a magazine for VACON stakeholders

A majestic barge Lifting high - fast and safely Vacon Russia

14 2/2011

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dear reader

dr

Driven. Volume 14. 2/2011. A magazine for Vacon stakeholders. Editorial Board: Sebastian Linko (Editor-In-Chief), Kaija Olli (Managing Editor), Catarina Fant, Heikki Hiltunen. English language editor: Andrew Fisher (Impress Ltd). Design by satukala graphic design. Photos by Vacon unless otherwise stated. Cover photo by iStockphoto.com/JJRD. Printed by FRAM. Published by Vacon Plc, Finland. ISSN 1795-7664 If you no longer wish to receive Driven magazine, please email us at communications@vacon.com

Matti Vekkeli Regional General Manager EMEA, India and Latin America

Seize the opportunity!

* In Europe, 13 GW of new solar applications were installed in 2010, giving a total installed base of approximately 28 GW. The leading European solar energy countries include Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Greece. One of Vacons first major solar inverter installations is generating electricity at a glassware factory in Italy. Read more about the case on p. 20-23.

In this issue 4 our business Vacon AC drives saved 35 TWh of energy in 2010 5 vacons 2nd quarter 6 vacon news 8 Vacon inaugurates new factory in China

The solar energy business is growing rapidly particularly in Europe*, and it offers great opportunities for companies that are ready and willing to seize the day. Vacon is determined to be one of these. Solar energy will boost our future growth. One characteristic of the solar energy business is that the leading countries in the sector are changing, depending for example on the size of government subsidies for new installations and on how financially attractive the business is. As a result, solar energy is no longer only a local business, cross-border sales are increasing and turn-key providers and system integrators with high global reach are entering the field. Another distinctive feature is that in most cases the customer does not represent an industrial segment but is an investor, who wants to make a wise and secure investment. This is a totally new challenge for Vacon. Investors are concerned about issues such as long-term warranty, service and maintenance, and reputation. Vacon has learned a great deal since entering the solar energy business in 2010, and we keep on learning and investing in this field. Vacon has a dedicated solar energy team, a high-quality inverter and an innovative Multimaster system, so we hold the opportunities in our hands. So, seize the day whatever your business and wherever you are!

20

10 Innovative air compressor puts the squeeze on the competition 12 Lifting high fast and safely 16 Vacon AC drives in one of the worlds largest district cooling systems 18 clean tech

Cyber sabotage a new concern*

30 20 Tapping energy from the sun in Italy 24 A majestic barge 26 Drive retrofit for synchronous motor 30 Wind a jack-up barge for servicing wind turbines at sea 32 people in focus Spirit of Yury Gagarin 34 Rotating extreme antennas Turning extreme antennas at Radio Arcala
Some 40 kilometres east of the City of Oulu lies the small village of Arkala. Visitors to this village in Northern Finland suddenly come across an unbelievable sight - a forest of high - extremely high - towers. Welcome to Radio Arcala! More on p. 34-35.

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our business

ob

q2

vacon quarter

q2

Vacon AC drives saved 35 TWh* of energy in 2010

The AC drives made by globally operating Vacon helped save an estimated 35 TWh of energy in 2010. The energy savings helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 17 million tonnes, which in turn mitigates climate change.

Vacon results Positive development

The companys profitability continued to develop positively in the second quarter. The growth in operating profit was boosted by the clear improvement in revenues. The company has continued its investments in growth by recruiting new personnel. Growth was strongest in the Asia and Pacific region, but the markets in Europe and North America also developed as expected. Germany remains the engine of growth in Europe. Demand for AC drives was evenly divided among all the main industrial sectors. One factor worth noting is that the demand for AC drives in the marine industry showed clear signs of picking up in all main market areas. There are still strong seasonal fluctuations in demand for products for the generation of renewable energy. The shortage of components that slowed down deliveries in 2010 and in the beginning of 2011 has eased and the availability of the components used by Vacon in its products is at the moment reasonably good. Vacon estimates that the AC drive market will grow 6-10% in 2011. Investments in improving energy efficiency and in the production of renewable energy will support strong growth in all market areas. Demand for Vacons products is expected to rise in all key industrial sectors. Growth is expected to be greatest in the Asia and Pacific region. The general outlook for economic growth in Europe and North America now includes more uncertainty factors. Vacon estimates that revenues in 2011 will increase 10 20% and the operating profit margin will rise from 2010. Earnings per share are expected to improve considerably from 2010. Developments in the global AC drive market remained positive in the second quarter of 2011. Our second quarter revenues were an all time high, says Vesa Laisi, President and CEO. Revenues grew 33.6% year-onyear, totalling EUR 107.2 million.

About 35 TWh of electrical energy was Competing or in an AC drive is small compared to the saved last year with the help of Vacon cost of the energy that an electric motor AC drives. This roughly corresponds to substitute technical consumes, so the energy savings resultthe amount of energy produced by six ing from an AC drive controlling a motor 700 MW nuclear power reactors in a solutions do not quickly make the investment profitable. year. Studies have shown that the payback Producing this amount of energy usexist for AC drives. time for AC drives is continuously getting ing current electricity production methshorter. In pump and fan applications, for ods would have caused about 17 million example, the payback time can be even tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. less than one year. This corresponds to the annual carbon Vacon has been supplying AC drives emissions from 4.5 million cars. since 1995, and they are used to control These figures show that every AC drive counts: the electric motors and in renewable energy generation. energy savings given by AC drives do result in reduc- Competing or substitute technical solutions do not tions of carbon dioxide emissions, says Hans Carlsson, exist for AC drives and are not within sight, says Vesa Product Marketing Director, OEM Drives, Vacon. An AC drive adjusts the speed of an electric motor according to the actual needs of the process, which typically reduces energy consumption by 2050%. An investment
Laisi, President and CEO.
*TWh = terawatt hour. 1 TWh = 1,000 GWh = 1,000,000 MWh = 1,000,000 000 kWh.

revenues by region
80 60 40 20
Q2/2010 Q2/2011 MEUR

Hans Carlsson
Product Marketing Director, OEM Drives, Vacon.

Contacts
Vesa Laisi, President and CEO, phone +358 40 8371 510, e-mail: vesa.laisi@vacon.com Eriikka Sderstrm, CFO and Vice President,
MEUR

EMEA

Americas

APAC

revenues by sales channel

40 30 20 10 0
Q2/2010 Q2/2011

Finance & Control, phone +358 40 8371 445, e-mail: eriikka.soderstrom@vacon.com

2010 financial reporting Vacon is publishing its third interim

report in 2011 on 25 October 2011.

