INTRODUCTION TO

VARIBLE FREQUENCY
DRIVE (VFD)
AC DRIVE
 • Objective 1 - Describe the Function and Operation
of Two Common Types of Variable Speed AC
Drives
• Objective 2 - Describe the Advantages and
Disadvantages of Using an AC Drive Instead of a
DC Drive

TABLE
• Segment 1 (Self Review)
• Objective 4 - Describe the External Control
Capabilities of a Variable Frequency AC Drive
• Segment 2 (Self Review)

OF • Objective 5 - Describe How Motor Jogging Is

Accomplished with a Variable Frequency AC
Drive
• Segment 3 (Self Review)

CONTENTS
OBJECTIV
Variable Speed AC Drive

Variable Frequency Drives are a type of AC

E1
motor drive that controls speed and torque
by varying the frequency of the input
electricity.

The higher the frequency, the faster the

motor turns.

The system works by having an input

voltage create a moving magnetic field
which in turn drives the rotor.
 Variable Speed AC Drive

Variable Speed AC Drives change the

frequency and voltage supplied to an AC
motor for it to either turn faster or slower.

As the motor turns faster, a higher voltage is

needed in order to deliver the same amount
of torque
 General Purpose Drive

General Purpose
Drives converts
incoming AC power
through a series of
steps using rectifiers,
DC links and
inverters into AC
power at different
frequencies and
voltages.
 General Purpose Drive

The rectifier section uses silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs) or diodes to convert the
incoming AC power into DC power.

When incoming AC is first applied, most AC drive rectifiers pre-charge the voltage in
order to avoid a large inrush of current that could damage the fuses or diodes within
the circuit.
 General Purpose Drive

The DC link is a filtering and gain stage that flattens the ripple of the rectified DC
signal. This stage is also called the DC bus.

A DC boost increases the voltage while a DC buck decreases the voltage.

 General Purpose Drive

The inverter stage as the name suggests inverts/converts the DC back into an AC signal
using high powered transistors that produce square pulses and is fed into a 3-phase
motor

More advanced and complicated transistors reduce the distortions of square waves
using pulse-width modulation (PWM)
 Inverter Drive Switching

A microprocessor, contained in the control

section of the drive, is programmed to turn the
transistors on and off in a specific sequence to
produce the AC signal which runs the motor.

The rate at which the switching device are

switched controls the frequency of the AC
output and in turn the speed of the motor
 Vector Drive

Compared to general-purpose drives, Vector Drives use more complex control logic
and have feedback added.

It uses an encoder or resolver to provide speed and directional feedback from the motor
to the control section.
 Advantages of Vector Drive

• Provides more accurate control of motor's speed and torque

• More advanced vector drives no longer need an encoder or resolver feedback
• Some vector drives can be programmed for a specific motor
• Sensorless vector drives that are pre-programmed can operate based on set
parameters
Knowledge Check
Knowledge Check
 OBJECTIV
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using an AC
Drive instead of a DC Drive

AC DRIVE DC DRIVE

speed E2
• shifts AC power's frequency to affect an AC motor's

• AC motor uses AC power thus having a smaller and

• varies DC current to adjust the speed of the DC
motor
• Requires constant maintenance since DC motors
lighter motor design but with equal power use brushes to contact the rotor's commutator to
• Does not run by friction deliver DC power
• Efficient in converting input power to torque • Has more accurate speed control
• Requires little maintenance • Have much higher starting torque
• Costs less • Delivers constant torque at low speeds
• Runs quieter and cooler • Can run overloaded for brief periods
 OBJECTIV
Advantages of Starting a Motor with an AC
Drive Instead of Line Starting

Using an AC drive to start a 3-phase motor

Advantages of AC DRIVE Motor Starting

E3
offers the following advantages:
• Better control of acceleration
• Control of Inrush Current
• Smaller drive motors
• Reduced mechanical stress
• Motor operation
• Multiple motor control
• Built-in braking
 Better Control of Acceleration

Using an AC Drive allows the user to set a

software-programmable acceleration rate to
bring the motor up to speed.

The shorter the rate, the faster the motor

accelerates.

