1st Quarter 2009Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Users have come to expect plug-and-play in complex industrial control systems. Suppliers of variable speed drives have embraced this concept with drives’ ability to match themselves to connected motors. Now Schneider Electric is upping the ante by offering its Altivar drives fitted in fully equipped IP54 enclosures.
The ready-assembled VSD (variable speed drive) concept, which is available for 380–690 V, 3-phase asynchronous motors from 90 kW upwards, simplifies installation and ensures optimal ventilation for the Altivar drive: something that end users do not always get right when equipping their own enclosures.
The enclosure assembly offer comprises: one or two ready-assembled enclosures, depending on the drive rating; a drive mounted on a heatsink; a switch and fast-acting fuses; harmonic reduction circuits; and an IP65 remote graphic display terminal kit.
Altivar 71 Plus drives rated above 800 kW are available pre-assembled in enclosures with various cooling options
Benefits and savings
In developing these kits Schneider Electric has performed thermal and mechanical studies and the assemblies have been tested and approved under full load conditions. Users of these ready-assembled drive kits can be confident that their installed drive solution has been assembled from components that are well matched.
A significant benefit of this pre-engineered approach is the time savings that it yields: when quoting, ordering, installing and commissioning.
Electrical installation of these pre-assembled drives is limited to only the connection of power supply and motor cabling. The enclosures are sized and the components are laid out to provide generous space for these connections while keeping the drive footprint compact.
The Altivar 71Plus pre-assembled enclosures are built using a range of standard enclosure, drive, electrical and control components
Altivar 71 Plus
Equipped with an Altivar 71 Plus VSD these assemblies can be used for constant torque control of motors rated up to 2000 kW for variable speed control of equipment such as fans, pumps, compressors and screw feeders.
There are several cooling alternatives for Altivar 71 Plus drives of 800 kW and above. Internal cooling circuits are either air or water cooled. Internal cooling isolates the fully enclosed power electronics section from the external cooling air via a heat exchanger, providing the best protection in a harsh environment. Alternatively an external heat exchanger system can be selected, reducing airconditioning costs by removing hot air from the motor control room.
Customisation possibilities
Schneider Electric offers various options for customising the ready-assembled drive modules. These include fieldbus cards for drive integration into automation systems, encoder interface cards, an emergency stop button, Preventa safety relay, panel-front meters, braking units, heating, cooling and lighting option choices.
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