its plan of reor-ganization became effective and that the company emerged from Chapter 11 as a newly reorganized company. As previously announced, the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware con-firmed the Plan on March 27.

Formerly traded under the ticker symbol OTCQB: XIDEQ, Exide has emerged from Chapter 11 as a privately held company, substantially in its cur-rent form, operating across all industri-al energy and transportation business segments globally.

Exide emerges with a stronger bal-ance sheet and a focused strategy. In particular, under the plan, Exide has emerged from Chapter 11 with re-duced debt obligations, a reorganized capital structure, and resources to al-low for further investments in its glob-al businesses.

The company has reduced its debt by approximately $600 million; received approximately $165 million through its rights offering; and closed on its $200 million exit financing arranged by Bank of America, PNC Capital Markets, and BMO Capital Markets Corp. to fund its working capital needs.

“The consummation of our plan starts a new chapter in the 127-year his-tory of the company, and today, Exide Technologies is fully charged, better capitalized and positioned for growth. With an extensive financial and ongo-ing operational restructuring, we have a solid foundation to implement our business plan and continue manufac-turing and marketing our premier lines of stored electrical energy products and

services for our customers around the world,” said Robert M. Caruso, Exide’s president and chief executive officer. “I’m extremely proud of the outstand-ing work carried out by our employees, and I’m grateful for the support of our customers and suppliers during our Chapter 11 restructuring process. In addition, I acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of our advisors, fi-nancial stakeholders, creditors and all of the parties involved in negotiating our Plan.”

Caruso will continue to serve as president and chief executive officer of Exide Technologies on an interim basis until a new CEO is appointed.

Tesla is branching out from the automobile industry with large, wall-mountable lithium batteries for the home coined Powerwall, in addition to a line of energy-storage systems for businesses.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the new products at a test facility in Los Angeles.

The $3,500 Tesla Powerwall is a re-chargeable lithium-ion battery de-signed to store solar energy at a resi-dential level for load shifting, backup power and storing surplus solar energy for later use when the sun isn’t shining, according to Tesla’s website. Powerwall consists of Tesla’s lithium-ion battery pack, liquid thermal control system and software that receives dispatch com-mands from a solar inverter. The unit mounts seamlessly on a wall and is in-tegrated with the local grid to harness excess power and give customers the flexibility to draw energy from their own reserve.

Load shifting is the practice of charg-ing during low rate periods when de-mand for electricity is lower and dis-charging during more expensive rate periods when electricity demand is higher.

Tesla will also offer a smaller Power-wall for $3,000.

“Once we’re able to rely on renewable energy sources for our power consump-tion, the top 50 percent of the dirtiest


NEWS WATCH

power generation resources could retire early,” Tesla’s website states. “We would have a cleaner, smaller, and more resil-ient energy grid.

“With Tesla Energy, Tesla is ampli-fying its efforts to accelerate the move away from fossil fuels to a sustainable energy future with Tesla batteries, en-abling homes, business, and utilities to store sustainable and renewable en-ergy to manage power demand, provide backup power and increase grid resil-ience.”

LG Electronics USA wrapped up Earth Week winning three 2015 Edi-son Awards in the green, energy man-

agement and household environment categories. LG’s Energy Star-certi-fied products honored at the Edison Awards ceremony in New York are the LG Curved OLED TV with webOS connected smart TV, the LG EcoHy-brid heat Pump dryer and the LG Art Cool Gallery.

The Edison Awards represent ac-tive contributors to the cause and purpose of innovation in the world, helping foster innovation and innova-tors to make a positive impact. Award winners are game-changing prod-ucts selected by a panel of more than 3,000 senior business executives and academics from across the nation and must showcase excellence across four

main criteria: concept, value, delivery

and impact.

“LG is driven to deliver tangible, in-

novative products to consumers that

enhance their daily lives, including

reducing their environmental foot-

print,” said William Cho, president

and CEO, LG Electronics USA. “These

distinct honors from the Edison

Awards create an opportunity for us

to draw attention not only to the out-

standing technologies demonstrated

in our energy-efficient products, but

to all those innovators who remain at

the forefront of product and techno-

logical excellence today.”

Plasma Air International, a provider of indoor air quality solutions, appointed Daniel Dowiak to national sales man-ager. In his new role, Dowiak is respon-sible for driving U.S. sales strategies and execution for an array of Plasma Air’s air purification products.

He is also instrumental in overseeing the expansion of Plasma Air’s commer-cial division into previously untapped U.S. markets, managing a current com-mercial representative network, and de-veloping and supporting the Company’s portfolio of residential representatives and distributor partners in various sales and marketing activities.

An industry veteran of over 20 years, Dowiak has broad leadership experience that spans both indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring, system design and engineering, and facility management. Prior to Plasma Air International, he served as regional manager at UVRe-sources, an Independent Energy / HVAC / environmental consultant at Daniel J. Dowiak Consulting, and a regional sales manager at Bioclimatic Air Systems, where he focused on the analysis and implementation of bipolar ionization, gas phase filtration systems and UV-C sterilization.

He also held numerous directorship

and senior management positions at DHL and Ingersoll Rand in addition to starting his own company, DGSolutions, in 2003. Dowiak began his career work-ing as an environmental analyst at Public Service Enterprise Group.

“We are excited to welcome Daniel to Plasma Air International. His track re-cord of success, coupled with vast indus-try insight and proven leadership experi-ence, make him an exceptional addition to the team,” said Larry Sunshine, VP of sales and marketing, Plasma Air In-ternational. “Daniel’s appointment will be instrumental to the future growth of Plasma Air as we look to expand our air purification product line into new ter-ritories across the U.S. by developing an even more robust network of commer-cial and residential representatives and distributors.”

The Internet Protocol for Smart Ob-ject Alliance welcomed IoT industry leaders Intel, Aricent, Ayla Networks, Everex Communications, Seed Labs, Universal Devices and Nanjing Infor-mation Technology to the growing list of member companies that support the adoption of Internet Protocol (IP) to connect smart objects.

Jeff Fedders of Intel and Fabien Castanier of STMicroelectronics were elected to serve on the IPSO alliance board of directors. Joining the joining returning directors are Geoff Mulligan, Proto6; Pete St. Pierre, Oracle; Nicho-las Ashworth, Eaton; Christian Legare, Micrium; Jan Holler, Ericsson; and An-ton Pfefferseder, Bosch.

“As the IoT trajectory expands at an ever increasing rate across industries from automotive to healthcare and be-yond, the benefits of standardizing IP for smart objects cannot be overstated, and IPSO’s membership growth reflects the industry’s awareness of these benefits,” said Geoff Mulligan, chair, IPSO Alli-ance. “Every day, companies in the IoT space are successfully deploying, imple-menting and integrating IP for smart objects. Internet driven solutions are the future of IoT.”

Reflecting IPSO’s commitment to fostering education, awareness and real world implementation of IP for smart objects, IPSO Alliance and Open In-terconnect Consortium signed a liai-son agreement to align resource mod-els across smart home (appliances and sensors) and industrial services and devices.

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ABTech, Inc.Accurate TechnologyAdvanced Industrial Measurement SystemsAFFRI Inc.AICON AmericasAlicona CorporationAmerican Society for QualityAMETEKANDEC Mfg. Ltd.ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board Applied Automation Technologies, Inc.AssetSmartAssurance TechnologiesAutomated Precision Inc.Aven, IncBal-TecBruker Brunson Instrument CompanyBSICapture 3D, Inc.Carl Zeiss Industrial MetrologyControl Gaging Inc.COORD3 MetrologyCreaform

Diatest USADISCUS SoftwareDorsey Metrology InternationalDr. Heinrich Schneider Messtechnik GmbH/Kordt GmbH & Co. KGECM Global Measurement SolutionsElcometer USAEMNS, Inc (Global Supplier Quality Assurance-GSQA)Faro TechnologiesFischer Technology Inc.Fox Valley MetrologyFSInspection Gradient Lens Corp.Heidenhain CorporationHelmel Engineering Products, Inc.Hexagon Metrology, IncHemco GageIBS America, Inc.Infi nityQS InternationalInnvoMetric Software Inc.InspecInstronJenoptik Industrial Metrology Div.JG&A Metrology CenterJME Technologies, Inc.

Johnson GageKeyence Corporation of AmericaLECO CorporationLiberty Calibration Corps Made to MeasureMahr Federal IncMark-10 Corp.Marposs CorporationMartin CalibrationMB Metal Technologies LLCMetrologic Group Services MICRO-EPSILON AmericaMicroRidge SystemsMicro-Vu CorporationMidwest FlexSystems, IncMinitabMitutoyo America CorporationNidec-SHIMPONikon MetrologyOlympusOrigin Technologies CorporationOrion Registrar, Inc.Oxford InstrumentsPAS TechnologyPhillips Precision, Inc.Physical Test SolutionsPolytec, Inc.PQ Systems

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CONTROLS & SENSORS

Consider disruptive innovation.According to Clayton

Christensen, Harvard Business School, “disruptive innovation describes a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors.”

Cellular phones disrupted fixed-line telephony; in turn, the first Apple iPhone disrupted the feature-phone, and opened the door for many (Samsung, HTC, etc.) fast followers in the smartphone market.

The business-model-as-usual in the appliance space typically follows a sustaining innovation model; continuously improving established items, while charging higher, or at least steady, prices, has long been seen as the best way for appliance suppliers to achieve the greatest profitability for their wares.

But breathing down their necks are the

innovators; think Nest thermostats, Dyson vacuum cleaners, and Keurig single-cup brewing systems, entrant companies with novel products that addressed the simple applications of residential HVAC control, home cleanliness, and a good cup of joe and, in the process, displaced incumbents. (And made a pile of cash; Nest was purchased by Google for $3.2B in 2014.)

What are ways an established appliance manufacturer can get a competitive leg up in the highly competitive consumer appliance space, whether the manufacturers’ appliance product lifecycles are, by plan, either following the sustaining innovation model, or riding the disruptive innovation curve?

The answer can be MEMS sensors: tiny, cheap, and reliable devices capable of sensing their immediate environment and then sending information about pressure, inertial motion, sound, vibration, chemical composition, or other properties, to

MEMS SENSORS FOR NOVEL FUNCTIONALITY

IN TOMORROW’S APPLIANCES

Figure 1: In case A, a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) sensor requires a third component, a printed circuit board (PCB), to electri-cally connect to the ASIC (signal conditioning chip). In case B, a custom or semi-custom sensor is tailored to directly connect to the signal conditioning chip. This decreases component count, decreas-es system cost, and increases system reliability.

