vacon driven na case studies booklet 2008 - 2015

north america case studies

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Case Study Product Segment/Industry Date of Publication Volume Page

Energy and Cost-Efficient Ventilation for Alaskan Mine

VACON® NXS Mining, Building Automation 2015 Volume 22 3

Vacon Propels Northern Leader

VACON® NXP Liquid Cooled (AFE), VACON® NXP Air Cooled

Marine and Offshore 2013 Volume 19 4

Iconic Moment in Gold Recovery VACON® X Series 50X Mining and Metals 2013 Volume 19 5

Compact, Liquid Cooled Drive for Cementing Systems

VACON® NXP Liquid Cooled drive

Cementing Pumps, Oil & Gas 2012 Volume 18 6

Retrofitting at Wausau Water Works VACON® 100 HVAC Water and Waste Water 2012 Volume 18 7

Size Matters to Wichita Clutch

VACON® Common DC bus, VACON® NXP Liquid Cooled

Marine, Oil & Gas 2012 Volume 17 8

Mega Yacht With Innovative HVAC Solution

VACON® NXP Air Cooled

Marine, Building Automation 2012 Volume 15 9

Conveying the Solution VACON® NXS Conveyors, Building Automation 2012 Volume 15 10

A Majestic BargeVACON® NXP Liquid Cooled, VACON® NXP Common DC Bus


Innovative Air Compressor Puts the Squeeze on the Competition

VACON® X Series Compressors, Building Automation 2011 Volume 14 12

Horse Walkers Driven by VACON® X4 VACON® X Series X4 Special Application 2011 Volume 13 13

Drilling Holes in Canada VACON® NXP Air Cooled Special Application 2011 Volume 13 14

Turbo Blowers Save Energy in Water Treatment

VACON® NXP Liquid Cooled, VACON® NXS Water and Waste Water 2010 Volume 11 15

Retrofitting a Raymond Mill VACON® X Series X5 Minerals, Mill, Special Application 2010 Volume 10 16

World's First True Hybrid Tug Sets New Benchmark

VACON® NXP Liquid Cooled, VACON® NXP Common DC Bus


Have a Little Wine With Your VACON® X4

VACON® X Series X4 and X5 Food and Beverage 2009 Volume 9 18

Poultry Drives Industry on the Eastern Shore VACON® X Series X Food and Beverage 2008 Volume 8 19

CONTENTS

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Automation Electric and Controls Inc. is

a value-added distributor and integrator

of AC drive systems based in Mt. Vernon,

WA. Bob Alexander, partner in Automation

Electric and Controls, is well known locally

and in Alaska, where he spends much time

providing variable frequency drive (VFD)

solutions for a variety of applications. Mr

Alexander has been traveling to Alaska

for decades developing relationships and

a solid reputation; he started in the 1990’s

by providing VFD solutions to lumber and

paper mills throughout Alaska. A recent

successful and exciting VFD installation

for Automation Electric and Controls was

at a large underground mine in Alaska.

The mine currently uses 100 hp (75

kW) motors with soft starters for the

ventilation fans and blowers that provide

air to the miles of underground tunnels

and roads that form the mine. Powering

the motors is costly because energy

is very expensive when hydropower is

not available, and this depends on the

annual rainfall. Some years, hydropower

is available for seven months but other

years only for one month. Hydropower is

delivered via dozens of miles of cable and

costs the mine USD 0.16 (EUR 0.12)/kW.

When hydropower is not available, the

mine has to use local power generated

by diesel generators at a cost of USD 0.35

(EUR 0.27) /kW.

Great energy savers with short payback

period and excellent quality

Knowing that variable frequency drives

(VFDs) were great energy savers when

used with fans because of the affinity

laws2, Mr Alexander wanted to bring this

technology to the mine. He discussed with

a key engineer at the mine about providing

100 hp (75 kW) VFDs in NEMA 12 (IP54)

enclosures to replace the soft starts in

the mine.

Years earlier, Mr Alexander had read about

VACON AC drives in a trade magazine and

had requested a catalog. “I remembered

Vacon when this project opportunity came

up and contacted Vacon Inc. in the USA,”

Mr Alexander says. “The proven track

record of the VACON® NXS AC drives

and their easy-to-use interface made

them a contender for this project. The

easy startup and successful testing of the

first 100 hp (75 kW) VACON NXS AC drive

installed in the mine showed the excellent

quality and level of support provided

by Vacon. However, even more exciting

was the short payback period: thanks to

the energy savings, the cost of the drive

was paid back in a matter of months!”

When the first VACON NXS AC drive was

installed on a test fan, this resulted in

energy savings of 33 kW an hour! That

translates into annual savings of USD

100,000 (EUR 77,369)

for generator power or USD 28,000 (EUR

21,663) for hydropower, and that is just for

one fan.

With these favorable results from the

test fan, approval was obtained to install

VACON AC drives on a large number of the

ventilation fans and blowers in the mine.

Once the project has been completed, the

estimated annual energy cost savings to

the mine will be considerable – and could

be enormous, depending on the power

rate they are paying, with the added bonus

of an improved power factor.

Published in 2015 Driven Volume 22.Written by Lise Houston & Nicki Bowling.

Canary birds are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide and at one time were regularly used in coal mining as an early warning system: any signs of distress from a bird indicated to the miners that conditions were unsafe. Today’s mines are ventilated. Using VACON® AC drives to control fans and blowers at a mine in Alaska has significantly improved the energy-efficiency of the ventilation system.

EnErgy-and cost-EfficiEnt vEntilation fOr AlASkAN miNE

1 Established in 2003, Automation Electric and Controls Inc. based in Mt. Vernon, Skagit County, Washington, USA is a licensed ETL 508A panel building shop that has provided products for companies all over the world, for example in Canada, the Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Australia, all over the Continental United States and in Alaska and Hawaii.

www.automationelectric.com

2 The affinity laws for pumps/fans are used in hydraulics and HVAC to express the relationship between variables involved in pump or fan performance (such as head, volumetric flow rate, shaft speed) and power. They apply to pumps, fans, and hydraulic turbines. In these rotary implements, the affinity laws apply both to centrifugal and axial flows. The affinity laws are useful as they allow prediction of the head discharge characteristic of a pump or fan from a known characteristic measured at a different speed or impeller diameter. The only requirement is that the two pumps or fans are dynamically similar, that is the ratios of the fluid forced are the same. Source: Wikipedia

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Vacon propels

Northern LeaderJ.M. Martinac Shipbuilding* in Tacoma, WA, United States, has been building ships since 1924. The company started with fishing vessels, and over the years has built more than 300 vessels of various types. Martinac’s latest project, the Northern Leader, is the largest longliner ever built in the US and one of the largest in the world. It is also eco-friendly.

*J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation, now in its third generation of family management, specializes in the design and construction of vessels up to 250 feet (76 m) long. Over the years they have delivered more than 300 vessels, including tuna seiners, harbor tugs for commercial and military customers, oceangoing tugs, factory trawlers, ferries, yachts, U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats and a research sailing vessel. **Jensen Maritime, part of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Inc., is a full-service naval architecture firm, providing solutions from concept design all the way through vessel delivery. Jensen was very pleased to bring its more than 50 years of naval architecture and marine engineering services to the Northern Leader and the Alaskan Leader Fisheries. ***Techsol Marine, part of the Imtech Marine group, is an established systems integrator of ‘Whole Ship Solutions’ including propulsion, automation and electrical distribution equipment for the Workboat Marine marketplace. Based in Quebec City Canada, Techsol has been an innovator in the field of energy-efficient electric propulsion technology.

The Northern Leader was launched at high tide on January 26, 2013 and commissioned sea worthy in Seattle’s Puget Sound during the spring. The Northern Leader is one of the largest longliners and one of the most eco-friendly commercial fishing vessels ever constructed, with a length of 184 feet (56 m) and a total weight of 1,600 tons. Owned by Alaskan Leader Fisheries, the Northern Leader will support the longline fisheries of the North Pacific, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and will sail out of Kodiak, Alaska.

Diesel-electric propulsion with lower emissions and higher fuel efficiencyDesigned by Seattle-based Jensen Maritime**, a Crowley company, the vessel uses equipment that causes minimal environmental impact on the ocean’s ecosystem, while maintaining the lightest possible operational fossil fuel footprint. Designed to be fully diesel-electric, the Northern Leader features low emissions and high fuel efficiency.