Direct sales Distributor

OEM

Brand label System int

more about vacon at vacon.com

more about vacon at vacon.com

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vacon news

vn

Photo courtesy of The Shard

Harvesting energy from sun

The roof of Vacons Vaasa factory in Finland is now partly covered by arrays of solar panels. The panels were installed during spring 2011 and were taken into full use in July 2011. The solar panels have a peak capacity of 55 kW and the solar power is fed to the factory grid by four stand-alone Vacon 8000 Solar inverters. In September 2010, Vacon signed a voluntary Energy Efficiency Agreement introduced by Finlands Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The company is looking for energy savings of 20% in its Vaasa factory operations by 2016. This solar power plant is one of the steps being taken towards increased energy efficiency at Vacon. The solar power plant has many other benefits, besides generating energy from a renewable source. It is a good place to see Vacon 8000 Solar solutions in action and for conducting special tests. The Vacon 8000 Solar inverter plays an important role in converting the photovoltaic energy captured by the solar panels to AC power and then feeding it into the national (or local) grid. The Vacon 8000 Solar meets all the requirements of the commercial, industrial and utility sectors.
For more information on Vacons solutions for the solar energy segment, please see

New office in Abu Dhabi

Vacon has opened an office in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. To promote the Vacon brand and the Vacon Middle East and Africa branch, Vacon organized a theme week at the Abu Dhabi office in May. At the opening ceremony for the new Abu Dhabi office, the office was shown to 35 channel partners. More than 120 key customers and partners visited the office during the theme week, which included several marketing events. H.E. Ambassador of Finland to the UAE Matti Lassila with his wife
Satu Mki-Lassila and EMEA Regional General Man-

Vacon drives selected for the Shard - the tallest building in the EU
Variable speed drives supplied by Vacon UK are to be used extensively in the HVAC systems of the Shard at London Bridge, UK. Scheduled to be completed by May 2012, this will be not only the tallest building in the European Union but also one of the worlds most prestigious addresses. The HVAC installation will incorporate more than 220 drives selected from the Vacon 100 HVAC IP54 range, which has been optimized specifically for HVAC applications and includes models with ratings from 1.1 kW to 132 kW. The drives will play an essential role in ensuring comfort for the occupants of the 1,016 foot (310 metre) high building, which is clad entirely in glass. The Shard will incorporate more than half a million square feet of office space, the first-class Shangri-La hotel that includes a spa, three floors of restaurants, thirteen floors of luxury residences, and a public viewing gallery on the 72nd floor. Key features of the Vacon 100 HVAC drives chosen for this demanding high-profile project include high efficiency, versatility, ease of use and full compliance with the latest IEC/EN 61000-3-12 standard for harmonics and EN61800-3 C2 for EMC. In addition the drives have integral support for the BacNet/IP communication protocol as standard, which makes them easy to integrate fully with the automated logic building management systems (BMS) for the control of all the fans and pumps and also the life safety fan application. The drives also have outstanding environmental credentials. Unlike most ostensibly similar units, they use no electrolytic capacitors, which are now classed as hazardous waste in the EU. Instead they use thin film capacitors, which are environmentally friendly and inherently more reliable. In addition, all recyclable parts are appropriately marked to ensure easy and efficient recycling when the drives are ultimately taken out of service.

ager Matti Vekkeli witnessed the opening ceremony with Vacons Dubai team.

Vacon signs three-year supply agreement with Bristol Compressors International Inc.
(Virginia, USA) The supply agreement covers the design and manufacture of AC drives that will be used to control Bristol Compressors Benchmark VStar variable speed compressors. This partnership with Bristol Compressors allows Vacon to strengthen its foothold in North America in the high-volume residential HVAC marketplace, which is an exciting growth opportunity for Vacon, says Tom Doring, President, Vacon North America. This new compressor represents a major technical leap forward in efficiency and sound reduction, and we are excited to be part of the overall solution. The custom designed AC drive was developed in the USA by Vacons Chambersburg, PA facility where it will also be manufactured.

www.vacon.com > Renewable

energy > Solar Power

more about vacon at vacon.com

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Photos Vacon China

Built to meet the companys growth targets, the new

in detail

Vacon inaugurates

factory occupies a total area of 24,000 square metres. The new plant also has an R&D laboratory and the aftersales service centre for the Asia-Pacific region.

Vacon APAC Partner Conference in Suzhou

On 12-13 May 2011, Vacon Suzhou held an AsiaPacific Partner Conference at the newly completed Vacon Suzhou plant. Almost all the Vacon partners in the region in total around 160 people took part in the event, which was the fifth Partner Meeting held by Vacon in the Asia-Pacific region. After entering the APAC market, Vacon has achieved significant growth and success, not only in terms of market share but also in the number and size of its partners. During the conference, Vacons sales managers from the major segments in the APAC region reviewed the current state of business and developments on the market. Dozens of technical presentations covering 19 topics were given to introduce Vacons latest products, technologies and applications. Close cooperation between the local partners is crucial for Vacons further growth in the region in the future, so some of the partners were invited to speak about their local markets and their experiences of working with Vacon. In recognition of their outstanding performance, Vacon made special awards to Xian Xiling Electrical Appliance Co., ltd, Motherwell Automation, C&A Electric Co., Ltd, United Voyage Enterprise, Suzhou Industrial Park Chiho Automation Technology Co., Ltd and Taiyuan Helihuihua Industrial Electrical Co., Ltd. As a key development area in the global economy

new factory in China

VACON INAUgURATED ITS new factory in Suzhou on 11 May 2011. Present at the ceremony were Consul General of Finland in Shanghai Matti Heimonen, Vice Chairman of Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee Sun Yanyan, members of Vacons Board of Directors and management team, and Vacon partners from the Asia-Pacific region. At the ceremony, Jan Inborr, Chairman of Vacons Board of Directors, and Pertti Rajamki, Managing Director of Vacons subsidiary in China, outlined Vacons future prospects. This investment significantly increases Vacons manufacturing capacity in China, said Mr Inborr. The new plant will significantly improve our ability to meet
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the increasing demands from our customers and will further strengthen our company and its competitiveness. Mr Rajamki, Blue skies and a white building may they symbolize the Vacon brand here in China as elsewhere, and remind each of us that our aim is to improve energy-efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Vacon established its subsidiary in China in 2003. The company focuses on providing quality AC drive solutions for the local market and is helping Chinese enterprises and society as a whole to become highly efficient in the utilization of energy and control of CO2 emissions.

today, the Asia Pacific market will play an increasingly important role in future developments at Vacon, and Vacon will further increase its local presence through cooperation with its partners.

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Story by Vacon Canada Photos courtesy of DV Systems Inc. and iStockphoto.com/fmissing

air compressor
puts the squeeze on the competition

Innovative

Located in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, one hour north of Toronto, DV Systems Inc. has been manufacturing high-quality air compressors for over 50 years. In 2009, DV Systems started the process of developing more advanced compressor technology: a low-cost rotary screw compressor with a low amp start and high performance, designed for commercial applications.

