PURPOSE OF VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES Energy savings on most pump and fan applications.

1. 2.

Better process control and regulation. Speeding up or slowing down a machine or process. Inherent power-factor correction Emergency bypass capability Protection from overload currents Safe Acceleration

3. 4. 5. 6.

All VFDs must: Run a machine or process at a desired speed. Produce adequate torque to handle the load. Use power efficiently to produce the necessary torque at a given speed. Effectively monitor the application or process.

AC Induction Motor Theory

AC Induction Motor Theory

How a motor shaft rotates Torque is produced as the induction motor generates flux in its rotating field. This flux must remain constant to produce full-load torque. As shaft torque load increases, the slip increases and more flux lines cut the rotor windings, which in turn increases rotor current, which increases the rotor magnetic field and consequently the rotor torque.

AC Induction Motor Issues

Starting Induction Motors The starting current is very high, between 3 to 8 times the full load current. Depending on the size of the motor, this can result in voltage sags in the power system. The full torque is applied instantly at starting and the mechanical shock can eventually damage the drive system, particularly with materials handling equipment, such as conveyors.

In spite of the high starting current, for some applications the starting torque may be relatively low, only 1.0 to 2.5 times full load torque. The speed of the rotating electric field within the induction motor. Synchronous Speed = 120 x frequency/ No. of Poles AC motor speed change can be accomplished in three ways: (1) Change the number of poles in the motor; this means separate windings; Change the slip characteristics of the motor; this is done with varying resistors, such as is done with a woundrotor motor or by varying the stator voltage; or

Change the frequency of the power supplied to the motor. This is the method of choice . Components of VFDs

Power electronics is that field of electronics which covers the conversion of electrical energy from one form to another for high power applications. Vacuum tubes Thyristors (SCRs) provided the standard method for rectifying AC. Also referred to as a diode.

Transistors provide fast switching capability for a relatively low cost. The general types of transistors are: The bipolar transistor; The gate turn off transistor (GTO) The field-effect transistor (FET); The insulated gate-field-effect transistor (IGFET); The insulated gate-bipolar transistor (IGBT).

VFD Basics A VFD in a block diagram.

Components of VFDs

All VFDs need a power section that converts AC power into DC power. This is called the converter bridge.

Sometimes the front end of the VFD, the converter is commonly a threephase, full-wave-diode bridge.

Rectifier is that special type of converter that converts AC to DC. VFD Basics

The DC bus is the true link between the converter and inverter sections of the drive. Any ripple must be smoothed out before any transistor switches on. If not, this distortion will show up in the

output to the motor. The DC bus voltage and current can be viewed through the bus terminals.

Simplified Circuit showing DC bus components:

The DC link is an important section of the drive as it provides much of the monitoring and protection for the drive & motor circuit. It contains the base-drive fusing and precharge capacitor network, which assures steady voltage DC voltage levels prior to the inverter bridge and allows a path for overvoltage dissipation. VFD Basics

Input Waveforms

The voltage that is not stepped down is rectified through the diodes, and a DC bus voltage should be present. The DC + and DC terminals will typically read approximately 325 volts DC on a 230 volts AC supplied drive and 650 volts DC on a 460 volts AC supplied drive. This waveform, when viewed, is straight DC, possibly with some rippling effect from the AC input.

Power-Module

The inverter section is made up primarily of modules that are each made up of a transistor and diode in combination with each other which inverts the DC energy back to AC. By switching the inverter-transistor devices on and off many times per half cycle, a pseudosinusoidal current waveform is approximated.

Simplified Inverter Section of a VFD

The DC waveform looks more like an AC waveform but the voltage waveform is much different.

The power semi-conductors in the inverter section act as switches, switches of the DC bus, and therefore, are pulsing the motor with some voltage. A typical square wave takes its shape on the square-wave look due to this switching function ( which explains the sharp rise to peak) rather than a rotational, changing state of amplitude. This frequency and amplitude pattern is sometimes called the carrier frequency of a PWM drive.

Pulse-width-modulated voltage and current waveforms.

The VFD changes the DC energy into three channels of AC energy that an AC induction motor can use to function properly. Inverters are classified as voltagesource, current-source of variablevoltage types. This has to do with the form of DC that the inverter receives from the DC bus. Types of VFDs Solid-state AC VFDs can be named for their use, by their DC bus/inverter voltage or current source, by their waveform (PWM or PAM), by the type of power device used in their inverter section, or by their performance characteristics.

The main objective of the VFD is to vary the speed of the motor while providing the closest approximation to a sine wave for current (while pulsing DC voltage to the motor).

Volts-per-Hertz Control

The area within each pulse is the power delivered to the motor in volt-microseconds.

How VFDs Operate The PWMs drive ability to maintain the AC levels through all types of load conditions at given speeds is the factor which separates one drive manufacturer from the other.

Sample PWM-equivalent circuit with waveforms.

Advantages Sometimes getting a little more speed out of the motor can increase the flow just enough to satisfy the demand. When there is capacity in the motor and the VFD can be programmed to do this, a new, larger motor does not have to be purchased and installed. The VFD can run 10 to 20% higher in speed and make up for lost capacity in a flow-and-demand type of system. However, many motors as built are not balanced for these speeds.

Functions & Features Set-up Parameters The Control Method Acceleration or Accel-Ramp Rate Automatic Restart Stopping Method Automatic Signals Functions & Features Jump, Skip or Critical Frequencies Fault Logs and On-Board Diagnostics Power Loss Ride Through Slip Compensation Catch a Rotating Motor, Speed

Search or Pick-Up a Spinning Load Conclusion Significant energy savings Easy setup & programming Retrofits Space Better design Competitive edge