The propulsion is powered by propellers supplied by Schottel, a long-term customer of Vacon. This is the first

time Z-Drives have been installed on a longliner. The two Schottel Z-Drive rudder propellers are each controlled by a 1,000 kW VACON® NXP Liquid Cooled drive, and one Schottel tunnel thruster is controlled by a 300 kW VACON NXP Air Cooled drive. The VACON NXP units are bidirectional (regenerative) active front-end units, which are suitable for applications where low mains harmonics are required. The diesel generating system consists of four Caterpillar C32 gensets rated at 715 kW each, one Caterpillar C18 genset rated at 425 kW, and one Caterpillar C9 genset rated at 238 kW.

Joe Martinac, President of J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding, says: “The VACON NXP drives with active front-end (AFE) technology were chosen for their optimal performance, compact footprint and ability to minimize harmonic distortion to vessel systems. Combined with the Schottel Z-Drives for enhanced control of the ship, they give the captain virtually seamless power on tap when needed. The fluctuating power demand inherent in longlining is well suited to take advantage of the efficiencies of a diesel-electric propulsion system, since the generators

can be tailored on-line to the power demand at any given time. The Automatic Power Management System supplied by Techsol***, Canada, is designed to optimize efficiency under all operating conditions.”

Sustainable fishingNorthern Leader has been designed to reduce waste and maximize the value of the catch through full utilization of primary and secondary, less valuable products. The vessel has the space and capacity to save components of the catch that previously would have been discarded.

“The National Marine Fisheries has determined that the industry may capture up to 12 percent of the ocean’s available catch,” says Nick Delaney, Managing Director, Alaskan Leader Fisheries, in a press release published on December 6, 2012. “This fishing limit is one of many ways that the industry ensures sustainable fishing. Jensen has designed this new longliner to help meet this limit while maintaining a responsible, sustainable catch. The Northern Leader is not only one of the largest longliners in the world, but it’s also one of the greenest ever designed.”

Northern LeaderThis state-of-the-art fishing boat was christened in Seattle, WA, USA, on July 31, 2013. Northern Leader is 184 feet (56 m) long, 42 feet (12.8 m) wide and has a depth of 18.75 feet (5.7 m). Northern Leader has a crew of 31 to support fishing and processing, and more than 38,000 cubic feet (1076 m3) of freezer hold, representing a frozen production capacity of 1,867,000 pounds (almost 847,000 kg), which is one of the largest freezer hold capacities of any longliner vessel. The maximum freezing capacity is 153,000 pounds (69,400 kg) a day. Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses a long line, called the main line, with baited hooks attached at intervals. The Northern Leader is capable of fishing 76,800 hooks using a Mustad Auto line Super Baiter designed by Mustad Longline AS in Norway. The length of line may stretch to 45 miles (72 km)!

Published in 2013 Driven Volume 19.Written by Rusty Heller.

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Iconic moment in

gold recovery

In small-scale gold recovery operations, the methods used by miners are often unsafe and hazardous to their health. For instance, using mercury to recover gold in artisanal mining can cause serious long term problems and even death.

Sepro Mineral Systems Corporation

located in Langley, British Columbia,

Canada recognized the need to improve

the methods of gold recovery. As the result

of years of research and development

they introduced iCON, a family of mineral

processing products specifically designed

to recover fine gold, meeting the needs

of artisanal miners worldwide. The iCON

equipment is now used in more than 30

countries.

UV and water resistant

Sepro Mineral Systems worked with

Vacon Canada to provide an affordable and

efficient mineral recovery solution. Other

drive products were considered but the

VACON® 50X AC drive was selected for

its value and features. The VACON® AC

drive products provide ultimate reliability

in extreme conditions and service

environments worldwide where iCON gold

recovery products and plants are being

used.

“The VACON 50X AC drives were chosen

for their high UV resistance, fully sealed

outdoor wash-down rating, and very

good price for our entry level equipment.

The drives are also very simple, and

easy to program and operate with very

little training or instruction required.

The competitors have similar products

but none of them could match the

requirements concerning UV and wash-

downs as well as the price or ease of use

that the VACON® X Series drive offers,”

says Trevor Elliot, Automation Manager,

Sepro Mineral Systems Corporation.

High centrifugal force

The iCON creates an artificially high

centrifugal g force that sends the heavier

materials to the outer bowl wall. From

this efficient and safe process, gold

rich concentrate is produced from the

separation and collected safely from

the concentrator. The iCON gives people

financial and environmental benefits, and

also benefits their health and safety.

Reliability is paramount in remote areas

Matt St. John, General Manager for iCON

Gold Recovery Corporation, travels all

over the world assessing potential mine

sites and providing sales support for

artisanal and small scale gold miners:

“The iCON i350 concentrator is currently

installed in 19 countries utilizing the

VACON 50X AC drive. Our gold mining

product installations are always in remote

areas with extreme climates, and our end

users generally do not speak English.

The reliability of a VACON AC drive is

paramount to us, since a simple one

hour service or replacement could take

over a week when shipping spare parts

internationally.”

“You also have to consider the logistics

of reaching the remote mine sites of the

world. In the equatorial regions of the

world the temperature can exceed 100 °F

(38 °C) with 99% humidity. Our products

are often installed in high mountains and

northern latitudes where snow and daily

freeze thaw cycles are common. Our

equipment is generally installed outdoors.

The VACON 50X AC drive is easy to operate

for speakers of all languages,” concludes

St. John.

The VACON 50X AC

drives for the iCON

equipment are supplied

and supported by 3 Phase

Power Systems located in

Delta, British Columbia,

Canada. iCon i350

Concentrator developed

by Sepro Mineral Systems

Corporation.

www.seprosystems.com

Published in 2013 Driven Volume 19.Written by Nicki Bowling.

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for cementing systems

Compact, liquid cooled drive

Zadok Technologies Inc. specializes in the land and marine engineering; manufacturing of power, electrical and automation systems. Zadok additionally offers field installation and services for electrical and mechanical systems. Zadok Technologies operates globally, providing support services to leading national and multinational companies in the oil & gas industries.

On some offshore drilling platforms, the

same drives that are used in the drilling

processes are also used for the cementing

pumps. These drilling drives are usually

located inside the drilling rig, and quite

a distance from the cementing system

on the rig floor. Some customers have

requested separate cementing system

drives near the cementing equipment.

Zadok Technologies of Houston, Texas,

USA, took on this challenge and developed

a liquid-cooled drive cementing system

capable of meeting the small space, harsh

atmosphere and high power requirements.

Zadok Technologies chose VACON® NXP

Liquid Cooled drives for the system.

Every bit of space counts on the deck

of a drilling rig and many systems

are squeezed into areas that require

creative engineering to make them fit.

Zadok’s Principal Engineer James Keig

had the challenge of fitting a 1,120 HP

(835 kW) VACON NXP Liquid Cooled

drive into a stainless steel Nema 4X

(IP65) enclosure just 1.8 metres wide.

What made this a real test was that the

enclosure also contained the incoming

main circuit breaker, an incoming line

reactor, a VACON NXP Liquid Cooled

drive (CH74, 1300 A, 690 V), the output

dv/dt filter, liquid-cooling manifolds and

the associated bussing to the input and

output connections on top of the cabinet.

Zadok also mounted a stainless steel air

conditioner to the top of the drive cabinet

to reduce humidity within the cabinet.

Finally, each drive was matched to its own

dedicated titanium heat exchanger system

so that it could be cooled using the rig’s

seawater circuit. When completed, two

of these systems were mounted back-to-

back on the rig floor, with each running a

1,120 HP (835 kW) cementing pump.

Dedicated drive right beside the

cementing equipment

The cementing system personnel are now

able to perform their tasks − including

the weekly Blowout Preventer (BOP)

testing − more efficiently with a dedicated

drive located alongside the equipment,

meaning no more waiting for the driller

to reassigning one of the drilling system

drives to be a cementing pump drive. The

small size and high power output of the

VACON NXP Liquid Cooled drives allowed

Zadok to provide a lot of power despite

limited space.

