Application of Calorimetry in Efficiency Determination of Power Conditioned Drives

ABSTRACT This paper presents an air calorimetry method of loss measurement suitable for use in efficiency determination of power conditioned electric motor drives. The procedure is based upon a calorimetric chamber that is calibrated using a precisely known, internally generated set of losses. Once a chamber has been calibrated, accuracy of loss determination depends upon repeatability rather than accuracy of instrumentation. Efficiency determination studies of five power conditioned drives are presented.