The all new king of swing
January 1st 2004

ABBs recent launch of a new standard drive seems set to reinforce the companys position as a market leader in AC drives. While the companys products in recent years have focused on performance, the newly launched standard AC drive primarily aims to provide ease of use, broadening the appeal of AC drives to a wider audience. ABB has also launched the first, in what promises to be, a range of application specific drives initially targeted at HVAC applications Anew range of intuitive, standard drives, designed to be sold off the shelf with few optional extras, has been launched by ABB. Our aim with this product is to bring drive technology to new user groups who only want the basics of reduced energy consumption and improved process control says James Haigh, senior vice president, drives of ABB. The new drive is just as easy to use as a mobile phone. Control of speed or flow just isnt going to get any less complicated even with the most basic mechanical control systems. ABB is also basing application specific drives on the design of the standard drive. The first out is a drive targeted at HVAC applications, with industry specific software and other dedicated features. The analogy used at the launch of the products was that of the Renault Megane, ie two different products made using the same chassis but aimed at two different market places. There are many commonalities between the two new launches one of these being the new technology employed in the control panel which allows quick installation and trouble free commissioning. The new development in control panel technology is similar in look and functionality to a mobile phone and features two soft keys, the function of which changes according to the state of the panel. Andy Preston, product manager, standard drive explains the reasons for this innovative development as Users havent the time to be experts in ABB equipment. While his colleague Peter Myatt adds that This drive has got to work straight out of the box. In order to facilitate this a built-in help button and real-time clock assist in fault diagnosis. This enables easy commissioning, fast set-up, simple configuration and rapid fault diagnosis. Harmonics suppression Another impressive leap forward comes with the reduction of the harmonic signature of the drive through (patent pending) swinging DC chokes. These chokes suppress harmonics caused by the inverter so that the percentage of total harmonic distortion goes down when the load is reduced. Normally, total harmonic distortion increases when the load is reduced. This is because the impedance of a standard DC choke is optimised for a specific throughput, normally that used for full load. ABBs swinging choke, in contrast, features a variable air gap, giving flexible impedance for a range of different load conditions. This feature will help users to meet the requirements of G5/4 and help reduce the pollutants on their mains supply network. EMC compatibility The drive has EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) protection for the first environment, the highest class of EMC protection, that means it can be used on a supply network shared with domestic users. The drive is delivered with flux optimisation enabled, to provide the right motor magnetisation for any given load, optimising any energy savings automatically. The drives feature a real time clock with calendar function, enabling the user to schedule activities for different times of the day or week. The timer function also enables the drive to be used as a small BMS (Building Management System) as the I/Os can be used to control other devices. Any faults within the system are recorded with the time and day. A kilowatt calculator enables easy monitoring of energy consumption. Users can set limits for running hours or motor rotation, so that the drive gives an alarm when the limits are reached, enabling preventative maintenance at regular intervals. The small physical size of the drive saves space. Ready for fieldbus ABBs HVAC drive is ready to connect to a fieldbus. It comes with protocols for Modbus, Landis & Staefa FLN and Johnson Controls N2 as standard. Plug in units are available for other protocols, such as LON Works, ProfiBus, DeviceNet and Trend fieldbus controller. The plug-in units can be controlled by the user in about five minutes. The standard drive comes with Modbus. High performance protocols such as Profibus, DeviceNet and LON Works can be added using adaptor cards. Further I/Os can be added in the same way. Braking chopper Other standard features include an integrated braking chopper. This absorbs, braking energy - converting it to heat - helping decelerate the load quicker. The inclusion of the brake chopper saves space. The drive comes with two built-in motor control platforms. The default setting is basic scalar control, however, if the application requires a higher performance motor control, for instance constant torque loads, the user can select sensorless vector control. Less noise The new drive reduces noise levels wth a feature that increases the switching frequency of the drive when the motor load is reduced, thereby lowering motor noise. Noise is further reduced through the higher switching frequency of the sensorless vector control platform. A controlled cooling fan, running only when necessary, further reduces drive noise and also improves energy efficiency. The fan is easily replaceable without disconnecting the drive. In larger sizes, the fan can be replaced from the front. As well as introducing the new products an integral part of ABBs offer is the added value services that it offers such as stocking, support and backup. ABB is planning to stock the new drive in larger quantities that any before it, giving instant availability. It will be available around the clock from its channel partners, including ABB Drives Alliance, a network of 10 drives specialists servicing and supporting drives across the UK. Today, the vast majority of AC motors have no form of speed control, yet two thirds of industrial electric energy is used by motors said James Haigh. With vast potential energy savings in the balance, this is an issue that impacts both on the bottom line of companies and on the amount of CO2 emissions going into the atmosphere.

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