Once completed, the cementing system

supplier load tested each drive system

at their shop before installing them

on the drilling rig platform. During

commissioning of the new rig and

cementing system, Tony Campbell, Senior

Application Engineer and Field Service

Manager at Vacon, Inc. had to ride in a

crane basket about 300 feet (91 metres)

to the rig floor. “It was a cool, once-in-a-

lifetime experience,” he says.

Zadok expects their patent-pending

VLX cementing system drive package to

provide years of trouble-free service for

their customers.

Drilling for oil & gas involves many processes and special components. One crucial step in the drilling process is to cement the riser and casing pipe. As drilling depths increase, the size of the electrical cementing pumps continues to increase.

Power dispite limited space.

Published in 2012 Driven Volume 18.Written by Craig Sims.

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at Wausau Water WorksRetrofitting

In June 2011, Pat Vanouse, Senior Plant Maintenance Mechanic at Wausau Water Works, was introduced to Vacon during Vacon North America’s Drive Ahead Road Show Tour. Attending the local event at Vacon distributor Linder Electric Motors Inc, Wausau, WI, he was very impressed by the vast range of products and the state of the art technology that VACON® AC drives had to offer.

Wausau Water Works in the city of

Wausau, WI provides a wide range of water

and sewerage services to approximately

16,000 households and maintains over

200 miles of water and sewer mains. The

department treats and ensures superior

water quality for 1.5 billion gallons of

water and handles over two billion gallons

of wastewater annually.

As a loyal customer of Linder Electric

Motors Inc., Pat Vanouse worked with Bob

Rohde, Regional Sales Manager at Linder

Electric Motors Inc. and decided to start

with a small application using a 25 HP

(18.5 kW) VACON® 100 HVAC series drive

at Wausau Water Works.

Four influent pumps with individual

VACON 100 HVAC drives

However, a more important project came

up very suddenly as one of their two

original Stromberg drives failed. These

drives controlled the four 100 HP

(75 kW) vertical shaft influent pumps,

which handle the incoming waste water.

The drives had to be replaced in a matter

of two weeks. With Vacon’s strong

inventory of products, getting the drives

to the plant within a few days was not a

problem. Placing the four new VACON

100 HVAC drives in the existing cabinets

was also not a concern as the footprint

of the VACON drives is very compact.

This situation was a good opportunity to

convert all of the pumps so that each of

the vertical shaft influent pumps had its

own individual VACON 100 HVAC drive.

Tom Schaeffler, Engineering Manager

from Van Ert Electric, which is one of the

largest electrical contractors locally, was

called in to oversee the application plan

and the start up of the installation process

on the new drives. The switch over to the

VACON 100 HVAC drives, followed by a

training course, was completed in a few

days after which the water utility was

back up and running again. The training

course was also attended by three other

customers, who learned about Vacon and

are now using VACON AC drives as well.

Energy savings increased – short payback

time

In pump applications, VACON AC drives

control the speed of the pump according

to actual needs, which gives considerable

energy savings and results in a short

payback time, in some cases less than a

year. At Wausau Water Works, increasing

the number of AC drives from two to four

to run each of the four influent pumps

not only gives energy savings but also

improves process control and operational

reliability.

The VACON 100 HVAC drives are controlled

by central PLC running PID and sending

analog reference signal to the drives to

control the speed. The IP00 configuration

gives additional space saving benefits.

Drives make for silent motors

The newly installed VACON 100 HVAC

drives at the Wausau Water Works make

the 100 HP (75 kW) motors run so quietly

that Pat Vanouse wondered if the pumps

were even running. “The harmonics and

whine of the motors disappeared and you

could not hear a thing,” he says. “It was so

quiet I had to ask my plant superintendent

to come and listen, but he could not hear

anything either. It was unbelievable!” The

use of ear plugs in this pump room has

become a thing of the past.

At Wausau Water Works, VACON 100 HVAC drives run each of the four influent pumps, which not only gives energy savings but also improves process control and operational reliability. The VACON 100 HVAC is an AC drive with a power range of 0.75 to 200 HP (0.55-160 kW), and for supply voltages of 230 V, 400 V or 480 V. The VACON 100 HVAC can enhance pump, fan and compressor applications. Easy installation and efficient, trouble-free operation mean that just about anyone can commission the VACON 100 HVAC, with a speedy return on investment guaranteed.

VACON® 100 HVAC


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to Wichita ClutchSize matters

“The Vacon team’s help and expertise played a huge part in helping us get the test stands up and running. Not only have they allowed us to achieve more, but also our customers can now get their brake solutions up and running quicker.”

Wichita Clutch’s new dual 1,500 HP (1,118 kW) test stand.

Wichita Clutch is the brake and clutch division of Altra Industrial Motion and is based in Wichita Falls, Texas. The company is an industry leader when it comes to clutches and brakes, supplying major players in the Marine & Offshore and Oil & Gas segments. Clutches and brakes are key components in marine applications such as propulsion systems, anchor handling, mooring and wenches. Wichita Clutch also supplies brakes and clutches for a number of Oil & Gas applications, on drilling rigs, such as mud pumps and draw works. Over the years, the company has tested friction materials in order to provide customers with the most long-lasting materials available. This R&D service has been a great success, and its importance led a sharp increase in orders. In turn, this led to a backlog of five man years in testing. When one adds the ever-increasing demand for larger clutches and brakes into the equation, it soon became apparent that the only option for Wichita Clutch was to double the size of their test stand.

Double the drives, double the capacityBefore the change, the test stand consisted of a VACON® NXP 1500 HP AC drive and a 1500 HP motor. The stand was designed to test features such as brake performance and run static and dynamic load changes, R&D and many more customer-specific requirements. The VACON Engineering upgrade would double the capacity by retaining the existing VACON AC drive and OEM motor, while adding a second VACON NXP 1500 HP AC drive. Wichita Clutch’s sister company, Nuttall, were chosen to produce the

combining gearbox. This setup was chosen due to the versatility it provided – either each AC drive and motor could run a single 1500 HP load or the two drives and motors could combine to work in unison and manage a single 3000 HP load.

While the plans were relatively straightforward to devise, there were still a number of issues that needed expertise and knowledge to resolve. Perhaps the greatest issue was accommodating the extra components without having to discard parts from the existing system. This was important so that costs were kept low and a perfectly good AC drive was not discarded. Altra Industrial Motion coordinated with Nuttall to select the hardware for the gearbox while VACON Engineering came up with a master-follower control function.

A lot of things needed to be sorted out before the test stand could get up and running. Two key tasks were calculating the harmonic content of the new additional drive system and increasing the water-cooling system for the addition brake and gearbox. Greg Parker, Service Engineer for Vacon Inc, was put in charge of creating a control system that would work smoothly. “Our service products really came into their own when we were engineering the control system,” said Parker. “It was important to give both test stands the option of running individually, or being combined to run at a combined 3000 HP. Vacon software, namely DriveSynch and Master-Follower, were instrumental in helping us achieve this.”

Finding the right solutionThe test stand was assembled so that the new VACON NXP drive was controlling the existing motor while the new motor was conversely controlled by the older drive. Meanwhile, the connecting drive shafts were designed as a floating end configuration. This was to ensure that all the components remained perfectly aligned, and during initial commissioning it seemed to have worked. However, it emerged that vibrations became a problem when increased loads were run at higher speeds. Ultimately a supporting bearing was added to the centre of the shaft to alleviate the vibration. This proved successful and ensured commissioning could be completed.

Despite the numerous challenges regarding vibrations, alignment and the coexistence of liquid cooled brakes and gearboxes and air-cooled VACON NXP drives, the test stand has so far proved a success and has run six days a week faultlessly. Wichita Clutch is now the proud owner of the industry’s largest test stand for clutches and brakes, and saves its customers a day of time when having a large brake burnished before it arrives offshore – often a saving of around $500,000.

Demand in the Marine & Offshore industry has grown exponentially in recent years, and technology has increased along with it. Adding the latest technology to existing solutions often requires a careful balancing act in order to avoid having to completely replace the old installation – wasting time and valuable components – and ensuring that the new parts work in unison with old parts. So when Wichita Clutch decided to double the throughput and capacity of their existing 1500 HP test stand for brakes, the knowledge and expertise that comes with VACON® Engineering was to prove vital.


