ABB Feature article

AC motor and drive selection Drives dimensioning

Top 10 pitfalls in dimensioning AC drives

Most electrical engineers feel confident that they can quickly assess a particular application and choose a drive to suit. There are, however, a number of pitfalls in dimensioning drives, and the same errors seem to be made again and again. Very often these mistakes can lead to over dimensioning, leading to unnecessary expense and poorer performance. For instance, the harmonic current content of a lightly loaded rectifier will be inherently worse than for a fully loaded system. Most pitfalls can be avoided by bearing in mind a few simple points. Here Geoff Brown, Principal Engineer at ABB Industrial Systems presents the top 10 dimensioning pitfalls, and how to avoid them. 1 Remember the motor is a source of TORQUE. Any AC motor is a source of torque, and yet it is power rating which is most often used when looking at the catalogue ratings for motors. These ratings are based on the fixed speed output when connected to the network. Torque is related to both power and speed, such that T (Nm) = P (kW) x (9550)/ n (r/min). When dimensioning any variable speed drive it is important to think in terms of torque. 2 - Correct motor selection based on load type The motor is an inherent part of an AC drive system: the motor and converter cannot be considered in isolation. It is important to know the type of load to be controlled before making any selections. There are basically three different load groups: i) Quadratic load This is the most common load type and covers centrifugal pumps, fans and the majority of mixers. ii) Constant torque This occurs when fixed volumes are being handled, such as in screw compressors, extruders, or in straight line web handling. iii) Constant power This is typically used when a material is being rolled up and the diameter changes. There may also be combinations of these load types. However, selecting the wrong load characteristic could easily lead to oversizing.

The figure below shows the load curves for the different types of applications.

3 Know the operating speed range It is essential to know the real operating speed range. This is not normally too critical with a centrifugal load, but for a constant torque load it is quite possible to over-frame the motor if the real speed range is say 10% to 100% (say 5 50 Hz) and the motor is specified for 0 100% (0 50 Hz). The critical factor here is the ventilation capability of the motor fan at low speed the cooling capability is clearly reduced, but this reduction is not linear. This is shown in the figure below.

4 Remember, motor speed is not limited by network frequency Choosing a motor to operate over a speed range of 0 1500 rpm can equate to a frequency range of 0 50 Hz for a 4-pole motor and 0 - 75 Hz for a 6-pole motor. This can give some advantages:A specific motor frame is capable of a specific output torque not power. IEC frame 315 M with a shaft mounted cooling fan (Cooling form IC 411) is capable of: 1028 Nm/160 kW as a 4-pole motor 1062 Nm/110 kW as a 6-pole motor 1100 Nm/90 kW as an 8-pole motor As an example, if a constant torque of 750 Nm from 150 1500 rpm is needed, which is basically 115 kW at 1500 rpm, then a 160 kW 4-pole motor with shaft mounted fan could be used. Alternatively, a 110 kW 6-pole motor could be used.

