When Will The Variable Speed Drive Come Of Age?

David Hughes, Managing Director for ABB in the UK, reflects on the past, present and future of the ubiquitous variable speed drive as new generation of engineers are increasingly becoming aware of its advantages. The Past The variable speed drive (VSD) is now over 50 years old. Its purpose in life, from then to now, remains fundamentally the same: to vary the speed of standard AC induction motors, particularly those powering variable torque loads like…