On the development of an on-site induction motor efficiency estimator framework

Nowadays, induction motors (IMs) are the greatest driving loads in the electrical distribution systems due to their better and optimum characteristics and cost. A large percentage of the electrical loads in the industrial countries concerns IMs, so optimization of the energy consumption of them can optimize the whole of the electrical energy consumption. The replacement of working IMs with more efficient ones can be an important resource of energy savings. At the same time, the calculation of energy savings, as a result of such a replacement, based on nameplate motor efficiency or manufacturer´s data, cannot be considered an error-free procedure. For this purpose the efficiency of IMs must be estimated correctly, on-line in their working environments. Such an efficiency procedure is studied in this paper using the advantages which the well-known genetic algorithm (GA) can provide.