MV AC drives 1

[geefer]

I am currently in the position of specing and sourcing 2.7MW MV drives The drives being considered are as follows
1) Robicon (supplied by Siemens)
2) ABB ACS 5000
3) Rockwell powerflex


The issue being that all three have very different topologies, Has anyone any thoughts on the pros and cons of the mentioned drives. I must say at the moment I do lean towards the Robicon solution mainly due to its use of LV igbt's which are proven products

 

[Thedroid]

We use ABB ACS 1000's I believe to run 1500hp ID fans at 4160v. They have been rock solid since they were installed. Pretty massive drives.

 

[LionelHutz]

I do know that some models of the AB drive have passive harmonic traps or capacitors in front of them that can resonate with other harmonic generating equipment.

 

[electricuwe]

If you consider the three manufacturers mentionend, you should be aware that for makeing the right decision for an MV drive the main question to ask is not which brand to buy, but which topology matches best to your specific application requirements.

Is a completely new drive or will you use an existing motor ?
What are the requirements on dynamic ?
Is efficiency a concern in your application ?
Would regenerative braking provide a benefit ?
Will it be difficult to meet restrictions on harmonics ?
Do you prefer air or water cooling ?

 

[controlsdude]

I have had too many ab drives short out on the dc bus and not open when they fail. I do not like their drives. If you like fireworks then buy the ab powerflex drives.

 

[DickDV]

The ABB drives will not likely be the lowest cost option but you can pretty much trust them with your process. The record is good.

 

[jraef]

Everyone has an opinion. I happen to really like Robicon drives, but then again, they contribute to my paycheck .

I all seriousness though, aside from the technology differences another very important aspect of the selection process is support. The more local the better off you are. Although important, I'm not necessarily referring to service support because when you get to the MV drive world, the scarcity of installations means most service technicians are coming from somewhere else. But in a lot of cases, you will need application information, training and coordination of service and maintenance issues. A local office with experienced people in it is a great benefit. If you have to call someone in another time zone every time you have an issue, you will regret having chosen that supplier very fast.