Product category:
Industrial Drives/Controls
News Release from: ABB Automation Tech (Drives and Motors) | Subject: Comp-AC AC drives
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 22 March 2000
Quieter low power drives now go silent
ABB has introduced a user-programmable silent operating mode for its Comp-AC range of low power AC drives.
ABB has introduced a user-programmable silent operating mode for its Comp-AC range of low power AC drives Silent operation is particularly useful in noise-sensitive environments such as offices and homes
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 22 Mar 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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The use of AC drives to operate electric motors provides many advantages, but motors powered via frequency converters can generate more noise than when connected direct on line.
This noise can be reduced by operating the drive at a higher switching frequency.
Up to now, users of ABB's Comp-AC drives have been able to choose between standard (4kHz switching frequency) and low-noise (8 kHz) operation.
Now ABB has added a third option: the new silent operating mode with 16 kHz switching.
Using this switching frequency, the motor are perceived as operating silently, because the sensitivity of human hearing decreases rapidly above 15 kHz.
When silent mode is selected, motor noise is almost the same as with a direct power connection.
Silent operation is expected to be most widely used in equipment such as air-conditioning units and refrigerators that operate in noise-sensitive environments.
The switching frequency is user-programmable, either from the optional control panel, or via serial communications (e.g from a PC or PLC).
The silent operating mode is available in Comp-ACTM drives for 1-phase (200-240 V) and 3-phase (200-240 V and 380-480 V) supplies.
The power ranges are 0.12 -2.2 kW for 200-240 V and 0.37-2.2 kW for 380-480 V.
A further advantage of higher frequency switching is that the motor current is more sinusoidal and motor losses are therefore reduced.
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