If a higher starting torque than nominal is needed for these combinations say at 1000 Nm the current equivalent to 160 kW for the 4-pole option is needed, and 110 kW from the 6-pole option this could give a saving of one frame size for the converter. 5 - Forced ventilation Choosing a fixed speed fan on the motor (cooling form IC 06 or IC416) can sometimes give an advantage for constant torque loads. With a fixed speed cooling fan we need extra connections to the motor. However, it should be capable of producing constant torque output from standstill or a very low speed up to the base speed. The addition of a fixed speed fan, which was the standard solution with a DC motor, can result in a smaller frame size, but often also results in lower ingress protection than off the shelf TEFC motors. 6 - Ensure the duty cycle is correct Even with a relatively simple drive application such as a pump or fan there will be a duty cycle. Initial start up may require a high torque to achieve a specific rate of acceleration. The thermal time constant for a drive converter is relatively short possibly 4 6 minutes, and it will heat up and cool down quickly, while the motor thermal time constant can range from 15 minutes for a small motor to a couple of hours for a large motor. This means that the overload requirements are generally far more critical for converter sizing than for motor sizing. Taking an extreme example, a cement kiln is a constant torque load. However, to start this load from standstill it is necessary to know what load is distributed inside the drum. There is a spiral inside the drum, which can support material and therefore a very high starting torque is generally needed. But once the system is rotating, the load settles back to its nominal value quite quickly. This leads us back to the optimum solution of a motor run beyond base speed. If an overload is defined at maximum speed, the possibility of running beyond base speed is reduced due to the inherent characteristics of the motor. 7 - Motor thermal capability Most motors are designed with Class F insulation materials, and are offered with Class B temperature rise. This means that the insulation materials are capable of sustaining a 20C temperature increase, and perhaps 10% torque increase. Drives do however tend to cause other loading effects in motors due to the non-sinusoidal waveform. The insulation system in an ABB motor, for example, is designed to operate satisfactorily with a Class B rise, and inverter operation for a period of 20 years. Utilising Class F rise will shorten this time period. In addition, as motors become larger, the thermally critical area transfers from stator to rotor. This happens with motors in 315 L (200 kW 4 pole/1285 Nm) and 355 frames and larger. With these motors, the advice of the motor designer is needed. 8 Do not dimension the converter according to the motor nominal current Motor nominal current is NOT ALWAYS motor load current.

When dimensioning a motor there may well be some de-rating, for factors such as ventilation, ambient temperature, use in a hazardous area, etc. Also motors have built in standardised preferred power ratings. This means that the real maximum current needed for continuous and overload duty could be different. It is important when designing to this parameter to ensure that the converter control philosophy permits this practice. 9 Do not design the inverter supply components to the overload requirements

Frequency converter

Motor

+
V1 V3 V5

U, 3 ~

C
V2 V4 V6

Rectifier

DC- circuit

Inverter unit

Illustration 3: The frequency converter consists of rectifier, DC link and inverter

Always remember that the AC Drive is a frequency converter, which consists of a rectifier, a DC link and an inverter. When there is an overload demand from the driven load, this current is seen in the inverter part of the circuit, because the current has to be fed to the motor. However, the rectifier part will only pass the POWER associated with the shaft output and the system losses. If the high torque is delivered at low speed, then the power will also be relatively low. 10 - Do not underestimate the effect of supply variations on the output A frequency converter is designed to pass a specific current. If the converter catalogue shows a design covering a wide supply range (say 380 460 V to be suitable for both European and US installations), the output power available from a connected motor will vary. A 20 A converter at 380 V will give 11 kW motor shaft power, while at 460 V in the US it will give 13.5 kW (17.5 hp). This problem becomes more apparent when making selections for less usual supplies such as 550 V in South Africa or 575 V in Canada. Following some of these basic points should help in correctly sizing a drive system to exactly meet the users needs. It is important to remember that correct dimensioning will keep capital and operating costs to a minimum.

Boxed item What direction is the power flow? A conventional diode rectifier has a unidirectional power flow it supports the driven load being motored. There are instances when the driven load needs to be considered as a generator, and therefore use some means of absorbing this generated power. If the generation is continuous, and a single drive is involved, a true 4-quadrant rectifier will be needed. If there are several drives it is possible to connect the DC bus together and absorb the generated energy in a motoring section. If the generation is intermittent, it is possible to dump this generated energy through a resistor. As a typical situation where regeneration is often overlooked we can consider a fan. Here the fan is a very large rotating mass, with a high inertia. When rotating, it has a high level of kinetic energy. If the fan can rotate in reverse when unpowered (which is quite common for a boiler ID fan), to slow it down and drive it to its desired speed, the stored energy needs to be dissipated. Even if the speed needs to be reduced quickly, the same problem can be encountered and will need some means of energy dissipation.

More info:

ABB Industry Oy Drives Eero Saarinen PO Box 184 FIN-00381 Helsinki, Finland Tel. + 358 10 222 2527 Fax. + 358 10 222 2287 Internet: http://www.abb.com/automation Email: eero.saarinen@fi.abb.com