Evaluation of Economical Impact of Energy Optimization Functions in VFDs for Industrial Applications

Qiang Dong, Prof. Chandur Sadarangani KTH, Sweden

Dr. R. S. Kanchan ABB CRC Sweden

OUTLINE

Motivation Literature review Measurement setup for VFD characterization Efficiency test results Energy saving in typical industrial applications Conclusions

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Motivation

Many VFD products in market include an Energy Optimization (EO) feature.

- Different VFDs name these function differently

Energy Optimising Control Energy Saving Control Optimal Excitation Control Auto Energy Optimising Next Generation Energy Saving Control Optimal Flux Control Energy Control Optimization Optimum minimum power control

Claim up to 50 % energy savings with use of EO in drives (under certain load conditions) Not easy to understand and compare among drives and effect of these functions on drives energy efficiency performance
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Work definition

Literature review to understand different EO strategies Market analysis to identify the different energy optimization techniques used in VFDs Selection and performance measurements Iso efficiency contours Comparison of economical impact of energy optimization functions in VFDs in typical industrial applications

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Literature review Optimization methods and comparison

Energy optimization control Search control Principle Advantages Disadvantages Long execution time, Pseudo steady state Extra hardware Sensitive to motor parameters

Select a variable(flux Not depend on motor parameter current), changing this variable to make input power, input current minimum. Based on motor model, through calculation of the optimal point, the control variable optimal reference is set directly to control motor. Short execution time

Loss model control

Hybrid control

Short execution time Using Loss model control method to Not depend on motor get a suboptimal parameters reference value first, then using Search control to get a more accurate final optimal value

Extra hardware

Other methods: Simple state control, Stochastic methods

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Market survey Energy Optimization (EO) features in VFDs

Different VFDs name these function differently

Energy Optimising Control Energy Saving Control Optimal Excitation Control Auto Energy Optimising Next Generation Energy Saving Control Optimal Flux Control Energy Control Optimization Optimum minimum power control

The principle of operation is generally not known (unless one reads the user manuals carefully) Application scenarios where these functions shall be used is not given clearly

Four VFDs are tested in laboratory and we have tried to use the iso- efficiency contours to determine if the EO functions can increase the energy savings
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VFD characterization Efficiency measurement method, test procedure and result presentation
Direct efficiency measurement- input output power measurements (IEC 60034-2-1)

Test procedure:
First the load torque is increased in 10% intervals from 10% to 100% of nominal value. At each load level, operating speed is changed from 500 rpm to 2000 rpm in interval of 250 rpm. After the measurements with reference speed of 2000 rpm has been taken, the load torque is increased by 10 % and the speed step sequence is repeated from minimum to maximum speed as explained above. Limited till nominal speed and nominal torque points.

Result presentation: motor, drive and total system efficiency contours

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Measurement setup for VFD characterization Test platform

Test instruments:

Test drive(four drives) Test machine Load drive Load machine 2 WT-3000 Power analyzers Torque transducer Current and temperature sensors Agilent temperature logger

Protection:

Emergency stop for drives Trip interlock Thermal over temperature protection for drive output

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Efficiency characterization test results Drive A system efficiency

The system efficiency is increasing with load torque and speed increasing. When using EO function, the system efficiency is improved especially at light load conditions.

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Efficiency characterization test results Drive B system efficiency

The system efficiency is increasing with load torque and speed increasing. The system efficiency will increase by the use of EO function especially at light load conditions. When the motor operates with the load larger than 90%, EO function reduces the efficiency a little bit.

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Efficiency characterization test results Drive C system efficiency

The system efficiency is increasing with load torque and speed increasing. EO function can improve the system efficiency by larger magnitudes when the motor operates with light loads. But when the motor operates with heavy loads, the system efficiency improvement is very little.

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Efficiency characterization test results Drive D system efficiency

Drive D EO function if motor specific and we could not use it. The system efficiency is increasing with load torque and speed increasing.

