Protecting VFD-Driven Motors In: Meat and Poultry
VFDs: Improved Control and Energy Savings
By providing precise speed control of motors that run conveyors, pumps, mixers, compressors, and other meat and poultry processing equipment, variable frequency drives (VFDs) enable the fine tuning of food preparation, transfer, and packaging processes. In addition to improving process control, VFDs save energy. In fact, the use of VFDs in HVAC systems has been shown to reduce energy consumption by as much as 20 to 30%.
The Crippling Cost of Unplanned Downtime
Meat and poultry processors face staggering losses due to spoilage if their equipment goes down. And despite their benefits, VFDs can cause downtime by damaging the motors they control. In an effort to eliminate such unplanned downtime, many processors are looking for ways to prevent motor failures by protecting bearings from VFD-induced electrical damage.
The Need for Shaft Grounding on
VFD-Driven Motors
VFDs induce currents on motor shafts that discharge through the bearings, causing pitting, fluting, and catastrophic motor failure. Without bearing protection, any savings from using VFDs can be quickly wiped out by the costs of system downtime and motor replacement.
Proven, Long-Term Bearing Protection
By diverting bearing currents safely to ground, AEGIS™ SGR Shaft Grounding Rings ensure the reliable, long-term operation of VFD-driven motor systems, locking in energy savings and making these systems truly sustainable and truly green!
Applications:
Conveyors (belt and overhead)
Kill chains
De-hairing/de-feathering
Bleed table pumps
Boiler pumps
Scald tub chains
Dump press feeds
Tumblers
Separators
Casers
Water pumps
HVAC ventilation fans
HVAC air handlers
Chill water pumps
Water/wastewater pumps
Trash compactors
Electro Static Technology | 1-866-738-1857 | www.est-aegis.com
Field Survey Testing:
Hormel Foods
The Study
This field survey was conducted at Hormel Foods, Freemont, Nebraska. Voltage readings were taken from the shafts of VFD-driven motors throughout the plant to demonstrate the presence of harmful shaft currents. In addition, voltage readings were taken on the motor that powers the plant’s hog kill main chain drive — both before and after the application of AEGIS™ SGR Bearing Protection Ring technology.
The Problem
The motor studied was a 20HP 1765RPM 256T frame motor that drove the hog kill main chain. High peak-to-peak readings from the motor shaft indicated that currents were building up on the shaft and discharging through the motor bearings, causing EDM pitting and possibility of bearing race fluting.
Without AEGIS™ SGR : 21.1 V peak-peak
The Solution
After AEGIS™ Shaft Grounding Ring technology was applied to the motor shaft, additional readings demonstrated that the rings were effectively channeling harmful shaft currents away from the bearings to ground. Peak-to-peak voltage readings were negligible, far below levels that damage bearings.
Washdown-Duty Motor
HP: 20
Frame: 256T
With AEGIS™ SGR: 0 V peak-peak
Save your washdown-duty motors —
Specify AEGIS™ SGR installed inside
Most VFD-driven washdown motors today are more likely to fail from bearing current damage than from water damage. Proven in hundreds
of thousands of installations, AEGIS™ SGR
protects motor bearings from these damaging VFD-induced currents, dramatically reducing downtime, extending motor life, and improving the reliability of systems.
Electro Static Technology | 1-866-738-1857 | www.est-aegis.com