Construction Conundrums: Resources For Industrial Construction Contractors

AC Drives 101: A Look At Industrial Uses For Variable Speed Drives

8 August 2018 by Ethan Mccoy

AC drives, which are often referred to as variable speed drives or VSDs in industrial settings, are motor systems that rely on electrical power and allow the adjustment of that electrical power as it is needed. VSDs make it possible for an operator to remotely change the power delivery to the motor of different pieces. If you are fascinated with electronic engineering, you are bound to want to know more about how AC drives work. Here is a look at some of the most common industries in which these variable speed drives are used. 

Sewage Industry 

Directing the flow of wastewater involves the use of pumps to push the material through different lines. Because energy efficiency is always a major concern in wastewater treatment plants and other sewer-related industries, AC drives are pretty much a constant. These drives allow an overseeing employee to control the flow rate of material as needed. For example, if there are greater sewer demands because of recent storms filling storm drains and the sewer systems, the pumps can be delivered more power through the controller to move the material through at a faster rate. 

Ship Industry 

Large ships rely on turbine engines to propel them through the water because the heft of the ship is so huge, massive power must be available to cause movement. Turbine engines actually boast an AC drive, or a similar type of variable speed drive, that can be remotely controlled to change the speed of travel across the water. Even though turbine engines have been in use on large cargo ships for a long time, most people have no idea that these engines rely greatly on electrical power to operate. Hence, the need for a variable speed drive is a necessity to regulate the use of onboard power. 

Manufacturing Plants

In a manufacturing plant, there are multiple machines requiring some level of energy at any given time during operation. In order to retain efficient operations and conserve as much energy as possible, AC drives may be used to remotely change the electric delivery to different machines at different points through the day. For example, a large hydraulic pump, an industrial fan cooling system, and various other pieces of equipment may have a variable speed drive. This makes it easy to conserve energy wherever and whenever it is possible in a large-scale setting to keep operational costs as low as possible. 

Contact a company, like AutomatedPT LLC, for more information.

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