ABB Overvoltage Control Demo

In this video, we will take a look at how different drives behave when stopping high inertia loads. This should be pretty interesting.
When stopping a load, the motor actually becomes a generator, putting power back into the VFD, causing the DC bus voltage to rise. If this voltage level gets too high, the VFD will fault out, releasing control of the motor and load, or at worst case, causing permanent, catastrophic damage to the DC bus capacitors, again releasing control of the motor and load. There are a few options to combat this phenomenon; adding braking resistors, using a regenerative drive, or using ABB’s built in overvoltage controller.
All ABB drives have a robust overvoltage controller built in. This is ABB’s least capable model, an ACS150. I have this drive set to decelerate this motor and pulley in 0.5 seconds. There is enough inertia in this pulley that the drive cannot do this without some outside help. So, the overvoltage controller sees the DC bus level rise near its limit and extends the ramp time, bringing the motor to a controlled stop in 11 seconds.
Again, we could add a braking resistor to this drive to quicken the deceleration, but this drive never faulted and never released control.
Now let’s pick on a competitor. I see these drives all the time out in the field, usually in a stack on a file cabinet as paperweights that have let out their smoke. I set the decel time on this guy for 0.5 seconds and try to stop the motor. Drive immediately faults out, releases control, and the motor coasts to a stop. This takes nearly 3 minutes.
Here is a newer version from the same manufacturer. This comes as a modular design, so that when you let the smoke out, you have a smaller paperweight, which may be nice if you are trying to save space in your boneyard.
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While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information provided is accurate and has been obtained from reliable sources, Ramco is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. At all times you should defer to the instructions and safety guidelines issued by the manufacturer. In no event will Ramco, its agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information provided to you or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

[@Erix303]

Informative but yet comical. Thank you “The Drives Guy”

[@thegurz1]

let the smoke out LOL I thought that was just our saying. "You let the magic smoke out!!"

[@robfeldt]

oh but thanks for the info!

[@robfeldt]

LMAO too funny