Determination of Motor Efficiency in Air Condensing Unit Using Thermal Image Analytics in case the Degradation of Capacitance การหาประสิทธิภาพของมอเตอร์ระบายความร้อนในระบบปรับอากาศโดยใช้การวิเคราะห์ด้วยภาพถ่ายความร้อน เมื่อค่าตัวเก็บประจุเกิดการเสื่อมสภาพ

Abstract

The efficiency of the cooling motor located in a condensing unit is essential for the performance of an air conditioner in terms of the duration of heat transfer. It directly affects the electric power consumption of an air conditioner. The condensing unit of the fixed-speed split type air conditioners consists of a motorized capacitor run. During scheduled maintenance, the capacitor is not measured due to electrical installation complexity. Technically, the degradation of capacitance results in the inefficient speed of a cooling motor. The compressor of a condensing unit consumes more electricity due to its long-time operation. In this paper, the efficiency determination of the motor in a condensing unit is proposed by using thermal image analytics. Luminance levels of thermal images are normalized on a permitted thermal radiation plane. The speed and the current of the motor are in indirect proportion. The use of thermal imagery exploits the aforementioned relationship. Analytic information illustrates that i) the use of thermal imagers is consistent with the speed and the current consumed by the motor, and ii) the appropriate capacitance should be 1.5 μF. The use of thermal image analytics is simple, inexpensive, and beneficial for determining the efficiency of a condensing unit. Moreover, it can prevent the degradation of electrical equipment in a condensing unit.