Vacon AC Drives Basic Course

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The trainers presenting the course:

A short introduction by each student

Your name?
Your occupation?
How would you describe an AC drive to a 5 years old child?

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Upon completion of this course,

students will be able to:

• Explain in a simple way what an AC Drive is

• State the main benefits of using AC-Drives
• List the most common environments in which AC Drives are
used
• Know the basic differences between built-in applications in
the Vacon NX family
• Understand the electrical principles of AC Drives

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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1 What is an AC Drive?
1.1 The Standard Electric AC Motor
• A standard electric
squirrel cage motor is the
most simple and reliable
of all electric motors
• Only one moving part:
the rotor
• Essentially a fixed speed
machine
• Speed depends on the
electrical power frequency
(50 or 60 Hz)

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1.2 The AC Drive

• An AC Drive provides the ability

to fully control the speed of a
motor from zero to maximum
frequency and beyond.
• It also provides the ability to
control the torque produced by
the motor.
• Very simply, AC Drive takes an
AC power supply and converts
it to DC. Then it converts it AC DRIVE Controlled
back to AC. During this process AC Output
it is able to adjust the output to DC
the exact frequency needed AC M
and supply the power to suit Power
every load condition. Supply BUS

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Vacon: A Large Family of Products

Drive Power range

Micro < 4 kW
Low-End 5-40 kW

Mid-Range 41-200 kW

High-End 201-600 kW
Mega > 600 kW

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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2 Where are AC Drives used?

• Material handling • Plastics
– Cranes – Extruders
– Conveyors – Cable manufacturing lines
– Warehouse automation – Plastic lines
– Packaging machines – In-line drives
– Textile drying machines – Winders
• People movement • Marine & offshore auxiliary drives
– Elevators
– Winches, winch systems
– Escalators
– Steering
• Flow control
– Oil drilling
– Compressors
– Pumps
– Fans
– Compressors
– Pumps
– High speed compressors

Practice

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Paper mill
Automation
System

Speed control; Torque control; Load control; Position control

Applications Measurements
Stock pumps; Water Speed; Flow; Pressure;
Pumps; Vacuum; Level; Freeness; Position;
Refiners; Screens; Temperature; Humidity;
Mixers; Compressors; Quality
Conveyers; Winders;
Fans ;Cranes; Line
Drives;

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Water Intake

Chemical Dosing

Raw Water Pumping

Sludge Aeration Fan

Pumping Control

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Escalator
Escalator

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Deck machinery

Pumps Cranes Winches Lifts Steering

Cargo Cargo Anchor Lifts Steering Gear

Draw works Seismic and Trawling

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Main engine cooling pumps

Cooling water flow in continuously changing conditions needs to be controlled. Vacon

solution is based on pressure or flow measurements from the cooling water flow to the
machine to establish sufficient cooling regardless of engine speed or load. Alternatively
the steering of converters can be done by engine control.

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Cargo pumps

Cargo pumps on a chemical tanker need to discharge the cargo at highest possible flow
rate at any temperature or viscosity. These variations require a large scale in rotation
speed as well as high starting torque. Hydraulic alternative is inefficient in energy
consumption, noisy, heavy and requires more expensive piping.

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Cranes

Vacon in crane control means reliability, redundancy and space savings compared to
other products available on the market. Liquid cooled converters provide additional
space savings as well as less audible noise. Motion control becomes silent and more
efficient with Vacon AC Drives and provide less space requirements than traditional
hydraulic solutions. Vacon has a long time experience with world wide crane suppliers
since 1996.

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Draw works

Draw works is a hoisting device for the drill. Continuous vertical movement to
compensate waves and ship / platform movement. Temporary high overload. Rapid
speed and direction changes.

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Anchor winches

Vacon in winch control means reliability, redundancy and space savings compared to
other products available on the market. Liquid cooled converters provide additional
space savings as well as less audible noise. Motion control becomes silent and more
efficient with Vacon AC Drives and provide less space requirements than traditional
hydraulic solutions. Anchor winches need fast slack rope roll in, but also high torque
accuracy at zero speed.

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Seismic and Trawling winches

Vacon in winch control means reliability, redundancy and space savings compared to
other products available on the market. Liquid cooled converters provide additional
space savings as well as less audible noise. Motion control becomes silent and more
efficient with Vacon AC Drives and provide less space requirements than traditional
hydraulic solutions. Long time run with zero speed requires full torque, but very little
power (power = speed x torque) and only an electrical solution will provide that with
out waist of energy.

