Help Laying out VFD's in a Panel

GTUnit

Member
Join Date
Oct 2009
Location
Orange, CA
Posts
401
Please critique and pick apart this panel design/layout.
If someone can suggest a better layout I would appreciate it.

Im building a small panel with only 5 VFDs so stuck putting those and a PLC/IO in the same panel. Trying to find best possible arrangement for problem free operation.

General Specs:
48"H x 36"W x 12"D Panel
Top entry Power feeder and Conduits to Motors
5- Powerflex 525 drives, 1HP, 480V, Ethernet
5- Output Contactors
Driving 5 1/3HP motors, 30-50' away from panel
2- 480V to 24V DC Power Supplies
All IO is 24VDC
All Discrete IO, No Analogs


Looking to arrange parts in the best possible manner for proper grounding, keeping common mode currents from vfd cable shields away from PLC ground path, separation of noisy VFDs from PLC backplane, ect.

I attached pages from Rockwell's "Wiring and Grounding Guidelines for AC Drives".

I was having a really tough time trying to package what I have as depicted in the Guide. I moved the ground bar from the bottom of the panel as shown in the guide to the right side.

Do you guys think this arrangement is ok or can I do better?
 
I think it looks pretty good. Make sure that you have adequate cooling for the VFD's. They can build up some heat and with 5 of them in there it will get pretty warm if they are all running. It looks like you may have something already designed in there but just wanted to bring it up just in case.

Also you might want to add a small duct above the PLC. It looks like the one that you have in there is going to have high voltage lines in it. A lot of times you have to run wires to terminals on the top side of things and having a separate duct to do that will make it cleaner.
 
Last edited:
I can't tell if you have line reactors or tell you if you need them, but I recently had to remount everything inside a panel adding line reactors after one of the vfd's failed after 6 months use. Ab, as well as others have information about the pros and cons of using them.
Layout looks good though, what software did you make the drawing with?
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.
It was done with Autocad Electrical 2013.

I know line reactors are recommended but from what I have seen I almost never see one in a panel. I dont know if I should go that route or not. Rockwell says you can put up to 5 drives on a single reactor.
 
I would not be putting them in a panel but on the wall. Far too much heat to get out of the panel. I only use IP66 drives and mount them on a stick alongside the motor where I can - that way I do not even have to use the expensive screened cable as the run is only 1 metre. They also have low loss filters built in so they will not trip a type A, 30ma RCD. No heat issues at all that way and far cheaper installation.
 
I would not be putting them in a panel but on the wall. Far too much heat to get out of the panel. I only use IP66 drives and mount them on a stick alongside the motor where I can - that way I do not even have to use the expensive screened cable as the run is only 1 metre. They also have low loss filters built in so they will not trip a type A, 30ma RCD. No heat issues at all that way and far cheaper installation.

I agree but this is a oil bottling plant and there are spills.
That and the Powerflex 525 do not come in a NEMA 4X or IP66 version.
Its also a pretty small system.
 

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