What is a variable speed drive?

The basic function of a variable speed drive (VSD) is to control the

flow of energy from the mains to the process. Variable speed drives
sit between the electrical supply and the motor. Power from the
electrical supply goes into a drive and the drive then regulates the
power that is fed to the motor.

Inside the drive the input power is run through a rectifier that converts the
incoming AC power to DC power. The DC power is fed into the capacitors
inside the drive. This is done to smooth out the electrical waveform which
provides the clean power supply for the next step. Power then flows from the
capacitors to the inverter that changes the DC power to the output AC power
that goes to the motor.

This step allows the drive to adjust the frequency and the voltage that fed
into to the motor based on your current process demands. This means you
run your AC motors at the speed or with the torque according to the demand
needed. This is why you can save large amounts of money using the AC
drives.

Besides saving energy, variable speed drives also help you reduce
maintenance costs, waste and even ambient noise emissions. They are also
a great way to help meet your environmental goals.

What is the difference between a variable

speed drive, a variable frequency drive and
an AC drive?
Variable speed drives (VSD) are sometimes called Variable Frequency Drives
(VFD) or AC drives.

Using variable speed drives to control motors

can lead to big savings
Nearly 70 percent of all industrial electrical energy use goes to
powering electric motors. These motors are the workhorses of
business, from pumps moving fluids to fans moving air to
compressors, conveyors, and every type of machine that depends on
rotational force to get its job done.

And it’s these motors that are the key to help you reduce your energy use
and CO2 emissions, or even find more energy efficient solutions for your
customers. Pumps, fans and compressors are often run at constant speed,
with control of flow rate and destination being done by manual opening and
closing of valves in the pipelines. This usually makes the startup process
very labor intensive as starting a pumping station, for instance, could take
one person up to an hour. The labor costs add up with personnel having to
sometimes travel long distances to remote sites. In some facilities this
process is automated but consumption of energy is poor.

There is a more energy efficient alternative. Running these applications with

variable speed drives results in instant savings in energy consumption while
it also brings long-term competitive advantages. Any process that is using
electric motors can get important monetary savings and operational benefits
with the use of variable speed drives. You might want to take a good look
around your own operations and processes, no matter how big or small, to
see where targeted use of variable speed drives can help you get fast
financial payback and long-term competitive advantages.

How do variable speed drives regulate power

to match the motor’s speed to what is
required by the process?
1. Convert incoming AC to DC
Incoming 3-phase AC power is fed into a rectifier that converts it to DC
power.

2. Smooth the DC wave

DC power is fed into capacitors, smoothing the wave and producing a clean
DC supply.
3. Convert DC to variable AC
The variable speed drive calculates the motor’s required voltage and current.
DC power is then fed into an inverter producing AC power at the precise
voltage and current needed.

4. Calculate and repeat.

the variable speed drive continuously calculates and adjusts the frequency
and voltage providing only the power (speed and torque) the motor needs.
This is how you can save large amounts of energy. 

Watch the animation

“What is a variable speed drive?”

How can you benefit from

variable speed drives?
You can get savings in...
1. Energy
2. Operational costs
3. Downtime
4. Maintenance
5. Raw materials

Why should you use a variable speed drive?

Electric motors play a very important role in our everyday
businesses and lives. They move and run basically everything we
need for business or pleasure.

All these motors run on electricity. In order to do their work of providing

torque and speed, they need the corresponding amount of electric energy.
All these motors consume electricity to provide torque or speed needed. If
that torque or speed is too high or too low, mechanical controls will be used
to slow down shift or control output. The result is inefficiency, with lots of
wasted materials and energy. Motor’s speed should match exactly what is
required by the process. Without the better way to control the speed, a lot of
energy gets wasted and that’s not good for anyone’s business.

When using a variable speed drive, either torque or speed is controlled and
we speak of “torque control” or “speed control”. When the variable speed
drive operates in torque control mode, the speed is determined by the load.
Likewise, when operated in speed control, the torque is determined by the
load.

4 reasons to invest
in variable speed drives
to improve energy efficiency
  

Here’s why you should invest in variable speed drives (VSDs) to improve
energy efficiency of your various applications, such as pump, fan, conveyor
and compressor systems:
1. Improved operational efficiency
the need for manual labor is eliminated as the system controlled by drives
can be automated, thus saving in man-hours and labor costs
2. Savings on the electricity bill
variable speed drives use only the needed amount of energy by running the
motors at partial load, which can result up to 50% reduction in energy
consumption of drive system
3. Savings in capital expenditure
immediate reduction in electrical consumption ensures fast financial
payback for the VSD investment, in pump and fan applications even within
months of installation
4. Savings in maintenance and spare part costs
with drives, the stress on the mechanical equipment during startup and
operation can be minimized ensuring longer lifetime of the equipment

This type of valuable gains can be achieved not only in large industrial
operations but also in smaller installations as well. You can estimate your
potential energy and cost savings gained by low voltage AC variable speed
drive control compared to traditional methods like throttles and valves by
using our free EnergySave Calculator for compressors, fans and pumps.