Figure 2: Parameters that can be specified in AMFitzgerald’s Rock-etMEMS semi-custom pressure sensor program.

And enjoy the

advantages of disruptive

or sustaining innovation

in your products.

by charles chung and paul werbaneth

Charles Chung, Ph.D., is an associate, MEMS design, test, and system integration, at AM Fitzgerald & Associates. Paul Werbaneth is a contributing editor at 3D InCites. For more information, visit www.3dincites.com. For more information about MEMS, sensors, COTS, custom, and semi-custom, and AMFitzgerald’s RocketMEMS semi-custom pressure sensor program, visit www.amfitzgerald.com.


CONTROLS & SENSORS

electronics to receive and interpret the data.Your smartphone goes from portrait

to landscape when you rotate the phone, thanks to MEMS sensors. And tells you how many steps you walked that day.

Imagine these MEMS-enabled use cases: A single-serving hot beverage brewing

system is outfitted with an embedded MEMS pressure sensor that determines the altitude at which the coffee is being brewed, based on barometric pressure measurements. Knowing altitude, the brewing cycle in Santa Fe, NM, (7,200 feet above sea level) is then optimized to produce the best possible cup of coffee in Santa Fe despite the boiling point of water there being only 199° F, in contrast to the 212° F a New Yorker using the same machine would experience.

A sonic toothbrush head, disposable, is outfitted with a MEMS pressure sensor that creates feedback useful for addressing oral health in general, or periodontal disease specifically, by aiding brushing technique (harder, softer, correct angle), brushing being something which is still somewhat of an art when practiced at home, rather than a science.

A tornado warning device, similar to a smart thermostat or smart CO monitor, uses MEMS pressure sensors to “listen” for the infrasonic pressure signature of local tornado activity and give reliable advance warning that a highly destructive tornado funnel is approaching. Using Internet of Things thinking, these devices are connected house-to-house across whole neighborhoods in Tornado Alley; Big Data analytics predicts the tornado path and time-to-touchdown based on data received from the tornado monitors, and then produces a house-by-house report advising to either shelter in place, or evacuate, with the evacuation route being optimized to feature the best path(s) to safety, with evacuation route directions then sent directly to a subscriber’s smart phone and car navigation system.

In the first and second cases, the hot beverage brewer and the sonic toothbrush head, adding the MEMS pressure sensor is a sustaining innovation; in the third case, that of the tornado monitor, an entirely new, innovative appliance is being launched to disrupt established tornado warning systems, such as they are.

In all three cases, it’s MEMS devices that

add desirable features to enhance the value proposition for consumers and it’s MEMS devices that add competitive advantage for the appliance makers.

MEMS ExplainedMEMS is an acronym for “Micro-

Electro-Mechanical Systems.” The term originally described the first silicon chips designed and constructed to simultaneously incorporate mechanical as well as electronic elements. The acronym continues to be applied to microchips today that incorporate elements of many different phenomena, including thermal, fluidic, chemical, optical, and even nuclear. Today, the unifying characteristic of these varied devices is that they are all extremely miniaturized (< 1 mm x 1 mm).

One of the manufacturing benefits of miniaturization, as exemplified by the semiconductor device industry, is that many devices can be made in parallel on a common substrate (e.g. silicon wafers), thus dividing the fabrication cost roughly by the number of individual devices per substrate, which can be in the hundreds or thousands of devices. Because many devices can be made simultaneously, MEMS unit production can rapidly scale to millions per year.

To source MEMS sensors, there are three typical options available: commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors; custom sensors; and semi-custom sensors.

COTS MEMS pressure sensors are, by definition, stocked and available for purchase today. As a result, this option has zero development time and cost. As a further result, updated or new appliances employing COTS sensors can win the time-to-market race.

While COTS devices have zero development cost and time, these chips cannot be optimized for any particular application; their characteristics are by definition fixed. As a result, variables such as overall system cost may not be

minimized, while other variables, for example reliability, are optimized.

How does this work in practice? After procuring a MEMS sensor, the next step in the design process is to integrate the sensor into the overall system. Typically the next step in the signal chain from the MEMS sensor is signal amplification, filtering, and analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), usually done on a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip. To properly connect the MEMS sensor to the ASIC, typically a third component, a printed circuit board (PCB), needs to be introduced. Signals from MEMS sensor are routed to the ASIC through the PCB. Each chip is connected to the PCB through eight wirebonds total, in this example.

In contrast, consider a simple example of a MEMS device where only the bondpads are customized for the application. The sensor’s pads can be directly mapped to the ASICs, and thereby eliminate one component, the PCB, and also eliminate four wirebonds. Since wirebonds are a typical point of failure in electronic systems, reducing their number simultaneously improves reliability and lowers cost. Removal of the PCB also lowers cost, as well as part count and overall size.

Here, the benefits of reduced component cost and reduced component count, and the concurrent increase in reliability, requires a sensor specifically customized for this particular application.

For a custom MEMS chip, typical development times and costs are on the order of years and millions of dollars. If the business plan calls for large volume applications, investments of this magnitude may be justifiable. Often custom development of a MEMS sensor is pursued for strategic considerations; there is often intellectual property that is generated in the development of the custom MEMS sensor, IP that can be used to differentiate system features and thereby gain competitive advantage. For novel sensors, this can provide a durable and

Table 1: Three sourcing options for MEMS sensors


CONTROLS & SENSORS

protected advantage in the marketplace.Semi-custom chips lie between the

COTS and custom sourcing options. Semi-custom chips allow a degree of customization, but are based on an established fabrication method, an important advantage that allows for much of the cost and risk of development to be avoided. The development costs and times for semi-custom MEMS sensor sourcing are often an order of magnitude lower than custom, resulting in investments of time and money in months and hundreds of thousands of dollars, respectively, rather than years and millions of dollars.

Pursuing the semi-custom route with MEMS sensors can achieve cost, count, and reliability improvements, which can pay for themselves quickly, and achieve excellent time-to-market results.

Among these three options, choosing the “best” source for MEMS sensors often depends not just on the application for which they will be used, but also on the business plan and strategy as well. For example, for a company producing the coffee brewing system with altitude sensing, achieving the quickest and lowest risk path to market may be the highest priority. In this case, COTS sensors have adequate performance to address the need, barometric pressure sensing, and are the quickest go-to-market option.

For a disposable toothbrush head that can monitor the brushing pressure of the bristles for improved periodontal health, the unit volumes may be very high, and the per unit costs needs to be extremely low. In this case, the semi-custom sourcing approach may be well suited. The semi-custom sensor can minimize costs (such as fewer wirebonds, no PCB, smaller and cheaper chip) while also keeping development costs and times low.

Finally, a tornado sensor may benefit from being optimized to detect the infrasonic signature of approaching tornadoes. A custom MEMS sensor can provide the best performance for this critical application, as well as generate intellectual property to protect the device from competitors employing fast-follower strategies.

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MOTORS

by martin bürkert and armin hauer

Martin Bürkert, development manager electronics at ebm-papst Mulfingen

GmbH & Co. KG, Germany. Armin Hauer, advanced technology manager at ebm-papst

Inc. Farmington, CT, member Ashrae, member TC 1.11, TC 1.9, TC 5.1

For more information, visit www.ebmpapst.us.

One undisputed requirement for a high performance system is the ability to closely match its output

to the actual demand. Comfort, health, pro-cess variance, sound emissions, and energy performance benefit from enabling motors for variable speed operation. What are the potential side effects of this prescription? Power line harmonics, additional capaci-tance, or neutral conductor current?

Definitions and standards Draft standard IEC 52.800-x (1st edi-

tion) introduced the term power drive sys-tem PDS. It encompasses an electric motor with an associated electronic variable speed drive without restrictions to specific tech-nologies. This standard will address the energy efficiency of these products. AHRI 1210-2011 Performance Rating of Variable Frequency Drives is limited to standard induction motors in combination with just VFDs, as its title implies precisely. One rat-ing requirement of the latter standard aside from efficiency is “Power Line Harmonic Currents.” It standardizes the test method for harmonics caused by VFDs. Limits for

equipment emissions are specified in EN 61000-3-2 and in EN 61000-3-12, grouped by application and by nominal current con-sumption.

IEEE standard 519 Recommended Practices and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electrical Power Systems is con-cerned about the same phenomena but from the perspective of an overall plant, an entire facility, or the electric utility supplier. It does include recommended limits. (see Mike Olson article in the bibliography)

PDS such as VFDs and electronically commutated (EC) motors require unique power electronic units, either physically separate from the motor or within the motor casing. Such unit converts AC from the power line source to DC power that is temporarily stored in the so-called DC link circuit. The DC link voltage is then inverted to a frequency- and amplitude-modulated 3-phase AC output voltage that then finally excites the motor windings. The inverter output frequency and voltage amplitude determine the resulting motor shaft speed.

Figure 1 illustrates the flow of power in a PDS motor electronics unit.

What You Need

to Know About

Harmonics—But Were

Afraid to Ask

The Impact of Variable Speed Drives on Electrical Systems


MOTORS

Power line current harmonics

The converter with a passive rectifier bridge and its highly capacitive DC link circuit draws non-sinusoidal, non-linear power line input current. Distorted input current oscilloscope traces of a

typical 6 kW PDS are shown in

figure 2.Three quantities describe power

line interference commonly:Displacement power factor

cos � quantifies the phase shift between voltage and current in an AC circuit with purely sinu-soidal waves. Otherwise it is not useful. It is a non-dimensional quantity. A sinusoidal voltage applied to a pure resistor causes a sinusoidal current without phase displacement and without drawing reactive power. The cos � in this case is 1.0. If a capaci-tor or an inductor were added to this circuit then a reactive power component would occur and cos � would be <1.0.

True power factor � is the quo-tient of effective power in watts over apparent power in volt-amps. Indirectly, it quantifies the reactive power of a load caused by both the phase displacement and by distortion from the sine wave of the fundamental frequency. Only if the current waves and the voltage waves are sinusoidal then the values of � and cos � are identical.

