An ABB drive has helped Dyson
improve dust extraction at its
Wiltshire R&D centre, saving
the company more than
£6000/year on energy costs.

The facility puts vacuum
cleaner prototypes through
their paces with tests that
include their ability to
remove dust from surfaces.

Dust produced is subsequently
extracted from several test points by
a motor driven fan. Originally
switched direct-on-line via a stardelta
arrangement, the motor drew a
large starting current that was
causing fuses to blow.

ABB Drive Alliance member APDS
monitored power use over a week.

Results showed the 55kW dust
extraction motor cost £284/week
to run at 12p/kWh.

APDS fitted a 55kW
ABB standard drive.

Monitoring showed
electricity costs per week
could be reduced to £163 by running
the motor at 40Hz rather than 50Hz,
giving a total annual saving of £6292.