# Project at work



## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

I cannot divulge into too many details, but this week I have been involved in a pretty cool project. Retrofitting a 700hp medium voltage drive. Basically took a brand new medium voltage drive out of a brand new cell and transplanted it piece by piece wire by wire into an existing cell. I will get some pictures and give more details once the job is complete. It is the first time this model of equipment has ever been retrofit in North America.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

Same brand and model old for new? If not, don't stand in front of it when you energize it... conductor routing has everything to do with a safe VFD design, it's even more critical for MV. Good luck.


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

JRaef said:


> Same brand and model old for new? If not, don't stand in front of it when you energize it... conductor routing has everything to do with a safe VFD design, it's even more critical for MV. Good luck.


You mean inside the VFD itself? Interesting. Care to elaborate on why, and what may happened if this routing isn't done right?


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## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

JRaef said:


> Same brand and model old for new? If not, don't stand in front of it when you energize it... conductor routing has everything to do with a safe VFD design, it's even more critical for MV. Good luck.


Same brand, newer model with new and improved inverter design. We don't stand in front of 4160 gear when it's being energized regardless lol. We have spent the past 2 days routing wiring and terminating. I will try and get pictures of the wiring tomorrow. Spent over 4 hours landing wires to terminal blocks on the door section. You could say it will be factory once its all complete and tested.


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## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

jza said:


> You mean inside the VFD itself? Interesting. Care to elaborate on why, and what may happened if this routing isn't done right?


Give this article a read....

http://www.danfoss.com/NR/rdonlyres...iderationsVFDElectroMagneticCompatibility.pdf

And pinched wires with opening doors and components that can be removed can be of concern. There are some fibre optic communication wires, you do not pinch them or damage whatsoever. We are not qualified to repair fibre optic cable or re term, about 5k for those guys to even look at a damaged fibre optic cable


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## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

Sorry about the delay, just got time today to post about the project. SC9000 5kV MV vfd power pole inverter retrofit complete. All went well. Basically removed all of the components from the new inverter design from a complete new assembly, gutted the existing inverter cabinet, and fit the old cell with the new components. Ran into a few minor hiccups, as was expected we would, few small plc issues and what not. All up and running now. Controls a small 700HP motor ramping start up and stop of a pump for water distribution without getting into specifics. I know there is a lot larger motors and more complex projects, but I thought I would share as it is my first time working on MV drives and the first time this retrofit has been done in north america, so I thought it's pretty neat.


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## theloop82 (Aug 18, 2011)

That is legit electrical work. Looks like you guys did a hell of a job.:thumbsup:


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

jza said:


> You mean inside the VFD itself? Interesting. Care to elaborate on why, and what may happened if this routing isn't done right?


Keeping separation with the 4-20 mA signal wiring and the control wiring will avoid spikes in those signals.. Proper grounding of PTs/CTs.. PROPER equipment grounds, not just a wire stuck under "that" screw because it would reach.. Are a few things I'd be checking and re-checking...


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

nice!:thumbup:


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## HARRY305E (Jun 14, 2013)

EB Electric said:


> Sorry about the delay, just got time today to post about the project. SC9000 5kV MV vfd power pole inverter retrofit complete. All went well. Basically removed all of the components from the new inverter design from a complete new assembly, gutted the existing inverter cabinet, and fit the old cell with the new components. Ran into a few minor hiccups, as was expected we would, few small plc issues and what not. All up and running now. Controls a small 700HP motor ramping start up and stop of a pump for water distribution without getting into specifics. I know there is a lot larger motors and more complex projects, but I thought I would share as it is my first time working on MV drives and the first time this retrofit has been done in north america, so I thought it's pretty neat.


That looks very boring...:whistling2::laughing:
















Nice work:thumbup::thumbup:


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## MWayne (Nov 8, 2010)

Two questions:
What was the reason for the retrofit and how reliable have those Eaton medium voltage drives been?
Thanks!


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## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

MWayne said:


> Two questions:
> What was the reason for the retrofit and how reliable have those Eaton medium voltage drives been?
> Thanks!


The inverter was cooked. It overheated, and after constant overheating, kaput. The inverter section, where it actually rectifies the ac to dc for the dc bus , through 24 diodes, I believe is contained in this themro jelly stuff. The idea was that it would act like a heat sink and dissipate the heat. Well that didn't work out in the long term in this case :laughing: The reason for the retrofit was rather then putting in the same old inverter, the new improved better designed a frame inverter was going in. The new design doesn't just slide right in, so lots of components needed to be modified and swapped to adapt it. I would not be a good person and cannot comment on the reliability I'll leave it at that. I'm sure a few other here have experience and more unbiased opinion on MV drives.


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## RICHGONZO1 (Mar 5, 2012)

Awesome job, love projects like that. We have 4 ABB water cooled medium voltage drives up to 2000hp. Only been at the job for a year and have torn into them on several occasions, mainly blows electronic boards on power dip or surge. It runs Deionized water through the DC buss, and back to a water to water heat exchanger. 1 IGCT card cost $28k and you must change out the entire rack on that phase 3 diodes and 3 IGCT cards per phase! Not too bad to work on, but anytime I get called to it I cringe, could either be a fairly simple reset or an all nighter.


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