SMALL COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS typically do not ule. Todd Snider from the Vacon R&D team, located at have access to a three-phase power supply, and this the factory in Chambersburg, was instrumental in delimits their choice of compressor to conventional fixed veloping this solution, which required a re-map of the speed, single-phase, 7.5 HP (5.6 kW) piston compres- Vacon X Series user display to allow set-points and sors. However these are not designed to operate contin- displays in compressor verbiage. Pressure and temuously, are less efficient and much noisier than screw perature sensors are terminated in the variable speed compressors, and they have a shorter life expectancy drive, and the required intake valve and cooling system due to the large number of moving parts. DV Systems commands are also integrated. This makes it very easy came to the conclusion that a screw compressor with to set-up and operate the compressor, ensuring it rea variable speed drive would give opticeives a good reception on the market. mum performance, and they found what The software even includes service reVacon engineers were they needed in the Vacon X Series of AC minders, based on hours of operation, drives. and a provision for automatic starting a tremendous help in of the compressor, using the real time Compressor package with modular clock built in the drive, as well as cusdeveloping software enclosure for harsh environments tomized fault indicators for easy diagVacon, Inc. in Chambersburg, Pennsylnosis. Simple navigation on the controlthat meets our vania, USA, had already developed a verler allows the end user to make basic sion of their rugged Vacon X Series drive changes to the pressure and speed to requirements for specifically for use on single-phase supoptimize the performance and to match plies, with motor ratings up to 30 amps. the required application. compressor operation. The NEMA 4 (IP66) enclosure rating of the drive gave Iraj Filsoofi, DV Systems Sales rising steadily Engineer Manager, and his team maximum flexibility, This product has been very successful since it was since they could incorporate the drive inside the com- launched in the spring of 2010, says Mr Filsoofi of pressor enclosure, creating a clean finished compres- DV Systems. It has been very well received by our sor package with modular enclosure. Enclosure was customers because of the unique design for a singlerequired to maintain a stable operating temperature, phase screw compressor application, its great perand it also reduces audible noise and enhances the ap- formance and reliability, which set us apart from our pearance of the unit. The NEMA 4 inverter enables the competition. Vacon engineers were a tremendous help unit to operate in harsh environments without the risk in developing software that meets our requirements for compressor operation. of damaging the drive and its related components. Sales of this innovative compressor design are increasing steadily and the close cooperation between Easy to set-up and operate Further cost reduction was achieved by integrating the Vacon and DV Systems has led to Vacon NX products compressor controller directly into the Vacon X Series being adopted for DV Systems larger models of rotary memory rather than using an additional control mod- screw compressors.

< DV Systems (formerly Devair) industrial piston compressors and rotary screw air compressors are manufactured in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Shown here is the B10 HP Huron rotary screw compressor.

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cover case
Story by Dick Kant Photos courtesy of Raxtar

cc

RAXTAR BASED NEAR the city of Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands manufactures vertical access solutions that are based on decades of experience and meet the highest quality and safety standards. Compared to conventional hoists, RAXTARs customers save significantly on maintenance costs thanks to the robustness of the hoists and their flexible design based on open standards. RAXTARs passenger and material hoists operate at the heart of the logistics on construction projects. RAXTAR construction hoists guarantee the supply of materials and personnel around the clock, at the right time and in the right place (and height).

The choice of Vacon is based on the reliability and quality of Safety and reliability are key issues in vertical access systems, especially when operating at great heights. RAXTAR* designs and manufactures high quality construction hoists for passengers and materials, industrial lifts and transport platforms. Vacon AC drives are needed for motor control. Vacons solutions.

Lifting high
fast and safely
12

Adjusting the speed according to the load of the hoist RAXTARs hoists and lifts use Vacon AC drives for motor control. The choice of Vacon is based on the reliability and quality of Vacons solutions. Reliability and quality are the key values for our products and solutions, says Pascal Matheeuwsen, CEO of RAXTAR. The first contact between Vacon and RAXTAR was at the end of November 2007 when RAXTAR was urgently looking for a new drives solution for their hoists. Vacon proposed a Vacon NXS unit (205 A/110 kW) for testing. Dick Kant, Sales Support Engineer at Vacon Benelux**, recalls: RAXTAR asked us to conduct joint tests with them to see if the performance of the Vacon AC drives met their requirements for the passenger hoists. The total weight load of the hoist is about 5,500 kg (12,125 lbs), and it has a net load of 2,700 kg (5,952 lbs). The hoist was lifted by two motors, a gearbox in open loop with a total power of 76 kW and a Vacon NXS drive of 90 kW. After some slight modifications we succeeded in running the hoist without problems.

*Raxtar solutions excel in operational reliability for the lowest total cost of ownership in the market. The modularity and flexibility of their solutions significantly increase their customers utilization rates. **Vacon Benelux BV, Vacons subsidiary located in Gorinchem, The Netherlands, was founded in 1998. 13

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cover case

cc

However, RAXTAR had a challenge for Vacon: they wanted the hoist to run always at the highest possible speed. Our team at Vacon Benelux designed a software application that determines the load of the hoist and adjusts the speed according to the load, so the hoist runs at the highest possible speed when needed, Mr Kant continues. Major projects from New York City to Milan One of the biggest challenges and most successful cooperation projects between RAXTAR and Vacon is the reconstruction of one of the worlds most famous buildings, the One World Trade Center (formerly called Freedom Tower) at ground zero in New York City, USA. The customer demanded hoists that could carry 3,200 kg (7,055 lbs) up to 300 m (984 ft). This required a hoist with

three motors and a total power of 110 kW. A total of twelve RAXTAR construction hoists, travelling at a maximum speed of 92 m (302 ft)/min, are equipped with Vacon NXP drives of 132 kW and provide the logistics for this remarkable project for 16 hours a day, six days a week. The 132-kW Vacon NXP drives are provided with Open Loop Control and an OPT-AF card*. At the same time, RAXTAR is providing construction hoists for one of Vacon NXP drives prothe largest construction sites at the moment in Europe, the CityLife project vide the logistics for the covering an area of 255,000 square metres (2,744,820 sq ft) in the centre reconstruction of the of the former trade fair area in Milan, Italy. Seven RAXTAR hoists with a payOne World Trade Center load of 2,700 kg (5,952 lbs) and a travelling speed of 72 m (236 ft)/min for 16 hours a day, six guarantee safe access for people and material to different buildings at the days a week. site. The customers choice of RAXTAR is based on both the quality and flexibility of the solutions.

In Mr Matheeuwsens view RAXTAR and Vacon have many things in common: As well as sharing a common vision on quality, the relationship between Vacon and RAXTAR is based on a cultural fit. Day-to-day cooperation between Vacon and RAXTAR personnel guarantees the highest level of service, relating to both the reliability and flexibility that we need to provide for our customers globally. Hoists feeding energy back to the network coming soon Today, RAXTAR and Vacon have an open partnership where the expertise of both companies is used to develop new and innovative world-class solutions for the construction and industrial markets. RAXTAR and Vacon are now developing a hoist that will reduce energy consumption. When the hoist is going down, it will supply energy back into the network instead of feeding it into the brake resistors. For RAXTARs customers this will bring energy savings. The first two hoists were installed on construction sites in The Netherlands in June 2011. BAM Group and Dura Vermeer, two leading Dutch construction companies, are the first to work with this green solution. Modular design of Vacon drives Since modularity is important for RAXTAR, the top drive unit can also run conventionally with brake resistors, so the hoist can be used in every situation. Vacons modular design makes it possible to replace the active front-end unit with brake resistors, so the hoist can also be run on a generator supply.
Frank Kennis, Head of Technology & Innovation at

in detail

Hoisting the One World Trade Center

RAXTARs construction hoists are used at the One World Trade Center building project (formerly called Freedom Tower) in New York City. Each RAXTAR hoist cabin can lift 3,200 kg (7,055 lbs) and travels at a maximum speed of 92 m (302 ft)/min. All RAXTARs solutions are either CE marked and certified according to European Norms and Regulations or comply with North American Standards. The total height of the One World Trade Center in New York City will be 541 m (1,775 ft), with the highest floor at 417 m (1,368 ft). Up to a height of approximately 245 m (803 ft) the RAXTAR hoists are outside the building. From 245 metres up to the top floor, the RAXTAR hoists will be installed inside the elevator shaft, where the permanent elevators will be installed once the building is finished. The Vacon NXP was the perfect fit for the tower construction project in New York City. The total weight of the hoist loaded is about 7,300 kg (16,094 lbs).

