ac variable frequency drives - bottling line

AC Variable Frequency Drives

ac variable frequency drives - bottling lineAC variable frequency drives are also known as VFDs, VSDs (variable speed drives), AFDs (adjustable speed drives), inverters, and micro drives. AC variable frequency drives are used in AC Servo Systems, Air Compressors, Conveyor Systems, Lathes, Mills, Plastic Extrusion, Slitter Lines, Food Processing, Waste Water Treatment Systems, Submersible Pumps, HVAC Fans and Blowers, and many more applications.

Many manufacturers apply AC variable frequency drives to rotating equipment because variable frequency drives reduce amperage spikes upon start up of large electric motors.Choosing the right AC variable frequency drive for an application will benefit rotating equipment by providing less wear on the electric motors where applied.Adjusting the acceleration and deceleration time of electric motors can extend an electric motor’s lifespan. AC variable frequency drives provide the ability to control the frequency of starting and stopping of an AC electric motor.This ability provides a means by which an AC electric motor is only operating when needed for the equipment it’s rotating, and electric motors have a longer lifespan if they are not continuously operating when they don’t need to be.

Approximately one third of the world’s electrical energy is supplied by electric motors in fixed-speed centrifugal pump, fan, and air compressor applications. These fixed-speed applications hardly ever require the full load speed (RPM) of the electric motor in which they’re operating. By installing AC variable frequency drives to these applications, the motor speeds are reduced, and power costs can be reduced by 50% or more. Technology has reduced cost and physical size of AC variable frequency drives, and has improved performance through advances in semiconductor switching devices, simulation, control techniques, and control hardware and software.

Power Savings Via AC Variable Frequency Drives

ac variable frequency drives - bottling lineAC variable frequency drives are used to reduce power savings in food processing, plastic extrusion, waste water treatment, and many other applications.AC variable frequency drives operate as load controls within applications that may accomplish up to 50% reduction in energy costs. Electric motors will turn at a rate proportional to the frequency of the alternating current (AC) applied to it.

The majority of AC variable frequency drives in the market today contain electronic circuitry that converts 60 Hertz Line power into direct current. The variable frequency drive converts this line power into a pulsed output voltage that duplicates varying alternating current to a desired frequency (speed).A properly applied AC variable frequency drive when paired with an AC electric motor, will significantly reduce operating costs. This is particularly true for variable torque loads such asFans,Blowers, andPumps.Blowers, for example, are often used with dampers to control air flow. These dampers may operate either manually or automatically. When dampers are closed, 50% of the electric motor current will drop to approximately 60% of Full Load nameplate current. By utilizing an AC variable frequency drive in this application, current draw in the motor will be reduced 30% for every 10% drop in speed. The same electric motor operating froman AC variable frequency drive at 50% speed, will draw approximately 20% of the full load current.

Example Application: AC Variable Frequency Drives

ac variable frequency drives - bottling lineA 10 horsepower AC electric motor, rated 90% efficient, operating across the line without an AC variable frequency drive, with the dampers operating between 50 70%, for 2000 hours per year will require 11,996 KWH. If the KWH charge is $.08 per KWH, the cost to run this motor will be: $1,248.00 annually.The same 10 horsepower electric motor operating from an AC variable frequency drive, between 50 70% speed for 2000 hours per year will require 4,676 KWH. Operating cost at the same KWH rate will be: $432.00 per year. This represents a savings of $816.00 per year and should be enough to pay for the AC variable frequency drives investment and installation costs, within the first 12 months of operation.If any electric motor application operates more hours than in the above example, and/orthe KWH charge is higher, the savings will quickly compound.

Manufacturers across the globe capitalize on AC variable frequency drives to save money on power consumption, increase quality control, decrease production downtime, and improve overall efficiency. To learn more about AC variable frequency drives or for repair and replacement quotes, contact Precision Electric, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

energy saving vfd

Energy Saving VFD

Over the past decade, energy saving VFD drives have allowed to become a cost efficient way to reduce power costs and increase system production efficiency. Approximately one third of the world’s electrical energy is supplied by electric motors in fixed-speed centrifugal pump, fan, and air compressor applications. These fixed-speed applications don’t always require the full load speed (RPM) of the electric motor in which they’re operating. By installing an energy saving VFD drive to these applications, the motor speed is reduced, and power costs can be reduced by 50% or more.This energy savings is often significant enough to pay for energy saving VFD drives within a few months.