Total harmonic current distor-tion THDi is the ratio of the geometric sum of all current harmonics up to the fortieth order over the fundamental cur-rent expressed in percent. Non-linear loads quite commonly produce THDi > 100%. Then the harmonics content of this current is greater than its funda-mental wave. Displaced sinusoidal current

waves and distorted currents are generally unfavorable for power supply systems. The associated reactive power adds to the load of

generators and of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Harmonics cause additional iron losses in power distribution transformers. Correspondingly, reactive powercounts towards the sizing crite-ria of power sources including cables, switches, fuses and break-ers. Electric utilities and suppliers of standalone power distribution systems therefore benefit from a power factor close to unity and from low total harmonic current distortion. Above mentioned stan-dards help to assess these quanti-ties and to establish various limits.

Line reactors and DC link filters provide methods for PDS to com-ply with these standards. These filters temporarily store some of the absorbed electrical energy and mitigate distorted current at the input of PDS.

Line reactorsA line reactor rating of 2%

means that the voltage drop across its filter choke at nominal current load amounts to 2%. Other com-mon line reactors are 3% and 4%. However, their voltage drop onoccasion reduces the maximum speed of a motor and the maxi-mum possible output in cases of other load types. Figures 3 and 4 relate to the aforementioned 6 kW EC motor example with an addi-tional 2% line reactor.

DC link filter choke The filter of figures 5 and 6 is

integrated directly in the elec-tronic power unit which avoids additional wiring in the field and minimizes the installation space requirements. The PDS layout accounts already for the filter volt-age drop and the manufacturer guarantees the suitability of this filter based on the overall specifi-cation of the PDS.

Integrated DC link filter chokes or line reactors usually yield suf-ficient mitigation for PDS to meet the requirements of IEC 61000-3-12 that is based on common power supply systems. However,

Figure 1: Topology of a 3ph PDS

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3ph AC power source DC link Motor input

Motor

Converter DC link Inverter EMC filter

L1 L2 L3

Figure 2: Power line current unmitigated

Figure 3: 3ph PDS with 2% line reactor

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Motor


L1 L2 L3

Line reactor (externally)

Figure 4: Power line current with line reactor


MOTORS

sensitive applications such as off-grid power systems may demand more severe power line current distortion limits: What often stems from attempts to save cost on generators or UPS is increased power source impedance which is then manifested in low relative short-circuit power Rsce. If this situation leads to very low THDi specifications for electrical loads then comprehensive measures must be taken to mitigate har-monic current emissions.

AC line input passive harmonics filter

These filters (figures 7 and 8) are voluminous and expensive but they mitigate harmonic cur-rent emissions well.

Active converterActive converters have become

available recently. As integral parts of the electronic power units these can satisfy the most stringent specifications, reaching

THDi of 2% or less. (Figures 9

and 10).

Part load operationDesign-phase discussions of

harmonics and of power factor mostly center on full load opera-tion. Once a technician runs an actual bench test to evaluate equipment, a concern can arise: The power harmonics analyzer may display a � and a THDi that appears worse than advertised: When that occurs, then the PDS likely operates at part load. It does consume reduced power just as predicted and the current draw of the fundamental frequency does drop accordingly. Yet the reductions of the higher order harmonic currents are less pro-

nounced. (Figure 11) Remember that both � and the THDi are ratios. The absolute values of both the numerators and the denominators grow smaller, but disproportionally. Therefore, � and THDi values rarely matter

for part load operation.

Standby operationA so-called DC link capacitor

mitigates DC voltage ripple at the converter output. If the motor draws no current from the DC link, the capacitor will remain charged. The DC link capacitor for this operating state cannot displace the current wave, does not consume idle power, and generates no power line harmon-ics. Simply, no charging current flows in a charged capacitor.

Standards for electromag-netic compatibility EMC limits demand that a PDS be equipped with an EMC filter. Usually, fil-ter capacitors are connected between the power source phases or between a phase and the neu-tral conductor. The necessary capacitance depends on the emis-sions spectrum and the level of mitigation. Typical overall values vary from 100 nF to 10 µF. This results in capacitive idle currents. Power trickles not just during standby but for as long as the PDS remains connected to the AC power line. A filter sized for a 5 A nominal phase current draws effective power of just about 4 W while the reactive power consumption is approximately 100 VAr. This capacitive amount provides a slight compensation when a PDS operates in parallel to inductive loads such as stan-dard motors.

The DC link capacitor indeed buffers this power. But compared to the idle current of the EMC is its very low charge current of

no consequence. (Figures 12, 13,

14) Harmonics mitigation does not provide a reason for sepa-rating a PDS from line power when the motor speed is set to zero. Additional control and switch gear would be necessary. Frequent power on and power off cycling reduces the life expec-tancy of PDS so that this method is acceptable rarely.

Figure 5: 3ph PDS with DC link filter choke

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L1 L2 L3

Figure 6: Power line current with DC link filter choke

Figure 7: 3ph PDS with passive harmonics filter

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L1 L2 L3

Passive harmonics

filter (externally)

Figure 8: Power line current with passive harmonics filter


MOTORS

Single-phase powered PDS

Triplen harmonic currents typically are negligibly low when a converter is powered from a three-phase (3ph) sup-ply. However no such natural, internal cancelation exists with single-phase (1ph) supplied PDS. Here the third harmonic if left unmitigated easily approaches the amplitude of the fundament current. � is maybe 0.5 which then indicates that this unit draws reactive power √3 times the value of its effective power. Happily, a 1ph powered PDS is generally just a small fraction of the load for a branch circuit, much less for an overall power distribution system. All repu-table manufacturers have met applicable product standards for standalone PDS. Surprises only loom when an installation has many small PDS operating in parallel. Serious examples are packaged terminal air condition-ers in hotels, hydronic circulation pumps, furnaces and air condi-tioners in townhouses, evapora-tor fans in supermarket display cases, and fan powered filter units in industrial cleanroom ceilings to name a few.

A 3ph distribution transform-er can supply an array of single-phase loads. The transformer is utilized best if the overall load is similar for all three legs: A 3ph transformer with wye

connected secondary wind-ings and the center of the three phases wired to the output as a neutral provides a so-called four-wire 3ph supply. The three phases are 120° apart electri-cally. The 1ph loads are wired between this neutral and any of the three phases. The resulting phase-to-neutral voltage ampli-tudes are then 1⁄√3 times the transformer’s phase-to-phase output voltage. With purely linear loads the

three sinusoidal phase current waves will cancel each other out

in the neutral conductor entirely. With non-linear loads, however,the three third harmonic phase currents are exactly in phase so that the 180 Hz current harmon-ic in the neutral conductor is the aggregate of the three individual

third harmonics. (Figure 15). This mechanism generates an effective neutral conductor cur-rent value that amounts to a mul-tiple of the phase current and the risk of overheating. If the transformer’s secondar-

ies are delta connected then there is no neutral and the 1ph loads are supplied from two phases of this three-wire 3ph system. The third harmonic appears trapped in the delta loop but this current still con-tributes to dangerously unsus-pected phase conductor load. The solution for this phenom-

enon is an active power factor controller PFC for single-phase powered PDS. It provides elec-trical performance close to ideal sinusoidal conditions and con-sists of an added circuit between the converter and the DC link.

(Figure 16). An active PFC does take up additional space in the PDS, reduces maximum output power slightly, and increases the PDS’ first cost. Its savings out-weigh more costly and complex mitigation in the above described cases on the side of the power source.

SummaryAn electrical systems design

process should always include a judgment about THDi. Non-linear current draw causes non-linear voltage drop across the power source impedance. The engineer either specifies a suit-able power supply and low impedance distribution system or encounters added cost for mit-igation on all non-linear loads. A harmonic current emission limit stricter than EN 61000-3-2 and EN 61000-3-12 prevents the use of proven, standard PDS, may

Figure 9: 3ph PDS with active converter

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Motor

Active converter DC link Inverter EMC filter

L1 L2 L3

L1 L2 L3

Figure 10: Power line current with active converter

Figure 11: Harmonics of three-phase PDS for part load operation

See original XLS file

Figure 12: 3ph PDS current harmonics at nominal load


MOTORS

increase their size and weight, may reduce their maximum out-put, and therefore jeopardizes the cost savings potential from vari-

able speed systems.

References, Bibliography, NotesEuropean Committee for

Electrotechnical Standardization CENELEC draft standard CLC 52800-x: Energy efficiency and Eco-design requirements for Power drive systems, motor starters, Power electronics and their driven applications http://www.eco-motors-drives.eu/Eco/Documents_files/EuP-Lot-30-Task-1-5-Jun-2012-Draft.pdf

International Electrotechnical Commission draft standard IEC 52.800-x (1st edition) Efficiency of frequency converters, power drive systems and complete drive systems

Canadian Standards Association CSA standard C393-12 Test methods for measuring power consumption in low and idle power modes of commercial and industrial equipment.

International Electrotechnical Commission standard IEC 61000-

3-2 Limits for harmonic current

emissions (equipment input cur-

rent ≤ 16 A per phase)

International Electrotechnical

Commission standard IEC 61000-

3-12 Limits for harmonic currents

produced by equipment connected

to public low-voltage systems with

input current > 16 A and ≤ 75 A

per phase

Air Conditioning and

Refrigeration Institute standard

AHRI 1210-2011 Performance

Rating of Variable Frequency

Drives

Olson, M.R. 2009 “Harmonic

Distortion: “Reality vs.

Perception” Nov. 2009 HPAC

Engineering Magazine http://

hpac.com/motors-drives/har-

monic-distortion-reality-percep-

tion-1109

2012 Ashrae Handbook HVAC

Systems And Equipment chapter

45. Motors, Motor Controls, and

Variable-Speed Drives

2011 Ashrae Handbook HVAC

Applications chapter 56. Electrical

Considerations

Figure 13: Oscillogram of 3ph PDS standby operation

Figure 14: 3ph PDS current harmonics for standby operation

1ph PDS

1ph PDS 1ph PDS

4-‐wire 3ph source 60 Hz

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L3

Neutral 180Hz

Figure 15: Third harmonic neutral problem with 1ph PDS

Figure 16: 1ph PDS with active PFC

1ph AC power source

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PLASTICS

by eric wollan

Eric Wollan is technical director at PlastiComp, a compounder of long fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites. He can be reached at (507) 858-0320 or [email protected]. For more information, visit www.plasticomp.com.

With 40+ thermoplastic polymers in general use, one could expect there is an existing material capable of

meeting any performance criteria. After all, plastics span a performance spectrum from inexpensive commodity resins to high per-formance engineering resins.

Wading through all the polymer options can be a simple or laborious exercise depending on whether you can have clear-ly defined usage specifications and a good understanding of the performance capabili-ties of various polymers.

