A review on recent applications of brushless DC electric machines and their potential in energy saving

Electric motors are the largest consumer of world electric energy, consuming more than twice as much as lighting, the next largest consumer. Electric motors account for between 43 and 46% of all global electricity consumption approximately. They give rise to about 6 040 Mt of CO2 emissions. End‐users approximately spend USD 565 billion per year on electricity [1]. In recent years, increase in energy price has led to development of highly efficient motor technologies and their applications. Despite the fact that the application of brushless DC electric machines with variable frequency drive is rapidly increasing due to their higher efficiency versus typical AC motors, industries are not fully aware of the potential benefits of these machines and their applications. In this paper, recent applications of brushless DC machines in oil & gas, transportation, home appliance, HVAC and refrigeration, marine propulsion and electricity production and their potential energy saving are reviewed.