RAXTAR, says: In order to competitively develop, design and manufacture the kind of solutions RAXTAR offers to the market, we often need to let go of conventional thinking. RAXTAR mixes and matches innovative technologies to create solutions that answer to or even exceed our customers demands for safe and reliable vertical access systems. Long-term relationships, in which each party clearly understands this requirement, are crucial for achieving this goal.
*Thanks to Vacons advanced lift software it is possible to control the hoist in Open Loop. The AF card was integrated to improve security and to reduce the number of components.

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Story by Maija Suutarinen Photos iStockphotoolaser and courtesy of Fortum

The phrase doing more with less is used in connection with the European Unions energy-efficiency policy and the responsible use of energy. District heating and cooling meet these goals with flying colours. Stockholm, the beautiful seaside capital of Sweden, is a forerunner in the field, and Vacon AC drives are an integral part of the citys district heating and cooling network, which has been gradually expanded by Fortum.

<< Mr Hill standing between two heat exchangers. < Welders installing piping on one of the heat exchangers. District cooling is easy to operate, reliable, economical and environmentally friendly. It eliminates the peak demand for electricity in the summer. Although district cooling itself requires electricity to operate, the demand for electricity per unit of cooling supplied is much lower than with conventional local cooling production.

Vacon AC drives in one of the district cooling systems

TODAY, 24 METRES BENEATH the lively Stockholm city is a giant cavern filled with 50,000 cubic metres of water. In two years, Fortum built one of the largest chilled water storage tanks in the world, in Hornsberg, near the centre of Stockholm. With demand for cooling increasing significantly in Stockholm, a few years ago Fortum decided to expand the existing district cooling network. The project was completed in 2010, so now a further 100 office buildings in Stockholm can benefit from the citys cooling systems. Fortum started distributing district cooling in 1994, and the network has been growing ever since. The chilled water storage facilities in Hornsberg are the latest project we have finished to boost capacity and lower production costs. Our district cooling systems now have a capacity of 240,000 kW, says Anders Hill, District Cooling Strategist at Fortum.

worlds largest

District cooling can be produced in several ways. In Stockholm, the system is mainly based on cold seawater taken from the Baltic Sea. The water, with a temperature of about +6 C (43 F), then passes along the 204 kilometres (127 miles) of pipelines in the old tunnels beneath Stockholm, to be piped to customers. Customers have their own cooling distribution systems within their buildings, and the heated return water goes back to the production plant, says Mr Hill. District cooling has several positive impacts on the environment. More than 100 tonnes of the refrigerants that break down the ozone layer have been eliminated thanks to district cooling, and it has substantially reduced carbon dioxide emissions. The electricity saved by the production of district cooling is sufficient to heat 4,000 detached houses.

AC drives give financial and environmental benefits A district cooling system gives benefits both for the environment and financially, and these are reinforced by the choice of Vacon AC drives for speed control of the pumps. An AC drive makes it possible to optimize the use of the district cooling system. A key requirement in the supply of district heating and cooling is the reliable operation of the pumps at the numerous pumping stations within the extensive network. Vacon AC drives provide speed control of the pumps according to actual needs, and this not only gives considerable energy savings but also improves operational reliability. Vacon drives are used to control the capacity of the pumps that feed the chilled water storage tank during the loading cycle and also to feed the district cooling distribution system when unloading. One of the most crucial It is important things when storing the cold water is to keep the warmer water on to have accurate top of the cooler water. The difference in density is very small. It is control over the important to have accurate control over the flows, says Mr Hill. flows.

Compact liquid-cooled Vacon drives with numerous benefits For this project Vacon supplied Fortum with liquidcooled Vacon NXP drives in the power range 315 kW to 450 kW, with a total installed power of 2.8 MW. The liquid-cooled Vacon NXP solutions provide improved operational safety and a longer life cycle in demanding environments. The drives require no air channels, so they are extremely compact, and since they have no large fans installed, they have a low noise level. Almost all of the heat generated is removed in the coolant, providing a high degree of protection easily at all power ratings. The space savings compared solely to the power module of a similarly rated air-cooled drive can be up to 70%. Flexibility and service were decisive factors In selecting the AC drive supplier for the pumping stations, the benefits speaking for the choice of Vacon included technical reliability, the expertise of personnel and their willingness to listen to the customers needs. We are very happy with Vacon and its work for us and also with the performance of their equipment, says Mr Hill.

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clean tech
Story by Fran Weaver Photo iStockphoto/angelhell, /fpm and F-Secure

ct

Vacon have initiated research collaboration with global computer security provider F-Secure in response to the spread of an unprecedentedly complex computer virus that precisely targeted control systems used in Irans nuclear programme.

Cyber sabotage
MIKKO HYPPNEN, chief research officer of F-Secure, describes the Stuxnet virus as the most significant computer malware of the decade. When Stuxnet was first discovered in July 2010 only antivirus companies were interested in this highly infectious virus, which didnt seem to do anything in infected computers, he explains. The plot thickened when while studying Stuxnet closely F-Secure gradually realized that it was one of the most advanced pieces of malware ever devised. Later in 2010 it became clear that Stuxnet had been meticulously designed to spread unnoticed and remain dormant until it could enter a specific kind of computerized programmable logic controller (PLC) system used to run certain kinds of variable speed drives, including AC drives produced by Vacon. In effect, the virus was devised to be spread around the world via the USB sticks of unaware computer-users. A game-changing episode Now that computer security experts understand how Stuxnet works, it can be effectively removed from infected systems, but Hyppnen emphasizes that the cat is truly out of the bag in terms of potential future cyber attacks on automation applications. Its perfectly possible that similar attacks could be launched in future particularly from the same source. Such complex malware is not something the average hacker can create, but it will certainly be less difficult to modify the Stuxnet virus and create copycat viruses than to build new malware from scratch, he says. The worst possible scenario is that terrorist groups could launch such cyber attacks, since our whole civilization is highly dependent on computerized automation control systems. The use of cyber sabotage for criminal gain or industrial espionage remains unlikely, because of the massive expense involved. But Hyppnen is convinced that industrial companies should start looking at computer security issues in new ways. Its ultimately impossible to protect systems absolutely against determined attackers with such high levels of know-how and resources, but industrial automation companies can still gain an advantage by making themselves tough targets, and by being better protected than others, he says. Collaboration in the new ball game Vacon has resolved to become an industry leader in data security for industrial automation applications with AC drives. In response to the concerns highlighted by Stuxnet, Vacon has initiated collaboration with F-Secure to build up information and awareness of potential risks through research and communications focusing on automation security. Stuxnet has really been an eye-opener for our whole industry, says Heikki Hiltunen, Executive Vice President of Vacon. Our customers are of course asking us and other key industrial automation players how they should react to threats such as Stuxnet. Through our partnership with F-Secure we aim to ensure that we can keep them well up-todate on such issues in the future. F-Secures Mikko Hyppnen adds that such close consultation between computer security experts and automation system providers is a whole new ball game. Vacon are right to address these new security issues pro-actively, and we feel we can help them to combine expertise from both sides to build systems that will be as secure as possible for the future, he says.

a new concern for industry

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Story by Riccardo Bastero & Kaija Olli Photos Riccardo Bastero

Solar panels on the roof of Vetreria di Borgonovos glassware factory in the north of Italy. A 1-MW Vacon 8000 Solar inverter is connected to the solar panels installed on the roof of the factory.

