using my way back machine.....circa....oh man....15 years ago, I had some chips from Harris that were designed around this type thing.  We were using alot of fractional HP motors and wanted to see if we could design a motor starter with this, to save customers money when running them, and I dont recall what happened.  Think the issue was...lightly loaded it would help with the power factor but loaded it didnt' do much for it...at least not enough to warrant a full blown development.  
   
  So yes, as others have said....this has been around for a while, in different forms.  What makes this magic is....ta da....MARKETING!!!!!  you can have the best gadget...and no marketing, it goes noplace.  Have a stupid singing fish on a piece of wood....and great marketing....you make a zillion dollars....go figure

gacrowell@micron.com wrote:
  This goes back to a NASA patent from the '70's. Nothing new. I suspect
his 'patent pending' depends upon some minor new quirk or its simply an
'application' and won't get any further. It's been on the market in
many different forms, by many manufacturers. It does work, but savings
depends highly upon the application. Best for a long-running lightly
loaded motor - in many cases it doesn't provide any ROI, in fact no
savings if the motor is sized properly in the first place. I've seen it
for less. I believe the same technology is already built into many
high-end appliances. 

Here's the same thing:
http://www.powerefficiencycorp.com/
http://smservice.com/pwrcomm.htm
http://mlmvs.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/11458622/Nesly_Power_Saver.ht
ml

Usually more than just power factor compensating capacitors.

Gary Crowell



> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu 
> [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Martin Klingensmith
> Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2006 7:43 PM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: Re: [OT] Stockton Engineer Creates Energy Saving Device
> 
> How much more vague could it be? It sounds like a free energy 
> device. I 
> don't know what it does. Nobody knows what it does. Are we 
> just supposed 
> to say "oh, cool"
> I can't find any patents with his name either. Who knows.
> --
> Martin K
> 
> Jinx wrote:
> >> http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_347191740.html
> >> 
> >
> > "Chuck Larue may be the man who drastically cuts your 
> electricity bill"
> >
> > Realising that the device seems to be just for motors, I suspected
> > that the press had gone all hyperbolic again - "drastically" - but
> > then thought about his customer base
> >
> > Do homes in the "US And A" ** have many motors, such as AC,
> > fans, etc ? I'm pretty sure the only motor in most NZ homes, being
> > a temperate climate, is in the refrigerator
> >
> > Just a quibble - the article says that a 1/3 HP motor was using
> > 180W. As a HP is (ideally) 746W that would make it a 1/4 HP
> > and with heat losses you'd expect input W to be higher. Not
> > picking on anyone, may not have been reported accurately
> >
> > ** Thank you Borat
> >
> > 
> 
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