9

with innovative HVAC solution

Mega yacht

Dometic Group’s Marine Division* in Pompano Beach in Florida, USA, has 50 years’ experience in producing seaworthy HVAC systems. On their compressor system, they needed a solution to minimize harmonic distortions and radio frequency interference without costly line filters and conditioners. Vacon Inc. in the US and Canada – in cooperation with their partners – provided a solution: a bypassable variable frequency drive.

* Dometic Group is a customer driven, world-leading provider of leisure products for the caravan, motor home, automotive, truck and marine markets. Dometic Marine division’s primary offerings include air conditioning systems, power systems, sanitation systems and kitchen equipment for pleasure boats. In addition, the division has started to target medium-large commercial vessels, such as tugboats or coast guard boats. Dometic Group’s marine brands include Marine Air, Cruisair, SeaLand, Condaria and Dometic.

Key benefits of Dometic’s Bypassable VFD

• Eliminates inrush current at compressor startup.• Eliminates power spikes at com pressor shutdown.• Bypasses the VFD once compressor is at peak speed for no electrical disturbances.• Eliminates the need for line reactors and RFI filters.• One unit can control up to four compressors.• Available in sizes from 5 HP (3.6 kW) to 25 HP (18.3 kW) for 208 V/240 V or 380 V/460 V systems.• Visit http://www.dometic.com/ enus/Americas/USA/ Marine/Marine-Products- Videos/New-Products-Videos/ Bypassable-Variable- Frequency-Drives/ to view the revolutionary bypassable VFD seamlessly disconnecting itself, eliminating all harmonic distortion and RF interference.

The customers of Dometic’s Marine division are primarily manufacturers of 24 – 240 foot (7.3 – 73 metre) pleasure boats and yachts. Dometic needed an AC-driven soft-starter for their air conditioning compressor that would not cause problems with harmonic distortion and radio frequency interference (RFI). Vacon’s Manufacturing Representative Bob Darby of Darby & Associates and Vacon, Inc.’s Product Sales Specialist Jake Roeder looked at the specification to see if Vacon could provide a solution. After further testing and evaluations, Vacon Canada and its distributor partner GLC Controls were also asked for help.

Line Synchronization with enhanced soft stoppingGLC Controls was tasked to modify Vacon’s standard Line Synchronization application with an enhanced soft stopping feature for Dometic. This new and much needed application for the Vacon NXP AC drives enabled Dometic to fill a long-term void in the Marine HVAC business.

“We have used variable frequency drives (VFDs) as glorified ‘soft starters’ and ‘soft stops’, because we have built our business around using hermetic scroll compressors that do not allow a wide range of speed control,” says Matteo Giovanetti, Director of Engineering at the Dometic Group. “Our customers, especially those in the mega yacht industry, have continually had problems with harmonic distortion and RFI caused by VFDs, regardless of their quality and despite heavy expenditure on elaborate filtering schemes. We knew that switching

out the VFD once the compressor was up to speed was a feasible concept, especially with the advent of synchronizing inverters. However, no other VFD manufacturer was willing to work with us to find a new solution like Vacon,” states Mr Giovanetti.

Bypassable VFD with unique capabilitiesA VFD completely eliminates the large inrush current, when starting up the compressor, by ramping up frequency and voltage in a controlled time period. This prevents overload when on limited dockside power or on a generator, without causing noticeable voltage reductions throughout the rest of the yacht’s electrical system. Until now, however, a VFD also created harmonic distortion and RFI on the yacht’s electrical and navigation systems, which required additional line filters and conditioners.

The bypassable VFD provides the ultimate solution. It eliminates the starting inrush of current, then seamlessly disengages and reconnects the compressor to the main power once it is running at peak, thus eliminating all harmonic distortion and RFI. There is also no need for line filters and conditioners. In addition, it reconnects to the compressor just before compressor shutdown for a smooth stop. It accomplishes this with completely unique capabilities that have previously never been available in a marine HVAC system.

Phase locking is the keyBefore bypassing can take place, the VFD synchronizes the phase of its AC power sine wave with that of the main power source, a process called phase locking.

Once phase lock occurs, the bypass is achieved by opening and closing a series of electrical switches, timed so precisely that there is no interruption or overlap of current.

For smooth compressor shutdown, the bypassed VFD performs another phase lock, and then reconnects to the compressor by reversing the electrical switching. While in bypass mode, the VFD is available for connecting to another compressor for ramp up or ramp down.

Support and protection for up to four compressorsOne bypassable VFD can support up to four compressors, making it especially

cost effective for chillers with two, three or four stages. A standard VFD can run only one compressor.

In addition to its primary functions, the bypassable VFD also protects the compressor by monitoring input voltage and output current, and will shut down the system if a problem is detected. A display allows the user to monitor operation and faults. The bypassable VFD is pre-programmed from the factory and no further setup is required. It is designed to operate in extreme environments, such as an engine room. However, the enclosure is ventilated and must be kept dry since any direct water contact can damage the unit.


10

the solutionConveying

In 2010, Bunge Grain associates attended the Vacon Drive Ahead Road Show Tour in New Orleans, LA, USA, to learn more about Vacon. They realized that they had an application at their plant in Destrehan, LA, that could really benefit from a Vacon AC drive.

Bunge had four 125 HP (92 kW) motors

powering belt conveyors that were

controlled by AC drives equipped with

bypass controls for back-up. These

drives, which were not made by Vacon,

were starting to give Bunge some

problems, so the company was looking for

replacements. Bunge wanted a drive that

was reliable, easy to use, and would give

the company the performance it needed.

To avoid additional costs, Bunge also

wanted a drive that fitted into the existing

cabinet to eliminate the need to retrofit or

replace the cabinet.

Easy and quick replacement process

After the initial meeting with Bunge Grain

associates Lucas DiPuma, Maintenance

Manager, and Monty Real, Maintenance

Supervisor, at the Vacon truck stop in

New Orleans, Vacon Manufacturing Rep

Tim Harrison of Control Reps, and Vacon

Inc.’s Jake Roeder visited the plant in

Destrehan. They collected information and

then gave a quote which Bunge accepted.

Soon after this, Tim Harrison visited the

site to assist with the start up of the drive.

The Vacon NXS drive fit perfectly. A major

benefit was that the input line reactor,

which was required by the old drive,

could be removed because the Vacon

NXS drive has its own built-in AC input

reactor. Bunge personnel involved in the

installation were very impressed by the

ease and speed of the process.

Bunge has been very pleased with the

performance of Vacon’s AC drives and

the professional service provided by

Vacon. As a result, other plants have

inquired about Vacon’s solutions, and two

additional Bunge facilities are now using

Vacon AC drives thanks to the success

at the Destrehan plant. Vacon has won

these orders largely because the North

American Drive Ahead Road Show Tour

stopped in their backyard and introduced

them to all of Vacon’s AC drives products

and solutions.

Benefits of AC drivesSoft start and soft stop: AC drives reduce mechanical wear and tear on belts, gears and other equipment. Process control: Different products need to be conveyed at different speeds for a variety of reasons. Being able to vary the speed gives quick, easy and reliable control of the processes. Energy savings: Since AC drives eliminate the inrush current seen in across-the-line applications, using an AC drive allows Bunge to reduce peak demand charges from the utility company.


11

*HMI = Human Machine Interface ** BOP (blowout preventer) is the safety device that shears the drilling pipe (sealing the well) in the event of a blowout of oil or gas. 1 The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime safety treaty. 2International Labour Organization

IDS FOUNDERS, David L. Huntington and Norman S. Myers, have been industry leaders and innovators in the drives and controls business since the early 1970s. IDS also needed a trustworthy and capable partner who understood their needs and could meet the requirements for this rare opportunity. Because of previous experience of working together, Vacon was chosen as exclusive supplier of the AC drives used to power the drive system on the drilling barge called the Majestic.

With only just over 30 bottom-founded barges in the world and the Majestic as the only new-build globally, these units have distinctive operating features. Barges do not change location very often and tend to focus on specific shallow-water areas of the world, particularly swamp areas. They also employ crews that remain on board for long periods while they are working. This unique lifestyle places certain requirements on the rig to accommodate the needs of the workers and enable them to carry out their work as effectively as possible.

