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How do Variable Frequency Drives improve the performance of HVAC-R air conditioning systems?
The concept of air conditioning involves control over the environmental conditions of an enclosed space. This includes temperature, humidity, air quality and air speed.
The entire process of air conditioning, which involves altering and treating the air, incorporates systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, known by the acronym HVAC-R.
In the industrial context, air conditioning is responsible for guaranteeing the ideal operating temperature range for machinery and equipment. Therefore, the performance, associated costs and useful life of the equipment is preserved, and eventually even extended.
Besides that, air conditioning is also important for providing thermal comfort to workers, so that the team's productivity is not affected by unpleasant temperatures.
Variable Frequency Drives are essential components in air conditioning systems because they can have a positive impact on their performance. They offer more precise temperature control, extend the useful life of the system and significantly reduce energy costs, among other qualities that enhance air conditioning systems.
All HVAC-R systems originally operate with fixed-speed motors. Variable frequency drives come to customize each system to obtain the best result.
Variable Frequency Drives in Heating Systems:
The basis of any central heating system is the heat source. It can be achieved through various energy sources: gas boiler, oil, electricity, steam, biomass or even through solar thermal energy. The type of generator is chosen depending on the specific needs of the industrial installation, operational costs and environmental considerations.
Variable frequency drives are used to control motor speeds. This allows adjusting the amount of water or hot air in circulation, providing more precise control of the room temperature.
They also prevent electrical current spikes and reduce the mechanical stress on motors and associated equiment.
Variable Frequency Drives in Fans:
Industrial fans are designed to move air, creating airflow. This current, as well as generating pressure changes, alters the temperature of the air. Proper ventilation guarantees air renewal, the removal of pollutants and the maintenance of adequate oxygen levels.
When variable frequency drives are applied, the air quality is controlled more precisely, as well as the speed of the fans, according to the level of pollutants in the air. When toxin levels in the air are low, the fans start at low speed and begin to spread the air to specific zones. If the toxin levels don't drop within a certain period, the variable frequency drives will increase gradually the fans speed until the situation is resolved.
Variable Frequency Drives in Air Conditioning Systems:
Very shortly, air conditioners work by inspiring the humidity and air presence in the environment to transform it and distribute again. They are used either to cool or heat the temperature of a space.
Usually, these systems are designed for maximum occupancy and extreme external environments. This means that they consume a huge amount of energy, not to mention their impact on the ecological footprint. Most of the time, there is a significant margin for the system's motors to operate at variable speed by applying a variable frequency drive.
With this update, variable frequency drives extend the useful life and reduce wear on the motor, they also control vibrations, avoiding unnecessary ones and significantly reducing current consumption.
Variable Frequency Drives in Refrigeration Systems:
Industrially, the most commonly used refrigeration method is through compressors. In general, the compressor is responsible for compressing the fluid or refrigerant gas, allowing pressure changes to occur, causing it to move along a refrigeration circuit.
The problem is that most of the time compressors are controlled by fixed-speed motors.
By applying variable frequency drives capable of measuring temperatures and pressure, calculating the optimal performance, adjusting the compressor speed and the opening of electronic valves, allows inefficient fixed-speed compressors to be converted intro variable-speed systems, which are more efficient with lower consumption.
In addition, the system is more efficient with less downtime, which is crucial for certain companies with a large refrigeration system.
Variable frequency drives prove to be highly advantageous for HVAC-R systems. They provide precise control motor speed, resulting in significant benefits such as reduced energy costs and consumption, reduced mechanical wear, return of investment (ROI), adaptability and flexibility, among other advantages that make variable frequency drives a smart choice for improving the performance and sustainability of air HVAC-R systems.