A 1-MW Vacon 8000 Solar inverter is used to generate electricity at Vetreria di Borgonovos glassware factory near the town of Piacenza in northern Italy. This is a significant

energy from the

IN EUROPE, Vacons installed base of solar applications now totals more than 200 MW, with the largest installation base in the Czech Republic. Deliveries have also been made to Italy, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Australia and China. At Vetreria di Borgonovo S.p.A, a glassware factory located near the town of Piacenza in northern Italy, Vacons solar inverter with a total power of 1 MW is connected to the solar panels that are installed on the roof of the factory. The Vacon 8000 Solar is a vital part of the configuration between the solar panels and the grid: it converts the photovoltaic DC power into AC power, and feeds it into the grid. Vacons Multimaster system makes it possible to connect from one to eight inverter modules, depending on the amount of sunshine, which ensures that the glassware factorys solar power plant operates with maximum efficiency. Marco Beltrami, Deputy Managing Director of Vacons subsidiary in Italy, is pleased with the deal. A long-term customer had faith and trust in Vacons products and personnel, he says.

Tapping

achievement for Vacon, for the decision to enter the solar

sun

energy business was only taken early in 2010.

in Italy

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in detail

Vacon AC drives at
Vetreria di Borgonovos glassware factory since 1999
The history of Vetreria di Borgonovos glassware factory dates back to 1950 when manual production of glassware for households began in 2,000 m2 premises near Piacenza in northern Italy. Production volumes increased considerably in the 1990s when the manufacturing lines were automated and the company started supplying glassware to hotels, restaurants and catering services. Vacon supplied its first AC drives to the factory in 1999. Today, a total of more than 400 Vacon AC drives in the power range 0.75 kW to 250 kW are installed at the fully automated glassware factory. The drives mainly in the Vacon CX, Vacon NX, Vacon 10 and Vacon 100 HVAC ranges are used in a wide range of applications to control pumps, fans, process automation, conveyors, high-precision pick-and-place machines, weighing augers and packing machines, as well as in electric shaft applications with a closed loop master slave set up. In an interview in 2009, Luigi Laneri, Managing Director of the Vetreria di Borgonovos glassware factory, was very pleased with their choice of AC drives supplier: Thanks to their flexibility and high performance, Vacon AC drives can be used in many different control tasks at our plant; everything from simple to very demanding applications. The drives are reliable, robust and easy to use, and we have always received excellent service. We are also going to continue our cooperation with Vacon in the future. Mr Laneri was right: in 2010, Vetreria di Borgonovo chose a 1-MW Vacon 8000 Solar inverter for generating electricity for the glassware factory, converting photovoltaic DC power into AC power and feeding it into the grid. Vacons Multimaster software ensures that the glassware factorys solar power plant operates with maximum efficiency. Today, the glassware factory covers 52,000 m2 and

Intense R&D Vacon made the decision to enter the solar energy business during the first months of 2010, and the first Vacon 8000 Solar inverter modules were already in production in June-July of the same year. However, the R&D team designing the Solar product range did not need to start from scratch. In the spring of 2010 Vacon acquired a small Spanish company that specialized in the design of solar energy inverters. Without the work done by these Spanish colleagues it would have taken much longer to design the product. Another major help was that most of the main components were readily available. Basically, the Vacon NX product line is being extended to a new field. Solar application wakes up inverter at sunrise Vacons Solar application controls how the inverter operates. To put it simply, the inverter wakes up when the suns radiation increases in the morning after the darkness ends, when the solar panels are again able to produce power. For the Solar inverter, the most important task of the application is defining the point where the solar panels are able to produce maximum power at any particular moment. The maximum output power of the

panels depends on the amount of sun radiation, cloud, shadow, temperature and time of day, so defining the maximum power point is a continuous, automatic process. Valuable feedback from production for R&D Careful design and planning are needed when starting to manufacture new products. Vacons Vaasa plant has nominated persons to work in close liaison with R&D. Practical experience in assembly work gives an understanding of how a prodWe made our move ucts design can affect the ease and ergonomics of assembly work, so direct feedback at the right time. The helps R&D in product design. future looks bright. Bright future Olli Tev, Marketing Director, Renewable Energy, says that Vacon has already established a promFor more information on Vacons solutions for the solar energy segment, ising position in the solar energy business: the future please see looks bright. We have a high-quality inverter and an www.vacon.com > Renewable energy > Solar Power innovative Multimaster system, and the experience obtained from the deliveries so far is encouraging. We also made our move at the right time since solar energy is now becoming a profitable business. Our prospects are good! he says.

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Story by Craig Sims Photos courtesy of MegaDrill & IDS

When MegaDrill Services Limited, based in Houston, TX, USA, decided to design and build the most technologically advanced drilling barge in the world, they had many challenges ahead of them. The decision to partner with Integrated Drive Systems (IDS), Inc. in Houston, TX, to build the power, control and drilling systems was an easy choice, however.

in the world and the Majestic as the only new-build globally, these units have distinctive operating features. Barges do not change location very often and tend to focus on specific shallow-water areas of the world, particularly swamp areas. They also employ crews that remain on board for long periods while they are working. This unique lifestyle places certain requirements on the rig to accommodate the needs of the workers and enable them to carry out their work as effectively as possible. Mud pumps driven by Vacon common DC bus inverter modules The power for the Majestic comes from three diesel generators each rated at 2,100 kW. The entire AC drilling system has four 1,200 HP (895 kW) motors for driving two 2,200 HP (1,640 kW) mud pumps (two motors are needed for each pump). Each mud pump motor is driven by a Vacon common DC bus (FI13-1180Amp) inverter module. The two 1,800 HP (1,343 kW) drawworks motors are each driven by a Vacon common DC bus (FI14-2250Amp) module. The top drive and rotary table, through a contactor arrangement, each use the same Vacon common DC bus (FI13-1180Amp) rated for 1,200 HP (895 kW). In addition, the system includes three large rectifiers for the DC bus supply, three generator control cubicles to control the large engine-generator sets, dynamic

braking modules and resistor grids for braking, a PLCbased rig operation control system with touch screen HMIs* and auto drill capability, and a motor control center system to control the large number of fixed speed motors. Meeting all current environmental, safety and construction regulations Robert P. Dunn is an industry veteran with a career of 40 years and is owner of MegaDrill. He describes the Majestic, which is being assembled in Singapore, as the best of the best. It is 232 feet (70 m) long, has a beam of 70 feet (21 m), hull depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) and a posted deck of 14 feet (4.3 m). The rig is self-sufficient, with accommodation for more than 120 workers, including a fully equipped hospital, recreation room, gym and helicopter waiting room. Because of the size of the barge, the accommodation on board and the numerous safety systems, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) classified the barge itself, as a rig, and its machinery. The rig meets all current environmental, safety and construction regulations laid down by ABS, SOLAS1 and ILO2 and by the International

< The drive system that will power the Majestic shown here is being built by IDS in their Houston, TX based shop. AC drives (VFDs) are now recognized as the preferred method of control for offshore and land rig equipment. AC drives provide many benefits over old technologies including better control, faster block speeds, lower fuel consumption, enhanced drilling and tripping operations, and lower maintenance costs.

