TechnicalInstructions LMVSeries
DocumentNo.LV5‐1000
Section5 Page6 SCCInc.
TheDCbuscanabsorbasmallamountofenergyintheDCbuscapacitors.However,ifthemotor
generatesmorethanwhatthesecapacitorscanabsorb,theDCbusvoltagewillrisetocriticallevelsand
oneoftwoactionswillbetakenbytheVFD.DependingontheparametersettingoftheVFD,theVFD
willeitherstopdecelerating(stallprevention)ortheVFDwillalarmandshutdown.Eit
heroneofthe
actionsisnotadesirableresultonacombustionairapplication.
ToavoidDCbusovervoltageissues,abrakingresistorcanbeaddedtotheVFDsothattheexcess
electricalenergygeneratedbydeceleratingtheblow
erwheelcanbeturnedtoheat.Thisprocess
happensseamlesslysothattheVFDcandeceleratetheblowersmoothly.
Duetoanumberofvariables,itisdifficulttodetermi neifa brakingresistorwillbeneededona
particularapplicationunlessthatapplicationhasbeentested.Theonlydisadvantageofhavingabraking
resistorandnotnee
dingitiscostandpossiblythespacefortheresistor.Burnershavingthefollowing
characteristicswilltypicallyneedabrakingresistor:
1. Aheavyblowerwheel‐Kineticenergyisstoredinaspinningwheel.Theheaviertheblowerwheel,
thegreaterthestoredenergy.Whenthiswheelissloweddown,thekineticenergymustgo
somewhere,anditisusually"pushed"backtotheVFDaselectricalenergy.
2. Fastramptimes‐Thefastertheramptimes,thefastertheblowerwheelmustbeacceleratedand
decelerated.Justlikeacar,moreenergyisrequiredtoacceleratequickly(biggerengine)andmore
energyisrequiredtobedissipatedwhendeceleratingquickly(biggerbrakes).Deceleratingagiven
blowerwheelmorequicklywillpushmoreelectricalenergybacktotheVFD.
3. Mostlyclosedairdamper‐Amotorspinningat3600RPMdrawsfewerampswithaclosedornearly
closedairdamperascomparedtoawideopenairdamper.Thus,thehorsepowerusedbythe
motorandthedrag(braking)ontheblower wheelwillbemuchlesswitha closedornearlyclosed
airdamper.Deceleratingagivenblowerwheelwithreduceddragwillalsopushmoreelectrical
energybacktotheVFD.
Asonemightexpect,theabovepointscompoundoneanother.Deceler
atingaheavyblowerwheel
withafastramptimeandamostlyclosedairdamperwillpushalargeamountofelectricalenergyback
attheVFDandwilllikelycauseDCbusovervoltageissuesifabrakingresistorisnotinstalled.
Incontrast,alightblowerwheel(shee
tmetalinsteadofcastiron),aslowerramptime(90seconds
insteadof30seconds),andslowingtheblowerdownonamoreopenairdamperarecharacteristicsthat
willgreatlyreducetheamountofelectricalenergypushedbacktotheVFDandshouldallowthebraking
resistortobeomittedinmostcases.
OnsomemodelsofVFDs,brakingresistorscanbeaddedaftertheVFDisinstalledifnecessary.Thisisa
point
toconsiderwheninstallingVFDsforcombustionairapplications.