PowerFlex 525 VFD destined for France - Q re: Voltage

[ControlSysNick]

Greetings all!

I am considering the use of a PowerFlex 525 VFD for a 3-phase 1 HP fan motor for an equipment skid that will be shipped to France (from Canada). The PF 525 specifications show a voltage range 380 V to 480 V. It is my understanding that the 3-phase power in France is nominally 400 V, but is actually 380 V, so this appears to be on the edge of the PF 525 voltage rating. Have any of you successfully used a PF 525 on equipment for use in France?

 

[parky]

France is the same as UK so 400v, we had a number of machines with AB drives no problem with voltage. however, the Hz is 50 not 60 as US but again the drives work well, so when commissioning need to be set at local voltage/hz, although they will work even if the hz is set wrong.

 

[ControlSysNick]

My understanding (please correct me if I am wrong) is that the 400 V specification for all of Europe including the UK is nominal. UK voltage is actually 415 V +6% and -10%, while in Europe the actual voltage is 380 V +10% and -6%. So, the nominal 400 V is a figure which overlaps these two pre-existing "standards".

I obtained that information from the following Schneider Electric source:

https://www.se.com/uk/en/faqs/FA163890/

According to that page, the 380 V AC can drop as low as 357.2 AC and be within tolerance which is why I wasn't sure if the PowerFlex 525 VFDs would work in France as their voltage range is stated as 380 V to 480 V. The drive can handle input frequencies of 50 to 60Hz, so that aspect of it will be OK. I'm just not sure about the voltage specification.

 

[janner_10]

The VSD will work fine, we have the same voltage spec here.

 

[ControlSysNick]

Hi Janner_10,

I may be being overcautious, but while the UK and France have the same nominal specification of 400 V, the actual supplied voltage in the UK is 415 V +6% and -10%, while in Europe the actual voltage is 380 V +10% and -6%.

(That's according to: https://www.se.com/uk/en/faqs/FA163890/)

Am I being over cautious or not interpreting the specifications properly?

Nick

 

[joseph_e2]

I would probably contact RA or my distributor to be sure, but, page 169 of the user manual has some specifications that are reassuring:


Bus Undervoltage trip: 390VDC bus (equivalent to 275V AC incoming line)
Voltage Tolerance: -15%/+10%


When applied to the 380-480V range, the voltage tolerance makes the lowest acceptable input voltage 323VAC, which covers the specs you list.

 

[AustralIan]

That FAQ is poorly worded.
European Voltage is 400V -6%/+10%, so all European voltages must be 376V to 440V.
Any European country that uses 380V will actually be 380V -0%/+6 or 10%.


I Agree with joseph about the manual.

 

[parky]

I worked on a house in France (Part of my family), the single phase voltage is nearly always 220v (I queried it with some french electricians) that means the 3 phase voltage therefore could be 440v, however, they reliably told me phase to phase tends to be between 415 to 430v.

3 phase supply has 415volts while single phase has 230volts? Here voltage of 3 phase supply is line voltage which is 415 volts but the voltage given for single phase supply is phase voltage which is 415/√3 about 239 volts.
So you will see differences quoted so dont confuse between line voltage and phase voltage.

 

[ControlSysNick]

Page 169 (supplemental Drive Information portion) of the manual does indeed state that the Bus Undervoltage Trip for the drive is 390V DC (equivalent to 275V AC incoming line).

That's quite a tolerance!

Thanks all! Much appreciated.