Encoders in motor drive applications What is the purpose of encoder? When is it needed? What types of encoders are being used? This post shall answer some of these questions. VFDs are used to control the motor speed or motor Read more…
Solutions for variable speed control: Introduction This post introduces the most common solutions for variable speed control in industrial applications. Before starting with the topic we want to refresh the meaning of some commonly used abbreviations. Variable speed drive (VSD) Read more…
LCI versus VSI:Part 3: Comparison Figure 1: LCI vs VSI In today’s column we continue our popular series ‘LCI vs VSI’ and look a bit closer at the differences between a load-commutated inverter (LCI) and voltage source inverter (VSI). 1. Read more…
Reliability and availabilityPart 5: Factors impacting availability High availability is a key measure for many companies in today’s world in order to be competitive and to survive. If a supplier cannot deliver in contractually agreed date (delay) or cannot deliver Read more…
Input power factor and reactive power consumption The focus in all energy efficiency initiatives is to minimize the losses, improve the system efficiency and reduce overall power consumption. With “power” people usually refer to active power and this is basically Read more…
What efficiency can you expect from your drive system? In general, the efficiency of a drive system utilizing VFD is high. The differences come from the VFD topology, dimensioning and technical solution. As discussed in our previous post, the user Read more…
How to compare efficiency figures of drive systems? Just two important reminders before starting with the topic: 1) Always keep in mind that the energy savings come due to variable speed control. The load consumes significantly lower power when the Read more…
Derating and uprating factors What is the power rating of the specific VFD? An indicative value is provided in the technical catalog or brochure. This value shall refer to certain operation conditions, among others the temperature of cooling medium (air Read more…
How to choose a medium voltage VFD:Life cycle cost What is life cycle cost (LCC)? The definition from business dictionary (www.businessdictionary.com) says: Sum of all recurring and one-time (non-recurring) costs over the full life span or a specified period of Read more…
How to choose a medium voltage VFD:Engineering support Engineering support from VFD manufacturer significantly influences how smooth the execution of your project goes and how successful it will be in the end. It also directly impacts the quality of the Read more…