Application: VSD failure
Introduction
• A variable speed drive on a critical system, the
fault indicator LED is on
• According to the VSD (variable speed drive), the
error code is F4; this is: the drive has detected an
“under voltage” condition and shuts down
How do you identify if the failure is in the drive,
in the motor or in a distorted supply voltage?
A typical industrial electrical distribution system
with non-linear loads
Diagnosing VSD failure
Using a DMM
• Check the input line voltage (figure 1)
– A typical multimeter will display either average
or rms voltage values
– Depending on the type of distortion, the rms or
peak value may not reveal if a problem exists
• Check the VSD dc bus voltage
– The dc bus voltage is directly proportional to the
peak of the input line voltage
– Any distortion or error in peak amplitude of the
line voltage can cause an over- or undervoltage error
• The drive dc bus voltage in figure 2
shows around 20 % under the nominal
value of 160 V
Do you replace the drive
controller and/or motor?
Figure 1. Measuring the line voltage at
the input to a Pulse Width Modulated
drive, appears to be normal
Figure 2. Checking the dc bus voltage
level is less than nominal revealing a
potential problem
Diagnosing line voltage distortion..
Using an Oscilloscope
• Check the input line voltage
– Connect the oscilloscope to Phase and the ground
lead to Neutral
– The waveform reveals sine wave peaks that are
rounded, almost becoming a “flat top” (figure 3)
– When this occurs, the ratio between “peak” versus
“rms” measured values is smaller than 1.4, as it
should be
– Figure 4 shows a circuit with an ideal line voltage
wave shape
The waveform distortion is caused by a
Figure 3.
Oscilloscope
waveform
displaying flat
top input line
voltage
Figure 4.
Ideal line
voltage
sine wave
non-linear load attached to the same feeder
circuit, and not necessarily the VSD or motor
Troubleshooting using an oscilloscope
Conclusion
• A DMM can display precise amplitude RMS or
Peak values
• An oscilloscope will graphically show amplitude
(RMS or peak) as well as any distortion,
disturbance and noise that may be present on the
waveform
Fluke 120 Series
ScopeMeter
Dual input oscilloscope
and multimeter makes
troubleshooting as
easy as 123!
A picture is worth more than
a thousand words.
The more you see–the more you can fix!
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