Motors play an important role in today’s world – they run almost everything we use. Motors are the foundation of industry and the powering of motors accounts for almost 70% of all energy usage in industrial applications. If the torque or speed provided by a motor is too high or too low, there’s a lot of inefficiency and waste. Being able to control the motor can save a lot of money. And this can be done with a variable speed drive.
A variable speed drive is located between the electrical source and the motor and controls the power that goes to the motor. The drive contains a device called a rectifier that converts the incoming alternating current (AC power) to direct current (DC power) by allowing the current to flow in only one direction. The DC power flows through a capacitor that temporarily stores electrical energy. The power then goes through an inverter which changes the DC power to the output AC power that flows to the motor.
These components and steps allow the variable speed drive to control the frequency and voltage that goes to the motor. This is set according to the process demands, meaning your motors are regulated to run at the speed and torque needed. The result is a highly efficient system with significant energy and materials savings. Besides saving energy, variable speed drives also help you reduce maintenance costs, waste and even noise.
Designing an efficient control system with variable speed drives incorporated can provide instant savings. M.R. Snyder can help your company develop and integrate an automated process, no matter how large or complex, that incorporates variable speed drives. Contact us to learn more about the competitive advantage you can get by working with our drive and automation experts.
