Variable Frequency Drives

Variable speed drives VSD, or VFD

or ASD are 98% efficient drives
that are used in processes where a
controlling of a variable is
required. The variables may
include speed, temperature etc.
A VFD is a drive used to control
the speed of motors by varying the
frequency supplied to the motor.

VFDs have significant advantages

over conventional DC drives.
They include a continuous speed
range from 0 to full speed,
improved process control,
improved efficiency and potential
energy savings, enhanced
product quality and uniformity

Example showing the efficiency of vfd

VFD working principle

A variable frequency drive has two

stages of power conversion, a rectifier
and an inverter.
The rectifier is a circuit which
converts fixed voltage AC power to
either fixed or adjustable voltage DC.

 The inverter is composed of electronic switches

(thyristors or
transistors) that switch the DC power on and off to
produce
a controllable AC power output at the desired
frequency
and voltage.
A regulator modifies the inverter switching
characteristics so
that the output frequency can be controlled. It may
include
sensors to measure the control variables.

Types of inverters
There are three basic types of inverters
commonly employed in adjustable AC drives:
The variable voltage inverter (VVI), or
square-wave six-step voltage source
inverter (VSI), receives DC power from an
adjustable voltage source and adjusts the
frequency and voltage.
The current source inverter (CSI) receives
DC power from an adjustable current source
and adjusts the frequency and current.
The pulse width modulated (PWM) inverter
is the most commonly chosen. It receives
DC power from a fixed voltage source and
adjusts the frequency and voltage.

Variable Voltage Inverter

A controlled rectifier transforms supply
AC to variable voltage DC. The converter
can be an SCR (silicon-controlled rectifier)
bridge or a diode bridge rectifier.

Output frequency is controlled by switching

transistors or thyristors in six steps.

Current Source Inverters

AC current transformers are used to adjust the
controlled
rectifier. Input converter is similar to the VVI
drive. A current regulator presets DC bus
current.
The inverter delivers six step current
frequency pulse, which the voltage waveform
follows. Switches in the inverter can be
transistors, SCR thyristors or gate turnoff
thyristors (GTOs).

PWM
Diode rectifiers provide constant DC voltage. Since
the inverter
receives a fixed voltage, the amplitude of output
waveform is
fixed. The inverter adjusts the width of output
voltage pulses as
well as frequency so that voltage is approximately
sinusoidal.

APPLICATION TYPES BY LOAD

There are three main types of adjustable
speed loads: variable
torque/variable horsepower (hp = torque x
RPM) (centrifugal
pumps, fans), constant torque and
constant horsepower,
(constant tension winders, machine tools).

Working principles of VSDs

Voltage Vector Control