Setting up a VFD?

[lazylathe]

My Teco VFD is home and i am reading the manual.
The model # is JNEV-101-H1
http://www.tecowestinghouse.com/PDF/EV_Micro_Drive.pdf
Very confusing to say the least! ???

I get the power in and power out and the simple stuff.

Do i need to have a fuse/breaker before the power goes to the VFD?
Does the VFD have to go in a NEMA enclosure? VFD solutions, the place i bought it from said it did not need to.

I am just looking at a simple install, nothing fancy with brakes and potentiometers etc...

This is the manual:
http://www.tecowestinghouse.com/Manuals/ev_operating_manual.pdf

Not sure what Sink or Source are and if i need to use them??

Any help would be great!!
You can tell i am not really electrically inclined!!! :big:

Andrew

 

[JorgensenSteam]

The inverter cat. no. you list is a 120 volt input, 17.9 amps input at 120 volts, 1-phase.

Output is 4.2 amps, 3-phase, 230 volts, with a maximum motor size of 1 hp, 3-phase.

I assume you are trying to run a 3-phase motor from 120 volts?

The chart says 20 amperes for a fuse, but code requires at least 1.25% on any device, so a 25 amp or probably a standard 30 amp breaker for the input, with #10 wire on the input. Use a #10 ground wire on the input.

The drive protects the motor, and so you do not need overcurrent protection (a fuse or circuit breaker) on the secondary (3-phase motor side) of the drive.

If you are not trying to power a 3-phase, 240 volt motor from 120 volts, then you got the wrong drive.

Somebody else will have to guide you on control wiring, but that should not be difficult, just find someone who has a similar drive and copy their control arrangement. Looks like the controls can be as complex or as simple as you want.

Good luck.

 

[doc1955]

You may want to check your line voltage I know I had to add a voltage regulator to tame down my line in voltage it was running from over 138 to 105 voltage. And I see from the manual it calls for 115 volt +10% -15% .

 

[lazylathe]

It is to run a 3 phase 220V motor, sorry I forgot to mention that.

I will also check the line voltage.
Never thought to check that...

Will update again tomorrow.

Thanks for the help!

Andrew

 

[Don1966]

Ok first of all what are you doing with this drive? How do you want to control it with a variable pot or with an analog input? What size motor do you have? What power input capability do you have, single phase or three phase because it has both options. What kind of output do you require beside controlling the motor this drive give you choices? Do you have a brake and is it DC rated? Will you be using a start stop switch or just an on off switch or are you controlling it with aux equipment? You can not use a circuit breaker to start stop this drive.
Sorry to throw all this at you, but this is required this drive is very flexible and may require a Tech unless you totally understand what you will be connecting or you could distroy it.

Best regards Don

 

[JorgensenSteam]

His model number is 120 VAC, 1-phase input, 240 volt, 3-phase output.

There is no 3-phase input option for that model number.

You can run a 220 volt, 3-phase motor off of 240 volts.

 

[Don1966]

You will need to get the info off the drive input-output and make sure the motor has the same input as the drives output and power also matches. The horsepower must match the drive. The drive is able to run the motor as is. It has a start stop and a speed adjustment. It also has parameters to adjust the frequency to 50/60 HZ output. My experience it may be set for that Frequency already. If not it is set for 200 HZ and the parameter will have to be changed. The 200 HZ will only make it go faster with less horsepower. If you want forward and reverse parameters will have to be programmed for it and switches wired to the proper inputs.
If you just want to start stop it connect your power input single phase to L and N where L is the black wire and N is the white wire, please be sure to ground the drive correctly and also the motor. Connect the motor to T1, T2, and T3. Power up and use your start and stop on the drive and speed dial, please read manual for startup.
Use the cable size and breaker UNIcasting has replied with, but the breaker must be a ground fault breaker.

Good luck Don

 

[Don1966]

One thing I forgot to mention if your motor runs the wrong direction just reverse and two of the motor leads.

Don

 

[Don1966]

Sorry for the multiple replies but I am at work and finally had time to read your manual. The factory default parameter setting has the up and down key pad pushbuttons set to control the speed of your drive. In order to change it to the knob adjustment on the face of the drive parameter F05 will have to be changed from 000 to 001, follow the procedure on page 16 second paragraph It is very easy. Also if you are in north america the frequency is set for 60Hz if not 50hz this is your base frequency,any frequency above that the motor will turn faster then the name plate speed with less HP. In order to have a remote speed adjustment another parameter will have to be changed and also for forward and reverse. Just let me know if you want to use these functions and I will give the proper parameters to change and where to connect.

Regards Don

 

[JorgensenSteam]

I don't think you are going to find a 30 amp, 120 volt, ground fault breaker. The 20 ampere GFI breakers I have purchased are very expensive and very unreliable.

I am not aware of a code requirement for running a motor on a GFCI circuit. I would think that using an equipment grounding conductor in the circuit to the drive and motor, and grounding the VFD and the frame of the motor would be sufficient. Again #10 wire for the hot, neutral and ground.

 

[Don1966]

A 20amp breaker will do since you have a variable drive the starting current will be low. The code will not give you any problem with it lower only higher. I do not think the 20 amp will give you problems. If you feel you do not want a ground fault breaker do as you wish. Sheet 11 of the manual suggest a ground fault for safety reasons.

Regards Don

 

[lazylathe]

Sorry guys it was late last night and i did not supply all of the info.
I did not think it would be such a procedure to set one up.