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Lifts

Vacon in lift control means reliability, redundancy and space savings compared to other
products available on the market. Motion control becomes silent and more efficient
with Vacon AC Drives and provide less space requirements than traditional hydraulic
solutions. Vacon has a long time experience with world wide lift suppliers.

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Steering gear

Vacon in steering gears means reliability, redundancy and space savings compared to
other products available on the market. Liquid cooled converters provide additional
space savings as well as less audible noise. Motion control becomes silent and more
efficient with Vacon AC Drives and provide less space requirements than traditional
hydraulic solutions.

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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3 What benefits do AC Drives give?

• AC Drives control the rotation and speed of motors

• They make considerable savings in energy
• They reduce the load on the electricity network
• When starting a motor, they reduce the mechanical stress

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3.1 Variable volumes require some form of

control

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3.4 The best control method is the AC Drive

In this situation,
what would you do?

• Keep your foot on the

gas and control your
speed with a brake?

• Change to a lower gear

and reduce the engine
revolutions?

Practice

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3.2 Simple Control Methods

Here is an everyday pumping example:

M M
M

Throttling Bypass control On-Off control

• Simple construction
• Optimal capacity is difficult to achieve
• An increase in capacity means reconstruction of the system
• Control is by throttling, recirculation or start and stop
• Risk of damage at start-up
• Operating costs are high

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3.3 No mechanical parts are needed with

AC Drives
Traditional methods AC Drive control
D.O.L + D.O.L + Frequency
Throttling On/Off Converter

~
Electronics ~

M M M
1~ 1~ 3~
T
A
N
K

Mechanics

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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4 How can AC Drives be used to save energy?

4.1 Opportunities

• Over 60% of industrial electrical demand is for powering

electric motors.

• A large proportion of this total is for driving fans & pumps

• Typical energy savings on fan & pump applications using

AC Drives is 50% - giving a pay-back time of less than
1 YEAR!

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4.2 Centrifugal pumps and fans operate like

this
• Power requirement decreases sharply with small speed
decreases
150

125

100
Power

75

50

25
50% speed =
12,5% power
0
25 50 75 100 125 150
% Speed

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4.3 Typical HVAC System Load Requirements

12

10
% Operating Time

0
5 25 50 75 100
% Flow or Volume
Data Supplied by the U/K Dept of Trade & Industry
Practice

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4.4 Other benefits

• Improved control

• Reduced noise & vibration

• Simpler installation & commissioning

• Lower maintenance costs

• Fewer complaints!

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4.5 Environmental issue

• With every 1 kW/h of electricity generated –

over 0.6 kg of CO2 is produced.
• Carbon dioxide emissions decrease significantly when using
AC drives!

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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5 Why Vacon NX?

5.1 Common features

• A very small package for

its power

• Reliable and robust

technology

• Simplicity and high

functionality

• User friendly

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4.2 A small power package

• Compact enclosures IP00 to IP54

+ NEMA 1 and NEMA 12
• Slim, space-saving design
• Side-by-side installation
• All sizes up to 400 kW (500 Hp)
can be wall-mounted
• Best possible power/volume-ratio
achieved by using "Super
Cooling” heat sink technology

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4.3 Vacon AC Drives greatly reduce space requirements

Compare the difference!

IP 54, 45/55 kW
Competitor D

Competitor A

591x237x257 mm 716 x 306 x 429 mm 937 x 495 x 421 mm

35 kg 50 kg 124 kg

ACS 601 VLT 5060

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4.4 Reliable and Robust Technology

• AC-choke built-in – in all but the

smallest NXL
– filters and protects from over
voltage.
• Metal enclosures for power modules
(plastic for the smallest NXL).
– Reliable and environmentally friendly
– good EMC performance.
• Isolated galvanized inputs and
outputs
– Safe and considerably less noisy
connections

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4.5 Comprehensive motor drive protection,

which includes protection against

• Over current
• Short circuit
• Over voltage/under voltage
• Earth fault
• Stalled motor
• Over loaded/under loaded motor
• Over temperature unit/motor
• Phase fault (in/out)

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Vacon Global Customers

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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6 The Vacon AC Drive Family

