Posted on 21st Dec 2022
Modern Variable Speed Drives take benefit of new, advanced efficiency motor designs, like SynRM (synchronous reluctance motors), which have no rotor losses. These motors work with 40% lower losses when we compare them to a conventional induction motor, thus replacing old drives is sensible for your industrial automation business.
According to Lenze Drive, the lower losses permit motor construction in two variations. The primary is an IE4 super premium efficiency motor that matches usual motor frame sizes and the second is a High Output (HO) design that is two frame sizes lesser for similar power. Both of these motor designs are very lighter and quieter as compared to usual squirrel cage designs.
Benefits of replacing old drives
Depending on yearly working hours, energy price, and the use of today's driving technology, such as flux optimization, the payback time for replacing an ordinary AC motor and VSD with a Lenze high-efficiency motor and state-of-the-art VSD might be less than twelve months and up to thirty-six months.
There are many more benefits of replacing old drives and motors:
More energy competent as today’s motors are just about 3% more efficient than their predecessors.
Superior motor control as today’s drives makes higher quality output waveforms, therefore reducing motor losses by ten to fifteen percent.
Lower running expense as it is likely that conventional motors and drives from any makers will begin to face breakdowns. It might be advantageous to cut your maintenance cost and replace the motors and drives. This has the benefit of broadening the warranty.
Higher reliability because their lower part count means new drives last longer and help decrease downtime. Similarly, high competence motors are likely to run cooler, thus enlarging the lifetime and intervals between maintenance.
Smaller size as a modern drive carries out much more power, size for size. Sometimes, a new drive can be a third of the size of a drive, which is only a few years older. This saves precious space when replacing the drive.
Modern technology
Modern technology refers to the users with modern drives and motors, which can take advantage of recently introduced features. This can cut down the energy consumption in pump and fan applications by ten percent or more. In addition, they offer more communications protocols to advance communications and integration.
Other considerations
VFD repair is another option as a good repaired unit can last longer. However, it depends on many factors such as parts availability, model, or sizing of the drive and the level of damage. Spare parts are often available even for conventional models and thus may be a cheap option.
Determining the actual cause of the drive failure is often overlooked. Sometimes environmental problems such as temperature, humidity, dust, and exposure to corrosion must be considered first. Other failures usually take place in the external part of VFD.
Drives protection and precautionary maintenance are important and should never be underestimated.