Mud pumps driven by Vacon common DC bus inverter modulesThe power for the Majestic comes from three diesel generators each rated at 2,100 kW. The entire AC drilling system has four 1,200 HP (895 kW) motors for driving two 2,200 HP (1,640 kW) mud

pumps (two motors are needed for each pump). Each mud pump motor is driven by a Vacon common DC bus (FI13-1180Amp) inverter module. The two 1,800 HP (1,343 kW) drawworks motors are each driven by a Vacon common DC bus (FI14-2250Amp) module. The top drive and rotary table, through a contactor arrangement, each use the same Vacon common DC bus (FI13-1180Amp) rated for 1,200 HP (895 kW). In addition, the system includes three large rectifiers for the DC bus supply, three generator control cubicles to control the large engine-generator sets, dynamic braking modules and resistor grids for braking, a PLC-based rig operation control system with touch screen HMIs* and auto drill capability, and a motor control center system to control the large number of fixed speed motors.

Meeting all current environmental, safety and construction regulationsRobert P. Dunn is an industry veteran with a career of 40 years and is owner of MegaDrill. He describes the Majestic, which is being assembled in Singapore, as the best of the best. It is 232 feet (70 m) long, has a beam of 70 feet (21 m), hull depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) and a posted deck of 14 feet (4.3 m). The rig is self-sufficient, with accommodation for more than 120 workers, including a fully equipped hospital, recreation room, gym and helicopter waiting room.

Because of the size of the barge, the accommodation on board and the numerous safety systems, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) classified the barge itself, as a rig, and its machinery. The rig meets all current environmental, safety and construction regulations laid down by ABS, SOLAS1 and ILO2 and by the International Maritime Organization on pollution prevention. The drilling mast has an impressive safe hook load: it can lift 2,000,000 lbs (1,000 short tons) of drilling pipe and drill down to 30,000 feet (9,144 m). The rig is also fitted with a 15,000 PSI (1,000 bar) working pressure for the BOP (blowout preventer**) and control system.

The safety systems include a water mist system for the engine compartments, a CO2 system for the electrics, and gas detection throughout the barge with smoke and thermal protection.

Much interest has been generated for the Majestic to work in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, which is the probable destination upon completion. The rig should be commissioned during the fourth quarter of 2011 and mobilized before year-end.

< The drive system that will power the Majestic shown here is being built by IDS in their Houston, TX based shop. AC drives (VFDs) are now recognized as the preferred method of control for offshore and land rig equipment. AC drives provide many benefits over old technologies including better control, faster block speeds, lower fuel consumption, enhanced drilling and tripping operations, and lower maintenance costs.

A majestic barge

When MegaDrill Services Limited, based in Houston, TX, USA, decided to design and build the most technologically advanced drilling barge in the world, they had many challenges ahead of them. The decision to partner with Integrated Drive Systems (IDS), Inc. in Houston, TX, to build the power, control and drilling systems was an easy choice, however.


12

puts the squeeze on the competition

Innovative air compressor

Located in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, one hour north of Toronto, DV Systems Inc. has been manufacturing high-quality air compressors for over 50 years. In 2009, DV Systems started the process of developing more advanced compressor technology: a low-cost rotary screw compressor with a low amp start and high performance, designed for commercial applications.

Small commercial customers typically do

not have access to a three-phase power

supply, and this limits their choice of

compressor to conventional fixed speed,

single-phase, 7.5 HP (5.6 kW) piston

compressors. However these are not

designed to operate continuously, are less

efficient and much noisier than screw

compressors, and they have a shorter life

expectancy due to the large number of

moving parts. DV Systems

came to the conclusion that a screw

compressor with a variable speed drive

would give optimum performance, and

they found what they needed in the Vacon

X Series of AC drives.

Compressor package with modular

enclosure for harsh environments

Vacon, Inc. in Chambersburg,

Pennsylvania, USA, had already developed

a version of their rugged Vacon X Series

drive specifically for use on single-phase

supplies, with motor ratings up to 30

amps. The NEMA 4 (IP66) enclosure

rating of the drive gave Iraj Filsoofi,

DV Systems Engineer Manager, and

his team maximum flexibility, since

they could incorporate the drive inside

the compressor enclosure, creating

a clean finished compressor package

with modular enclosure. Enclosure was

required to maintain a stable operating

temperature, and it also reduces audible

noise and enhances the appearance of the

unit. The NEMA 4 inverter enables the unit

to operate in harsh environments without

the risk of damaging the drive and its

related components.

Easy to set-up and operate

Further cost reduction was achieved by

integrating the compressor controller

directly into the Vacon X Series memory

rather than using an additional control

module. Todd Snider from the Vacon

R&D team, located at the factory in

Chambersburg, was instrumental in

developing this solution, which required

a re-map of the Vacon X Series user

display to allow set-points and displays

in compressor verbiage. Pressure and

temperature sensors are terminated

in the variable speed drive, and the

required intake valve and cooling

system commands are also integrated.

This makes it very easy to set-up and

operate the compressor, ensuring it

receives a good reception on the market.

The software even includes ‘service

reminders’, based on hours of operation,

and a provision for automatic starting of

the compressor, using the ‘real time clock’

built in the drive, as well as customized

fault indicators for easy diagnosis. Simple

navigation on the controller allows the

end user to make basic changes to the

pressure and speed to optimize the

performance and to match the required

application.

Sales rising steadily

“This product has been very successful

since it was launched in the spring of

2010,” says Mr Filsoofi of DV Systems.

“It has been very well received by our

customers because of the unique design

for a single-phase screw compressor

application, its great performance and

reliability, which set us apart from our

competition. Vacon engineers were a

tremendous help in developing software

that meets our requirements for

compressor operation.”

Sales of this innovative compressor

design are increasing steadily and the

close cooperation between Vacon and DV

Systems has led to Vacon NX products

being adopted for DV Systems larger

models of rotary screw compressors.

< DV Systems (formerly Devair) industrial piston compressors and rotary screw air compressors are manufactured in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Shown here is the B10 HP “Huron” rotary screw compressor.

Published in 2011 Driven Volume 14.Written by Vacon Canada and Nicki Bowling.

13

driven by Vacon X4Horse walkers

J P Livestock Co in Marana, Arizona, USA, has over 80 quarter* horses. It would take many cowboys to perform daily exercise routines for this many horses, but J P Livestock has a Trojan horse walker. Trojan manufactures state of the art horse walking machines with automated exercise programmes to accommodate almost any need from exercise to rehabilitation.

* Quarter horse – a small, powerful breed of horse developed in the USA. The name comes from it being formerly trained for races of up to a quarter of a mile.

Horses are very intelligent animals. Like humans, their basic needs are healthy diets, exercise and mental stimulation. If a horse lives in the wild, is kept in a pasture or ridden often, getting enough exercise is rarely a problem as they can instinctively move about. However, many of our long legged friends are kept in barns or stalls and more often they have inadequate physical stimulation.

Automated exercise programmes for different needsHorse walkers are used to automate the exercise programmes for horses with many different needs. These needs range from standard daily workouts for healthy animals to less rigorous programmes for younger horses and those that need rehabilitation. Trojan Horse Walkers provide all of these variations automatically in regard to speed, direction and time with a simple to use Vacon X4 drive.

Trojan Horse Walkers in Iowa Park, Texas, is the oldest manufacturer of horse walkers in the US. They sold their first walker in 1961. Present owner Dan Kingcade and his family purchased the business 20 years ago and have supplied thousands of horse walking machines to seven countries. These machines walk anything from four to eight horses at a time. This significantly cuts down on the number of personnel it takes to keep horses in good physical condition.

Trojan Horse Walkers change with timeThe original Trojan horse walkers used

3-speed auto transmissions. The second generation used mechanical variable speed belt drives. Five years ago, Trojan Horse Walkers moved into the third generation using AC variable frequency drives.

Vacon came into the picture several years ago, when Trojan had a major design problem: The 3 HP 230 volt variable speed and control requirements were met with a large Nema 4 enclosure that housed a PLC, AC drive, fused disconnect and terminal blocks, all hard wired. A dynamic brake resistor was also required for faster deceleration, which generated heat and required upsizing of the enclosure.

The outside of the box had push buttons for control of speed and direction. The problem was the complexity of meeting different speed, direction and time requirements for specific needs. The PLC that controlled the time, direction and speed functions could not be modified unless it was returned for service or a call was made to the customer.

