Enhanced progressive cavity pump top drive motor performance with VFD
General Magnetic (GM) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada has developed a large 85-horsepower MagnoDrive Permanent Magnet PCP Top Drive Motor that drives progressive cavity pumps (PCP). Though a permanent magnet motor is initially more expensive than a comparable induction motor, it utilizes significantly less energy, allowing the initial cost differential to be offset early in its life cycle. The operating component of a MagnoDrive that enables the motor to run at any speed and torque within its operating envelope is a variable frequency drive (VFD) (also known as a variable speed drive (VSD)).
“We were using a leading manufacturer’s drive, and we were having some tuning issues. Our field test crew noticed that the MagnoDrive didn’t run very well between 70 and 150 rpm. It would start to get some strange vibrations, become unstable and the VFD would lose control,” said Aaron Brassard, GM vice president of engineering and development.
“So this is when we moved to the ACS880. The low rpm issue was not a problem with the ABB drive. We have put out somewhere between 8 and 12 systems since working with ABB and we haven’t had a single field call.”
In case you interested to hear more about General Magnetic and how they benefit from using ABB VFDs in their PCP Top Drive motors, please check the video, the case note and the story below.