International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 3, March 2013)

Energy Saving Mechanism Using Variable Frequency Drives

Neetha John1, Mohandas R2, Suja C Rajappan3
1,3

PG Scholar, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering & Technology, L&T Bypass Road ,Coimbatore-62,
Affiliated to Anna University of Chennai.
2
Assistant Professor/Department of EEE, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering & Technology, L&T Bypass Road,
Coimbatore-62, Affiliated to Anna University of Chennai.
Energy conservation is necessary because with the ever
increasing demand, need for electrical power can only be
meet by conserving electrical power in addition to
installation of new generating units. A major proportion of
electrical power in a plant is consumed by electrical
derives. Significant amount of electrical energy can be
saved by the use of efficient and rigid type of electrical
drives. Variable frequency drive is one of the many wellknown energy efficient drives.
Within the industry, a variable frequency drive is
commonly referred to as inverter. The speed controller is
also known by other names such as, Variable Speed Drive
(VSD), Adjustable Speed Drive (ASD), and Variable
Voltage Variable Frequency Drive (VVVF).
The growing popularity of variable frequency drives is
due to its ability to control the speed of induction motors,
which are the most commonly, used motors in industries.
Traditionally, an induction motor is used for constant speed
and constant torque applications and when variable speed
or torque is required, a DC motor or wound ac motor is
used. But now AC induction motors with Variable
Frequency Drives are used for variable speed applications.
Such drives reduce the energy consumption of motors and
increase the energy efficiency of plants..
Energy crisis has a bearing on all socioeconomic
development of a country and its sovereignty. Energy
conservation is necessary because with the ever increasing
demand, need for electrical power can only be meet by
conserving electrical power in addition to installation of
new generating units. Variable frequency drive is
applicable for the air flow control to boiler of thermal
power plants. At present, the air flow to boiler is controlled
by a control vane mechanism associated with Forced Draft
fan and induction motor. The replacement of control vane
mechanism by means of a variable frequency drive or
variable speed drive reduces the energy consumption of
motor. A variable-frequency drive is a system for
controlling the rotational speed of an alternating current
electric motor by controlling the frequency of the electrical
power supplied to the motor. It is a specific type
of adjustable-speed drive. Variable-frequency drives are
also known as AC drives or inverter drives.

Abstract Many industrial applications require variable

flow control of fluid (air, chemical gases, water and liquid
chemicals). The traditional method of such flow control is to
use an induction motor at constant speed with 50-Hz power
supply and then control the flow by means of a throttle. Many
fixed-speed motor load applications that are supplied direct
from AC line power can save energy when they are operated
at variable-speed, by means of VFD. Such energy cost savings
are especially used in variable-torque centrifugal fan and
pump applications, where the loads torque and power vary
with the square and cube, respectively of the speed. This
change gives a large power reduction compared to fixed-speed
operation for a relatively small reduction in speed. Also by
Using a variable frequency drive to control the fluid flow with
a fully open throttle saves a considerable amount of power. As
most of the drives operate at part load most of the time, the
accumulated energy saving or the corresponding financial
benefit, may be substantial over a prolonged period of time.
Because this type of fluid flow control is common in industry,
widespread application of variable-frequency drives with
power electronics area can help in large energy conservation.
The main aim of this paper is to reduce the energy
consumption by the implementation of VFD and hence the
proper control of fluid flows.
Keywords Variable frequency drive, Adjustable speed
drive, Variable voltage variable frequency drive, Energy
conservation, Affinity law