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Energy saving in typical industrial applications

Aim: Identify additional economical returns in typical industrial applications The four drives are compared in three typical industrial applications - Pump application - Ventilation application - Elevator (Escalator) application (load characteristics assumed are not actual but only representative for the purpose of comparison) In each application, four drive systems are assumed to operate in same load cycle for one year, then their yearly energy consumptions, energy cost and CO2 reduction are compared (Energy rate - 1.3 Swedish kronor/kWh, CO2 reduction rate - 0.51 kg/kWh)

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Energy saving in typical industrial Applications Pumping application

Pumping system Each year, the pump system operates 8760 hours For most of time, the motor operates with the half load condition

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Energy saving in typical industrial applications Pumping application

Drive C consumes the smallest energy no matter with or without using EO function and thus is more economical. EO function of each drive reduces the energy consumption required by the pump for the assumed load profile. the energy saved by Drive B is biggest with using EO function among all drives

Drive A Required Energy (kWh) Energy consumed without EO (kWh) Energy consumed with EO (kWh) Energy saved by EO (kWh) CO2 reduction (Kg) Money saved (SEK) 82640 97115

Drive B 82640 97618

Drive C 82640 96999

Drive D 82640 98218

95393

95359

95156

1722 878 2239

2259 1152 2937

1843 940 2396

0 0 0

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Energy saving in typical industrial applications Ventilation application

Ventilation system Each year, the ventilation system operates 8760 hours For most of time, the motor operates with partial load conditions Sometimes it also operates around nominal load

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Energy saving in typical industrial applicationsVentilation application

Drive

B consumes the smallest energy without EO function among all drive systems Drive Cs EO function can reduce more energy consumption than other drives
So

after using EO function, Drive C ventilation system consumes the lowest energy among all drive systems

Drive A Required Energy (kWh) Energy consumed without EO (kWh) Energy consumed with EO (kWh) Energy saved by EO (kWh) CO2 reduction (Kg) Money saved (SEK) 74162 86678

Drive B 74162 86290

Drive C 74162 86330

Drive D 74162 86698

85980

85221

85147

698 356 907

1069 545,2 1390

1183 603 1538

0 0 0

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Energy saving in typical industrial applicationsElevator application

Elevator system Every day, the elevator system only operates 12 hours, the total operating time in one year is 4380 hours For most of time, the motor operates around the nominal operating point

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Energy saving in typical industrial applicationsElevator application

W/O EO function Drive A elevator system, Drive B elevator system and Drive D elevator system consume same energy, Drive C elevator system consumes more energy than other three systems After using EO function, Drive As EO function reduces more energy than other drives EO function, so Drive A elevator system has the best efficiency performance Drive Bs EO function increases the energy consumption

Drive A Required Energy (kWh) Energy consumed without EO (kWh) Energy consumed with EO (kWh) Energy saved by EO (kWh) CO2 reduction (Kg) Money saved (SEK) 67270 75999

Drive B 67270 75999

Drive C 67270 76243

Drive D 67270 75999

75859

76157

76157

140 71.4 182

-157 -80.07 -206

86 43,86 112

0 0 0

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Conclusion

Four drives are selected as the evaluation targets of efficiency performance. At nominal operating points, four drive systems have very close system efficiency performances. But at light loads, four drive systems efficiency performances are different. Drive A, B and C energy optimization functions were evaluated - EO function can improve the system efficiency only when the motor operates with light loads and at low speeds - when at the nominal operating point, EO function almost has no effect and even reduces the efficiency performance. Thus the selection of high efficiency drives based on EO functions is very much application dependent. - The large energy saving is possible in applications where the drives operate at partial load conditions. - If the application involves full load operation, there is hardly any energy savings using high efficiency drives. - Use of iso-efficiency contours certainly help to evaluate and compare drive performance for specific applications

In this study, only four drives have been evaluated, there are still many VFDs with EO function on the market, it is also very interesting to test these drives. More realistic load profiles in different industrial applications Calculation of the drive payback time and its reduction using energy optimization function for different applications.

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Thanks for your attention

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