6.1 Complete product portfolio
Vacon NXL 0.25 – 1.5 kW 208 – 240V
Compact drives 0.37 – 3 kW 380 – 500V

Vacon NXL 0.75 - 37 kW 380 – 500V

General purpose drives
0.55 – 90 kW 208 – 240V
Vacon NXS
0.75 – 200 kW 380 – 500V
Industrial drives 2.2 – 200 kW 525 – 690V

0.55 – 90 kW 208 – 240V

Vacon NXP / NXC 0.75 – 1500 kW 380 – 500V
High performance drives 2.2 – 2000 kW 525 – 690V
7.5 – 3700 kW 380 – 500V
Vacon NX 110 – 2450 kW 525 – 690V
Liquid cooled drives 7.5 – 2700 kW 465 – 800VDC
110 – 2450 kW 640 – 1100VDC

Vacon Common DC 1.5 – 1800 kW 465 – 800VDC

components NXI 3 – 2000 kW 640 – 1100VDC

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6.2 Commonly used voltages

• Voltage between phases is

square root of 3 times the L2
voltage between neutral and
phase (ULL=√3 * UNL)
• Common voltage examples:

Where UNL ULL

Customer (Europe) 230 400

Industry (Europe) 400 690 N
Customer (US) 120 208
L3 L1
Industry (US) 277 480

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6.3 Patented modularity

Applications

Software

Hardware

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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7 Software Applications
7.1 ”All In One” Application Package

Local / Multi-step
Remote Speed

Standard PID
Control

Multi-
Basic
purpose

All-in-One Pump and

Applications Fan Control

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7.2 The Basic Application

• For simple applications with

direct frequency reference.
• Covers most general
requirements.
• The Basic Application is set as
default when the drive leaves
the factory.
• The basic application has one
small group of parameters, all
with default values.

• Very straight forward

commissioning.

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7.3 The Standard Application

• The Standard Application has

the same I/O-configuration
and control logic as the Basic
Application.
• For more demanding cases.
• All inputs and outputs are
freely configurable.
• More functions, e.g. dynamic
braking, DC braking, speed
control, fault reset
Brake Resistor

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7.4 Local / Remote Control Application

• The Local/Remote Control

Application can be used in
applications where the drive
must be controlled from two
different locations. 4-
20mA
• The control locations (A&B)
are programmable and can be
selected via digital inputs.
• There can be separate
references and Start/Stop-
inputs 0 - 10V

• All inputs and all outputs are

freely configurable.

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7.5 Multi-step Speed Control Application

• The Multi-Step Speed Control

Application can be used in
applications where multiple
fixed speeds are required.
• A total of 15 speeds are
available.
• Selection of the speeds is via
RO1 Brake Control
digital inputs.
+24V
• Mechanical brake control.
• All inputs and outputs are
freely configurable.
Brake Resistor

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7.6 PID (Proportional Integral Derivative)

Control Application
• The PID- Control Application can
be used where there is a need to
keep a constant temperature or
pressure etc.

reference
actual value
(process variable)

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7.7 Multipurpose Control Application

• The most flexible of the

applications
• The frequency reference:
– analogue input
– joystick
– motor potentiometer or
– mathematical function of the Position Control
analogue inputs.
• Multi-step speeds or jogging
speed can programmed
• More programmable digital
inputs
• Best option for difficult
applications

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7.8 Pump and Fan Control Application

• Used for controlling a group of

pumps or fans.
• The internal PID regulator
controls the speed of one
motor and provides start/stop
commands for 1 to 4
additional motors, which are
connected directly to mains
• Rotation of the ‘Lead machine’
R01

Process Variables
RO2

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7.9 Practice: Applications

• Which application would you choose in the following situations?

Situation Application
Winding cables in cable factory
Ventilation fan control
Fluid level control using one pump
Control of conveyor, brake needed
Fluid level control using three pumps
Control with adjustable torque
Remote control needed

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Agenda

1. What is an AC Drive?
2. Where are AC Drives used?
3. What benefits do AC Drives give?
4. How can AC Drives be used to save energy?
5. Why Vacon NX?
6. The Vacon AC Drive Family
7. Software applications
8. Electrical principles of AC Drives

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8 Electrical Principles of AC Drives

8.1 Principle

Input voltage 3 phase Output voltage 3 phase

50 or 60 Hz Variable frequency

6-pulse rectifier
120 ° 120 ° 120 ° 120 °

Id
L1
L2
L3 C M

Rectifier DC-bus Inverter

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Block diagram

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Abbreviations

• Abbreviations used with AC Drives

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