Anyway...
I emailed the company the motor specs and the type of machine it would be running, my Clausing mill.
This is the motor:

I am going to be running it from 110V current and have the VFD convert it to the required 220V 3 phase.
The motor is wired up for this configuration already.

The power coming to the unit is on a 20 amp breaker.
I will install another one before it reaches the VFD or should this be the ground fault breaker?

I am going to be using the control panel to run the mill for now.
Other options can always be added at a later date and as i learn about them.

As for braking i do not mind waiting a while for it to slow down.
This is not a production facility! ;D

I will make sure i get #10 wire for the connections.

This is what i was looking at.
The unit is the same as mine only for a bigger motor.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...teco-vfd-install-enclosure-3-ph-motor-226569/

Does not seem to complicated, only have to check the mains line voltage to ensure it is within spec!

Andrew

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Your motor is only 3/4 hp, so I think you could run a 20 ampere, 120 volt input breaker.

As Don mentioed, you will not have the typical 6 times the motor operating current surge that a typical motor has, since you are operating it off of a VDF. Typical breaker sizes for motors started across the line are anywhere from 1.5 to 2.0 or sometimes more of the motor full load amps. This assumes the motor either has a built in overload element, or has a starter with an overload element(s).

I have had so much trouble with 20 ampere, 120 volt GFCI breakers that I hesitate to recommend one. If you do use one, you only need one in the panelboard at the beginning of the circuit. If you already have a 20 ampere 120 volt non-GFCI breaker in your panel, you can just use a 20 ampere GFCI receptacle mounted in a junction box, and plug your drive into that.

If you are using a 20 ampre breaker at the start of the circuit, then the wire for that circuit can be #12 for hot, neutral and ground.

The wiring between the drive and the motor could be smaller than #12, but I always stick with #12 minimum wire size in the shop, since typically I use a roll of wire for multiple applications, and I don't want to be melting wires if I use it for something with a 20 ampre breaker.

 

[Noitoen]

I've installed a fair amount of VFD's and I've never seen one (standard) that supplies a higher voltage than the input. A single phase 200/240 V one will supply three phase 200/240 V maximum or any value in between. A standard motor has a linear voltage/frequency curve related to the designed voltage/frequency. That's why on a 50/60Hz motor you see 380/440V 1hp/1.2hp 2980/3580 RPM.

When you program a VFD you have to mention the motor's voltage/frequency relation and on a 220V/50hz motor, if you measure the voltage on the motor's terminals with r RMS volt meter when the motor is running at 25Hz you will measure 110V.


(back later)

 

[Don1966]

I agree with UNIcasting make sure your ground fault breaker is mounted inside the breaker panel if you decide to use it. When you are ready to add morw to the unit let us know my profile has my PM address. Once you play with the program parameters on page 16 it will come to you. Start on page 17 table 10.F1 you will see a column that says factory defaults settings on the left most colum you will see a list of F00- F07 parameters and continues on the next pages. Look at the factory default and code parameters and compare them then you you understand what has to be done to make it work like you want to.

Good luck Don

 

[lazylathe]

I do not know if i am comfortable working in the breaker panel...
Would it be okay to install a GFCI receptacle that is powered from a 20 amp breaker directly from the panel?

So it would go:
1- 20 amp breaker in panel
2- GFCI receptacle on direct line from the 20 amp breaker in the panel
3- Not sure if i would still need another fuse of some sort after the GCFI
4- 110V power into VFD and 220V 3 phase out to motor.

I checked the line voltage of the house and it is running at 115V.
This would be within the limits mentioned in the destruction manual.

Andrew

 

[Don1966]

I repeat my previous post check the output and input rating on the drive name plate make sure it matches the input and output you want. They do my drive that double the input voltage to the output only on small drives the circuit is called a voltage doubler. VFd drives convert AC TO DC then switch it with transistors to produce AC with a freq to HZ ratio for controlling the flux in the motor which in small terms controls the torque and RPM.

Don

 

[lazylathe]

I will take a pic of the name plate and post that soon!

Andrew

 

[Don1966]

We must have posters on top of each other Andrew. You will not need a fuse and you can connect as you have posted. If you do not fell comfortable connecting please get someone to do it for you, safety is always first. Electricity is not to forgiving. If you do insure power is off and double check to be sure.

Regards Don

 

[JorgensenSteam]

If you do your own wiring, be sure to adhere to standard wiring insulation colors.

Around here (which may or may not apply to where you are), for 120 volts, the black wire is a "hot" wire, ie: it is energized at 120 volts with respect to ground ("hot wire" is a very misleading term, but it is the term that one commonly hears).

The black wire connects to your 120 volt breaker.

The white wire on a 120 volt ciruit is the neutral, and it connects to the neutral bus in your panelboard. If your panelboard is the service entrance to your house, then you should have a neutral bus and a ground bus which are connected together either by a metal bar, or sometimes a screw. For any panel which is not your service entrance panelboard, then the neutral bus and ground bus should never be connected together, as this can be fatal (it causes the return current in the neutral to flow through all the exposed metal in your system, j-boxes, metal panel cases, you, etc).

It is a common but dangerous mistake to use a non-insulate ground bus as a neutral bus in a panelboard that is not a service entrance. Neutral busses should always be insulated from the panelboard metal housing, and neutral and ground wires should never be connected together other than at the service entrance panelboard.

In the case where you connect to either panel type, connect the white wire to the neutral bus.

The green wire is the ground, and it should connect to the ground bus in any type panel, and also should connect to any metal cases such as equipment cases, metal junction boxes, and the metal case of the motor.

Be sure you don't mix wires/colors/hot/neutral/ground.