For many appliances, plastics are increas-ingly expected to provide more than just a simple external shape in the form of a sleek, colorful housing that commodity plastics routinely satisfy.

It’s common for modern appliances to be brimming with features to increase their functionality and appeal while also having requirements for portability to meet con-sumers’ on-the-go lifestyles.

Simply using a higher performing engi-

neering resin to obtain added performance to meet growing requirements can be an expensive proposition with plastic material prices ranging from less than $1 to nearly $50 per pound.

Instead, enhancing the performance of polymers you are already familiar and comfortable with by using plastic com-pounds might be the right solution. Compounding combines additives into polymer matrices, greatly expanding their performance envelope.

Fiber Reinforced PlasticsWhen performance demands or the

desire to reduce weight translates into a need for plastics with increased mechani-cal properties to satisfy structural require-ments, then fiber-reinforced plastics should be at the top of your materials list.

Using fiber reinforcement to enhance plastics stiffness and strength is an excellent method to control material costs. Up engi-neering low cost polymers through com-

Up engineering

thermoplastics using

glass and carbon fiber

reinforcement.

Boosting Performance without Breaking the Bank

This highlights the continuous strands of fiber and resulting long fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite pellets that are produced. Source: PlastiComp


PLASTICS

pounding to give them needed performance is typically less expensive than utilizing higher cost materials outright. In addition, sticking with polymers you know provides a valuable risk reduction element.

Compounding can combine a wide range of fibers into thermoplastic matrices to boost their mechanical properties, but glass and carbon fiber are the most common and universal types of fiber used to reinforce plastics.

Fiber-reinforced plastics. Source: PlastiComp

Most fiber-reinforced plastics are avail-able in two variants: short fiber compounds and long fiber composites. In short fiber materials, chopped fiber filaments are melt blended with a host polymer using a com-pounding extruder. In long fiber materials, a pultrusion process impregnates continu-ous fiber strands with molten polymer.

As the names of these variants imply, the length of the fibers in the material are either short or long. The mean fiber length in short fiber material is typically less than one millimeter. In long fiber, the fibers are unidirectional through the full length of the

pellet. For processing via injection mold-ing, long fiber is cut into 1/2 inch (12 mm) pellets to facilitate material handling and feeding.

With all fiber-reinforced polymers, reten-tion of mean fiber length during processing is critical to achieving optimum material performance in molded components. Fiber attrition can occur while the material pass-es through the injection molding machine screw used to mix and feed the polymer as well as from tight radii turns and under-sized gates in runner systems used to trans-port material within the mold.

Up Engineering PlasticsWhat type and length of fiber you use

is dependent on the level of performance increase needed. To condense our discus-sion, we are going to limit our examples to glass and carbon fiber reinforcement in polypropylene and nylon 6/6 (polyamide 6/6) polymers.

Polypropylene is a widely used commodity thermoplastic and nylon is a common entry level engineering polymer. Both polymers have a semi-crystalline morphology and read-ily benefit from fiber reinforcement.

The graph in figure 1 shows the qualita-tive effect increased glass fiber length has on polypropylene performance characteristics. Initially stiffness, measured through tensile modulus, is increased; then by employing fibers of greater length, strength, measured through tensile strength, goes up; and final-ly toughness, measured through notched impact resistance, is boosted.

StiffnessGains in stiffness are more a function of

the rigidity of the fiber used and the volume fraction of fiber included in the composite.

Figure 2 illustrates this effect in nylon 6/6, short and long glass fiber loadings of 30% provide a relatively similar 3X gain

in stiffness and as the glass fiber content is increased to 50% a similar 4X rise in stiff-ness occurs.

A significant boost in stiffness, almost 10X over the unmodified polymer, takes place when combining a 40% loading of more rigid carbon fiber into nylon. The difference in fiber length between short and long carbon fiber variants contributes just a modest 9% of additional stiffness.

Increases in stiffness that come through fiber reinforcement also contribute to a substantial increase in heat deflection tem-peratures (HDT), also known as deflection temperature under load (DTUL), which is a measure of a material’s short-term load carrying capability at elevated tempera-tures.

Unmodified polypropylene has a HDT of 130°F, adding 30% short glass fiber increases the HDT to 285°F and the same loading of long glass fiber raises it anoth-er 15°F. Similarly with nylon 6/6, including 30% short glass fiber increases the polymers HDT from 150°F to 460°F, substituting long fiber hikes the HDT another 20°F.

StrengthFigures 3 and 4 highlight the contribu-

tions glass and carbon fiber respective-ly make to the strength and toughness of nylon 6/6 polymer.

Incremental increases of both short and long fiber lengths along with glass and car-bon fiber types provide a stepped approach to boosting strength to desired levels, to a point.

Short glass fiber almost doubles nylon’s spe-cific strength with a 1.8X performance boost when 50% is included; the same amount of long glass fiber takes strength performance up another 30% to a 2.3X level.

Not surprisingly, carbon fiber, which is synonymous with high performance, pro-vides a 3X increase in strength over unmod-

0

500

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PA66 30% SGF

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ksi

Specific S1ffness Nylon 6/6

Figure 1. Source: PlastiComp Figure 2. Source: PlastiComp


PLASTICS

ified nylon 6/6 giving these composites strength-to-weight ratios that are on par with metals.

At glass fiber loadings above 50% an interesting effect is observed in figure 3:strength performance begins to decline instead of continuing to increase. This results from a saturation of the ductile polymer with reinforcement that hinders efficient energy transfer.

The fiber level at which this performance drop occurs varies from polymer to polymer and with different types of fibers. For example, with carbon fiber in polypropylene maximum strength peaks at a lower loading level around 30%.

Alignment of fibers is a significant design consideration as fibers typi-cally align in the direction of poly-mer flow as molds fill. Better per-formance occurs when designs take advantage of this characteristic and directional forces are perpendicu-lar to fiber alignment. Tailoring of fiber alignment is possible through judicious placement of mold filling gates and minimizing knit and weld lines where flow fronts meet.

It’s important to note that both stiffness and strength are not just material properties, achievable lev-els of stiffness and strength are high-ly dependent on component design. With plastics, simply doubling a wall thickness doesn’t directly cor-relate to attaining twice the stiffness or strength.

Commonly with plastics, coring out thick wall sections and including ribs and gussets increases stiffness and strength. These design tech-niques provide more load carrying ability, as components with thinner and uniform wall thickness contrib-

ute to fiber alignment and are easier to pro-duce using injection molding processing.

ToughnessIn figure 1, significant increases in tough-

ness or durability occur to the far right, well within the range of long fiber composites. Short fiber compounds have good capa-bility for providing stiffness and strength improvement, but generally as ductile poly-mers become more rigid they also become

more brittle.Fibers in polymer matrices function as

force dissipaters. Strength improvement comes from the weaker polymer transfer-ring load stress to the stronger reinforcing fibers.

In the case of durability, as measured through impact resistance, short fiber keeps stress more localized to a particular area whereas longer fiber lengths have higher aspect ratios giving them more ability to

dissipate impact stress throughout a plastic component.

In figures 3 and 4, the yellow lines indicate notched impact resis-tance. They show an incremental and stepped rise in composite durability as fiber content and length increas-es. Toughness up to 4X unmodified nylon is possible with carbon fiber reinforcement and an outstanding 10X with glass fiber reinforcement.

Although fiber alignment with flow occurs during molding, with longer fibers, particularly with more flexible glass fiber, there is some inter-twinement to form an internal fiber skeleton within molded components. Because of this skeleton formation, long fiber composites are better able to resist crack propagation.

Long fiber composites also excel at retaining their performance at elevat-ed and low temperatures more than other reinforcement methods. It’s common for a long fiber materials to have similar impact resistance at -60°F as they do at room temperature.

Long fiber composites are unique among the available methods of rein-forcing polymers because they are the only one capable of providing a per-formance trifecta by boosting stiff-ness, strength, and toughness simul-

taneously.

Figure 3. Source: PlastiComp Figure 4. Source: PlastiComp

0.0

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ft-lb/inpsi

Strength and Toughness Glass Reinforced Nylon Specific Strength Notched Impact

0.0

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50%LCF

ft-lb/inpsi

Strength and Toughness Carbon Reinforced Nylon Specific Strength Notched Impact

Burning away the plastic substrate of an injection molded part using pyrolysis reveals the internal fiber skeleton which is providing reinforcement. This method can be used to check for even fiber distribution and fiber alignment at key stress points. Source: PlastiComp


HVAC

by leah pickett

Leah Pickett is an associate editor at appliance DESIGN. She can be reached at

[email protected]

With summer in full swing, heat-ing—the “H” in HVAC heating has taken a backseat to the more

pressing demand for AC. Still, in anticipa-tion of another likely grueling winter to come, the HVAC divisions of companies like LG Electronics and Mitsubishi Electric have been coming up with new ways to keep homes and commercial buildings at optimal temperatures with the most high-quality, energy-efficient, and cost-effective improvements to date.

Changing the gameGreg Day, applications engineer at LG

Electronics, says that one of the most important strides in heating and cooling technology in recent years has been the introduction of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems into the marketplace.

“LG’s heat recovery VRF systems offer building management an energy-efficient solution by capturing heat energy normally discharged to the atmosphere by zones in cooling mode and moving the energy to the areas that need heat,” says Day. “This results in long-term energy savings for building management, in addition to individualized temperature control.”

“Additionally, LG VRF technology has the ability to specifically heat air with a heat pump system at lower outdoor ambient temperatures than traditional heat sources,

such as a gas furnace,” Day continues. “For example, unlike traditional systems, the LG Multi V IV system can continuously heat down to -13 degrees Fahrenheit without the need for an additional low ambient kit.”

Kevin Miskewicz, senior manager of com-mercial marketing at Mitsubishi Electric, points to Mitsubishi’s Hyper-Heating or H2i technology, which allows for a full heat-ing capacity down to when the outdoor ambient temperature drops below zero.

“If you look in the past, a traditional heat pump couldn’t [perform outside of] a cer-tain climate range in the U.S., simply due to the fact that it got too cold outside in the winter to perform effectively,” Miskewicz explains. “The Hyper-Heating or H2i technology has allowed us to install heat pumps in the farthest northern points of the U.S., as well as into Canada through our Canadian business unit. This has allowed us to provide that full capacity of heating even when the temperature dips below zero, and without the potential need for separate heating products within a house or within a business.”