I. INTRODUCTION
Energy in its different form is the basic input for life. It
is equally essential for the improvement quality of life.
Energy crisis has a bearing on all socioeconomic
development of a country and its sovereignty. There has
been an enormous increase in the global demand for energy
in recent years as a result of industrial development and
population growth. Since, our conventional sources of
energy or fossil fuels are running short; it is now the cry of
the day to work harder for the development, improvement
and up gradation of renewable sources of energy with
protection, conservation and existing conventional sources.
The reduction in the amount of energy consumed in a
process or system, or by an organization or society through
economy and elimination of wastage is called as energy
conservation.
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Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 3, March 2013)
Variable-frequency motors on fans save energy by
allowing the volume of air moved to match the system
demand. In variable speed applications, power required
varies roughly with the cube of the speed. This is referred
to as the Affinity laws, which define the relationships
between speed and power. The implementation of Variable
Frequency Drive helps the captive power plant to save
about 23% of electrical energy consumption.
Industrial processes are characterized by the necessity
for variation and optimization of the process to achieve
satisfactory products and to achieve the most efficient and
economic method of production. This calls for the need to
Fig 1: Comparison between power and flow for different fan control
types
control the flow rates of materials throughout the plant so
that the most satisfactory condition can be achieved against
Variable frequency drives also have the potential to
the many plant variables.
reduce system maintenance and related costs. Control with
A variable frequency drive (VFD) is a type of adjustable
a VFD affords the capability to soft start a motor, which
speed drive used to control the rotational speed of an
means the motor, can be brought up to its running speed
alternating current electric motor by adjusting the
slowly rather than abruptly starting and stopping. Similarly,
frequency and voltage applied to the motor. Electric motors
running the motor at lower speeds extends the lifetime of
drive many types of equipment, including fans, pumps, and
other equipment components, including shafts and
air compressors.
bearings.
Although equipment can generally operate at velocities
In addition to enabling precise speed control of
less than the maximum design speed, motors typically drive
applications such as conveyors or winders, other
equipment at a constant rate. Flow and pressure are
parameters such as pressure, flow and even temperature
regulated through the use of a throttling device, such as a
may be accurately controlled. The efficiency of the
valve, damper, or bypass. A variable frequency drive
electrical supply is increased and more of the electrical
provides a more efficient way to control varying flow rates
current drawn is used to drive the load. Hence the
and pressures.
implementation of VFD improves the power factor of the
system. In addition to this VFD provides good dynamic
response. This can be achieved by rapid adjustment of
speed, torque and power and hence gives better control in
high speed applications. In some applications it is also
possible to operate motors at higher speeds than their
nominal speeds.
The other advantage of VFD is that it is possible to
interface VFDs to wider process control systems such as
supervisory control, data acquisition (SCADA) systems and
building management systems (BMS). Hence VFD is able
to compute intelligence and communication systems.

II. BENEFITS OF VFD

The use of variable frequency drive control offers
several advantages. The most significant benefit is its
potential to reduce electrical energy consumption and
demand from motor-driven processes.
Figure 1 below compares the relative power
requirements of a fan at different flow rates, using three
types of throttling control: outlet damper control, variable
inlet vane control, and VFD control. Although VFDs save
far more energy than throttling, the technology has not yet
achieved widespread adoption. According to the Bonneville
Power Administration, throttling continues as one of the
most common and inefficient methods to control a fan or
pump.

III. VFDS OPERATION AND ENERGY SAVING PRINCIPLES

A VFD can reduce energy consumption of a motor by as
much as 60%. This is due to the fact that they control the
speed of the motor by altering the frequency and therefore
the power supplied to it.

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Even a small reduction in the rotational speed can give

At 50% speed for 20% of time;

significant saving in the energy consumed by the motor. In
Power @50% = power @100% Speed @ 50%
order to do so we take a closer look to the so called affinity
Speed @100%
laws which are used in hydraulics to express relationships
= 20* (50/100)
between the variables involved in the operation and
= 2.5 hp
performance of rotary machines such as pumps and fans.
Cost @50% = 2.5 * 0.746 * (20% *8760 hr) * 5/kWh
Most HVAC equipment is designed to perform during peak
= Rs.16337/loads. These loads occur rarely during the operating year.

At 80% speed for 50% of time;

To control flow during off-max load conditions, flow
Power@80% = power @100% Speed @ 80%
control devices such as dampers, valves, inlet guide vanes
Speed @100%
and bypass systems are used .These throttling devices are
effective, but not energy efficient. Using variable frequency
= 20* (80/100)
drives (VFD) varies the speed of fans and pumps, referred
= 10.24 hp
to as the affinity laws, allows the equipment to meet the
Cost @80% = 10.24 * 0.746 * (50% *8760 hr)* 5/kWh
partial load requirement and save energy. Affinity Laws are
= Rs. 167295/used in hydraulic and HVAC system to express the relation

