Alternatives to a Phase Converter
Posted in Business Products & Services on July 27th, 2011 by admin – Be the first to commentRotary Phase Converter
The rotary phase converter consists of a motor, which has three windings inside it. Two of the windings, act as a motor and the third winding acts as a generator. The need for a generator is to generate a balanced power in the machine circuit. The motor generator is also used for phase conversions (AC to DC or DC to AC), ‘DC’ stands for direct current and ‘AC’ stands for alternating current. The rotary phase converter has a shaft near the input voltage source, to detect the variations in the voltage, so as to prevent the machine from damage due to high voltage. A three phase motor and large number of capacitors constitute a single, small device which looks like a big capacitor, in the rotary phase converter. The three terminals of the motor are connected to the output of the rotary phase converter. The motor used in the device has the capacity to withstand a higher HP than the output power expected.
Digital Phase Converter
Digital phase converter is a recent technology that uses microprocessor programming to control the solid state devices used in the phase converter. The input rectifier (device that converts AC to DC) of the digital phase converter consists of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), which is connected in series with an inductor. The process of conversion to three phase power, in this device is called as double IGBT conversion, as the main component used is IGBT, which is a fast switching semiconductor device operating at 10,000 Hz. In the conversion process, the AC power is converted to DC and then back to AC by IGBT. IGBT does not directly produce an AC signal. It produces a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation Wave), which is passed through the capacitor or an inductor, because it is a fact that, capacitors block DC and allow only AC. Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is the microprocessor used in the device, which continuously monitors the input voltage to produce a balanced three phase power. If the input voltage is considerably high, the DSP switches out, to prevent the damage of the phase converter due to high voltage.
Variable Frequency Drive
In this device, the frequency or speed of the AC induction motor is controlled by the variable frequency drive (VFD). The VFD sends a modulating signal to the AC motor, thereby controlling its speed. Variable frequency drive is also known as variable speed drives, as it controls the speed of the AC motor. This device is commonly used in fans, pumps, etc., for efficient power consumption, smooth start-up and to save electricity. Ramping is an important factor in the functioning of the motor. The VFD sets the ramp up time, reference time and ramp down time of the motor, to reduce the mechanical wear of the device using VFD. Ramping is very important because sudden acceleration from the switch on time to the operating speed or sudden decline from the operating speed to the device off time, will cause damage to the VFD operating devices. So, to avoid this, ramping is necessary.