ABB Continues to Shorten Delivery Time of Company's Ultra-Low Harmonic (ULH) Drives to Market, as Demand Grows Rapidly


(Local customer configuration of units allows ABB to fill orders in less than two weeks. ULH units help customers meet the IEEE-519 standard easily)

NEW BERLIN, Wis., October 17, 2008 - ABB's ultra-low harmonic drives, part of the company's ACS800 product family, offers users extremely precise motor control - and are ideal for helping end users meet the IEEE-519 standard regarding harmonics.

Offered in wall-mount units (7.5 to 125 horsepower range), and cabinet-built configurations (125 to 2,800 Hp), the ultra-low harmonic drives are compact in size and do not require any multi-pulse transformer, external filters or other additional equipment for harmonics reduction. ULH units will be available stock-to-10 days for base units; four-to-six (4-6) weeks for bypass units, and options.

Call for Reduced Harmonic Distortion at Device, Machinery, and AC Line Network
"Harmonic distortion originating from the addition of more electrical equipment such as computers and variable frequency drives is an increasing cause for consideration and concern among both users and power utilities," according to Peter Walter, market manager for the HVAC market at ABB Inc., Low Voltage Drives. "Harmonics can disturb power supplies and sensitive equipment, and cause increased power losses in distribution lines."

This reality continues to cause power companies to respond by imposing more rigorous power quality standards, Walter noted, "And that is leading to a growing demand among end-users for easy-to-apply solutions to reduce harmonics."

Also Meet Utilities' Power Quality Standards

ABB's ultra-low harmonic drives build in a solution for meeting and exceeding PQ and harmonics standards; and they do so, whether it's a new motor-control installation, or a retrofit of drives to existing motors. Both the wall-mount units and cabinet models represent a complete, ready-to-install solution that is ideal for applications where harmonic distortion is a concern.

The drives install easily for the wide range of motor-control applications where "clean power" is essential. These include controlling pumps, fans, and compressors.

The drives utilize an active converter, controlled with Direct Torque Control (DTC) to eliminate low order harmonics, and an active front end LCL (Inductor, Capacitor, Inductor) line filter to reduce high frequency (above 1kHz) harmonics. The total harmonic current distortion is approximately 4% of the nominal inverter current rating at full load.

"These built-in algorithms and filtration result in an exceptionally low harmonic content within the network," Walter said. With total current distortion reduced to approximately 4.0%, the drives meet the requirements of stringent harmonic standards such as IEEE519. A significant additional benefit is that these drives always operate with unity power factor. The drives provide exceptional low harmonic distortion with even 3% input line imbalance, where other methods of reducing harmonic distortion depend on a balanced input line to meet their specified level of harmonic distortion. And, by eliminating the need for a multi-pulse transformer or external filters, these stand-alone drives reduce cabling needs and save space.

All Built In

Model number ACS800-U31, for wall-mount drives from 7.5 to 125 Hp, are designed for operating voltages of 208 to 240Vac and 380 to 500Vac. The protection class of UL Type 1 (IP21) is standard. Model number ACS800-37 cabinet drives are designed for operating voltages of 380 to 500 Vac and 525 to 690 Vac, and available from 125 to 2,800 Hp, with protection class of UL Type 1 and, optionally, UL Type 12 (IP54).

A wide selection of features and accessories can be accommodated within the drive. Standard features include the programmable I/O and alphanumeric, multilingual control panel, as well as ABB's Start-up Assistant, which provides menu-driven help with parameter setting. Optional accessories include EMC filters and extension modules for additional I/O and field bus adapters. The new drives belong to ABB's premium drives range, ACS800 family, which offers a wide variety of standardized configurations to suit different application requirements. The drives are designed to make specification, installation and commissioning as straightforward as possible.

ABB Inc., Automation Technologies, Automation Products, Low-Voltage Drives, is the world's largest manufacturer of electric motors and drives. In the USA, an integrated channel of sales representatives, distributors, and system integrators allow ABB, New Berlin, Wisconsin, to supply a complete line of energy-efficient electric drives, motors and engineered drive systems to a wide range of industrial and commercial customers. Products manufactured include AC and DC variable speed drives for electric motors from 1/8th through 135,000 HP, and application-specific drive system solutions to meet diverse customer needs (http://www.abb.us/drives).

ABB (www.abb.com)is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 115,000 people.

Ken Graber, ABB LV Products, ken.j.graber@us.abb.com

All Topics