AC Drive suits Building Automation System applications.

Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. Mar 25, 2003

Press Release Summary:

Available from 0.5-500 hp, E7 drive is offered in NEMA 1, 12, and 3R enclosures. Generation 7 AC drive, suited for HVAC applications, offers built-in network communications, parameter selection, and program storage and copying functions. Hand/Off/Auto functionality built into digital operator keypad allows for selection of operation from remote or local signals. Additional features include internal PI controller, Sleep function, and 98% efficiency rating.

Original Press Release:

Yaskawa's New E7 Drive For HVAC Applications Offers Reduced Size, Cost; Increased Performance

NEW BERLIN, Wis., Jan. 23, 2003 - - Yaskawa's new E7, a "Generation 7" ac drive dedicated to Building Automation System (BAS) applications, provides size and cost reductions while achieving a step change in performance and quality.

Yaskawa's New E7 is designed specifically for HVAC applications, including air handlers, cooling towers, and pumps. It is a significant new drive supported by the resources of the largest global ac drive manufacturer, with worldwide customer service, engineering and application teams.

The new drive features built-in network communications for Johnson Controls Metasys N2 and Siemens APOGEE P1, with optional interfaces for other common HVAC protocols. Extensive parameter selection allows BAS applications to be managed for energy efficiency and closed loop control, without consuming building automation system points. The E7 Drive is so advanced that set up is simple, using the built in program storage and copying features.

The E7 drive is environmentally friendly with low EMI/RFI emission and low total harmonic distortion contribution, meeting or exceeding the generally accepted power quality standards. Inherent motor protection features resulting from low noise/low carrier technology provides for longer lead lengths without additional protection devices. The innovative E7 Drive means that drive selection is easy and additional power quality or motor protection devices are seldom necessary.

Industry-standard Hand/Off/Auto functionality is built into the drive's digital operator keypad, allowing easy selection of operation from remote (Auto) or local (Hand) signals. The digital operator provides a copy function to make all set-up parameters portable when programming multiple drives with similar application requirements.

Factory "default" parameters are selected for typical fan and pump applications and can be refined with more specific custom application firmware.

The E7 drives feature an internal PI controller, eliminating the need for closed loop output signals from the BAS. The PI controller includes feedback inverse, square root, and differential control functions. It maintains setpoint for closed loop control of fans and pumps for pressure, flow or temperature regulation in response to feedback signals.

A "Sleep" function allows motor operation to be stopped when demand is at a low level for a selected time period; the motor is reactivated automatically when demand increases. Sleep provides significant energy savings while minimizing operating hours on driven equipment.

The drive's 98 percent efficiency rating is enhanced through an automatic voltage-optimizing algorithm built into the firmware. This algorithm extracts additional energy savings from a standard motor.

Features include: auto-restart, stall prevention, motor pre-heat, anti-windmilling dc injection braking, critical frequency rejection, momentary power loss ride through, multi-directional speed search, no load detection, two feedback capability, reverse disable, delay timer, run permissive, energy optimization, plenum mounting and accel/decel time selection. Protective functions include UL508C motor overload, overheat, overcurrent, undercurrent, phase loss and ground fault.

When the E7 drive is equipped with the optional Bypass, the motor may be operated from either the E7 drive or at full speed, directly across the line. This permits drive maintenance while the motor continues to operate. The E7 Bypass provides the flexibility, features, and options commonly demanded by facility designers.

Available from 0.5 to 500 HP, the Yaskawa E7 drive is offered in NEMA 1, NEMA 12, and NEMA 3R enclosures. It is globally compatible, conforming to CE, UL and CUL requirements.

Yaskawa Electric is the world's largest producer of AC Drives. The drives business of Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. operates from facilities in New Berlin, Wis.; Waukegan and Buffalo Grove, Ill.; Los Angeles, and offices throughout the Americas.