ABB’s Carl Turbitt looks at seven very diverse opportunities offered by variable speed drives that he believes can significantly improve building services efficiency in 2020. Total cost of ownership As engineers, one of the most important challenges we face is the need to ensure that building services – whether they be an entire HVAC process … Continue reading →
There are many reasons why deploying variable speed drives is the easiest way to lower your energy bill, as ABB’s Carl Turbitt explains. Variable-speed drives (VSDs) are some 40 years old. Ample time, you’d think, to spread the merits of their energy saving potential. Yet evidence suggests that many businesses think changing energy supplier is … Continue reading →
Haven’t the last few months been rather surreal? I am guessing your company, like ours, are busy putting in new measures to keep staff and customers as safe as possible. In an effort kick start returning to a form of normality and to enable us to continue to add value to our customers, we are … Continue reading →
Condenser Control: In a chilling circuit, the high-pressure gas from the compressor needs to be turned into a high-pressure liquid so that it can be expanded back to a gas, absorbing heat as it does it. This is chilling. The device that turns the gas back to a liquid is appropriately named a condenser. A … Continue reading →
Carl Turbitt, ABB’s HVAC drives UK sales manager writes: While the demand for new cars in the UK may slowly be starting to fall, the need for a plentiful supply of parking spaces remains as high as ever. With space for buildings very often at a premium in many town and city centres, car park operators … Continue reading →
How Fast Can My Inverter Drive My Motor? This is a frequently asked question and the answer needs careful consideration. There are power and mechanical limits with a nod to the torque characteristics of a squirrel cage motor. The inverter itself is usually capable of providing the increased frequency. ABB inverters typically output 400Hz – … Continue reading →
At IDS we have a wealth of inverter experience. We have been an ABB Partner for over 20 years and are used to supporting clients with a variety of inverter-controlled applications. In this article we look at the 3 most common faults on inverters and how to fix them: 1. Overvoltage and Undervoltage Overvoltage This … Continue reading →
Customers using HVAC are now demanding greener equipment to provide their heating, ventilation and cooling. Also, tightening regulations mean that manufacturers have to ensure that the pumps and fans they supply meet with these regulations. As well as electrical efficiencies mechanical design solutions can be utilised. One mechanical solution is the replacement of a single … Continue reading →
In this video Blaise Ford, MD and Engineer with Inverter Drive Systems Ltd shows us 2 ways to save energy with inverters. Controlling the Speed of the Motor The first method to save energy is use the inverter to slow the motor down when the demand is low. In this video we use our demonstration … Continue reading →
Don’t make the mistake of dismissing VSDs as nothing more than motor controllers, says ABB’s Carl Turbitt. To use a drive merely to start and stop a motor and alter its speed is to miss the huge cost saving potential built within the product. Panels containing control gear for air handling units, fans and pumps … Continue reading →