Another advantage, in Miskewicz’s view, is the two-pipe capability of Mitsubishi’s Multi-VRF systems, which requires only two refrigerant pipes to simultaneously cool or heat a building. If one part of a building requires heating and another part requirescooling, then a two-pipe system, Miskewicz

Mitsubishi Electric, LG

Electronics turn HVAC

technology up a notch.

LG’s AC Smart IV app, which allows the homeowner to control their LG duct-free air condition-ing system while at home or away. Source: LG Electronics

TM

TM

IT’S A GAME CHANGER Smaller

diameter Cu tubes

Inner Grooves

More Heat Transfer

Higher Energy

Efficiency

Less Materials

Reduced Refrigerant

Volume

MicroGroove™ technology is changing the game of air conditioning and refrigeration(ACR) OEM product design. OEMs are going back to their drawing boards. They are designing ACR products with high energy-e�ciency, while minimizing materials usage and reducing refrigerant volume.The resulting ACR products are smaller and lighter yet can be produced using familiar manufacturing methods. It’s a whole new game! For more information, or to join a free webinar, visitwww.microgroove.net


HVACsays, “can provide that service without adding any supplemental products.”

Conserving energyOne of the most crucial issues

in the world today is also one of the top concerns that the HVAC industry is jumping to accommo-date: energy efficiency.

“At LG, what we’re see-ing among our customers is an increased desire for maintaining an energy-efficient facility,” says Day. “As a result of this mindset, heating and cooling can build a solid foundation to carve out that environmental footprint, and therefore lessen the building’s impact on the environment.”

“Though some of this has been done through stricter building codes and energy conservation requirements, such as LEED and ENERGY STAR certifications, more and more building owners are also demanding higher efficiency in heat-ing systems for both energy savings and lower utility costs,” Day continues. “This increased demand is often due to increased awareness of new HVAC technologies.”

When VRF technology first launched, Day says, “many professionals utilized back-up systems as a ‘just in case’ for operation.

“Today, with higher VRF awareness, customers can now choose VRF systems without concern or needing an addition-al system in place,” says Day, adding that “facility managers can now receive the bottom line on utility savings and really see the difference in comparison to con-ventional systems.”

In addition, Miskewicz says that energy efficiency and cost savings are “huge” fac-tors in developing systems, especially for larger buildings.

“When you look at the fact that HVAC accounts for roughly 40 percent of a build-ing’s energy consumption, choosing an efficient system is critical,” says Miskewicz. “Those energy savings begin immediately after you install the product and get it going within your building, not to mention the cost savings that come with the installation of a VRF system that does not necessarily include duct work. That’s a big expense that is taken out of the installation both in time and in materials cost, allowing the building owner to install the product more quickly and efficiently, get up to speed, and achieve those energy savings much sooner than

with a traditional, ducted HVAC system.”

The smart home factorWith smart home technology on track

to become ubiquitous over the next couple of decades, heating technology systems are also gearing up to meet the demand.

“There is definitely a movement happen-ing,” notes Edouard Ferrier, who, like Day, is an applications engineer at LG. “The idea of integrated automation comes to fruition with units you can control remotely, even on a residential level.”

And the solutions are already rolling in. “LG Dry Contacts provide a home-owner or business with single-point con-trol for comfort,” says Ferrier. “LG also has smart innovations of its own, as seen with our Smart AC module, which allows homeowners to remotely control their LG duct-free air conditioning system while at home or away. When paired with the free LG Smart AC app, the module com-municates with the indoor unit to control various functions, such as temperature, fan speed, and air flow.”

Miskewicz says that the cost of smart home technology will continue to remain an obstacle for homeowners, but can see that challenge being overcome as more and more manufacturers jump into the game. He also anticipates the smart home trend moving beyond the home environment and into larger and more complex residential

applications, such as college dorms, where “one outdoor unit and 50 indoor units will allow the students to control their individual units themselves.”

Why the future is heating up

Brian Bogdan, Director of Engineering at LG, believes that while heating technology will con-tinue to evolve and rise to meet new challenges, education on the full benefits of existing VRF sys-tems is paramount to the mission

of innovation. “Just as the [VRF] technology has

evolved, so have the methods used to ser-vice, install, and troubleshoot these sys-tems,” says Bogdan. “That is why contractor education is so important, but is also one of the biggest challenges to overcome. It is essential that contractors are trained prop-erly on how to install and service these sys-tems in order to achieve the full potential.”

And with heating technology already moving from traditional heat sources to more advanced and integrated HVAC sys-tems, Bogdan predicts that, with increased contractor education and comfort, “there may be a much bigger lean toward VRF systems” that take advantage of “the energy efficiency and cost-saving resolutions they provide to building managers.”

When questions about the future arise, particularly in regards to climate change, Miskewicz says that HVAC research and development teams should “step back” and look at the bigger picture.

“Equipment manufacturers can so often get wrapped up in ‘How many quarter of a points of efficiency can we gain year over year?’” says Miskewicz. “And while it’s a great thing to be able to offer energy and operational efficiency to our customers, we also have to look at that big picture, which is, ‘How is the equipment we are develop-ing and selling satisfying the bigger picture trends in the market? And how can we make

the market a better place?’” <

LG’s Multi V IV system, which can heat in ambient temperatures as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit. Source: LG Electronics


COILS

by hemant d kale

Hemant D Kale, PE, HVAC consulting engineer, is a registered professional engineer in the state of Illinois. Kale has 40 years of experience in all facets of the HVAC/R industry and holds numerous patents in the heat transfer field in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, contact [email protected].

When energy efficiency of fin-tube coils is mentioned, engineers immediately think of heat trans-

fer co-efficient, newer fin designs, smaller diameter tubes, non-circular tubes, thinner tubes and other factors for better heat trans-fer. All these options pertain to improving heat transfer efficiency, but not necessarily overall energy efficiency of the end-prod-uct. There is little room left for improving heat transfer efficiency that can mean-ingfully and positively impact the overall end-product cost and/or energy efficiency. The options to improve end-product cost/energy efficiency often entail prohibitive cost or other impediments.

While the heat transfer efficiency is one aspect of the coil design, another aspect is to reduce external energy needed to bring about the desired heat transfer. In the case of HVAC fin-tube coils, the two components requiring external energy are electric motor driving the fan or blower, which moves air through the fin-tube heat exchanger (coil), and the other is pump or compressor motor which pushes fluid through the tubes.

A forced-air fin-tube heat exchanger should ideally transfer all of the available

heat (absorb or reject), with a minimal amount of external energy. External energy is required to overcome the resistance to air movement over the tubes, as well as fluid movement within the tubes. The lower the air-side resistance, the lower the fan motor power consumption will be. Similarly, the less the fluid resistance inside the tubes, the less the fluid pump/compressor power con-sumption will be.

The historical trend in the fin-tube coil design has been to reduce the tube spacing, increase the fin density and increase tube rows for the same face area. Or, alternate-ly, increase the face area while maintaining only one or two tube rows. Most residential and light commercial condensing units use one or two row coils with large face area, which are then bent into a “U” or “C” shape to reduce the footprint. Most commercial and industrial units use slab shape coils with up to six rows. The coils are then arranged in a “V” shape to reduce the foot print.

The air resistance can be reduced by reduc-ing the fin density, altering fin formation, increasing tube spacing and increasing tube rows. Fluid resistance can be decreased by increasing the radius of the tube return bends.

Fin-tube HVAC

coils probe area for

significant energy and

cost improvement.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT COIL CONFIGURATION

Designers continue to look for ways of saving energy and reducing costs.


COILS

The relationship between blow-er/fan motor horsepower and the air resistance is governed by the following formula:

BHP2 = BHP1 x (sp2/sp1)^1.5; “sp” represents static pressure of the coil

The relationship between fluid pump motor horsepower and flu-id resistance is positively affected by reduction in fluid resistance, among other factors. In fin-tube coils, a major component of this resistance occurs in the “U” shaped tube return bends.

A new approach has been taken in the DEEP coil which attempts to achieve reduc-tion in external energy by reducing fin den-sity, increasing tube spacing, and increasing the number of tube rows. This is achieved by optimum combination of tube spacing, fin density and tube rows. While optimizing each of these variables individually will lead to undesirable conclusion, optimizing them collectively can produce coil design that is significantly more energy efficient as well as cost effective.

Tube SpacingThe larger the tube spacing, the lesser the

reduction to air movement, resulting in less fan/blower motor power. This is a positivegain. However, on the negative side, larger tube spacing will increase the coil face area, fin material quantity and may create lami-nar flow which can reduce heat transfer.

Fin DensityGenerally speaking, the higher the fin

density, the higher the heat transfer and,

concurrently, the higher air resistance. Lowering the fin density to below eight fins per inch will allow considerable low-ering of air resistance, which is reduc-tion in fan/blower motor horsepower. The associated loss in heat transfer can be compensated by more aggressive fin formation, which will increase air turbu-lence and air resistance, but will break up laminar flow.

Tube RowsFace area is often the starting point for

determining heat exchanger coil design. While maintaining constant face area, increasing the vertical tube spacing will increase the tube rows. Increasing the hor-izontal tube spacing will increase the heat exchanger depth. Generally speaking, there is adequate room in the direction of air, and as such the increased width will not pose a serious constraint. Increased tube spacing will also result in larger radius tube return bends. The larger radius return bends reduce the fluid side resistance, resulting in fluid pump/compressor horsepower.

Research and development continues to move forward in HVAC design.

Series 8X: Smart Hot Surface Ignition Control

CE EN 298:2003 Certified to Standards AG206 and AG210

CSA ANSI Z21.20CSA C22.2 No. 199-M89

C US

®

IS Series: Industrial Series



C US

®

Series 5X: Direct Spark or Intermittent Pilot



C US

®

Series 9X: Direct Spark or Intermittent Pilot



C US

®



C US

®



C US

®

630-860-6514 www.capablecontrols.com [email protected] Maple Lane Bensenville, Illinois 60106Capable Controls Inc.



Capable Controls Inc.

Manufacturing gas ignition controls since 1990


COILS

Optimization of the Heat Exchanger for Reduction in Energy and Cost of the End-Product

Heat exchanger is a component in the overall heating, air conditioning or refriger-ation end-product. The design of the heat exchanger is largely influenced by the vari-ables mentioned above namely, tube spac-ing, fin density and tube rows. However, attempts to optimize each of these individ-ually will be ineffective. Instead these vari-ables need to be treated as a combined pack-age to optimize the overall effectiveness of the heat exchanger coil in the end-product.