Energy Saving VFD – Applications

Energy saving VFD drives are used in many applications such as swimming pool pumps, air compressors, conveyor belts, lathes, mills, food processing, plastic extrusion, waste water treatment pumps, HVAC fans and blowers, and many more. Energy saving VFD drivesare used in manufacturing to increase or decrease the acceleration and deceleration times on alternating current (AC) motors.

Adjusting the acceleration and deceleration time on electric motors can extend the motor’s lifespan, and can also improve efficiency on production demands. Energy saving VFD drives can also provide the ability to control the frequency of starting and stopping an AC motor.This ability provides a means by which an AC electric motor is only operating when needed for the equipment it’s rotating, and electric motors have a longer lifespan if they are not continuously operating when they don’t need to be.

energy saving vfdUtilizing energy saving VFD drives can greatly increase power savings in food processing, plastic extrusion, waste water treatment, and many other manufacturing sites. Many manufacturers apply energy saving VFD drives to their rotating equipment because they reduce amperage spikes upon start up of large electric motors.Choosing the right energy saving VFD drive for an application will increase power savings on utility bills, increase production flow, and will benefit rotating equipment by providing less wear on the electric motors where applied.

The use of energy saving VFD drives on variable torque loads for the purpose of gaining energy savings is a common goal. VFD drives operate as load controls within applications that may accomplish up to 50% reduction in energy costs.In general, an electric motor will turn at a rate proportional to the frequency of the alternating current (AC) applied to it.The majority of VFD drives in the market today contain electronic circuitry that converts 60 Hertz Line power into direct current. The VFD converts this line power into a pulsed output voltage that duplicates varying alternating current to a desired frequency (speed).A properly applied energy saving VFD Drive will significantly reduce operating costs. This is particularly true for variable torque loads such as:

  • Fans
  • Blowers
  • Pumps

Blowers, for example, are often used with dampers to control air flow. These dampers may be operated either manually or automatically. When dampers are closed, 50% of the electric motor current will drop to approximately 60% of Full Load nameplate current. By utilizing an energy saving VFD drive in this application, current draw in the motor will be reduced 30% for every 10% drop in speed. The same electric motor operating froman energy saving VFD drive, at 50% speed, will draw approximately 20% of the full load current.

Example Application:

A 10 horsepower AC electric motor, rated 90% efficient, operating across the line (without an energy saving VFD) with the dampers operating between 50 70%, for 2000 hours per year will require 11,996 KWH. If your KWH charge is $.08 per KWH, the cost to run this motor will be: $1,248.00 annually.

The same 10 horsepower electric motor operating from an energy saving VFD Drive, between 50 70% speed for 2000 hours per year will require 4,676 KWH. Operating cost at the same KWH rate will be: $432.00 per year. This represents a savings of $816.00 per year and should be enough to pay for the energy saving VFD investment and installation costs in the first 12 months of operation.

If any electric motor application operates more hours than in the above example, and/orthe KWH charge is higher, the savings will quickly compound.

Energy Saving VFD – Repair Versus Replacement

In our ever growing world of technology, energy saving VFD drives have over the past decade allowed to become a cost efficient way to reduce power costs and increase system efficiency. Today manufacturers around the globe within a wide range of industries are finding more ways to apply energy saving VFD drives to their rotating equipment.From past experience, smaller horsepower VFD drives typically fail in eight years and are more often replaced rather than repaired.

Larger horsepower VFD drives last longer by virtue of repairs that often require replacement of circuit boards and other electrical components. After bearing the cost of two or three replacement boards in any one VFD drive, the user often realizes that the drive should have been junked sooner.

 

 

 

Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

Eaton VFD TroubleshootingEaton VFD troubleshooting begins with technicians working with the VFD in production. Eaton VFD troubleshooting can be time consuming, so manufacturers tend to keep spare Eaton drives on hand for production lines that cannot afford downtime.When Eaton VFD troubleshooting cannot be resolved in the plant, technicians in the field are known to send their Eaton VFD to the original equipment manufacturer or Eaton VFD repair centers for repair and replacement options. The original equipment manufacturer of Eaton drives and Eaton VFD repair centers usually only offer a replacement for failed drives, but this isn’t usually the most economical solution for manufacturers.

Eaton VFD troubleshooting and VFD repair centers are an asset to manufacturers who use Eaton drive products, and Precision Electric is the best source for Eaton VFD troubleshooting and Eaton VFD repair.Precision Electric has been performing Eaton VFD Troubleshooting and Eaton VFD Repair since 1983.Precision Electric has helped save manufacturers thousands of dollars by repairing their failed Eaton VFD drives in lieu of of replacing Eaton VFD drives.

