In today’s rapidly advancing technological landscape, the efficiency and control of industrial equipment are paramount. One technology at the forefront of enhancing motor performance and energy conservation is the variable frequency drive (VFD). In this post, we will look more at these common motor controllers.
VFDs have three core components:
Most modern VFDs use pulse width modulation to control their output frequency. Their output is a series of pulses in each phase. VFDs can efficiently manage motor speed and torque by varying the pulse width (duration) and timing.
The use of VFDs offers several technical advantages that improve overall system performance and cost-efficiency:
These benefits underscore why VFDs are a common component of modern industrial electric motor systems.
While VFDs offer numerous benefits, they do come with their own challenges. One such problem is electrical bearing damage. The pulsed nature of drives’ output induces unwanted voltage on the shafts of motors on VFDs. If not adequately managed, this voltage will discharge through the bearings, causing electrical damage. Some of the problems caused by shaft voltage are:
To combat these problems, the AEGIS® Shaft Grounding Ring provides a safe discharge path for shaft voltage, through the ring instead of the bearings. Our rings employ proprietary conductive microfibers that channel discharge current away from the bearings.
With AEGIS® Shaft Grounding Rings integrated into your systems, you can reduce motor repair/replacement costs and, more importantly, protect your operations from the huge costs of unplanned downtime.
Explore our Bearing Protection Handbook for more information, or contact us today to find out how to integrate AEGIS® technology into your operations for lasting benefits.
AEGIS rings also come with a 2-year extended warranty against bearing fluting damage. No other form of shaft grounding comes with a warranty like this.