The combined result of reduced fin den-sity and the increased fin spacing provides for reduced air-side resistance, allowing for much smaller fan power. Increasing the number of tube rows increases the real-time contact between the two heat exchanging media, namely the fluid inside the tubes and the air flowing over the tubes. The longer real time contact compensates reduction in heat transfer due to lower fin density. There can be infinite combinations of these variables, namely tube spacing, fin density and tube

rows. Given the tooling constraint, making true prototypes representing these variables becomes economically not viable. However, several samples representing at least partially some of the above variables were made and tested. The test results were then superim-posed and evaluated to determine optimum combination. These results clearly demon-strate that the fin-tube coils can be improved considerably to reduce fan/blower motor horsepower and/or compressor/fluid pump horsepower. Reduction in fan/blower motor and compressor/fluid pump motor results in both cost and energy consumption reduc-tion. Current data infers 20% fan power reduction with much room to grow.

Other Benefits of DEEP CoilThe R&D work done so far also indicates

strong possibility of other DEEP coil bene-fits available in addition of energy and cost savings. These are:Lower footprint Lower noise ratings due to possibly lower

rpm motorSuitable for dusty environments due to

open fin spacing which are less likely to clog

Suitable for indoor quality application

due to less prone to mold development

due to larger fin spacing

Less likely to freeze in evaporator and heat

pump application due to open fin spacing

Need for Support from the Established Industry

The laboratory test data developed so

far clearly establishes 20% fan power sav-

ing with the potential for further increase.

The lesser fan power automatically converts

in to smaller motor, smaller fan blade, less

expensive motor mounting hardware, and

other related items which provide consider-

able cost savings to the OEM.

This is a major departure from current

practice of tightening the tube spacing,

increasing the fin density and reducing the

number of tube rows, which makes the coil

approach a function of filter or sieve.

Considerable initial research and labora-

tory testing has been done by the writer. This

work has revealed major links to optimiza-

tion. However, more needs to be done to com-

mercialize the energy-efficient DEEP coil. <

www.appliancedesign.com/products

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appliance DESIGN CASE STUDY [Advertorial]

South Korea-based Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., a leading global supplier of ABS resins used for refrigerator liners, home appliance, automotive, OA, IT, and other applications, is celebrating the first commercial adoption of SDI’s new HFO-compatible grade of ABS liner material. The breakthrough material, branded ‘starex® EU-0191’ is the first ABS material to be commercialized by some Asia-based OEMs utilizing 4th generation Solstice® LBA foam blowing agent, and is under evaluation at several others globally.

ABS resins are preferred over HIPS and other liner materials in Asia where customers demand the thinner liner and the high-gloss look and feel of ABS. “As refrigerator OEMs in Asia prepare to fully adopt appliance insulation made with HFO foam blowing agents, such as Honeywell’s Solstice LBA, it became important to develop an ABS liner material that is fully compatible with this new low-global-warming technology,” said William Shin, General Manager at SDI.

Solstice LBA has a global warming potential of 1, which is 99.9 percent lower than the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

it often replaces, and is equal to CO2. It also offers improved insulating performance when compared to HFCs and hydrocarbons.

Solstice LBA has been adopted by 12 residential and commercial appliance manufacturers worldwide to reduce their environmental footprint, comply with environmental regulations and improve energy efficiency. Solstice LBA is nonflammable, is not a volatile organic

compound and conforms with U.S. EPA, European Union’s REACH program and other chemical registration requirements globally. Honeywell’s new world-scale production capacity manufacturing plant for Solstice LBA started up in May 2014.

[email protected]

BREAKTHROUGH ABS MATERIAL ACCELERATES HONEYWELL SOLSTICE® LBA ADOPTION IN ASIA

appliance DESIGN CASE STUDY


[Advertorial] appliance DESIGN CASE STUDY

Newly developed MicroGrooveTM correlations are in development for implementation in CoilDesigner®, a proprietary heat exchanger design and optimization tool developed by the Modeling and Optimization Consortium within the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) at the University of Maryland. Once implemented into CoilDesigner, these correlations will allow HVAC&R system designers and engineers to model heat exchangers using 5-mm MicroGroove tubes.

Additional collaboration has been conducted with Burr Oak Tool, Inc. (BOTI) to understand the effects of tube expansion methods on internal surface enhancements, their related effects on heat exchanger performance and their implications for manufacturing. A synopsis of this research is available from www.microgroove.net/technical-literature.

CoilDesigner is developed with the support of over 30 HVAC&R companies worldwide and is the result of more than 15 years of research and programming effort. OTS has an exclusive license agreement with the University of Maryland to provide customized versions and assist in the development of CoilDesigner software. OTS actively works with various HVAC&R designers around the globe to optimize heat exchanger geometry, including investigation of the use of

small diameter tubes.According to experts at BOTI, the equipment

to build small diameter tubes into all sizes of coils is already available, and manufacturing processes are familiar, economical and reliable. The Copper Alliance recently sponsored a webinar presented by Brian McConnell, President of BOTI, in which the manufacturing technology to produce heat exchanger coils from MicroGroove Copper Tubes was described. This webinar can now be viewed on YouTube via the MicroGrooveTech channel.

For information on CoilDesigner, visit www.ceee.umd.edu. For information on MicroGroove, visit www.microgroove.net. For more about BOTI, visit www.burroak.com. For information on OTS, visit www.optimizedthermalsystems.com.

COILDESIGNER SOFTWARE TO INCLUDE MICROGROOVE TUBES

International Copper Association+32 (0) 2 777 70 70 (Brussels Office)[email protected]

The microscopic mirrors inside the digital projectors that Arun Gupta was helping to develop reminded him of the vast solar arrays that concentrate the desert sun. The similarity inspired Gupta, founder of Texas-based Skyven Technologies, to seek a way to harness the power of reflected light on a more intermediate scale.

Gupta’s solution is the Skyven Cogen System, an innovative, highly efficient solar panel system that takes full advantage of solar energy. Leveraging multiple technologies, the system both generates electricity and heats water, offering what the company says is a lower-cost source of green energy for commercial and industrial users.

The Skyven Cogen System brings together traditional solar photovoltaic, concentrating photovoltaic and solar water heating technologies, Gupta says, incorporating the best technologies that have emerged from the billions of dollars and decades of study that already have gone into solar energy.

A majority of the system’s mechanical components and

some of the optical ones are plastic, and Skyven is having all of those injection-molded through a Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award service grant that Skyven received in January, Gupta says. Proto Labs also 3D-printed prototypes of those parts through its rapid stereolithography (SL) process and supplied milled metal parts for Skyven’s system through its CNC machining serviceSkyven hopes to have pilot systems

in place by the end of 2015, and is targeting the commercial release of its Cogen System for 2016.

Read full case study at http://bit.ly/1cLVjnI.

877-479-3680 [email protected] www.protolabs.com

SKYVEN TECHNOLOGIES’ DUAL-PURPOSE SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM GENERATES ELECTRICITY AND HEATS WATER


appliance DESIGN CASE STUDY [Advertorial]

When decals, warning labels, product identification, usage instructions, and instrument panel overlays have to withstand exposure in harsh environments for an extended period of time, your printed products have to reliably perform.

WS Packaging Group is the only single-source manufacturer of durable- and compliance-related labels and printed product documentation serving OEMs. And with over 100 label constructions that conform to UL standards, we make it easy and cost-effective for OEMs to provide the detailed consumer or user information their products require.

WS Packaging is an ISO 9001/2008 certified manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labels and tags. Our production capabilities include:• Paper, vinyl, polyester, synthetics, and specialty

materials• Agency approvals from UL, ULC, CSA, American Gas

Association (AGA), Canadian Gas Association (CGA), and CE• Streamlined compliance testing and certification

support with our in-house UL lab• Up to 8 colors with UV varnish and lamination

• Finished in rolls, sheets, or fan-folds

• Hundreds of cutting dies• Consecutive numbers,

serialization, and variable graphics• Stock line of thermal transfer labels available• Specialty adhesives• Just-in-time Kanban stocking and operational print

services programs• Offset printing for owner’s manuals, instructions-/

directions-for-use booklets, parts lists/layouts, technical training manuals, and assembly instructions.

Put the power of our innovation to work for you.

WS Packaging Group [email protected]

DURABLE AND COMPLIANCE LABELING; PRODUCT SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION

Current technology allows fabrication of simple, inexpensive and configurable development systems which replicate the function of custom microprocessor based controls prior to availability of the custom system. These control systems allow parallel development of the product and the production control system which significantly reduces time to market. For existing products, it provides a rapid way to evaluate changes to the product.

For further information please contact [email protected]/weknowproducts

By Keith EggerSenior Project Engineer, ULREDUCED TIME TO MARKET WITH

CYCLE DEVELOPMENT INDEPENDENCE

Machine Control Independent of:• Production control board restrictions and development schedules• Software development schedules

Applications:•Anywhere microprocessor based control systems are used such as

household and commercial appliances.

Features and Benefits: •Reduced time to market

o Rapid development of prototype control systems for new products

o Rapid development and verification of new specialty cycleso Rapid evaluation of alternate component technologieso Rapid development and verification of product improvements

•Performance improvements•Efficiency improvements•Reliability improvements•Reduced development cost due to reduced effort needed to evaluate

alternative designs.

UL Engineering Advisory Services can:•Determine interfaces to production sensors

and actuators and develop custom interface circuits when necessary

•Provide system level developmento Connection interface and harnesses

definitiono Enclosure selection and layouto Hardware selectiono Software development

•Provide complete system fabrication


EncapsulantsEllsworth Adhesives Europe recently en-

hanced its product line of encapsulants with the addition of Dow Corning EI-1184, a material specially designed for LED lighting applications.

EI-1184 is a two part silicone encapsulant offering clear, reliable electronics protection for any application requiring strong protec-tion from harsh conditions. With its high transparency and weatherability, EI-1184 delivers reliable, long lasting protection of sensitive LED electronics in environments containing moisture, UV light, thermal cy-cling and extreme temperatures.

Suitable for both indoor and outdoor lumi-naire applications, EI-1184 is just one of sev-eral Dow Corning silicone solutions designed for the secondary optics market. EI-1184 is clear enough to use in the light path and won’t crack or yellow over the expected lifetime.

EI-1184 from Dow Corning enjoys rapid and versatile cure processing controlled by time. Furthermore, this new product con-forms to UL F1, the standard specified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) ensuring that a material meets specific parameters for resistance to UV and moisture exposure.

