Different AC Motor Controls

Authors Name: Rob Adams


Every AC motor needs to be accompanied with an efficient motor controller to ensure proper functioning. Installing such a control system can prove to be beneficial as it can serve you in a number of ways. It may include a single device or a group of devices that manage the entire working of the motors in a preset manner.

AC motor controls may incorporate either manual or automatic functions. They serve you in starting and stopping the motors, selecting forward or reverse rotation of the motors, modifying or limiting the motor torque, protecting the motors from overloads and faults and choosing and regulating the right speed.

Sophisticated AC motor controllers are commonly referred to as motor drives. They balance the signal type with the control signals. The signal type is either analog or digital like power and voltage signals. The controllers can also work for power conversion, increasing the signal waves and sequencing the waveforms. You can fit in these motor drives in diverse types of AC motors.

These efficient motor controllers have different functionalists for different motor types. AC induction motors primarily induce current into the rotor windings without being physically connected to the stator windings. The induction motor drives uniquely feature electrical isolation and self-protection against faults.

They usually comprise a device programmer, in-circuit debugger, motor control development board, a high voltage motor and a 3-phase or 1-phase high voltage power module. Usually, most of the industrial applications call for three-phase windings. This is because these motors allow variable speed control and considerable power in any kind of setting.

The synchronous motors are those, which operate at a constant level of speed up to the full load. They do not slip in order to produce torque. These motors are driven by inverter controllers and feature a huge list of functions such as electro-mechanical braking, electronic power assisted steering, motor torque regulation, and many more. You can choose them for several industrial and automotive applications, so as to ensure the highest productivity for your machines.

Among the extensive collection of AC motor controls, the vector drive motors can control both the voltage and the frequency in an independent way. This eventually results in low-torque turnouts. The pole changing motor controls, suited to the synchronous AC motors, takes care of the pole number. This is a way to alter the number of poles in the primary winding.

Another variety of synchronous motor control includes the AC servo motor controls that make use of brush less commutation with necessary feedback. The most prevailing technologies utilize the concepts of moving coil, switched reluctance designs and moving magnets. You need to study your requirements well in order to purchase the most suitable controls for your motors. Some of the designs use encoders and resolvers to get adequate feedback regarding speed and position.

If you wish to have a well-crafted control system for your robotic system and industrial robots, then the efficient robotic motion controllers would be the right choice for you. These controllers essentially apply digital motion control hardware and software for the purpose of controlling the necessary components.

Inverter drives constitute a very common type of motor control system. They convert inputs in AC power to outputs with DC power. Again, if you require motor controls with very high frequency, then you can choose from a wide array of high frequency drives. These drives are used to supply power to the AC motors at substantially high frequency, as compared to the common power applications. You can also opt for the variable speed drives that serve you by adjusting and controlling the speeds of your motors.

All these AC motor controls can be differentiated on the basis of their unique features, configurations, functioning parameters, and electrical ratings such as, rated power, maximum output voltage, and peak output current. However, you need to seek help from specialists to study your business necessities and offer you motor controllers with the most apt features.

An AC electric motor performs optimally through the controlled usage of electric power and sufficient savings on the expenditure of the owners. These motors were invented for the purpose of applying the system of alternate current transmission, in order to give an overall voltage control. If you own a medium or big cap factory, installing these motors can be quite cost saving. They provide efficient generation and distribution of electric power over long distances.