What Does An Inverter Do?

Also known as variable speed drives or VSD/VFD, an inverter is a clever box which sits between the electrical supply and an electric motor.

An inverter changes the fixed frequency from the mains to a variable frequency output, in turn this can change the speed of the motor, which can lead to a reduced usage in power when driving a pump or a fan for example.

A rectifier within the drive converts the incoming ac to a dc voltage. The inverter then chops up this dc to give a variable frequency output (known as Pulse Width Modulation).

An example of this, using a standard U.K. electric motor which is driving a centrifugal pump, runs at 50 Hz, or 1500 rpm consumes 10 kW with no control.

Alternatively, when using an inverter which can control the frequency to 45 Hz and the speed to 1350 RPM, consumes only 7 kW, thus saving 3 kW or 30 %, based on the Cube Law theory:

https://www.inverterdrivesystems.com/cube-law/

The Main Benefits of using Inverters are:

Energy Savings
Longer Plant Life
Cost Reduction
Improved Process Control
Unity Power Factor
Smoother Starts
Quieter Running

What Applications Will Benefit?

There are many applications that can benefit from using an inverter. The two most common applications are fans and pumps because both of these applications will benefit the most from the energy saving potential because the Cube Law applies. However, we have successfully utilised inverters on a wide variety of other applications:

Pumps
Fans
Cooling towers
Mixers
Grinders
Conveyors
Compressors
Archimedean screws
Extruders
Mills
Cranes
Winders

Applying Inverter Technology

At IDS we have been an ABB VP for inverters for over 20 years. It is all we do! If you are considering applying inverter technology, talk to us first. We can assist you in specifying the right inverter for your application and environment, commissioning the drive and even proving energy savings prior to installation. Call our engineering team on 0115 944 1036 or email [email protected]