Custom-built hybrid inverter for Paraguay
An
Alstom Power Conversion product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Nov 6, 2000
In an interesting application, Rugby based Alstom Power Conversion has supplied a custom-built hybrid inverter for use in controlling a centrifugal sugar machine in Asuncion, Paraguay.
In an interesting application, Rugby based Alstom Power Conversion has supplied a custom-built hybrid inverter for use in controlling a centrifugal sugar machine in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Manufactured by the Western States Machine Company of Ohio, the centrifugal machine is about 1.5m in diameter and can be loaded with up to 1,500kg of massecuite - a form of liquid brown sugar from sugar cane.
Total weight of the centrifuge basket is 8,000kg which, once loaded, takes around 50 seconds to get to full speed - an incredible 1,100rpm.
At this point hot water is sprayed onto the brown sugar, which cleans it to white sugar.
The centrifuge then decelerates, with the Alstom inverter sending net energy back to the power grid of the plant.
The white sugar is finally loaded onto a conveyor and dried out.
Total cycle time of the centrifuge machine is 21/2 minutes, which is in use 24 hours per day.
To control the smooth acceleration and deceleration of the centrifuge's basket, Western States has employed an Alstom ALSPA GD4000/ GD3000E hybrid inverter.
Motor control is via the powerful ALSPA GD3000E, while the front-end user-friendly interface is from Alstom's ALSPA GD4000.
The hybrid inverter runs in VVVF (Variable Voltage, Variable Frequency) mode to provide the ultra smooth operation - as a result wear and tear on all mechanical components is reduced, thereby increasing reliability and plant availability.
Due to the high inertia of the centrifuge, it has a lot of momentum when rotating at full speed.
As a result, Alstom's inverter has been supplied with a regenerative module, so that when the centrifuge is decelerating, the inverter can convert the mechanical momentum energy within the centrifuge back into electrical energy.
This in turn reduces overall energy consumption of the machine, helping to save on costs.
During acceleration, the 377A 6 pole motor runs at 125% of full load current.
Alstom's GD3000E has built-in intelligence to allow the motor a high starting torque and smooth breakaway without tripping - further increasing reliability and availability of the plant.
The Western States Machine Company has been manufacturing centrifuge machines for over 80 years.
With Alstom's GD4000 inverter, front-end motor control of the machines is now even more simple and user-friendly.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Alstom Power Conversion
Related Stories
- Servo controllers synchronise high-speed switching
- Rhoss chiller unit utilises ABB AC drive
- Heason develops torque motors for Qinetiq's TAHS
- Biscuit factory installs IP65 SMV inverters
- DC drives reduce energy consumption
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
