- Introducing Brushless DC (BLDC) motor solution for Energy Efficient Ceiling Fans & Room AC Outdoor Unit Fans
- Use of BLDC motors can reduce power consumption of home appliances and industrial equipment by 50%
- Designed in India, designed for India
ROHM Semiconductor India Pvt. Ltd. (RSI), a ROHM group company has today announced the introduction of its path breaking 
Solutions for driving BLDC motors in India. These solutions, compared to the less expensive AC Induction motor, are easy to control and around 50% more efficient, thereby reducing power consumption in Home Appliances and Industrial equipment. The solutions are designed with features to reduce the design time and hence enable a faster time to market. These drivers along with the easily customizable reference designs will propel local design, which is the key to manufacturing locally.
India’s electricity consumption has increased exponentially due to rise in the usage of high-power household electrical appliances like air conditioners. Rural electrification drive initiated by the Government has also added to the increasing demand for electrical supply. However, there is a significant gap in the demand vs power generation & supply and therefore, conservation using energy efficient appliances is the need of the hour. The Government through its various initiatives, is starting to focus on energy conservation by propagating use of energy efficient BLDC ceiling fans, CFL & LED bulbs as opposed to conventional fans using AC induction motor and filament bulbs.
In 2015, India manufactured around 40 Million ceiling fans, with around 10% growth year-on-year. If every single ceiling fan manufactured from here on is made into an energy efficient BLDC ceiling fan, rough calculation indicates that, by 2025, the country can reduce peak-power capacity addition by around 10 GW, which is equivalent to saving around 5 midsized power plants.
Keeping the above mentioned facts in mind and commenting on the launch, Mr. Daisuke Nakamura, Managing Director, ROHM Semiconductor India said, “With the government’s initiative towards BLDC ceiling fans, we see that all the ceiling fan manufacturers are trying to create a solution that is both efficient and cost effective. This technology transition has presented an opportunity for new entrants too. Most of the ceiling fan companies have R&D or design capability for the electrical motors, but not so much R&D for the electronics design, which eventually contributes to efficiency and energy conservation. This is where ROHM India has come in, by providing a wide range of reference solutions that will match most of the customers and market requirements.”
Features of ROHM BLDC motor solution
The solution is made up of 3 major blocks – (1) The Power Factor Controller (PFC), (2) The BLDC controller and (3) The control block. The Power Factor Control block, besides converting the AC source into DC, also corrects the Power Factor (PF). This block also provides an auxiliary power supply to the microcontroller. The BLDC controller block drives the BLDC motor; the supply voltage for this block is from the PFC block, and the control signals are from the microcontroller. High voltage also equates to high efficiency as the losses in the power stage is reduced due to the lower operating currents. This is achieved by precise electronic switching of the currents to the windings. Keeping in mind the Indian market conditions, the solution has also been designed to withstand the harshest of the voltage fluctuations seen every day. The solution can also be used in the following applications:
◆ Ceiling Fan ◆ Air Conditioner ◆ Air Cooler ◆ Air Purifiers
Impact on Ceiling fan manufacturing – Make in India
The ESDM (Electronics & Semiconductor Device Manufacturing) Industry in India is in crisis as it is bombarded by imports. “Make in India” is a key Initiative that can give some respite to the ever growing trade deficit. The deficit will reach 200 billion USD by 2025[i]. India being the world’s largest manufacturing base for the ceiling fan can use this technology transition as an opportunity to stimulate the electronics manufacturing industry. In the BLDC ceiling fan, the electronic components will cost about one–third of the total fan cost. Also, the Indian ceiling fan manufacturers can assemble the electronics board by themselves or engage EMS companies. Either way, the BLDC motor solution will have a positive impact on the ESDM industry in India.
