New Mitsubishi Electric VFD Inverter can be Powered by a 120V Source
Mitsubishi Electric has made a new 120V VFD to help manufacturers that need access to variable-speed motors. They can benefit from these 120V VFDs by eliminating the need for a rotary phase converter.
Variable frequency drives, or VFDs, are a common sight throughout the automation industry. They give electric motors the capability to operate at variable speeds through the manipulation of a motor's supply frequency as opposed to adjusting its supply voltage.
The Importance of Variable Frequency Drive Inverters
Nearly all VFD-driven motors in industry are of the 3-phase induction variety (with only very limited, specialized 1-phase VFD applications). This means that most of the VFDs supplying the motor’s power are designed to manipulate incoming 3-phase power. But what about those shops in need of a variable-speed motor but only have access to single-phase 120V power?
Mitsubishi Electric’s New FR-E810W
Mitsubishi has recently announced the release of the new FR-E810W VFD for 120V applications. The VFD is meant to help end users who do not have access to higher voltage single or three-phase power. In the past, customers would have to use an external step-up transformer to increase the supply voltage from 120V to 240V. This leads to added complexity, cost, and the potential of overloading a small voltage source, all problematic for the end user.
Mitsubishi’s FR-E810W, the latest 120V VFD for single-phase motors. Image used courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric
The FR-E810W brings along all the benefits that are associated with Mitsubishi’s FR-E800W line, now applied to this lower voltage class, including improvements in safety, energy efficiency, and reliability.
The FR-E810W gives customers all of the same benefits to their applications that are available with any other FR-E800W series inverter. This includes supporting CC-Link IE TSN technology and enhanced predictive maintenance for easier maintenance capabilities, in addition to a potential reduction in downtime. Connectivity to control devices is made possible through two ethernet ports.
With many manufacturing processes becoming more integrated into IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and the use of smart manufacturing, AI and cloud capabilities. Because of this shift, connectivity is an important consideration for many manufacturers and end users. Mitsubishi has taken this into account and added AI fault diagnostics to the FR-E810W.
Benefits and Applications of the FR-E810W
The FR-E810W was specifically designed to help customers without 240V electric connections. Many smaller operations can benefit from the use of this type of VFD because of the cost savings as a result of not needing a step-up transformer. The extra cost savings can make additions to their processes an easier decision.
A single-phase motor (right side image) often has a start capacitor attached, but in a 3-phase motor (left side above), there is no capacitor, so a variable frequency operation can drive this motor at various speeds.
Most single-phase 120V sources are limited in size due to conductor wire diameters. In any electrical system, a higher current is required when the supply voltage is lower, so these systems are generally reserved for processes that don't need a lot of horsepower. This drive family is available only for up to 1 HP (0.75 kW) motor sizes.
Single-phase Supply for Three-phase Motors
There are many different applications for a 120V VFD, including small operations, educational lab settings, and anywhere that needs a variable-speed motor that doesn’t have 240V power available. Mitsubishi has taken this into account and given customers the benefits of the FR-E800 series inverters without the need to purchase an extra step-up transformer to bring the voltage up to 240.
