Siemens Medium Voltage Drives

As the drive is a core of every industrial system no matter if it is just a vehicle or a complex system used in plants and factories, we decided to dedicate our article to the specific area of speed drives by pointing out the main features of medium voltage speed drives manufactured by world-famous concern Siemens Inc.

CONTENTS:

1. What is a medium voltage drive and What Are They Used for
2. What Is the Difference Between LV MV and HV
3. What Are Medium Voltage Variable Speed Drives
4. Siemens Medium Voltage Converters. Peculiarities.

What is a medium voltage drive and What Are They Used for

To get through Siemens medium voltage drives, let's first consider what are speed drives used for and what is their construction.

As usual, these types of industrial drives are also known as VFDs or variable frequency drives.  A frequency converter aka VFD is a type of variable frequency drive that controls a motor by varying the frequency and voltage supplied to the motor.

The medium voltage drive is considered ideal for reducing energy consumption and emissions. Devices of this type are widely used to ensure the high-quality operation of almost all standard motors (for pumps, compressors and fans).

Medium voltage motors perform particularly well at very high power ratings. In this case, the regulation of the speed and ensuring the soft start of the installation are of particular importance. Many people associate the solution of this problem, first of all, with the acquisition of soft starters and specific frequency converters.

When talking about VFDs, there are some special features that are common for all these devices.

Medium voltage AC drives are considered to be the most energy-efficient product. A distinctive feature of this fixture is the presence of a voltage/frequency control mode, as well as many types of alarm and protection functions.

Among the advantages of such electric drives, it is worth noting separately:

• excellent performance;
• high accuracy;
• stability of work;
• reliability;
• the ability to automatically adjust the speed.

What Is the Difference Between LV MV and HV

One of the most common questions we face in the Eltra-Trade web store is the difference between three different types of drives – LV (low voltage), MV (medium voltage) and HV (high voltage). Let's consider their differences first.

Large industrial complexes and factories that require significant amounts of electricity often use medium supply voltages. Electrical variation analysis dictates that voltage is inversely proportional to current. This means that as the voltage rises, the current decreases to complete the operation.

Motors and electrical equipment designed to operate at higher voltages consume less electricity and are more economical to operate.

As for low voltage, it has many meanings in the electrical and electronic world. As a general rule of thumb, anything below 600 volts is considered low voltage. In industries, they are also of great use due to their specific features.  

What Are Medium Voltage Variable Speed Drives

These options of common industrial drives differ by the range of speeds available for its use. As usual, they are called either VSDs or ASDs (from adjustable speed drives). There are no differences from VFDs in them as all these terms are synonymous.

What Manufacturers Offer MV Drives

As for the diversity of MV variable frequency drives, you can make your own opinion about it if looking in Eltra-Trade's catalog as we have collected all of the most powerful, accurate, reliable and durable drives on the market.

If talking in terms of brands, it is ABB, Schneider Electric and Siemens variable frequency drives that are the most required in industrial systems.

Siemens Medium Voltage Converters. Peculiarities.

These VFDs are built according to the well-proven, now classic, the topology of multi-level voltage inverters. All the products that are marked as Siemens MV drives are united under the name SINAMICS. Being among the most innovative MV drives in the market, Siemens SINAMICS implement high efficiency along with durability, compact size and universality in the application.

There are several lines of VFDs designed for medium-voltage use in SINAMICS.

Let's start with SINAMICS Perfect Harmony drives that really combine harmoniously their highest quality and functionality with an affordable price. There are two basic options that are SINAMICS Perfect Harmony gh180 and
SINAMICS Perfect Harmony gh150. Both of them are cell-designed which allows providing flexible module construction to install in almost every condition. Besides that, Siemens Perfect Harmony MV drives are thoroughly tested for arc fault and have high IP for using them in the most hazardous environments.

There are also other Siemens medium-voltage converters worth your attention. In them are also implemented all of the basic features of Siemens drives that are:

• Compact design;
• Durable construction;
• High power;
• Wide temperature range;
• Energy efficiency up to saving 50% of energy.

Whatever you choose from a wide range of Siemens SINAMICS VFDs, each of them suits perfectly your industrial goals. Starting from Siemens gm150 up to SINAMICS sl150 all of them are reliable and cost-efficient at once. You can implement them in your industrial systems in several cases.

1. For cranes and hoisting machines. Crane motors operate in the mode of frequent starts, stops, changing load. MV VFDs ensure the absence of jerks and swaying of the load during starts and stops, stop the crane exactly in the required place, reduce the heating of electric motors and the maximum starting torque.
2. For driving blower fans in boiler rooms and smoke exhausters. General control with an infinitely adjustable blast and exhaust fans allows automating the combustion process and ensuring maximum efficiency. boiler units.
3. For conveyors, rolling mills, elevators. Siemens VFD regulates the speed of movement of transport equipment without jerks and shocks, which increases the service life of mechanical components.
4. For pumping units. Emergency situations make it possible to do without valves and valves that regulate pressure and productivity, and significantly increase the overall efficiency of the water supply system.
5. For electric motors of machine tools. The use of a frequency converter instead of a gearbox allows you to smoothly increase or decrease the rotational speed of the working body of the machine, and reverse. MC VFDs are widely used for CNC machine tools and high precision industrial equipment.

What makes Siemens SINAMICS VFDs with medium voltage so special? We can say, it is their compatibility with all the digital solutions for industrial drives operations. They are compatible with Profibus and other operating protocols used in modern industries.

Making conclusions, variable frequency drives working with medium voltage are the most cost-efficient solution for modern industry goals. Besides, there are lots of reliable options manufactured by Siemens in the field of  MV VSDs. You can apply them to your system to get a brilliant result. Just take a look at Eltra-Trade's catalog to get all the most up-to-date drives for your motors.