A majestic
IDS FOUNDERS, David L. Huntington and Norman S. Myers, have been industry leaders and innovators in the drives and controls business since the early 1970s. IDS also needed a trustworthy and capable partner who understood their needs and could meet the requirements for this rare opportunity. Because of previous experience of working together, Vacon was chosen as exclusive supplier of the AC drives used to power the drive system on the drilling barge called the Majestic. With only just over 30 bottomfounded barges

barge

Maritime Organization on pollution prevention. The drilling mast has an impressive safe hook load: it can lift 2,000,000 lbs (1,000 short tons) of drilling pipe and

drill down to 30,000 feet (9,144 m). The rig is also fitted with a 15,000 PSI (1,000 bar) working pressure for the BOP (blowout preventer**) and control system. The safety systems include a water mist system for the engine compartments, a CO2 system for the electrics, and gas detection throughout the barge with smoke and thermal protection. Much interest has been generated for the Majestic to work in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, which is the probable destination upon completion. The rig should be commissioned during the fourth quarter of 2011 and mobilized before year-end.

*HMI = Human Machine Interface ** BOP (blowout preventer) is the safety device that shears the drilling pipe (sealing the well) in the event of a blowout of oil or gas. 1 The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime safety treaty. 2International Labour Organization For more information on Vacons solutions for the marine segment, please see

www.vacon.com > Industrial segments > Marine

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Story by ICD Hamburg Photos courtesy of RWE and iStockphoto.com/ssuaphoto

Forward-thinking concept for replacing current source inverters

Drive retrofit

for synchronous motor

A NEW DRIVE CONCEPT was needed for the drive control of the special-purpose motors that are used to drive the compressors injecting gas at the Gronau-Epe storage facility of RWE Gasspeicher GmbH in Germany. The purpose of the gas storage facilities is to compensate for seasonal fluctuations in consumption, thus ensuring a reliable and continuous supply of natural gas. In summer, when consumption is low, the natural gas is stored underground and it is withdrawn during winter when consumption is higher. RWE Gasspeicher GmbH accounts for the safe operation of five gas storage facilities in total. The company operates four caverns and one high-capacity aquifer reservoir. The underground gas storages are approximately 1,000 metres underground, so the gas has to be compressed at a high injection pressure of up to 240 bar. This means that the compressors used for injection require substantial power. The shaft power required by the special-purpose motor used is 3.7 megawatts, and piston compressors are needed to achieve the required injection pressure. Because these compressors are located in a potentially explosive atmosphere (Ex-area), they must comply with regulations regarding protection against explosion (ATEX). Technical requirements The RWE specifications required a 12-pulse current source inverter for the large motor in the underground reservoir in Epe, with an active voltage conditioner (AVC) to reduce harmonic distortion in the medium voltage grid. They also stipulated that a 12-pulse synchronous motor with 30 degree phase-shifted windings and a rated voltage of 990 volts was to be used. This motor would not be changed during the retrofit, which was a challenge. Replacement parts for the old special-purpose AC drive were no longer available. This meant a high risk of system failure. Since system availability is a high priority, the risk of system standstill had to be minimized with a new drive concept.

In a joint project with RWE Gasspeicher GmbH, Vacon has replaced a conventional current source inverter (CSI) with voltage source inverters (VSI), using an advanced drive concept based on Vacons DriveSynch technology. The motor used in the underground gas storage incorporates many specialized features, which made the task particularly challenging. The installation has a large number of aging CSI drives, for which spares are becoming hard to find or are unavailable. The technology introduced now can be used in retrofitting the old drives, changing the electronics and retaining the existing motor.

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Vacon had already completed several successful joint projects with various divisions of RWE Power, so an internal survey at RWE led to a request for a quotation for this project from Vacon. We achieved the objective using a configuration that was completely different from what was requested in the request for quotation, explains Friedhelm Harf from Vacon GmbH. Alternative, innovative concept from Vacon To meet the required cost-efficiency goals, Vacon submitted an innovative, alternative concept based on its extensive expertise with active front-end (AFE) AC drives. The configuration of the Vacon solution completely eliminates the need for an active filter system because with the AFE solution, the voltage source inverter reduces harmonic distortion to less than 5% current harmonic distortion (THD-I). A medium voltage active voltage conditioner (AVC) is then not needed because the power factor cos is better than 0.99. This meets the customers requirements without having to install additional filter and conditioner components, which would have cost around EUR 150,000 per drive. This saved a total of EUR 450,000, and also saved considerable space. In the Vacon concept, four AC drives are connected in parallel to control the motor. This redundancy ensures reliability and system availability, and the parallel configuration also allows the required power to be achieved using standard components. DriveSynch The innovative concept behind the idea The Vacon DriveSynch is an innovative concept for achieving high drive powers by connecting standard components in parallel. This has made it possible to retain old motors in retrofit projects, as long as they are still in good working order. The power electronics are

the only components to be replaced by more modern technology. These old systems have often been discontinued, and it is either not economical or not possible to repair them. By connecting standard drive components (frequency inverter modules or complete converters) in parallel, the Vacon DriveSynch concept can achieve output powers of up to 6 megawatts in the low-voltage range of up to AC 690 volts in the present case up to 990 volts, through a special solution using a step-up transformer. Fibre optics are used to synchronize the modules, and output filters to ensure load balance. Motors with normal three-phase windings and motors with multiple windings and phase shifted windings can be controlled. One or more drive modules are employed per winding and the phase shift is set via parameters. Because the retrofit at RWE Gasspeicher GmbH involved controlling a synchronous motor, several challenges had to be overcome. Synchronous motors either have permanent magnets in the rotor, or the motor is excited externally. The synchronous motor in the gas reservoir uses brushless external excitation because it is located in an Ex-area. After the retrofit the excitation is done by a Vacon NXP drive. The motors each have a voltage of 990 volts, but the drives used only have a voltage of 690 volts. This is because the drives are ready-made, mass-produced products. This offers the customer the advantage that replacement parts and service personnel are always readily available. Vacon solved the problem of the difference in voltage by employing a step-up transformer that converts 690 volts to 990 volts. A sinusoidal filter is located upstream of the transformer, which has the added effect of reducing the reflected

voltage at the motor. This is important, since the motor is located in an Ex-area. The DriveSynch concept made this whole solution possible, but the redundantly connected Vacon NXP drives with AFE technology have also dramatically increased the grid power factor: at full load cos is equal to 0.99; in the partial load range it is equal to 0.98. In contrast, current source inverters fall to cos = 0.25 in the partial load range. This is a quantum leap compared to the previous solution, says Mr Harf. The benefit for us, he continues, is that we do not have to build one large drive, but can work with standard modules instead. The impossible made possible Another special feature of this retrofit project for RWE Gasspeicher GmbH was that the piston compressor, whose mechanical parts are subject to natural wear, is subjected to enormous loads because of the extremely high pressure and, at the same time, is required to maintain a tight seal, because the gas is highly explosive. The piston rings, which provide the necessary seal, are inspected and installed by positioning the pistons in jog-mode this is a manual operation. This had to be possible after the retrofit as well. We have a set point of only 0.15 Hertz for the jog mode which is usually impossible for step-up transformers. But we achieve this without any other auxiliary equipment, stresses Mr Harf. Vacons software designers have created their own software for controlling both the excitation of the synchronous motor and the four main drive inverters.

