possible to replace Gearbox with VFD?

[Kapil1982]

Is it possible to replace gearbox with VFD for speed reduction in liquid ring vacuum pump application.

 

[micalbrch]

Perhaps. But then how do you want to connect the motor to the pump? Will that fit without gearbox?

What does the manufacturer say?

 

[LionelHutz]

Yes. The motor power on a VFD varies linearly with speed so removing the gearbox and slowing down the motor will likely require a larger motor.

 

[rcw retired EE]

Baldor sells a cooling tower fan drive system that eliminates the motor / drive shaft / right-angle gear box with a directly coupled permanenet magnet motor running on a VFD.

It reduced maintenance costs, weight and space needed on cooling towers. Maybe the same approach would work for your system.

 

[ScottyUK]

rcwilson,

Sounds like a maintenance guy's nightmare: a big expensive semi-custom motor installed in an environment which makes offshore marine look rather innocuous. Sounds like a good solution for EPC companies who install a lightweight cooling tower and leave O&M to sort out the problems.

Have you got a link to the drive system? Sounds interesting. Just not for a cooling tower!

 

[KvdW]

http://www.baldor.com/products/coolingtower/index.asp