At 100% speed for 30% of time;

between several variables involved in pump and fan
Power @100% = 20 hp
performance such as (such as, shaft speed, and power).
Cost @100% = 20 * 0.746 * (30%*8760 hr)*5/kWh
They apply to pumps, fans, and hydraulic turbines.
= Rs.196048/Flow is directly proportional to speed;
Q2/Q1
=
Annual cost savings from installing a VFD on this
N2/N1
motor is,
Torque required is proportional to speed squared;
= 653496 - (16337 + 167295 + 196048)
= Rs. 273816/
T2/T1 = (N2/N1)
= 42% of the cost
Power is proportional to the cube of the shaft speed;
V. HOW DOES A VFD WORK?

P2/P1 = (N2/N1)

As we know, the induction motors are the workhorse of

industry, which will rotate at a fixed speed that is
determined by the frequency of the supply voltage.
Alternating current applied to the stator windings produces
a magnetic field that rotates at synchronous speed. This
speed may be calculated by dividing line frequency by the
number of magnetic pole pairs in the motor winding. A
four-pole motor, for example, has two pole pairs, and
therefore the magnetic field will rotate 60 Hz / 2 = 30
revolutions per second, or 1800 rpm. The rotor of an
induction motor will attempt to follow this rotating
magnetic field, and, under load, the rotor speed "slips"
slightly behind the rotating field. This small slip speed
generates an induced current, and the resulting magnetic
field in the rotor produces torque. Since an induction
motor rotates near synchronous speed, the most effective
and energy-efficient way to change the motor speed is to
change the frequency of the applied voltage. VFDs convert
the fixed-frequency supply voltage to a continuously
variable frequency, thereby allowing adjustable motor
speed. A VFD converts 50 Hz power, for example, to a
new frequency in two stages: the rectifier stage and the
inverter stage. The conversion process incorporates three
functions:

IV. HOW MUCH ENERGY CAN SAVE?

The potential energy savings from installing a VFD is
illustrated in the following example. Consider a 20horsepower motor that drives a centrifugal pump. The
pump operates at full speed for 365 days annually, 24 hours
each day. The operational cost is calculated with the
following formula:
Cost = Power (kW) * Running Time *Cost/kwh
So, when constantly running at 100% speed (and
assuming Rs.5/kWh), the cost is:
Cost @ 100%

= 20 hp * .746 kw/hp *365 *24 *5/kWh

= Rs. 653496/-

Since this particular pump accommodates a varying

load, the pump does not need to be run at full speed
throughout the day and therefore, a variable frequency
drive can be employed to reduce the pump motor speed.
The pump load schedule is: 20% of the time at 50% full
speed; 50% of the time at 80% full speed; and 30% of the
time at 100% full speed. The savings from the installation
of a VFD to control a motor are estimated using the pump
affinity laws, which estimate that the power required by a
motor is proportional to the cube of the speed.
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TABLE I
Rectifier stage: A full-wave, solid-state rectifier convert
Air Flow Control Using VFD
three- phase 50 Hz power from a standard 208, 460, 575 or
higher utility supply to either fixed or adjustable DC
Time
Steam
Air
Speed
Power Energy
voltage. The system may include transformers if higher
load
supply voltages are used.
(rpm)
(kw)
(kwh)
(ton/hr) (ton/hr)
Inverter stage: Electronic switches - power transistors or
thyristors - switch the rectified DC on and off, and produce
0
45
70
1147
75
75
a current or voltage waveform at the desired new
1
44
69
1131
72
72
frequency. The amount of distortion depends on the design
of the inverter and filter.
2
43
68
1114
69
69
3
42
67
1098
66
66
Control system: An electronic circuit receives feedback
4
45
70
1147
75
75
information from the driven motor and adjusts the output
5
39
63
1033
55
55
voltage or frequency to the selected values. Usually the
6
46
71
1164
79
79
output voltage is regulated to produce a constant ratio of
7
44
79
1131
72
72
voltage to frequency (V/Hz). Controllers may incorporate
many complex control functions. Converting DC to
8
45
70
1147
75
75
variable frequency AC is accomplished using an inverter.
9
47
74
1213
89
89
Most currently available inverters use pulse width
10
46
71
1164
79
79
modulation (PWM) because the output current waveform
11
43
68
1114
69
69
closely approximates a sine wave.
12
42
67
1098
66
66
13
43
68
1114
69
69
14
45
70
1147
75
75
15
44
69
1131
72
72
16
45
70
1147
75
75
17
39
63
1033
55
55
18
46
71
1164
79
79
19
47
74
1213
89
89
20
46
71
1164
79
79
21
45
70
1147
75
75
22
47
74
1213
89
89
Fig 2: Circuit Diagram of VFD
23
48
75
1229
93
93

