ABB launched a low-voltage AC drive designed specifically for pump and fan applications.
The new addition to the ABB standard drive family ranges from 0.37 to 22 kW.
Built-in PID controllers are used to vary the drive’s performance in response to changes in pressure, flow, or other external data to help modify the performance according to the needs of the application. This can eliminate the need for an external PLC and helps to save energy.
A pump and fan control feature modulates the speed of the main pump or fan and brings any auxiliary pumps or fans on line as necessary. The drive can also manage switching between pumps or fans to ensure that they are all used to the same extent over the long term. In addition, the drive includes soft pump and fan control, which further reduces unwanted pressure peaks in pumps and pipelines.
The energy-efficient drive features an energy optimiser, which helps to make adjustments in areas such as noise and efficiency.
The drive has pre-programmed application macros for common tasks, and assistant screens offer additional help to operate the drive.
The start-up assistant guides users through all essential settings; a maintenance assistant helps set criteria for preventative maintenance; a diagnostic assistant finds the root cause of a problem; a timer assistant offers help for setting timed functions; and the PID assistant helps setting up sensor feedback.
The drive units can be mounted side by side without any particular need for airflow. The drive can be configured before start-up, using ABB’s FlashDrop configuration tool.
The drive includes PFC and soft pump and fan control functions for controlling pumps in parallel; supervision of inlet/outlet pressure conditions; soft start and stop (pipe fill function) to reduce mechanical stress and water hammer effect; detection of underload and overload; and pump-cleaning sequence for prevention of pump jamming.
The motor control software features a tool to analyse the loading of the drive so that users can more accurately dimension the drive and motor for the specific application.
This Load Analyser Tool comprises an Amplitude Logger and a Peak Value Logger. The data of both loggers must be able to restore itself should there be a power failure and, as such, the data is stored within Flash memory.
In addition, the drive features a software controlled phase inversion, which provides a fast and easy way to change the phase order of motor rotation, thereby saving time, as there is no need to change the output cable manually.