The longer the rate, the slower the motor

accelerates.
 Control of Inrush Current

An AC Drive can provide up to 150% of the

full load torque during start-up.

Using the DOL to start a motor causes an

inrush current of up to 6 times its full load
current which may trip circuit breakers or have
dips in the AC supply system.
 Smaller Drive Motors

High inertial loads started with an AC Drive

can be accelerated slowly and thus allows
the use of a much smaller motor.
 Reduced Mechanical Stress

With the AC drive's capability allowing

controlled acceleration, the machine's
mechanical drive system can be decreased or
eradicated.

Unlike line starting, using an AC drive is

critical in reducing mechanical stress on
machines.
 Multiple Motor Control

Controlling multiple motors of machines

and accelerating them simultaneously using
one AC drive is also one of the advantages
of utilizing an AC drive instead of line
starting.
 Built-In Braking

Contrary to line starters that require external

components for braking, most AC drives entail
built-in braking capabilities that are also
programmable.
 Soft-Start Drives

Soft-start drives are smaller AC drives

utilized instead of regular magnetic motor
starters.

Some of its applications involve pumps,

conveyors, grinders, and fans.
 Use of Single-Phase Power

A 3-phase power is also not anymore necessary since some AC drives also posses the
ability to use single-phase power and generate the 3-phase signal to operate a 3-phase
motor.

With this, it allows locations that are not able to have 3-phase power readily available
to utilize 3-phase motors.
 Disadvantages of AC Drive Motor Starting
• DOL starters are advantageous over AC
drives regarding startup torque and cost.
• AC drives generate a lower rated full-load
torque at startup, approximately 150%,
compared to line-started motors that
produce 200%.
• AC drives are more expensive due to
complex electronics and higher
operational costs.
• Performing maintenance and
troubleshooting is also easier in DOL lines
than in AC drive lines
Knowledge Check
 Knowledge Check

Ac drives convert single-phase power to 3-phases. however, single phase-DOL cannot

start an AC motor by itself
Self Review
Self Review
 OBJECTIV
External Control Capabilities of a Variable
frequency AC Drive

Several applications require external controls

Variable Speed AC Drive Control

E4
even though most programmable AC drives
have a built-in keyboard that may be used to
control a motor.

A 2-wire circuit is the simplest type of control.

A motor is simply energized for on/off
operation with this control method. Three-wire
control scheme is similar but with an addition of
a parallel circuit intended to seal in the starter
circuit and keeps the motor running
automatically.
 VFD Inputs and Outputs

Pushbuttons, switches, potentiometers,

sensors, and PLCs are all examples of input
devices for 2-wire and 3-wire controllers.
Most AC drives can sustain several device
configurations.

Moreover, AC drives have terminals for

inputs to line power and outputs for motor
power. Some drives also contain output
relays that initiates indicator light signaling
a fault condition
 Control Settings

Users can set the input mode between manual and automatic inputs in programmable
AC drives. Additionally, the user can select the signal setting the speed command.

This can be an internal frequency based on the maximum frequency output, an external
0-10 V signal, an external 4-20 mA signal, or the built-in potentiometer.
Knowledge Check
Knowledge Check
Self Review
Self Review
 OBJECTIV
Accomplishing Motor Jogging with a Variable
Frequency AC Drive

Jogging a Motor with a VFD

E5
When a motor is briefly jogged, the contacts
begin to operate at a slower speed than usual.
This enables a motor to drive a machine through
its series of operations for repair or maintenance
or to align parts.

Most AC drives allows inputs to initiate motor

jogging in opposite directions. Usually, they
also allow programmable setup intended for
speed and deceleration.
 Jog Settings
Motor jogging programmable settings can be found in the
Advanced Group Parameters.

• Digital Input 1 (A051)/Digital Input 2 (A052) - Activates

the I/O terminals on the VFD for a variety of preset
functions
• Jog Frequency (A078) - Sets the max drive output
frequency while jogging.
• JOg Acceleration/Deceleration (A079) - sets the rate the
motor accelerates when triggered and the rate the motor
halts when released.
Knowledge Check
Knowledge Check
Self Review
Self Review
 ME160P-2_E01

THANK
YOU
THANK
YOU
THANK
YOU