Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) are important for various production processes because they are used to operate the electrical motors powering those processes. However, poor power quality can impact the production processes negatively, leading to machinery and production shutdowns and production loss. In some cases cleaning up the production lines and re-starting production can take days, so poor power quality and the problems it brings can be a serious issue for many manufacturing plants.
Voltage dips are one of the most common occurrences that have a big impact on power quality and therefore production efficiency. The newer and more complex your machinery or equipment is, the more sensitive it's likely to be when it comes to voltage dips and other power quality issues.
So, how to fix the problem? Skeleton's ultracapacitors are used as a backup for the VSDs, ensuring uninterruptible power for several seconds in case of short-term power outages, or power and voltage fluctuations. In this solution, an ultracapacitor pack is connected to the DC link of a Variable Speed Drive, ensuring production can keep running smoothly.
The benefits don't end there: in addition to keeping the VSD operating at its full load, the ultracapacitor solution lowers maintenance and replacement costs due to nuisance trips or system failures, and extends the life of VSD systems.
A 350 kW system for a customer in manufacturing
For one of our customers, we've built a cabinet system that provides 350 kW for several seconds to ensure high-quality power for sensitive manufacturing processes. The 6s1p SkelGrid system includes everything from fuses, switchgear, and communications to cooling, and pre-charge & discharge circuits.
Ultracapacitors offer a number of benefits as an energy storage technology:
- High reliability, no maintenance required
- Over 1 million charge-discharge cycles
- Wide operating temperature range from -40°C to +65°C
- Significantly lighter than batteries for high power applications
- Easy to discharge fully for safe maintenance operations
- Simple monitoring and system health checks
- Ultracapacitors are also very safe - they do not leak, nor contain any acid or lead.
If you're interested in hearing about our ultracapacitor-powered VSD backup solutions, get in touch!