EI-1184 comes in a simple, two-part liq-uid component kit that requires a compara-tively simple 1:1 mix ratio, unlike conven-tional grades that mix 10:1. This not only reduces the potential for error during prepa-ration, it also makes it easier for manufactur-ers to simplify processing, control quality and reduce costs for high volume produc-tion. Once mixed, the formulation cures to a flexible elastomer, which is well suited for the protection of electrical and electronic ap-plications.

Ellsworth [email protected] www.ellsworthadhesives.co.uk

Vibration and Temperature Sensors

Banner Engineering introduces its wire-less vibration and temperature sensor. De-signed to effectively monitor machines for increases in vibration and temperature, the sensor measures RMS velocity in inches per second or millimeters per second, and tem-

NEW PRODUCTS

Tactile SwitchesCIT Relay & Switch offers a tactile family of switches with lighted, sealed, thruhole,

right angle and surface mount terminal options with a multitude of choices in cap styles, many of which are available with and without LED hole and several optional frames. Our extremely versatile tact switches provide design engineers with several LED color choices. Bi-color choices make endless the combinations and applications for these pop-ular switches. Non-lighted versions are also available with multiple cap and frame color combinations.

Specifications and materials are dependent upon your choice of switch.

CIT Relay & Switch, (763) 535-2339, [email protected], www.citswitch.com

perature. This enables the sensor to identify machine problems before they become too severe and cause additional damage or result in unplanned down time.

The sensor is optimized to work with 1-wire serial radio devices, such as Banner’s wireless Q45VT Node, the P6 Performance Node and the MultiHop M-H6 radio. Oper-ators can easily set vibration thresholds based on the ISO 10816 standard. When a thresh-old has been exceeded, the wireless node can provide local indication, send the signal to a central location, and send the vibration and temperature data to the gateway for collec-tion and trending.

The wireless vibration and tempera-

ture sensor is ideal for a variety of machine monitoring applications, including motors, pumps, blowers and many other types of machines throughout a facility.

Manufactured with a robust zinc alloy housing, Banner’s wireless vibration and temperature sensor provides reliable perfor-mance in harsh environmental conditions. The sensor also offers multiples mounting options, including hex screw, epoxy, thermal transfer tape or magnetic bracket mount, to accommodate diverse applications.

Banner Engineering Corp.(888) 373-6767www.bannerengineering.com

Thermoplastic VulcanizateLooking for a rubber alternative with a

soft, easy grip and good colorability? Vi-prene® thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) ex-hibit many properties similar to rubber such as flexibility over a wide temperature range and resistance to degradation from water, oil and grease. “Good colorability allows OEMs and processors to manufacture their end product in a variety of bold colors”, says Ste-


NEW PRODUCTS

phane Morin, owner of APS ElastomersIn addition to its good colorability and

rubber-like properties, Viprene® TPVs are fatigue resistant, dimensionally stable and offer very low compression set, heat aging stability, low temperature flexibility, and ex-cellent U.V., and ozone stability. It can also be processed using conventional injection molding and extrusion equipment.

Available in a Shore hardness range of 35A-50D, Viprene® TPV can be optimized with specific softness and grip needed in industrial, construction, appliance, and elec-tronic applications. Lower processing costs as well as adhesion to a broad range of sub-strates make it an ideal substitute of more costly material needed in soft touch parts such as overmolded grips for power tools, appliance, and utensil handles.

APS Elastomers(734) [email protected]

ConnectorsThe new PBV Series wire-to-board,

crimp style disconnectable connectors recently introduced by JST Corporation, provide optimum performance even in high vibration conditions. A compact, low profile connector, the PBV Series has a 2.0 mm (.079 in.) pitch. These highly reliable SMT connectors are available in both side and top entry configurations. They incor-porate both polarization and a secure lock-ing feature designed to prevent contact stubbing and back-out when mated mak-ing them ideal for consumer, commercial and industrial applications where vibra-tion might occur. The positive locking sys-tem is designed to fit inside the envelope of the header making it possible to stack the headers close together and still be able to release the positive lock.

The disconnectable, crimp style PBV Se-ries connector is available in 2 to 15 circuit

sizes rated 3A AC/DC (using 22 AWG) at 100 V AC/DC. Wire sizes AWG #28 to #22 are accommodated. Temperature range is -25 degrees C to +85 degrees C including temperature rise when applying an electri-cal current. The SMT headers are molded in a RoHS compliant 94V-0 polyamide resin. Socket housing is PA 66, UL94V-0 rated nylon. Contacts are phosphor bronze, tin-plated. Mating shrouded head-ers for top and side entry provide sufficient flat surface for vacuum gripping equip-ment. Contacts are offered on standard size reels for semi-automatic or fully auto-matic application tooling while mini-reels are offered for mini-reel hand tools. SMT headers are provided on embossed tape for automatic insertion equipment.

JST Corporation(800) 947-1110www.jst.com

Integrated CircuitsDialog Semiconductor plc announced

two power control integrated circuits that address the most critical reliability issue in white goods while reducing manufactur-

ers’ Bills-of-Materials (BOM) costs without compromising power supply performance. The household appliance market is growing at 3.8% annually and will reach 430 million units by 2017 . Dialog’s new digital control-lers are designed for use in dishwashers, re-frigerators, cooking ranges, microwaves and other high volume appliance applications. Most appliances today use secondary-side control to maintain the tight output voltage regulation for stable operation in multi-rail systems. For example, a 5V output for the system microcontroller (MCU) needs ±5% voltage accuracy, while 12V to 16V rails for motor or relay control require ±10% ac-curacy. However, secondary-side designs require optocouplers, which have signifi-cantly worse failure rates compared to other components in the power supply.

The iW1818 and iW1830 AccuSwitch™ pulse width modulation (PWM) control-lers use Dialog’s PrimAccurate™ prima-ry-side control to eliminate the need for optocouplers, the weakest link in achiev-ing the high reliability and long operating lifetime for appliances. The elimination of a secondary-side regulator and opto-coupler means reduced BOM costs and fewer solder joints for potential failure,

Thermoplastic ShieldingLEHVOSS North America, a

subsidiary of Lehmann&Voss&Co, announces the introduction of LUVOCOM® ES, a new genera-tion of thermoplastic shielding compounds with outstanding per-formance against electromagnetic waves and at smaller wall thick-

nesses. These new compounds are engineered for the housings of electric and electronic devices such as computers, radios, phones, and laboratory equipment.

A shielding effect is achieved by making the housings of the electronic components electrically conducting. This is done through the use of metal sheets and films, conduc-tive coatings, and conductive compounds. When compared to competitive compound products, LUVOCOM ES offers better shielding performance said Healy.

LUVOCOM ES compounds are ready to use (no adding of masterbatches before or at the hopper of the injection molding machine) and their rheology is optimized for easy processing and thin walls.

Due to its inherently high electrical conductivity, LUVOCOM ES allows small contact areas for necessary electric grounding. The innovative filler system enables an attractive surface appearance. Overall shrinkage, flow and mechanical properties for some LUVO-COM ES compounds are close to standard PC/ABS with 20% glass fibers. Flame retar-dant materials are also available.

LEHVOSS North America, (855) 681-3226, http://lehvoss.net/en/quality-service/downloads


NEW PRODUCTS

inherently increasing reliability. Dialog’s patented intelligent digital control loop technology provides accurate voltage cross-regulation between the multiple power rails in the system.

The iW1818 and iW1830 simplify ap-pliance power supply designs by integrat-ing a high-voltage power switch (800V BJT and 700V MOSFET, respectively) and both support high capacitance loads (up to 6,000µF) at up to 12V.

The adaptive multi-mode PWM/PFM control in the iW1818 and iW1830 dy-namically changes the switching frequen-cy to optimize the system for high effi-ciency even at light loads. They provide >80% active average efficiency, maintain high efficiency at loads as light as 10% and achieve <50mW no-load standby power with fast standby recovery time. This helps white goods designers meet global energy efficiency regulations, in-cluding the European Ecodesign Direc-tive and the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) energy conservation standards.

Both parts come in a thermally efficient, small footprint, easy-to-use PDIP-7 pack-age that ensures excellent thermal per-formance using a single-layer PC board. In addition to built-in over-temperature protection, they offer full protection from fault conditions, such as output short-cir-cuit, over-voltage and over-current.

Key features include: Output power: 10W (iW1818), 15W

(iW1830) PrimAccurate™ primary-side control

eliminates optocoupler for higher reliabil-ity and lower BOM cost

Intelligent digital control for accurate voltage cross-regulation

High voltage internal power switch iW1818: 800V BJT iW1830: 700V MOSFET Support high capacitance loads up to

6,000µF Optimized for 12V output < 50mW no load standby power Robust protection features: Output short circuit, over voltage, over

current Built-in over-temperature protection

Dialog Semiconductor(408) [email protected]

Signal ControllersMicrochip Technology Inc.

announced the 14-member

dsPIC33EP “GS” family of

Digital Signal Controllers

(DSCs). The dsPIC33EP

“GS” family delivers the per-

formance needed to imple-

ment more sophisticated

non-linear, predictive and

adaptive control algorithms at

higher switching frequencies.

These advanced algorithms enable power supply designs that are more energy efficient

and have better power supply specifications. Higher switching frequencies enable the

development of physically smaller power supplies that offer higher densities and lower

costs. Compared with the previous generation of DSCs, the new dsPIC33EP “GS” de-

vices provide less than half the latency, when used in a three-pole three-zero compensa-

tor, and consume up to 80% less power in any application.

This new dsPIC33EP “GS” family includes advanced features such as Live Update

Flash capability, which is especially helpful for high-availability or “always-on” systems.

Live Update can be used to change the firmware of an operating power supply, including

the active compensator calculation code, while maintaining continuous regulation. Vari-

ants from this new digital-power-optimized DSC family are available in an industry’s-

smallest, 4 x 4 mm UQFN package for space-constrained designs.

Other key features of this family include up to five 12-bit ADCs with as many as 22

ADC inputs, providing total throughput of 16 Mega samples per second (Msps) with a

300 ns ADC latency. The dsPIC33EP “GS” devices include 12-bit DACs for each of the

four analog comparators, for higher-precision designs. The two on-chip programmable

gain amplifiers can be used for current sensing and other precision measurements. In-

cluding these advanced analog amplifiers on the device reduces the number of external

components required, thereby saving cost and board space. These features, combined

with the overall high performance of the dsPIC33EP “GS” family, make it well suited for a

wide range of applications, including the following examples: computer & telecom (e.g.,

AC/DC and DC/DC power supplies), industrial (e.g., solar inverters, LED lighting, HID

lighting, battery chargers, projectors and welders) and automotive (e.g., LED and HID

headlights, DC/DC converters), among others.