When Eaton VFD troubleshooting leads to Eaton VFD repair, the repair process should be taken with extreme caution. Eaton VFD repair should only be performed by technicians who have required training and experience to work with electrical equipment. Precision Electric strongly recommends to consult an expert in the field when repairing and troubleshooting Eaton VFD equipment.

The troubleshooting techniques for each brand of VFD can be unique, but the overall structure of troubleshooting always remains the same.The ultimate goal when performing Eaton VFD troubleshooting is to diagnose, repair and re-commission the unit as quickly as possible, and these are the steps that Precision Electric follows before anydis-assembly takes place.

1. Take Notes –Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

This is often a subject that is passed by many individuals who are attempting to troubleshoot industrial electrical equipment. Before Precision Electric begins to perform Eaton VFD troubleshooting, qualified technicians take note of many important aspects of the equipment including, but not limited to:

    1. Eaton VFD Model Number
    2. VFD Serial Number
    3. Reason for Service
    4. Urgency (Rush Overtime or Standard)
    5. Visual Inspection of External Device

2.Diode and IGBT Tests –Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

Eaton VFD TroubleshootingWhen Eaton VFD Troubleshooting exceeds parameter changes, Precision Electric tests the input and output power sections of the Eaton VFD. This step is essential prior to applying power to the VFD unit. If for any reason there is a short on the input side or output side of the VFD, further damage can be caused to the unit if power is applied to it.

For this reason, Precision Electric uses meters to properly test the input and output power sections of the Eaton VFD prior to applying power to the actual unit. If a short is found, the unit can be disassembled and the cause of the short can be diagnosed and quoted for repair. If the repair is too costly, then a replacement is offered to the customer.

3. Power Up –Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

If the input and output power sections test healthy during this step of the Eaton VFD troubleshooting and repair process, Precision Electric will power up the unit and perform amp reading and output frequency tests. Precision Electric prefers to slowly increase power voltage to the unit until the rated input voltage of the VFD is achieved.

Depending on whether or not the VFD provides a display will determine what further action(s) will be taken. If display is unavailable, dis-assembly and diagnosis of the internal power supply of the control section of the VFD is likely necessary to further evaluate cause of failure and establish cost and lead time for the Eaton VFD repair.

4. Run A Motor – Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

Eaton VFD TroubleshootingIf the previous three tests have passed during the Eaton VFD troubleshooting and repair process, then it is time to run a basic jog function of the VFD with a simple template program. Often when a VFD comes into our facility, we make sure to backup whatever program is currently stored in the VFD prior to inputting a template program and running a test procedure. This is to ensure we have a backup copy of the program.

The best method for backing up depends on the brand of drive, but after it has been backed up, we either reset the Eaton VFD to factory defaults through the keypad and recommission a basic start, stop and job application or closed loop if an encoder is involved. If the motor will not run, it will be necessary to check the output voltages and current ratings going to the motor to see if the VFD is functioning properly to rotate the motor.

5. Contact Customer – Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

At this point we have determined the cause of failure, estimated lead time and cost of the Eaton VFD troubleshooting and VFD repair. If the VFD has tested good entirely, then further underlying issues are communicated with the customer. This is when Precision Electricwill gather application specific information from the customer to establish whether or not it may be some outside issue associated with the system including, but not limited to, PLC communications, faulty IO, bad wiring or even bad cabling. There is no single way to do this step, as it depends on a wide variety of variables.

6. Send Service Tech – Eaton VFD Troubleshooting

If the customer cannot establish failure on any other aspect of the machine and the Eaton VFD troubleshooting tests appear to be good, then it may be necessary to send a Precision Electric field service technician on site to establish cause of failure. Precision Electricfield service technicians are trained to troubleshoot any issue ranging from standard VFD repair to advanced robotics, servo systems, electric motor issues and more. Precision Electric field technicians are trained to establish cause of failure and come up with solutions as quick as possible.

To learn more about Eaton VFD Troubleshooting or for Eaton VFD Repair Quotes, contactPrecision Electric, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HVAC VFD Repair

HVAC VFD RepairHVAC VFD repair should be taken with extreme caution. HVAC VFD repair should only be performed by technicians who have required training and experience to work with electrical equipment. Precision Electric strongly recommends to consult an expert in the field when repairing HVAC VFD equipment.

