Technology Corner – Variable Speed Drives

Are you wasting electricity with old-fashioned technology?

Variable speed drives (VSDs) are not at all new technology, but there will be plenty of businesses out there yet to implement them who are wasting money unnecessarily.

VSDs are a means of controlling a motor in order to optimize its energy efficiency. Traditionally, a motor used in say a fan or pump would run at its maximum speed. Where flow rate needed to be varied according to load, some form of physical restriction would have placed downstream; flaps or a valve for example. It works, but it does mean that the motor is working to overcome that restriction, as its speed is the same, and that is inefficient.

VSDs can significantly reduce energy use in pumping as the motor speed is varied according to load, rather than using physical restriction to control flow. In many instances, a motor might only need to run at small proportion of its max power.

Which businesses might benefit from VSDs? Those that have older style HVAC systems, fluid pumping or motorised production systems where soft-start/stop can reduce strain on components.

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