Vacon X drives solve the design issues The Vacon X4** was the solution to all of the design issues. The Vacon X4 has a built-in nine event PLC that allows sequencing control of acceleration time, direction, speed and run time. Programming to fit custom needs was easy. The customer could do this with a few key strokes themselves or, since the Vacon X4 has wireless PDA programming***, Trojan Horse Walkers could modify the sequencer files in the

PDA and send it to the customer who simply points the PDA at the drive and installs the new program. The standard drive is already housed in a Nema 4/IP66 indoor/outdoor enclosure. Dynamic braking is standard in the Vacon X4, so no external resistors were required.

One step up from the Vacon X4 is the Vacon X5** model, which has a USB flash drive port that will allow Trojan to send a flash drive ready to go with an infinite number of programs to fit any horse walking, exercise or rehabilitation needs. Simply connect the USB and download the desired program with a few key strokes.

Cost-effective and user-friendlyDan Kingcade, owner of Trojan Horse Walkers, is very pleased with his choice of drive supplier and says: “We went through six different manufacturers of variable speed drives and Vacon was the only one that was cost-effective and user-friendly.”

One of Trojan’s many satisfied customers is Joseph Parsons of J P Livestock, Marana, Arizona. “We did a lot of research before the purchase and found that Trojan was the most rugged and easy to operate horse walker on the market,” he says.

Joseph Parsons and his USD 150,000 horse Big Iron won second place in the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) Tie-Down Roping horse of the year in 2010.


14

in CanadaDrilling holes

High-performance Vacon NXP forms heart of unique single spindle, 3-axis beam drilling system by Edge Automation

Located in London in Ontario, Canada, Edge Automation provides engineering, machining, millwrighting, fabricating, PLC/electrical controls and on-site services. Edge Automation serves many large companies in the automotive, food and beverage, and miscellaneous manufacturing industries.

When Edge Automation was challenged to build a single spindle, 3-axis beam drilling system for a customer in Quebec, President Gerard Regier decided immediately that this should be a unique design with as much Canadian content as possible. One of his first calls, however, was to Vacon with a sales office in Stratford, Ontario.

Vacon had proved to be a valuable partner in previous projects and it was decided early on that the Vacon NXP product platform would drive the heart of the machine, the spindle.

Spindle and motor with broad speed and torque range Working with a local tooling expert, the optimum RPM, torque and thrust for the spindle were calculated for the full range of hole sizes, using parameters for the latest tooling technology for structural steel drilling. The machine needed to drill hole sizes ranging from 6 to 50 millimetres without a mechanical speed change and still provide the required horsepower for all sizes at the optimum speed.

Edge Automation rejected numerous drive concepts and motors from many

manufacturers before finding a suitable off-the-shelf motor and synchronous system that could handle the broad speed range and deliver the required power. The motor was paired with a high-performance Vacon NXP drive. This combination also proved that it had the accuracy to enable the Rhino Beam Drill System to thread holes!

The motor, synchronous drive and custom precision spindle were all manufactured and assembled as a unit based on Edge’s requirements by Colonial Tool – a precision spindle manufacturer in Windsor, Ontario, with over 80 years of spindle expertise. Edge Automation integrated the spindle with the Vacon NXP drive.

The drill head assembly weighs in excess of 4 tons and travels at speeds above 50 centimetres (20 inches) per second. This mass helps absorb drill vibration, making this the quietest drill on the market yet still keeping it agile and quick. This design produces the highest precision, the highest speeds and broadest power range of any drill machine in its class.

Air compressor and other systemsVacon also suggested other local component manufacturers that use Vacon AC drives for their systems. DV-Systems in Barrie, Ontario supplied the air compressor that allowed Edge Automation to have an on-board compressed air supply to other systems on the machine, so the customer does not need a compressed air line for the machine.

Other local companies were involved in providing all the other necessary on board systems. Everything from the coolant systems to the wireless communication system for the CNC control pendants and wireless computer networking was selected with an eye toward cutting edge design, aiming to leap ahead of all other available systems while using as many standard parts as possible for future serviceability.

Vacon, the drive partner in all future projectsEdge Automation is already designing a multi-spindle machine for 3-axis drilling,

with an integrated saw to cut the I-beams precisely to the desired length. Because of the valuable expertise it has already provided, Vacon will be the drive partner in all future projects.

“None of our competitors have adequate power and full speed range to drill this range of hole sizes using the latest structural steel drill technology. By working with Vacon, we succeeded in achieving this. Add this to the excellent support we get from the local Vacon office in Stratford and it’s a winning combination,” says Gerard Regier, President of Edge Automation.

High speed, robust construction, and precise operation combined to make the perfect cut.

Published in 2011 Driven Volume 13.Written by Vacon Canada and Nicki Bowling.

15

save energy in water treatment

Turbo blowers

Aeration blowers have an important task in wastewater treatment, but their handicap is high energy consumption. Houston, Texas based company, HSI*, introduced in early 2008 the air bearing HT series blower, which can reduce energy costs by 20-40 %. Vacon AC drives are used for speed control.

*HSI is an ISO 9001-2008 certified manufacturer of high speed turbo blowers, centrifugal blowers, exhausters and control systems with representatives worldwide. HSI offers blower equipment performance ranges up to 25 PSI (1.7 bar) pressure or 18 inHg (457 mmHg) vacuum and flows from 100 CFM (3 m^3/hr) to 40,000 CFM (1130 m^3/hr). All engineering, manufacturing and testing is located in Houston, Texas, USA.

Sewage, or domestic wastewater, treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, including surface runoff water. It includes physical, chemical and biological processes to remove these contaminants. Its primary goal is to produce a waste stream of liquid and solid waste (sludge) that is suitable for discharge back into the environment.

One of the most important parts of the process is aeration. HSI Multistage blowers and High Speed Turbo blowers are used to shake up the sewage and expose it to the air. This causes some of the dissolved gases, such as hydrogen sulfide with its foul taste and smell, to be released from the water. The wastewater then enters a series of long, parallel concrete tanks that are divided into two sections. In the first section, air is pumped through the water. As organic matter decays, it uses up oxygen, and aeration replenishes the oxygen. Bubbling oxygen through the water also keeps the organic material suspended, while it forces grit such as coffee grounds, sand and other small dense particles to settle at the bottom of the tank, from where it is removed and taken to landfills.

Matching the blower speed to the aeration requirementIn the light of the current economic situation across the globe, municipalities are exploring all avenues to minimize operating costs and make their facilities more energy efficient. One of the largest consumers of energy at the plant is the aeration blowers. These blowers are typically variable torque applications that benefit from ‘affinity laws’, which state that ‘power varies with the cube of the speed’. In laymen’s terms, slowing the speed down 20 % will reduce power by 50 %. So the objective is to match the blower speed to the actual aeration requirement, and this is also true with any centrifugal pump application throughout the plant.

HSI has been able to help municipalities in this quest to be more “green”, introducing the air bearing HT series blower to replace the old positive displacement or centrifugal blowers used for their aeration systems.

The City of Louisville, Colorado is one of many such municipalities that have joined the “green”

technology movement and purchased HSI High Speed Turbo blowers for its wastewater treatment facility. The decision to purchase the High Speed Turbo from HSI was based on quality and the annual energy savings.

“The wastewater treatment facility is saving 25-30 % in energy and that will pay off the equipment within 5-6 years,” says Paul Bremser, Wastewater Facility Superintendent. “HSI was not the lowest in price amongst the competitors but I knew they stood behind their equipment. When I visited the operation in Houston, TX, I saw their Quality Center and that put my worries to rest.”

Energy costs reduced by 20-40 %Using a HT series blower can result in a 20-40 % reduction in energy costs. Additional benefits include lower maintenance costs, since there are no belts, gears or couplings and no lubrication, with the only scheduled maintenance being routine inlet filter changes. The HT series is quiet, less than 80 dB(A) and complying with OSHA standards. In addition, the HSI HT series can operate in parallel with other types of blowers with a smaller footprint than traditional blowers.

The HSI HT series are shipped as a pre-engineered working system with integrated controls, Vacon variable frequency drive, filter inlet, and electrical disconnect to keep installation costs to a minimum.

Further energy savings are possible when utilizing the HT blowers’ “plug and play” control system. This can be connected directly to a dissolved oxygen probe via a 4-20 mA connection or via Ethernet to a plant SCADA for remote monitoring and operation, or HSI can add process control panels to automate the existing basin control valves, maintaining effluent quality while minimizing the total energy consumption of the blowers.