The dsPIC33EP “GS” family is supported by Microchip’s MPLAB® Starter Kit for Dig-

ital Power (part # DM330017-2, $129.99), which allows customers to explore using the

new dsPIC33EP “GS” family in popular digital power-conversion topologies.

Microchip’s new Digital Compensator Design Tool helps engineers calculate the opti-

mum compensator coefficients required to maximize the performance of their designs.

This free tool, combined with Microchip’s compensator software libraries and many

royalty-free dsPIC33 reference designs, make it easier than ever to design digital power-

conversion applications.

Microchip also partnered with Biricha Digital to offer in-depth digital power design

workshops that help analog power supply designers, as well as embedded system pro-

grammers, leverage the capabilities of full digital control in their designs.

Microchip, www.microchip.com/dsPIC33EP64GS506-051215a


NEW PRODUCTS

Thermoplastic ElastomerTwo new grades in the 8000 Series of

general purpose series of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) – 8088N (colorable) and 8088BL (black lubricated) – have passed FMVSS302 specifications for flammability, according to officials at Elastocon TPE Tech-nologies, Inc.

With both new grades supplied as ready to use pellets in 1,000 lb. quantities and capable of being overmolded onto polypropylene (PP), they are formulated for different ap-plications: 8088N is a Shore A 88, colorable TPE

for applications that call for rubber-like properties and a good surface finish ide-ally suited for consumer goods (FDA compliant too, for food applications) and industrial applications requiring U.V. sta-bility. This grade is shear dependent and is formulated to process on conventional thermoplastic equipment for injection molding, extrusion or blow molding.

Elastocon 8088BL, on the other hand, is a Shore A 90 black, lubricated TPE for applications that call for high impact resistance and a reduced COF (coefficient of friction).

As noted for both new grades, they have passed flammability standards, making them suited for automotive interior applications.

Elastocon TPEs(888) [email protected]

PumpThe Thomas advanced diaphragm pump

1610 combines precise and consistent per-formance with very low sound levels. In ad-dition the new Thomas 1610 design provides fast evacuation times for all applications where speed is key. Volume flow rate is up to 8.0 l/min, vacuum up to 90% and pressure

up to 2.0 bar. Even when running under full load, our

new Thomas 1610 pump operates with an impressively low sound level that remains stable over the entire performance range. Thus, the Thomas 1610 is an ideal compo-nent for all devices working close to patients and medical staff – it will help to reduce stress and create a better working environment.

The new Thomas 1610 is an ideal vacuum pump with quick draw down that exceeds industry standards in speed and precision. This means fast and reliable measurements when used in laboratory devices.

For air and gas analysis, our new Thomas 1610 offers an excellent combination of precision and speed. It enables enhanced performance of your products without any compromises.

Gardner Denver Thomas(920) 457-4891www.thomas1610.com

Gap FillerDow Corning introduced Dow Corning®

TC-4525 Thermally Conductive Gap Filler to meet fast-growing global demand for im-proved processability and thermal manage-ment in automotive electronics applications. The latest addition to Dow Corning’s broad and growing portfolio of heat management solutions, this high-performing new silicone technology delivers thermal conductivity of 2.5W/m.K, greatly improved dispensability, significantly reduced abrasiveness and stable performance for more reliable electronics in harsh automotive underhood environments.

TC-4525 Thermally Conductive Gap Filler is a soft, compressible, two-part silicone that can be dispensed directly from its origi-nal packaging with minimal to no additional process preparation. It is well-suited for au-tomated dispensing using standard meter mix equipment. The material’s excellent thixotropic properties enable it to dispense easily, avoid slumping on vertical surfaces during assembly and – after cure – maintain its vertical stability even after long use.

Dow Corningwww.dowcorning.com

Fiber-Reinforced PlasticsGraco announces the availability of its flexible and precise

fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) gel coat systems, ideal for molded fiber-reinforced plastics such as those used in automotive ap-plications. Graco’s gel coat system proportioner offers precise on-ratio dispensing, while the company’s RS gel coat gun of-fers a superior spray pattern and ease of maintenance.

Given the importance of on-ratio dispensing to consistent final product curing, Graco’s precise gel coat system, optimized for ratio stability and control, ensures the highest quality end products with minimized waste. The proportioner’s industry-proven components and long-lasting seals lead to reduced maintenance, while the adjustable-ratio catalyst pump offers easy, tool-free adjustment, increasing overall uptime.

The Graco RS gel coat gun is up to 44% lighter than competing gun technologies, leading to better handling and spraying control for operators. The gun also delivers a superior spray pattern due to its Air Assist Containment (AAC) technol-ogy. The AAC technology wraps spray in a containing shield of air, preventing atomized droplets from escaping the spray pattern. The resulting decrease in overspray reduces material waste and creates a healthier environment for operators.

Additionally, the gun’s quick-disconnect front end reduces maintenance time, while the unique needle clamp design prevents operators from needing to adjust needle set-tings after routine maintenance. Improved ease of maintenance leads to increased up-time over competing technology.

Graco Inc., (800) 663-6522, [email protected], www.graco.com


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ASSOCIATION REPORT: ASHRAE

By Tom Phoenix, Fellow ASHRAE,

ASHRAE-Certified Building Energy Assessment and Building Energy

Modeling Professional, is principal and vice

president, Moser Mayer Phoenix Associates,

Greensboro, NC.

We may not be traveling in flying cars or have

talking robot maids as shown in the television

cartoon “The Jetsons,” but buildings, appli-

ances and particularly the systems used to run them are

getting a lot “smarter” when it comes to energy use.

Smart building systems are building components that

exhibit characteristics analogous to human intelligence,

according to Michael Brambley, Ph.D., staff scientist

in the electric infrastructure and buildings division at

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

These characteristics include drawing conclusions

from data, interpreting that data to reach new conclu-

sions and then making decisions or taking action with-

out being programmed to take the specific action.

“Smart technologies offer opportunities to reduce

energy use and cost while improving the performance of

HVAC systems to provide better indoor environmental

quality,” Brambley said.

I will focus on the smart grid in this article. The under-

lying premise of the smart grid is to ensure an adequate,

secure and reliable power supply.

The U.S. national electric grid has been called the

supreme engineering achievement of the 20th century by

the National Academy of Engineering. But in spite of its

success and the impact it has had on our lives, the electric

grid is under strain from increasing demand and aging

infrastructure. The grid is in need of modernization—

especially when you consider that buildings account for

72 percent of all electrical energy consumption—40 per-

cent commercial and 32 percent residential.

Historically, electricity consumption has been viewed

as a collection of dumb loads at the end of a distribution

system. There has been almost no interaction between

the loads and those responsible for electricity generations

and distribution.

The vision of the smart grid changes this picture radi-

cally. In a smart grid world, facilities become full partners

in supporting and managing the electric grid.

In general terms, power generation (which includes

traditional and onsite renewables), power transmission,

building mechanical systems, commercial and residential

appliances and building/residential operations and con-

trol systems all must work like one giant continuous sys-

tem to match load with supply and reduce cost.

How will we ensure those systems work in harmony?

Standards are needed to make sure all those buckets of

technologies play nice with one another.

ASHRAE and the National Electrical Manufacturers

Association (NEMA) are developing a standard that will

define an object-oriented information model to enable

appliances and control systems in homes, buildings and

industrial facilities to manage electrical loads and gen-

eration sources in response to communication with a

smart electrical grid. It would also allow communication

of information about those electrical loads to utility and

other electrical service providers. The standard is known

as Standard 201P, Facility Smart Grid Information

Model.

Under both the smart grid and the proposed stan-

dard, there is potential for connected equipment, such

as appliances, to become smarter. Appliances and

equipment will have the capability to automatically

respond to signals from power generators when there

is a need to reduce demand.

For instance, appliance use in homes could be used

to take advantage of low electricity prices at certain

times while minimizing electricity use at times when

prices would be high such as during utility system peak

periods. Examples of this would be running a washing

machine or dishwasher in the middle of the night when

electric prices would likely be lower or having a freezer

that would skip a defrost cycle during peak time to save

energy, according to Steven T. Bushby, leader, Mechanical

Systems and Controls Group, Engineering Laboratory,

National Institute of Standards and Technology. Bushy is

chair of the Standard 201P committee.

The new standard is part of ASHRAE’s supporting

efforts for the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, a public-

private partnership initiated by NIST. This effort seeks to

speed development of interoperability and cyber security

standards for a nationwide smart electric power grid.

It is hoped that the standard will be released for a pub-

lic review later this summer.

Today’s electric grid isn’t much different than it was

100 years ago with a one-way flow of electricity. We look

forward to tomorrow’s smarter grid with a two-way flow

of electricity and information—the intelligence infra-

structure. <

Smarter Systems, Appliances and Designers Equal Smarter Buildings


AD INDEXSALES TEAMcompany name page number web site

Americor 39 www.americor-usa.com

Capable Controls, Inc. 30 www.capablecontrols.com

ebm papst 32, BC info.ebmpapst.us/RadiCal

Fujipoly 39 www.fujipoly.com

Honeywell IFC, 32 www.honeywell-blowingagents.com

International Copper Association 27, 33 www.microgroove.net

Lau 17 www.laufan.com

MasterBond 31 www.masterbond.com

Proto Labs, Inc. 3, 33, 39 www.protolabs.com

Quality Show 12, 13, 14 www.qualityshow.com

Soler & Palau North America 39 www.soler-palauinc.com

Underwriters Laboratories 1, 34 www.ul.com/weknowproducts WS Packaging Group, Inc. 7, 34, 39 www.wspackaging.com

This index is for the convenience of our readers. Every care is taken to make it accurate. appliance DESIGN assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.

sales teamDarrell Dal Pozzo - Group [email protected] Phone: (847) 405-4044

Dawn LeRoux - Associate [email protected]: (248) 633-4818 Fax: (248) 283-6558 AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, ND, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Western Canada and International (Europe & U.K.)

Brad [email protected]: (216) 233-6943 Fax: (216) 803-6151 AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV, Eastern Canada

reprintsRenee [email protected] Phone: (248) 786-1661Fax: (248) 283-6588

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for the OEM design engineers worldwide.

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