in detail

An advanced concept

In order to retrofit the large special-purpose motor in the Gronau-Epe gas reservoir, Vacon presented an advanced drive concept with synchronous motors based on DriveSynch technology. Close collaboration between Vacon software designers and RWE Gasspeicher GmbH personnel has resulted in a solution that is both innovative and forward-thinking, and at the same time cost-saving. With this successful concept, we have made our entry into the modernization of obsolete technology for which no updates, service, or replacement parts are available. Retrofits will be needed for a large number of the current source inverters that have been used in large motors of this type. We have demonstrated that it is possible to control motors with even the most complex requirements. The fact that some old current source inverters still have an exotic voltage, e.g. 990 volts, is yet another challenge; but Vacon and its innovative concept offers a new approach. Read more at

www.vacon.com >

Products > Motor Control > Industrial AC drives > Liquid-cooled Vacon NXP > Vacon DriveSynch

With this successful concept, we have made our entry into the modernization of obsolete technology for which no updates, service, or replacement parts are available.

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Story by John Wind Photos courtesy of DBB Jack-Up Services

DBB JACK-UP SERVICES A/S, based in Aarhus, Denmark, was established in 2008 as a sister company to Dansk Bjergning og Bugsering A/S (DBB - Danish Salvage and Towing Company Ltd.), primarily to provide first class services and equipment to the offshore wind industry, with a focus on maintenance. In 2010, DBB Jack-Up Services A/S contacted Liebherr* and asked them to mount an LTR 11200 crane on its self-propelled jack-up barge Wind. It took just one week for the crane to be installed on the barge at the Orskov shipyard in Frederikshavn, Denmark. The Wind is the first ship to have a permanently mounted telescopic crane of that size on board. DBB Jack-Up Services A/S chose Vacon low-harmonic air-cooled AC drives to control the vessels propulsion and the operation of the crane. Dynamic control brings energy savings In contrast to conventional propulsion with a diesel engine, the speed of the thrusters used in Winds propulsion is dynamically controlled by Vacon AC drives. This brings energy savings. The thruster speed can be optimized to the actual speed of the vessel, giving maximum grip on the water. The problem with conventional diesel engine solutions is that the speed is adjusted in

steps, so that it is often too low or too high, resulting in a looser grip on the water. Per Kristensen, Marine Superintendent at DBB says: The energy consumed by propulsion on the Wind has fallen from approximately 1,100 kW to 800 kW at nominal speed. I am surprised that the energy savings have been that high compared to our previous diesel engine driven solution. Dynamic positioning improves manoeuvrability and safety In addition, the vessel has an optimized dynamic positioning** capability, which enables rapid change of speed and direction. Dynamic positioning is very useful for example when operating close to other objects. It also saves time and improves safety in challenging working conditions at sea. The torque of the thrusters is monitored closely by the Vacon AC drives to ensure that the thrusters are only operated within the permitted torque range. This is essential when changing the direction of the azimuth thruster unit, for example, since this cannot accept full torque if it is at an angle to the direction in which the vessel is sailing.

Wind

a jack-up barge for servicing wind turbines at sea

Servicing wind turbines at sea often takes place in very demanding conditions. This sets high requirements for the service vessels. DBB Jack-Up Services A/S owns Low harmonic drives with almost sinusoidal current absorption priately named Wind which is capable of Vacons scope of delivery included four replacing heavy components at a height of 550 kW low-harmonic Vacon NXC drives (IP54 up to 100 metres. enclosures), commissioning and global support. Electric motors for the thrusters were also supplied by Vacon. The Vacon solution was installed by Scanel International A/S*** in Frederikshavn. Vacons solution gives benefits as regards space requirements and for maintenance. The compact air-cooled drives are a perfect match for the ship since they require no oil and no maintenance. All the inverters are low-harmonic, active front-end units, so current absorption from the generators is almost sinusoidal. The crane is a modified version of the worlds largest telescopic crane, with further optimization. Instead of installing a separate drive to operate the crane, the Vacon solution uses one of the propulsion drives. This is possible because the crane is never used simultaneously with the propulsion. The drive for the bow thruster also controls the crane. a self-propelled heavy-lift barge appro-

*Liebherr was established in 1949. Today Liebherr is not only one of the worlds leading manufacturers of construction machinery but is also an acknowledged supplier of technically innovative user-oriented products and services in numerous other fields. Over the years the family business has grown into what is today a group of companies, employing a workforce of 32,091 in more than 100 companies on all continents. **Dynamic positioning may be absolute, in that the position is locked to a fixed point over the bottom, or relative to a moving object such as another ship or an underwater vehicle. The ship can also be positioned at a favourable angle towards the wind, waves and current, which is called weathervaning. *** Scanel International A/S supplies integrated complex technical solutions, systems, equipment, components, services and repairs to the international marine and offshore industry.

Wind facts
Wind is a self-propelled jack-up barge designed for servicing wind turbines at sea. Wind has been working in the North Sea just off the Dutch coast at the Owez offshore wind farm since June 2010. Adjusting the thruster speed is much more energy-efficient with the Vacon AC drives and the electric motor than with conventional propulsion with a diesel engine. The crane has received several technical modifications for operating on the high seas. Instead of the diesel engine, for instance, an electric motor operates the crane, powered 30

in detail

by the ships power plant. This eliminates the need to keep additional flammable fuel on board. The crane is also powered by bio-hydraulic oil to further protect the environment. DBB Jack-up Services made a special arrangement with Liebherr* to maximize the benefit of the cranes considerable under-hook height (which can be as much as 190 metres using Liebherrs T3 adaptor and luffing jib) by using a lower centre of gravity, as well as significantly reducing the space required to operate the crane. A strong but stable tube element has been used to secure the slewing ring of the cranes superstructure to the barge.

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people in focus www.ru.vacon.com

Story by Dmitriy Trunev Photos iStockphoto.com/zoom-zoom and Vacon

pf

Vacon Russia is making encouraging progress in Russia and the CIS countries and has plans for further expanding its operations.

st petersburg ekaterinburg moscow

Latest projects encouraging prospects

In the past few years Vacon Russia has completed several major projects in Russia. Sergey Vyakin, Sales Manager at Vacon Russia, says: Last year, we successfully completed a modernization project at the thermal power station in Krasnodar in cooperation with GEA Grasso. All in all, we delivered five high-voltage step-up step-down systems, each with a power of 315 kW. At the beginning of 2011, in cooperation with ALT engineering company, Vacon Russia delivered the first multi-motor drive in Russia, integrated by a DC link, to Kirishinefteorgsintez, one of the largest oil refineries in Russia. In total, three

The spirit of
lives in every Vacon Russia employee ON 12 APRIL 2011 it was 50 years to the day since Yury Gagarin and the spaceship Vostok from what was then the USSR made history: the first human flight ever into outer space. The 50th anniversary was a big celebration globally and especially in Russia. Vacon Russia also has reason for celebration: they are having their 10th anniversary, having successfully promoted Vacon products and the Vacon brand in the Russian electro-technical market since 2001. At present Vacon Russia comprises a united team of 14 devoted professionals, with headquarters in Moscow. It has another office with a logistics and sales department responsible for the north-west region located in St. Petersburg. In May 2011, Vacon Russia also opened an office in Ekaterinburg, to be responsible for the Ural, Siberian and Far East Federal Districts of Russia. The CIS countries*, and the Republic of Kazakhstan in particular, offer new business opportunities. The AC drives market in Kazakhstan has tremendous potential. It is currently estimated at about EUR 30 million, with annual growth of more than 20%. We have several

* Commonwealth of Independent States, a regional organization formed during the break-up of the Soviet Union,

whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics.