Vacon liquid-cooled and air-cooled drives preferred choices of HSIHSI has chosen the Vacon NXP liquid-cooled drive to vary the speed on their High Speed Turbo blower. There are many reasons for selecting the liquid-cooled Vacon NXP drive.

It has the capability to control the speed on a special permanent magnet 2 pole motor that can exceed speeds of 520 Hz or more than 30,000 RPM in this application. These PM motors can sometimes run in open loop but may also require encoders and/or resolvers that are used to close the loop for more precise speed control. Another major benefit from specifying the Vacon liquid-cooled drive is the small footprint, typically 33 % that of an air-cooled drive. This allows the drive to be installed in the blower enclosure, maintaining the compact size and low noise features of the High Speed Turbo blower.

HSI is also a leading manufacturer of Multistage blowers that use a standard induction motor. HSI’s choice of drive is the air-cooled Vacon NXS drive. One item that separates Vacon from other drive companies is their built-in AC line choke in the air-cooled Vacon NXS drives. There are many ways to reduce the negative effects of harmonics generated back to the line, and the standard AC choke on the air-cooled Vacon NXS drive

automatically reduces harmonics by an average 40 %. It also helps with high voltage spikes or disturbances on the line and protects the drive from possible damage.

“HSI offers a closed loop liquid cooling system or can use the discharge effluent if available; this makes a perfect marriage between the HSI High Speed Turbo blower and the liquid-cooled Vacon NXP drive,” says Jim Pearsall, Vice President, HSI. “For our Multistage blowers, the air-cooled Vacon NXS drive is the preferred choice.”

“Two key advantages with the Vacon drive are continuity between the programming for the liquid-cooled and the air-cooled NXS drives and the possibility to use 10 kHz output carrier frequency that results in reduced audible noise,” says Andrew Balberg, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, HSI.

HSI High Speed Turbo blower HT-300 unit with the liquid-cooled Vacon NXP drive. The liquid-cooled drive has only minimal power losses to the air, which reduces the need for drive cabinet ventilation.


16

a Raymond millRetrofitting

Gypsum is an ancient, versatile material that was once used as plaster in the Egyptian pyramids. Today it is most commonly used in gypsum board in homes and commercial buildings. Smooth grinding of the gypsum rock into fine powder is essential for guaranteeing the quality of the end product. After a retrofitting project at National Gypsum Company’s Portsmouth site, a ball mill manufactured by Raymond is now fitted with Vacon X5 variable speed AC drives. AC drive control improves the process significantly.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North

Carolina in the USA, National Gypsum

Company is a building products

manufacturer and one of the leading

gypsum board producers in the world.

At its Portsmouth site in New Hampshire,

Vacon X range AC drives were recently

installed to improve process control of

the Raymond mill — a powerful roller-

style mill that takes raw gypsum rock

and converts it into a fine powder. The

mill was originally not fitted with variable

speed, which caused problems and wasted

energy.

Smooth ramp up with Vacon X5

The Raymond mill uses rotating weights

that spin from a central fixture inside a

circular drum. Centripetal force pushes

these weights towards the sides of the

drum where they crush and roll the rock

against the outer wall. This mill uses

several motors; the two most important

ones are the 200 HP motor that spins the

weights and the 200 HP motor operating

the blower that helps suspend the rock in

the mill during processing.

Because the mill could not operate at

variable speed, the primary means for

adjusting the amount of air blowing into

the mill was a manually operated damper

system. The main motor spinning the

weights simply ran at full speed. If an

operator did not begin feeding the raw

material into the mill quickly after startup,

the weights hit the outer walls of the

drum, which was very noisy and caused

excess wear. Conversely, if an operator

dumped too much raw material into the

mill, the weights became bogged down

and it was necessary to empty the mill by

hand, which was a long and dirty process.

Vacon’s solution was to apply 200 HP

Vacon X5 drives to both the main motor

and the blower motor. By introducing a

ramp-up period and using the program

sequencer, it was possible to get the mill

up and running with fewer problems. In

addition to the gradual startup, National

Gypsum can fine-tune the blower and

rotor speeds to optimize the product

output and also maximize energy savings.

AC drives reduce energy usage and stress

National Gypsum Company has invested

millions in capital improvements to

reduce energy usage. Using an AC drive to

control the motor to operate according to

actual need is an effective way to achieve

considerable energy savings. The use of

AC drives also improves adjustability, and

reduces the load on the electric network

and mechanical stress on machinery.

In some installations, the payback time

for the investment can be as short as six

months.

In addition to the Raymond mill at the

Portsmouth site, National Gypsum

Company also uses Vacon X range AC

drives in other harsh duty applications,

such as conveying raw materials and

moving finished products.

Gypsum board begins with gypsum (calcium sulfate). The mineral is crushed and calcined (baked). Water is added and the liquid slurry is sandwiched between two pieces of paper. After drying, the gypsum board is ready for delivery. Gypsum board is a rigid, light-weight building product, valued for its fire-resistant properties.

Published in 2010 Driven Volume 10.Written by Jordan Engel.

17

sets new benchmark

World’s first true hybrid tug

The world’s first true hybrid tug was unveiled in January 2009 in southern California, United States. Named the ‘Carolyn Dorothy’, the tug is powerful, green and quiet. She is likely to have many followers, as hybrid tugs are expected to be a significant trend in the marine industry. Vacon AC drives technology is used as part of the hybrid propulsion system.

*Aspin Kemp & Associates (“AKA”) is a systems integration company specializing in developing, applying, managing, supporting and maintaining engineering solutions primarily in the marine and offshore oil and gas industries. In 2007, AKA teamed up with XeroPoint Energy, a renewable energy development company, to design, build, and install a hybrid power generation and control system for Foss Maritime.

A typical harbour tug has highly variable duty requirements but a very inflexible power plant. This results in inefficiency, higher costs and a negative environmental impact. Seattle-based Foss Maritime, founded in 1889 and specializing in worldwide marine transportation and logistics, decided to solve this problem and concluded that the answer lies in hybrid technology.

Foss partnered with Canada-based Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA)* and their affiliate XeroPoint to develop a unique hybrid energy conversion and power management system that would be environmentally responsible without sacrificing horse power or manoeuvrability. With an efficient combination of batteries, generators and main engines, the hybrid tug offers improved vessel performance and lower fuel consumption, maintenance costs and emissions. It is also quieter than its Dolphin sister tugs, when operating on batteries that can be recharged using shore power or the vessel’s own electrical generating sources. Foss anticipates that there will be a growing market for their ‘green’ tugs in the years to come.

Named ‘Carolyn Dorothy’ after the wife of a Foss shareholder, the first hybrid tug joins a fleet of standard tugboats that service the needs of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the number one and number two container ports in the USA. The 5000-hp ‘Carolyn Dorothy’ will be used primarily for harbour assist services — moving vessels such as tankers and container ships in and out of the harbour and into their berths.

The hybrid tug is part of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, which aims to significantly reduce the health risks posed by air pollution from port-related ships, trains, trucks, terminal equipment and harbour craft. The hybrid tug design was awarded the Clean Air Excellence Award for Clean Air Technology in 2008, given by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This was the first time a maritime operating company has ever received the federal government’s prestigious award.

California leaders praise the hybrid tug. In a letter to Foss Maritime on the day of the

unveiling ceremony, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, says: “My deepest gratitude goes to all those who make this project possible. You deserve a big hand for your hard work, and I thank you for helping to keep our state green.”

“Green” technology suitable for conversionsTugs at Los Angeles and Long Beach spend up to 50 % of their time idling, with the main engines running and ready to respond, but with no power actually being used for propulsion. With the Foss’ hybrid tug, energy when idling and transitting the harbor is provided by batteries or smaller diesel generators, so the main engines no longer need to idle.

The hybrid tug provides the same high power and bollard pull as a conventional Dolphin tug, but uses a power management system that keeps the main engines running at or near their design points when needed, and shuts them down when they are not required. To support these requirements, the boat uses a combination of smaller main diesel engines and larger diesel-generator sets than on a conventional Dolphin tug, main shaft-driven motor/generators, state of the art power conversion and control technology, and storage batteries. The boat can operate in direct-diesel, diesel-electric, diesel plus electric, and electric configurations.