Many HVAC VFD controllers have an internal DC bus that retains a charge after power has been cut to the drive, as a result, it does not mean it’s safe to work with. Technicians working with HVAC VFD repair must always take extra precautions to ensure proper safety measures are taken, or injury or even death may occur.

Precision Electric has spent years working with electrical components and HVAC VFD controllers, DC motors and VFD controllers, servo motor and servo VFD systems, and other related industrial electrical equipment. The troubleshooting techniques for each brand of VFD can be unique, but the overall structure of troubleshooting always remains the same.The ultimate goal when performing HVAC VFD repair is to diagnose, repair and re-commission the unit as quickly as possible, and there are steps that should be taken before anydis-assembly takes place.

Precision Electric has been performing HVAC VFD repair since 1983 and all repairs performed by Precision Electric includs a 1-year in-service warranty. The Precision Electric in-service warranty begins the same day that equipment is put into service and ends 1 year later. The Precision Electric in-service warranty was implemented to give manufacturers incentive to keep spare equipment in rebuilt condition to minimize downtime and maximize production.

Here are all the steps illustrating how Precision Electric performs HVAC VFD Repair:

1. Take Notes –HVAC VFD Repair

This is often a subject that is passed by many individuals who are attempting to repair industrial electrical equipment. Before Precision Electric begins to perform HVAC VFD repair, qualified technicians take note of many important aspects of the equipment including, but not limited to:

    1. HVAC VFD Manufacturer
    2. VFD Serial Number
    3. Reason for Service
    4. Urgency (Rush Overtime or Standard)
    5. Visual Inspection of External Device

2. Conduct Diode and IGBT Tests –HVAC VFD Repair

There are a number of methods to test the input and output power sections of HVAC VFD repair orders, and this step is essential prior to applying power to the VFD unit. If for any reason there is a short on the input side or output side of the VFD, further damage can be caused to the unit if power is applied to it.

For this reason, Precision Electric uses meters to properly test the input and output power sections of the VFD prior to applying power to the actual unit. If a short is found, the unit can be disassembled and the cause of the short can be diagnosed and quoted for repair. If the repair is too costly, then a replacement is offered to the customer.

3. Power Up Unit –HVAC VFD Repair

HVAC VFD RepairIf the input and output power sections test healthy during this step of the HVAC VFD repair process, Precision Electric will power the unit and perform amp reading and output frequency tests. Precision Electric prefers to slowly increase power voltage to the unit until the rated input voltage of the VFD is achieved.

Depending on whether or not the VFD provides a display will determine what further action(s) will be taken. If display is unavailable, dis-assembly and diagnosis of the internal power supply of the control section of the VFD is likely necessary to further evaluate cause of failure and establish cost and lead time for the HVAC VFD repair.

4. Run A Motor –HVAC VFD Repair

If the previous three tests have passed during the HVAC VFD repair process, then it is time to run a basic jog function of the VFD with a simple template program. Often when a VFD comes into our facility, we make sure to backup whatever program is currently stored in the VFD prior to inputting a template program and running a test procedure. This ensure we have a backup copy of the program.

The best method for backing up depends on the brand of drive, but after it has been backed up, we either reset the HVAC VFD to factory defaults through the keypad and recommission a basic start, stop and job application or closed loop if an encoder is involved. If the motor will not run, it will be necessary to check the output voltages and current ratings going to the motor to see if the VFD is functioning properly to rotate the motor.

5. Contact Customer –HVAC VFD Repair

At this point we have determined the cause of failure, estimated lead time and cost of the HVAC VFD repair. If the HVAC VFD has tested good entirely, then further underlying issues are communicated with the customer. This is when Precision Electricwill gather application specific information from the customer to establish whether or not it may be some outside issue associated with the system including, but not limited to, PLC communications, faulty IO, bad wiring or even bad cabling. There is no single way to do this step, as it really depends on a wide variety of variables.

6. Send Service Tech –HVAC VFD Repair

If the customer cannot establish failure on any other aspect of the machine and the HVAC VFD appears to test fine, then it may be necessary to send a Precision Electric field service technician on site to establish cause of failure. Precision Electricfield service technicians are trained to troubleshoot any issue ranging from standard HVAC VFD repair, to advanced robotics, PLCs and more. Precision Electric field technicians are trained to establish cause of failure and come up with solutions as quick as possible.

To learn more about HVAC VFD Repair or for HVAC VFD Repair Quotes, contact Precision Electric, Inc.