# programming vfd and AB supertech



## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

nolabama said:


> So I asked my supertech how to check the tolerances set up on the VFD i am having problems with. He said they are factory set and cant be changed. Is he full of bull.


That would depend on what tolerances can be set via the programming panel. Do you have the user's and installation manuals for the drives? They should have the section for parameter settings in them. If not, check-out http://rockwellautomation.com
Last I checked, they still had these online in PDF format. Unless special order, I can't imagine having a programmable drive with no programming ability. There has to be some way of "taking up slack" given that fact that no field conditions are ever going to be the same! Hope this helps...

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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

nolabama said:


> So I asked my supertech how to check the tolerances set up on the VFD i am having problems with. He said they are factory set and cant be changed. Is he full of bull.


Maybe not, but it sounds like he was generally unwilling to help you. 

I think it may be a semantics issue. I have no idea what you might mean by "tolerances" in something like a VFD. Tolerances to me means anything that will be expressed using a +- % or numeric value. So if you asked that question to me about any drive, I might have given you the same answer, if I was is a grumpy mood. 

If you describe what troubles you are having, regulars in this group have a lot of collective experience and may be able to help. But please give details.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

I also want to know where one goes to get the title "Supertech". Do you have to be born on a dying planet and shot into space towards a compatible planet by a genius father, only to end up living on a farm not knowing how super you are until puberty when you convert the family tractor into a 200MW power station?


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

JRaef said:


> I also want to know where one goes to get the title "Supertech". Do you have to be born on a dying planet and shot into space towards a compatible planet by a genius father, only to end up living on a farm not knowing how super you are until puberty when you convert the family tractor into a 200MW power station?


JRaef-
I would like to know the same thing, but have gotten the same answers from them at times regarding programmable parameters... "You cannot do that!" A programmable, one size fits all, but you have to have THEIR programmer there to do it? And if it can't be done because they don't want to leave a desk? Sounds like Jon security to me!
:blink::laughing:

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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

JRaef said:


> I also want to know where one goes to get the title "Supertech". Do you have to be born on a dying planet and shot into space towards a compatible planet by a genius father, only to end up living on a farm not knowing how super you are until puberty when you convert the family tractor into a 200MW power station?


That is great. I thought the same thing.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

So what "PARAMETERS" are you inquiring about? Most all the parameters are adjustable and some can only be adjusted when the drive is in stop or disabled mode.
_Superteck_. I would be embarrassed to have a title like that. Or did you just attach that title to him?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

No I cannot claim giving him that title, my engineer refers to him as a supertech. Aceptable voltage limits, both high and low. Are they adjustable. He claimed nameplate data has that and they are not adjustable.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

nolabama said:


> No I cannot claim giving him that title, my engineer refers to him as a supertech. Aceptable voltage limits, both high and low. Are they adjustable. He claimed nameplate data has that and they are not adjustable.


Nola, what are we working on here? Power flex 4, 40, 70, 700? Do you happen to have the catalog number too?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Powerflex 700


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

nolabama said:


> No I cannot claim giving him that title, my engineer refers to him as a supertech. Aceptable voltage limits, both high and low. Are they adjustable. He claimed nameplate data has that and they are not adjustable.


Just went thru the installation guide, Nola, and it states nominal motor voltage -10% to rated voltage +10%. In other words, for a 480V drive, you should be able to safely operate in the 460 to 528VAC range. The manual says that this is NOT an adjustable parameter. Hope this helps....

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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Not adjustable. Great. If only the durn thing would operate in that voltage range....Thanks for the help.


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

nolabama said:


> Not adjustable. Great. If only the durn thing would operate in that voltage range....Thanks for the help.


Your line voltage low or high? Are you using reactors ahead of the drive? Just asking...

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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

nolabama said:


> Not adjustable. Great. If only the durn thing would operate in that voltage range....Thanks for the help.


Maybe I'm not understanding your issue here. Are you wanting to adjust the motor OUTPUT voltage? If so, that is fully adjustable from 0 to the line voltage. But you cannot adjust it above what is available, the VFD cannot create voltage from thin air (if it could, all the energy problems in the world would be solved!). And you shouldn't adjust it above the motor's nameplate voltage either, bad for the motor.

But if you are referring to the OPERATING voltage that the PF700 can tolerate, of course there is a limit. The +- 10% refers to the drive's NORMAL operating range, meaning no derating necessary. It is capable of operating at anywhere from 342 to 528VAC but if you want to run a 460V motor and you only have 420V available, it can't help you but you can adjust the drive to operate on 420V and limit the speed accordingly, as long as you derate the VFD as well. The same is true if you have more than 528VAC, it will work, but may run hot so you have to derate it. 
A 480V PF700 drive trips on O.V. at 570VAC and U.V. at 280VAC, that's a pretty wide range if you ask me. You want it higher than that? That's asking a lot.

When you say "If only the durn thing would operate in that voltage range" I perceive that you are having some sort of tripping issue on voltages? 
The DC bus O.V. trip point is 810VDC from a nominal bus voltage of 648VDC, that too is higher than any other VFD I have seen on the market. The DC bus U.V. trip point is 305VDC, again a fairly wide operating range. 

As I suggested earlier, describe exactly what's happening, maybe we can help.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

My drive is operating around 440 vac. It is not running anywhere near 480vac. Not even close to 500vac


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

jmsmith said:


> Your line voltage low or high? Are you using reactors ahead of the drive? Just asking...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


Would also like to know whether you are talking LINE voltage, or OUTPUT voltage... I was assuming that you were referring to LINE IN... My bad! If it is your feed, though, my questions above still apply.

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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

nolabama said:


> My drive is operating around 440 vac. It is not running anywhere near 480vac. Not even close to 500vac


Is this still on your bridge drive with the single phase input from the PoCo?


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

JRaef said:


> Is this still on your bridge drive with the single phase input from the PoCo?


Was kinda wondering the same thing...

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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes someone asked in another thread if i had check the tolerences , which i had not. Asked said super tech, he talked about nameplate data, and viola ..asked youse guys and seems like i am stuck like chuck on that drive. Anyway we are attacking this from another angle at the moment, i just wanted to cover all my bases. Thanks for tje continued help on this .


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

nolabama said:


> Yes someone asked in another thread if i had check the tolerences , which i had not. Asked said super tech, he talked about nameplate data, and viola ..asked youse guys and seems like i am stuck like chuck on that drive. Anyway we are attacking this from another angle at the moment, i just wanted to cover all my bases. Thanks for tje continued help on this .


What I can see at this point is two options:
You can go with JRaef, derate the drive and set-up the drive to operate at the lower voltage setting, or if your transformer is not tapped where the voltage can be raised, you can install a boost transformer if you must run the motor full-tilt. Is a gearbox change a possibility? Or perhaps another build-out of the drive that will provide tolerance for the lower feed voltage? Maybe JRaef could think on something else here.

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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

I was jist wondering if that was a user changable parameter. We are installing a high voltage autotransformer to correct voltage fluctuations. And are gearing up to remove the theee phase motors, swapping em over to single phase.


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

nolabama said:


> I was jist wondering if that was a user changable parameter. We are installing a high voltage autotransformer to correct voltage fluctuations. And are gearing up to remove the theee phase motors, swapping em over to single phase.


Was wondering about that... Seems to me that running three-phase just because that is what the company spares just didn't make sense to me.... It look's like you would would use a lot of power just to generate heat to me. Someone here might know something that I haven't seen yet, but I think that it would be a waste on just one or two pieces of equipment in the long run... BTW, proud to hear you're finally getting a handle on the situation... It's all downhill from here! :thumbsup: Y'all have a good one!

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