Yury Gagarin is a legend the first man in world history to journey into outer space, in 1961. Sergey Postnikov, Managing Director of Vacons subsidiary in Russia, hopes that the spirit of Yury Gagarin lives in the heart of every employee at Vacon Russia.

Vacon Club During the past few years, Vacon Russia has considerably expanded its partner network, which currently comprises about 30 companies (including distributors, system integrators and original equipment manufacturers) located all over Russia and the CIS countries. In November 2010, Vacon Russia held a meeting for the partners to present the principles for the Vacon Club, an association of highly professional Vacon partners in Russia and the CIS countries. The meeting also discussed the way that partner companies operate, so as to improve the quality of service for customers and end users in the local electro-technical markets. The idea behind the Vacon Club alliance, which was launched at the beginning of 2009, is to distribute Vacon drives to the local markets in Russia and the CIS countries, and effectively exchange technical and business information about Vacon technologies with these markets. The Vacon Club is to a certain extent unique, since Vacon Russia is the first Vacon Group company to successfully establish an association like this for distributors, says Mr Postnikov.
From left to right: Anastasia Kuzyakina, Evgeny Davydov, Sergey Vyakin, Alla Suponina, Sergei Postnikov, Pavel Tkachenko, Yury Serenkov, Dmitriy Trunev. On the sofa from left to right: Kristina Kochurko, Anastasia Elchik, Arina Arefyeva.

** The State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom incorporates more than 250 companies and academic institutions.

Yury Gagarin

strong partners in Kazakhstan, but extensive penetration of the market will require a bigger effort on our part, so we are planning to open the next regional office in Kazakhstan, says Mr Postnikov.

cabinets with two rectifiers and twelve inverters in each cabinet were delivered. For the past three years, Vacon Russia has also been an exclusive supplier of energy-saving equipment for SIBUR, a leading company in the petrochemical industry in Russia and Eastern Europe. More than 500 Vacon AC drive systems in the power range 15 to 630 kW have been delivered during this time. Rosatom**, a government nuclear energy corporation in Russia, has planned an energy-efficiency investment programme totalling some EUR 20 million for 2011-2015. Mr Vyakin states that Vacon Russia plans to take part in the delivery of the energy-saving equipment for this programme. In 2010, the AC drives market in Russia was estimated at about EUR 120 million. To be ranked near the top of the list of AC drive suppliers and to maintain this position, we have to see some major breakthroughs, says Mr Postnikov. However, I am confident that this is within the powers of our team. I sincerely hope that the spirit of Yury Gagarin is in the heart of every employee at Vacon Russia: that everyone is willing to reach for the stars, putting all their efforts and abilities into achieving new feats in the future.

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Please visit

www.radioarcala.com for additional information.

every ac motor deserves a vacon drive

our business

ob

Story by Jari Perkimki (OH6BG) Photos Jari Perkimki and courtesy of Radio Arcala

Amateur radio is the licensed and private use of designated radio frequency bands, for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication. Amateur radio stations are issued with a designated call sign to allow identification of stations. Broadcasting to or communication with the public with amateur radio equipment is prohibited.

Mr Kontas at Radio Arcala.

The ionosphere is a shell of electrons and electrically

charged atoms and molecules that surrounds the Earth, stretching from a height of about 50 km to more than 1000 km. On shortwave frequencies, the ionosphere is the only means of delivering radio signals (bouncing from the ionosphere down to ground) to all parts of the globe, at the speed of light.

extreme antennas
RADIO ARCALA STARTED as a hobby and technological research project for the owners, Veijo Kontas (OH6KN) and Juha Hulkko (OH8NC). The two men are keen amateur radio enthusiasts and technology advocates who like things extreme. Today, their project has reached global dimensions, and Vacon rotates their biggest antenna. Currently, there are seven extremely high towers ranging from 42 metres (125 ft) to 105 metres (350 ft) at Radio Arcala. But the real pride is the newest member of the antenna farm, a 100-metre high tower that weighs approximately 40,000 kg (80,000 lbs). This is the

Rotating

Some 40 kilometres east of the City of Oulu in Northern Finland lies the small village of Arkala. Visitors suddenly come across an unbelievable sight: a forest of high extremely high towers. Welcome to Radio Arcala! largest rotating tower of its kind in the world, hosting a 3-element directional antenna for 1.8 MHz, a 5-element directional antenna for 3.5 MHz and a stacked 4-element directional antenna for 7 MHz. The tower is rotated by an 11-kW AC motor equipped with an 18 kilowatt high-performance Vacon NXP AC drive. Choosing the Vacon NXP AC drive for the task was easy, and I did not even consider other brands or alternatives. There were two reasons; firstly, I had previous experience of a smaller Vacon AC drive running my electrical winch system, and secondly the unrivalled performance of the Vacon NXP, says Mr Kontas. Initially, Mr Kontas considered using a softstarter instead of an AC drive, but this had drawbacks. A rotating tower of this magnitude requires soft acceleration at start, soft deceleration at stop and smooth control of the speed while running, and it is difficult to achieve this

with a softstarter. Since he has a technical background, Mr Kontas installed and commissioned the Vacon AC drive himself. He set the maximum output frequency of the drive to 25 Hz, which means that it takes about 5 minutes to turn the 40 tonne tower a full 360 degrees. Another extremely important factor is proper earthing of the tower and the devices running, for two reasons. Firstly, in combination with effective LC filters it minimizes the noise generated by the AC drive at low frequencies around 1.8 MHz. Secondly, when thunderstorms occur - and that is unavoidable in the summer - the lightning strikes the 100-metre tower more often than not. However, the Vacon AC drive has survived these attacks during its two years of operation without a scratch. And there have been no interruptions to its operations at all. Mr Kontas and Mr Hulkko erected their first radio tower at Arkala in 2003. In 2007, Radio Arcala obtained new members and became a Finnish high-tech consortium with a 100% focus on amateur radio contesting. Activities include coaching young talents and enthusiasts, advancing different aspects of amateur radio technology such as remote operation of radio stations from different parts of the world via the Internet, studying radio-signal propagation on shortwave frequencies via the ionosphere, and optimizing the take-off angle performance of the antennas, using simulations and real-life observations.

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a magazine for VACON stakeholders

14 2/2011

Driven by Drives. Vacon is driven by a passion to design, manufacture and sell only the best AC drives on the planet and nothing else. AC drives can be used to control electric motors or to help generate power from renewable sources. Vacon has R&D and production units in Finland, the United States, China and Italy, and sales offices in 27 countries. In 2010, Vacon had revenues of EUR 338 million and globally employed 1,300 people. Vacons shares (VAC1V) are listed and publicly traded on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

www.vacon.com