How Intelligent Switched Reluctance Motor Systems are Unlocking Our Sustainable Future
Piyush Desai, Co-Founder, Vice President of Motor Design, Turntide
Electric motors are the hidden drivers of climate change, consuming over 47% of the world’s electricity, more than heating, lighting, and electronics combined. Energy demand has been increasing faster than we can build and deploy renewables, with most of that growth being driven by motors to ventilate buildings, pump water, and move people and goods. It has become clear that upgrading the world’s electric motors with efficient, smart, and cost-effective motor technology is critical to addressing climate change and achieving sustainability. The potential for carbon emission reduction is 2.3 gigatons per annum if applied to most of the motors used in buildings, which would be equivalent to adding seven Amazon rainforests to the world! This presentation will discuss key innovations in switched reluctance motors, review third-party data about the efficiency of SRMs, and will walk through two case studies in different sectors - commercial real estate and industrial transport - to show how global companies are using SRMs to achieve a sustainable future. We are in a race against time. For the world to meet its goals of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050, every business needs to act now.
Piyush Desai is a hands-on technology leader with three success stories in starting, scaling, and commercializing new technology businesses. He received MS and Ph.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he also served as an adjunct faculty for teaching Motors and Drives classes to EE undergraduates and graduates. His research focuses on high-performance electric machine designs (switched reluctance, permanent magnet, and induction), control algorithm development, and simulation-driven virtual prototyping. He holds several granted and pending patents worldwide. In his 29 years career in the field of aerospace & defense, PV solar, and industrial technologies, Piyush worked for multiple companies, founded his own consulting business, and is now at Turntide Technologies as VP of motor design, co-founder, and original inventor of Turntide’s patented High Rotor pole Switched Reluctance Motor (HR-SRM) technology.