A study and evaluation of power electronic based adjustable speed motor drives for air conditioners and heat pumps with an example utility case study of the Florida Power and Light Company

The authors present an evaluation, analysis and comparison of several specific power electronic (PE)-based and non-PE based air conditioner and heat pump technologies, and their potential impact for energy savings on the Florida Power and Light Company system. Data and a computer flow chart are provided. Four heat pump models are developed and compared in regard to Florida climates. These models are conventional single-speed, two-speed, variable-speed, and Oak Ridge National Lab variable-speed systems. Some of the results indicate that, generally, the major advantage of PE-based variable-speed variable-capacity heat pumps is due to the higher coefficients of performance and energy efficiency ratios resulting from oversized heat exchangers, and the decrease of cycling losses that result from on/off operation which must occur when capacity exceeds load