Skip to main content

Training Event Tech Session Wrap up (Part 2)

By Richard Hawkins

There were quite a few good classes presented at the 2023 MACS Training Event and trade show held in Nashville, TN on February 2nd through February 4th. This is the second of four blog articles which will be covering some of them.  

Electric Compressors, EV System Enhancements and Heat Pumps

Electric vehicles and electric compressors were hot topics this year. One of the classes which focused on them was Electric Compressors, EV System Enhancements and Heat Pumps w/ Mike Bailey, The Auto Prof. This was a 1.5-hour class which contained a tremendous amount of information on these subjects.

At the end of the class, I had the chance to interview Mr. Bailey. I asked what would be the things that he hoped someone would remember most from this class.  Immediately he answered: SAFETY!  To illustrate that, the first 14 slides in the class were dedicated to safety.  Please see figures #1, #2 and #3.

Selected slides from the class which emphasized safety

The second thing he hoped attendees would remember was the understanding that electric compressors and heat pump systems are quite simple in design and operation.  Once a technician understands this, they understand that diagnosing problems is not difficult. 

There were 28 slides dedicated to electric compressor operation and troubling shooting. Please see figures #4 and #5.

Selected slides from the compressor operation and troubleshooting sections of the class.

When asked if there might be a favorite slide in the class, Mr. Bailey responded with the following: Please see figure #6.

This slide shows a solid pass using an insulation tester. The value displayed on the screen is 2 Giga ohms which is as close to a perfectly insulated circuit as possible.   The red lead from the meter is connected to a bolt attached to the compressor case. The black lead from the meter is connected to one of the terminals which connects to the stator (there are 3). It is not necessary to connect to the other 2 stator terminals when conducting this test as they are all part of the same circuit.

There were 13 slides dedicated to heat pump design and operation.  Please refer to figures #7 and #8.

These slides provide detailed information on heat pump operation in the cooling and heating modes.

The entire presentation can be viewed in the “members only” section on the MACS website. Visit the MACS website for more information about MACS membership and the 2024 Training Event in Orlando, FL!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *