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Electronic Design and Manufacturing

Control Resources

AC Motor Speed Control Page

For the best AC motor speed control results in energy savings, control accuracy, low bearing noise, and motor compatibility, nothing beats and inverter grade motor with a Variable Frequency Drive or DC motor speed control. In cases were DC power is not available, and a Variable Frequency Drive is cost prohibitive, the use of a TRIAC AC motor speed control may be compatible with your motor.

Common features for Variable Frequency Drive and TRIAC AC motor speed control are listed below. For more information on the differences between fan controller technologies and their performance regarding motor efficiency, see our technical article at Control Comparison & Motor Efficiency.

TRIAC/Phase Control Features Variable Frequency Drive Features
Multi-fan applications Better control accuracy
Lower bearing noise Lower speed capability (<30%)
Smaller size Controls a wider range of motors
Lower inital cost / Lower efficiency Higher initial cost / Higher efficiency
Controls single phase motors only Controls single and 3 phase motors
Available for compatible AC motors
150 mA - 18 Amps 		Available for compatible AC motors
up to 1000 Watts


ECM Motor Speed Control
ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) motors offer significant advantages over traditional AC motors in HVAC applications. An ECM motor accepts an AC power source then converts the AC to 3-phase DC to run a brushless DC motor. The brushless DC motor (BLDC) is much more efficient than an AC motor and is easier to control. Most ECM motors accept either open collector PWM or 0-12 VDC PWM speed control inputs. SmartFan Cirrus-ECM is designed to control ECM motors based on temperature, analog (0-20mA, 0-10VDC) signal or remote transducer control inputs.
WARNING: SmartFan AC motor speed controls both TRIAC/Phase control and Variable Frequency Drive are designed for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers). SmartFan AC motor speed control products should only be used with compatible induction motors: Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC) or Shaded Pole. Motors must be approved by the motor manufacturer or thoroughly validated prior to use. Attempting to control a fan or motor that is not compatible could cause excessive heating and/or permanent damage to the motor. The use of inverter duty grade motors is highly recommended when using a Variable Frequency Drive.


AC Motor Speed Control
TRIAC/Phase Control, Variable Frequency Drive,
and ECM Motor Control
  • TRIAC/Phase control based AC motor speed control for single-phase PSC and shaded pole motors approved for voltage control by the motor manufacturer in applications up to 8.0 Amps.
AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan Nimbus AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan AC-VX
SmartFan Nimbus
AC Motor Speed Control		 SmartFan AC-VX
AC Motor Speed Control

  • TRIAC/Phase control based AC motor speed control for single-phase PSC and shaded pole motors approved for voltage control by the motor manufacturer in applications up to 18.0 Amps.
AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan Nimbus-HP
SmartFan Nimbus-HP
AC Motor Speed Control

  • Variable Frequency Drive for single and three-phase inverter grade motors in applications up to 4.0 Amps.
AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan Stratus II Variable Frequency Drive  
SmartFan Stratus II
Variable Frequency Drive


 

  • 4-wire PWM variable ECM Motor Speed Control.
ECM Motor Control SmartFan Cirrus-ECM  

SmartFan Cirrus-ECM
ECM Motor Speed Control

Benefits of AC Motor Speed Control

Benefits of using SmartFan AC motor speed control products both Variable Frequency Drive and TRIAC/Phase control include acoustical noise reduction, energy savings, environmental (humidity, temperature, pressure, flow) regulation, greater system reliability and improved safety.

Typical Applications
Variable Frequency Drive, TRIAC/Phase Control,
and ECM Motor Control

AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan AC controls for Pump Control AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan AC controls for Clean Room Pressurization AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan AC control for Humidity Control
Pump Control

SmartFan AC motor speed control products are capable of controlling small AC pumps.		 Clean Room Pressurization

SmartFan AC motor speed control products can be used to help keep positive pressure in clean rooms.
 
 Humidity Control

SmartFan AC motor speed control products can automatically regulate fan speed when connected to a humidity sensor.
AC Motor Speed Control SmartFan AC controls for ventilation AC Motor Speed Control Control Resources' AC & DC Controls ECM Motor Speed Control SmartFan Cirrus-ECM
Ventilation

SmartFan AC motor speed control products can be used in conjuction with a ceiling fan, attic ventilator or duct fan to remove hot air or noxious fumes.		 Electronics Cooling

SmartFan AC motor speed control products & DC motor speed control products can be used in electronics cooling applications to regulate air mover speed to control temperature and reduce acoustical noise. 		ECM Motor Control

SmartFan Cirrus-ECM motor speed control can be used in HVAC applications to regulate air mover speed.

Links

To view more information, please use the following links below:
Click on Comparison to go to our analysis of controller technologies and motor efficiencies.
Click on Catalog to go to our catalog page to select the SmartFan variable motor speed control for your application.

To visit other SmartFan Product Groups:
Click on DC Controls to learn about SmartFan variable speed DC fan and motor speed control and alarm solutions.
Click on Alarms to learn about SmartFan fan speed alarm solutions.
Click on Custom Design to learn about Control Resources custom design and manufacturing capabilities.



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Control Resources Incorporated 11 Beaver Brook Road Littleton MA, 01460 USA Tel: 978-486-4160 Fax: 978-486-4772 email: sales@controlres.com
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