subject: Different Types Of Ac And Dc Drives For Engineering Applications [print this page] Within engineering, it is important to ensure the right selection of drives for the given application. In general, the type of drive selected depends on the conditions of the environment used. Some of the things to consider relate to things as accessibility, the range of horsepower needed, in addition to sequencing and other factors.
With AC or DC drives, they work well to keep the horsepower constant at various speed ranges. In addition, they offer high-speed regulation. Furthermore, when matched correctly with the right motor packages they uphold within their performance.
AC Drives
In general, the composition of an AC drive consists of a solid-state adjustable frequency inverter. Furthermore, an AC drive has the capacity to adjust its voltage and frequency according to various speeds. An AC drive achieves this through the pulse width modulation of the drive output motors.
This helps to maintain a constant relationship throughout any level of speed the motor is running. Moreover, this helps maintain the constant torque, known as the volts per hertz ratio. In addition, people have the choice as to whether they want to have an integrated drive and motor package. The AC drive has the advantage of having the capacity to run within a corrosive and wet environment, while additionally having the versatility of meeting special demands.
Additionally, an AC drive has the advantage of not requiring a lot of maintenance. This allows them to work well within an environment that does not allow for a lot of maintenance. Some of the other key advantages pertain to how they work well on a small motor and do not add a lot of weight. Furthermore, they can reach speeds of 10,000 RPM and multiple motors can work off a single drive.
DC Drives
With the DC drives, they use a converter in order to transform the AC current into DC current. The currents then routed to a DC motor. This allows the motor to have an adjustable speed operation. In most cases, they are the lowest cost for medium and high horsepower applications.
Some of the main advantages with the DC drives have to do with how they work well with a large range of different loads. In addition, the motor has the potential to run at 2500 RPM's. Additionally, they work well with applications that have horsepower requirements that are within the medium to high range.
Stepper Drives
Stepper drives have the potential to be compact and additionally work well within harsh environments. In addition, many stepper drives have more precision and smoother operation due to their use micro stepping. Stepper drives work well with a range of assembly technologies.
Overall, the AC and stepper drives have the advantage of sustaining harsh environments. On the other hand, the DC drives requires an environment that is clean and without harsh conditions. In addition, the AC drives have the potential to run at 10,000 RPM's while the others do not.
