Drives now available for 10 to 6 000 horsepower applications

Rockwell Automation has expanded the power ranges and capabilities of TotalFORCE technology for its Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755T AC drives. The drives now offer an expanded power range, helping engineers with applications from 10 to 6 000 horsepower (7.5 to 4 500 kW) improve productivity and reduce their lifecycle costs. The expansion brings harmonic mitigation, regeneration and common bus-system configurations to a wider range of high-demand applications

Enhancements to the patented TotalFORCE technology include more powerful adaptive control capabilities, which allow the drives to monitor machine characteristics that can change over time and automatically compensate for the changes that occur. An adaptive tuning feature uses up to four automatic tracking notch filters to block resonance and vibration that can impact quality, waste energy and prematurely wear out a machine.

In addition, predictive maintenance features provide real-time information about the health of the drive. By monitoring operational characteristics such as temperature, voltage and current, the drive is able to calculate the remaining life of critical components and notify users. This allows users to act so unplanned downtime can be prevented.

“TotalFORCE technology enables PowerFlex 755T drive users to take a proactive approach in improving machine uptime. The drives can deliver information about the status of an application to the control system, which can be critical for reducing downtime and increasing productivity,” said Adrian van Wyk, Power and Components, Rockwell Automation Sub-Saharan Africa. “The drives’ ability to be self-aware also enhances reliability and simplifies service.”

The PowerFlex 755T variable-frequency drives were previously designed for 160 to 3 000 horsepower applications. The expanded power range makes PowerFlex drives ideally suited for large power applications, such as pumps and fans requiring harmonic mitigation, and regenerative applications requiring anti-sway functionality, such as cranes and hoists. The offering includes:

PowerFlex 755TL drive: The PowerFlex 755TL drive uses active front-end technology and an internal harmonic filter to reduce harmonic distortion. The drive is now available from 10 to 1 800 Hp (7.5 to 1 400 kW).

PowerFlex 755TR drive: Delivering power from 10 to 6 000 Hp (7.5 to 4 500 kW), the PowerFlex 755TR drive includes both regenerative and harmonic mitigation solutions. The drive helps reduce energy consumption and costs by delivering energy back to the incoming supply, resulting in a more energy-efficient solution.

PowerFlex 755TM drive system: This allows users to build the system that best fits their needs for regeneration and coordination of multiple motors in common bus configurations. To optimise their system requirements and meet power-consumption needs, users can select from a series of predesigned modules with a power range from 250 to 6 000 Hp (160 to 4 500 kW) for motor side inverters and a range of 70 to 4 800 kW for regenerative bus supplies.

 Other new capabilities include an integrated safety module that delivers several advanced safety functions on an EtherNet/IP network, an anti-sway feature that helps lifting applications achieve greater stability and permanent magnet motor control for increased energy savings.

Combined, these new TotalFORCE technology capabilities help reduce time to commission, optimise performance and enable simplified maintenance and serviceability throughout the full lifecycle of PowerFlex 755T drives for a broad range of applications.