RS, a trading brand of RS Group plc, reported July 23 that it’s offering Mean Well’s energy-saving VFD Series variable frequency drives.
The VFD Series was inspired by an International Energy Agency (IEA) report that showed electric motors and the systems they drive are the largest end-users of electricity, accounting for 43-46% of global consumption, which is driven by industrial (64%) and commercial (20%) market segments, The report added that cost-effective efficiency improvements could reduce consumption by about 25% and decrease global electricity demand by about 10%.
Mean Well used this data to develop its VFD Series. These compact, fanless VFDs are engineered for use with energy-efficient, three-phase brushless DC (BLDC), induction and synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motors, and are designed to improve energy efficiency, decrease energy costs, and achieve environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals like net-zero certifications.
“Power solutions aren’t one size fits all, and the motor drives and controllers that comprise them aren’t interchangeable across applications. So, it’s imperative that users select those that will best suit their needs,” says Harland Chen, field application engineer at Mean Well. “Partnering with Mean Well and RS can help users ensure that users select the right motor drives and controllers for their systems, and provide product expertise and support throughout every stage of the product lifecycle.”
VFD Series are available in eight fanless models with printed circuit board (PCB) and semi-potted chassis enclosure form factors built in accordance with international safety standards (IEC/EN61800-5-1) and electromagnetic compatibility standards (IEC/EN61800-3). They’re designed to deliver silent operation and long-lifetime performance; are compatible with AC and DC input voltages; and rated for up to 93% efficiency at high-peak current up to 200% for five seconds. Their output switching frequencies are 2.5-15 KHz, operating temperatures are -30 °C to 70 °C, and they can run in 20-90% non-condensing, relative humidity. The series also features integrated short-circuit protection and standard hardware control and sensor signal interfaces, including three-phase switches and gate drivers and three-phase output current and temperature sensors, which enable external motor direction and speed control via a pulse width modulation (PWM) signaling that can be programmed using an external control card.
VFD Series is designed to be implemented alongside a coordinating external motor drive controller in logic level and analog I/O. Ideal applications for VFD Series include 48 VDC and 200-240VAC three-phase BLDC, induction and SynRM motors that power machinery ranging from fans, power tools, water pumps, fitness equipment, automatic doors, conveyors, robotic arms, HVAC systems, smoke extractors and medical devices.