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VI. CALCULATIONS

Average energy consumed per day with VFD

(E1)
= 1791 kWh
Average energy consumed per day without VFD
(E2)
= power * time
= 3*3.3*1000*24*0.89*24
= 2930 kWh
Energy savings per day with VFD = E2-E1
= 2930-1791
= 1139 kWh
Energy savings per year with VFD =365*(E2-E1)
= 416000 kWh
Profit = Energy savings per year with VFD*
Unit cost of Energy
Unit cost of Energy can be calculated based on the
cost of the captive power.
Let us take the unit cost of captive power =Rs.12.49/Profit =Energy savings per year * Unit cost of
Energy
=416000*12.49 = 52 lakhs

The table I describes the air flow control using variable

frequency drive. Without using variable frequency drive,
the air flow can be controlled by some control vane
mechanism. But the energy consumption will be very high,
since the motor is running at running at fixed speed. Hence
by using variable frequency drive, we can control the speed
of motor and hence the flow can be fully regulated.
According to affinity law we can say that reducing the
speed of motor reduces the power consumption also.

Fig 3: Open Loop speed control of induction motor using VFD

The circuit diagram for Open loop speed control of

Induction Motor using variable frequency drive is shown in
Fig. 3. The specifications used for simulation are phasephase rms voltage = 311V, input line frequency=50Hz, the
induction motor machine parameter is about 215 hp
(160kw), 400 V, 50 Hz, 1487 rpm and 50 Nm
The gating signals are shown in fig 4.Fig 5 shows the
simulation result for the applied frequency is about 120 Hz.
Here 120 degree mode of conduction is applied. In this type
of control, each switch conducts for 120. Only two
switches remain on at any instant of time.
The conduction sequence of switches is 61, 12, 23, 34,
45, 56, & 61. For 120 mode of operation, the duration of
pulse width will be 33.33% (120/360).

VII. SIMULATION RESULTS

The computer simulation result of the variable frequency
drive fed induction motor is done by Matlab/simulink and
the results are presented. The induction motor is fed by a
current-controlled PWM inverter. The speed control loop
uses a proportional-integral controller to produce the
quadrature-axis current reference which controls the motor
torque. Here the controlled switch used is IGBT. The speed
control can be done by using v/f control.

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Fig 5b : Power Waveform

The above fig 5a& 5b represents the speed and the

power waveform of the three phase induction motor
respectively. The frequency given to the motor is about 120
Hz. Hence the time period will be T=1/120 = 8.33ms.
When supplying this frequency, in accordance with the
motor specifications, the motor is assumed to be held
constant at 1373 rpm and the power consumption is nearly
about 161 kW.

Fig 4: Gating Signals for 120 Mode of Conduction

Fig 5a : Speed Waveform

Fig 6: Closed Loop speed control of induction motor using VFD

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The circuit diagram for closed loop speed control of
Apart from speed control and energy savings, the uses of
Induction Motor using variable frequency drive is shown in
Variable Frequency Drives provide soft start, reduction in
Fig. 6. In closed loop method, the motor running speed and
starting current, and also reduce tear and wear. Also a VFD
the reference speed are compared and it is given to a
fed induction motor is modeled using open loop and closed
controller circuit. So that the motor can always run at the
loop and simulated using Matlab.
reference speed. Here the reference speed given is 1400
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rpm and the waveform shows that the motor running speed
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[6]
[7]

[8]

[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]

Fig 7: Speed Waveform

[13]
[14]

VIII. CONCLUSIONS
In this study it is found that, the speed control of
induction motor using variable frequency drive can save
energy according to affinity law. According to this
assumption a small reduction in speed can save a large
amount of energy.

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Sergelen B., Electric drive with two parallel synchronous motors
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