The design of the Foss hybrid tug makes it suitable for converting existing harbour tugs of all types to hybrid vessels. The flexible design of the tug means it can also take advantage of emerging technologies such as improved fuels, for example biodiesel and ethanol. The tug can also utilize cleaner, less expensive shore power to charge the batteries. The fuel efficiency of the main engines or the diesel generators is improved by recharging the batteries as required.

AC drives technology form part of the hybrid propulsion system Vacon AC drives technology is used as part of the hybrid propulsion system of the ‘Carolyn Dorothy’. Vacon’s involvement in the project has its origins in the company’s long-term partnership with Eaton Corporation, a US customer and global leader in industrial control. Eaton serves the North American

marine market and supplied the AC drives to Aspin Kemp & Associates. Eaton offers a broad range of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly electrical solutions, and has an exceptional array of services to reduce energy consumption. With a commitment to energy efficiency and innovation, Eaton’s application expertise paved the way for the inclusion of the Vacon technology.

The Eaton drives, manufactured by Vacon, used in the hybrid propulsion system include two 750-kW liquid-cooled LCX9000 drives (Vacon’s NXP line - 525-690 V) that control the motors/generators on the main drive lines, and two 325-kW Active Front-End (AFE) units (525-690 V) that supply power to the inverters and the batteries from the auxiliary diesels. The AFE unit is a bidirectional (regenerative) power converter for supplying a common DC bus drive line-up. The INU (inverter unit) is a bidirectional DC-fed power inverter for the supply and control of AC

motors, and it is supplied from a common DC bus drive line-up.

The Active Front-End (AFE) is a highly advanced drive supply solution comprizing a regenerative supply bridge and a passive LCL filter. Its advantages in shipboard use are twofold: it presents very low harmonic distortion to the generators, which means that the voltage is not distorted and can be used by hotel loads, and it can feed surplus energy back into the grid — feeding hotel loads and others from the main or auxiliary diesels. The AFEs easily meet all requirements for harmonic distortion and power factor in respect of the generators and other loads. The power factor is higher than 0.99 and the harmonic current distortion is less than 5%.

Owned and operated by Foss Maritime, this revolutionary vessel represents a significant step forward in the “greening” of the tugboat industry. Foss President and COO Gary Faber, left, and Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard Steinke at the unveiling ceremony.

Published in 2009 Driven Volume 9.Written by Vacon.

18

with your Vacon X4

Have a little wine

Rodney Strong Vineyards is dedicated to crafting world-class wines with complexity and expression that capture the essence of Sonoma County in Northern California, United States. Rodney Strong Vineyards grows and produces wines exclusively from four of Sonoma County’s finest appellations; Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Chalk Hill and Sonoma Coast. The winery’s twelve unique estate vineyards represent the perfect marriage of varietal selection and soil composition.

The winery was founded in 1959 by

Sonoma County wine pioneer Rodney

D. Strong as the 13th bonded winery in

the county. Today, the winery is privately

owned by the Klein family, a fourth

generation California agricultural family.

It all starts with the grapes - the

Appellations

At Chalk Hill, ocean fogs and chalky soils

work in combination to produce unique

chardonnays that exhibit crisp citrus and

mineral notes along with lush floral and

tropical character.

In Alexander Valley, Bordeaux varieties

thrive in shallow, hill-side soils, with

warm afternoon temperatures and the

moderating influence of the Russian

River. Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot

grown here are rich with plum and cherry

flavours and soft, chocolatey tannins.

Sauvignon blanc from Alexander Valley

is touched with characteristics of melon,

pear and lime.

Russian River Valley is one of the few

growing regions that can claim the

distinctive flavours it stamps on pinot

noir. Hints of cherry and spice and soft,

luscious textures create sensuous,

memorable wines.

The wine making team at Rodney Strong

Vineyards — Rick Sayre, Gary Patzwald

and Doug Mcllroy — craft fine Sauvignon

Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon,

Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and a

Meritage wine, Symmetry.

Rodney Strong’s Meritage wine,

Symmetry, is crafted to be a “high-end”

wine from their winery within a winery,

where all the reserves and single vineyard

wines are made. ”Meritage,” by definition,

must be a winery’s top offering and it has

to be a blend of certain grapes — Cabernet

Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit

Verdot and Malbec.

Wine transfer carts driven by drives

Wine transfer carts are used in many

areas of a winery. These portable

centrifugal pumps are used to transfer

wine from tanks to barrels, from barrels to

tanks, and from trucks to tanks. “Crush” is

the season when the wine maker decides

the sugar content of the grape is right and

ready for harvest. This is usually August

to October. This is the busiest time of the

year and these pumps and the AC drives

that run them are critical to the process.

Vacon X4 and Vacon X5 AC drives are some

of the very few drives in the industry where

the standard enclosure is rated Nema 4/

IP66 and that also have UL indoor/outdoor

approval. This is extremely important as

the Vacon X4 is exposed to everything from

wine to wash down, not to mention the

elements of weather.

Rodney Strong Vineyards produces an

average of 800,000 cases of wine a year.

When it is time to move wine in the

process, these pumps must work. “The

reliability of the Vacon X4 and the ease

of operation make this possible,” says

Larry Solomon, Maintenance Manager.

“Many drive manufacturers operate in this

industry, but the simplicity, reliability and

ruggedness of the Vacon X4 make this the

premier choice for Rodney Strong.”

Derrick Montanye, Maintenance Mechanic, and Larry Solomon, Maintenance Manager at Rodney Strong Vineyards, with a wine transfer cart, i.e. a portable centrifugal pump that is run by a Vacon X4 AC drive. These pumps and the AC drives that run them are critical to the wine making process.


19

Poultrydrivesindustry

Nestled in among the absolute beauty and serenity of the Eastern Shore of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, many large, well-known companies provide most of the poultry products across the United States. Only the most rugged equipment survives in this harsh industrial environment, where high production rates require reliable machinery and service.

One motor service company with a strong

foothold in the food processing and poultry

industry is Hill’s Electric Motor Service,

Inc. — Vacon’s local distributor-partner,

located in Linkwood, Maryland. Founded

in 1962 by Larry Hill, who is now assisted

by his three sons David, Steve and Mark,

the company has grown to become the

largest motor repair company on the

Delmarva Peninsula. Today they specialize

in all types of motors, motor controls

and pumps, and provide mechanical and

electrical services to support their primary

customer base, which is food processing

and the poultry industry.

The applications found in most facilities

that Hill’s service operate in what is

considered the harshest of the harsh

environments, and this is what brought

Hill’s Electric Motor Service and Vacon

together. According to Mark Hill, V.P.,

“Vacon and the Vacon X series of AC drives

have brought a new degree of reliability

through improved technology that we

badly needed here on the shore.”

Rugged enclosures

The ruggedness of the standard IP66

enclosures on the Vacon X4 and X5 drives

are put to a high-pressure wash-down

test every day. The Vacon X5 now offers

standard conformal coated circuit boards

that offer protection against the air-born

gases often found in wastewater plants. In

grain plants, where fine particle grain dust

has caused havoc with other drives, the

standard IP66 enclosure of the Vacon X5

exceeds their needs.

The Vacon X4 has also served well for

numerous basic stand-alone drive needs

in many plants. For example, the drive

can be mounted directly on the overhead

conveyor frames and utilize the custom

display feature to read in “BPM” or Birds

Per Minute, information required by the

operators.

Extensive economic effects

The Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.

states that “Each job in the poultry

processing industry creates 7.2 jobs

elsewhere.” The economic importance of

the poultry industry on the Eastern Shore

is significant; most of the local crops are

sold within the industry, and most of the

jobs are with the poultry growers, grain

farmers and poultry companies.

Poultry truly does drive industry on the

Eastern Shore, and will continue to play an

important part in the way of life there. And

companies such as Hill’s Electric Motor

Service also have an important role, as

they promote new technologies like AC

drives and high-efficiency motors that help

save energy. Encouraging environmental

responsibility and energy conservation will

help support future economic stability.

on the Eastern Shore

The Vacon X product line is designed for harsh environments, enduring dirt, dust, humidity and liquids. In addition to the food and beverage industry, the Vacon X series is targeted at material handling and water and waste water treatment, but is ideally suited for all tough industrial applications.

Published in 2008 Driven Volume 8.Written by Rick Neff.

vacon driven na case studies booklet 2008 - 2015

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