Solar Power has increased from 6% in 1954 to 40% in 2022. Renewable Energy Resources are better than non-renewable energy resources in providing clean energy. Less environmental pollution will have lower health risks. And what will be the consequences? Obviously, the overall production cost will be lower.
There is one other way around to decrease the overall production cost. That is optimal efficiency of working equipment. Usually, some energy dissipates, but still, we can overcome this issue to a greater extent by employing devices like VFD and ECMs.
Today, we will comprehensively compare the VFD with the ECM.
Chapter 1: VFD vs. ECM Basic Knowledge
What is a VFD?
(VFD)Variable frequency drive is a device or tool that can variate the frequency of an induction motor and minimize power losses.
With a VFD, you can increase or decrease the speed of your induction motor. Do you know the benefit of it? It provides you with better control of your machines in the factory and allows you to optimize the production process and decrease power consumption.
So, VFD puts many solutions forward to us.
How does it work?
The working mechanism of the VFD is simple and easy to understand. Before mentioning the mechanism of action, I would like to highlight different components of VFD for better understanding.
Here are different parts of the VFD.
- AC motor System
- Main Drive Controller System
- Control interface.
Now, you are good to go for understanding the working mechanism of the VFD.
- Step 1: VFD passes the AC voltage into the rectifier bridge.
- Step 2: The bridge converts the AC voltage into DC for better control.
- Step 3: Capacitor Banks and Inductors filter the given DC.
- Step 4: The DC is again converted to the AC at the desired frequency levels and fed to the motor.
That’s how a variable frequency drive controls the manufacturing machines and electric motors.
What is ECM?
An ECM, also called an electronically commutated motor, is controlled by the inverters in the external rotor design. It has permanent magnets that assist in the process.
Being used in the machines, it helps to control the machines and optimize their progress. To run the motor, you need to provide the AC and DC voltage signals.
How does an ECM motor work?
Electronically commutated devices involve comparable working action. However, their main goal is to optimize the performance of the machines.
However, you can learn the mechanism of action of EC motors for the CNC machines and relevant apparatus.
- Step 1: EC motor rectifies the AC voltage by the electronic commutation.
- Step 2: The downstream inverter supplies the motor voltage with a DC signal.
- Step 3: Synchronous EC motor provides higher efficiency and lowers the slip losses.
The rectification process of the AC voltage depends on the DC signal provided by the downstream inverters. This process is comparable to the frequency inverter drive.
The EC motor can control various functions like the infinitely variable fan speed control, pressure control, and similar tasks.
Chapter 2: What are the differences between the VFD and ECM?
VFD and ECM; both are different devices but perform the same task. They let you control the speed of your machines and improve their efficiency. However, there are some points at which you can differentiate them from each other.
Let’s have a look at those points.
· Working Action
The working action of both types of tools is quite different from each other. As you can observe the above mechanism of action, here are some fundamental differences.
In the VFD, there is an influx of AC voltage with changing to the DC and again to the AC to provide the machines with AC input but at different frequencies.
In the case of ECM, there is no involvement of the frequencies. Instead, the AC voltage is fed to the ECM, and depending upon the DC signal, the AC voltage is modified directly. You can’t observe the change in frequency here.
·Motor Control
The VFD and electronically commutated motors have different motor control. Since the mechanism of action is different, we can expect the same difference in the components as well.
VFD has a three-phase AC system with the input rectifier bridge, DC capacitor, and inverter to convert the DC into the AC.
In ECM, there is a different scenario here. The ECM motor is a single-phase AC with the motor and speed built into the single system. So, the ECM involves various functional activities but the same output to control the speed of the motor.
·Overall efficiency
When it comes to overall efficiency, horsepower, and applications, we can differentiate the VFD and ECM. Here are the differences.
- Variable frequency drive has unlimited horsepower making the adjustment for all types of HVAC machines. ECM has a horsepower of less than 10hp leading to limited effects.
- Variable frequency drive adjusts better in all types of applications. You can expect a better functioning with unlimited applications. ECM involves single-purpose applications, not like the variable frequency drive. Therefore, they have fewer applications.
·Installation Cost
Installation cost is a crucial factor in comparing both ECM and variable frequency drive. No doubt, a variable frequency drive has a wide range of applications and facilitates the customers with better control, but it has a high installation cost compared to the ECM.
When choosing between ECM and variable frequency drive, you need to measure other factors and check the installation cost.
Chapter 3: Which one is better?
Variable Frequency Drives and EC motors; both contribute to the power saving mechanism. From the above discussion, can you guess which one is better?
It is a Variable Frequency Drive. It has numerous advantages:
- It can maximize the production efficiency in manufacturing factories.
- Variable frequency drive facilitates better control over the CNC machines and relevant heavy tools working automatically.
- The energy wastage can be reduced with the variable frequency drives.
- It is a pretty and easy-to-operate device.
Chapter 4: USFULL Variable Frequency Drives
USFULL is an effective solution for your Variable Frequency Drives. Apart from the industry, you can explore multiple solar systems, circuit breakers, solar pump inverters, etc.
You can check out our FU9000D variable frequency drive. Here is why you should prefer it.
- Flexible components that allow the safe and adjustable control of frequency and torque of your induction motor.
- An easy-to-use tool with no need to hire experts to operate it.
- Our variable frequency drive device is fully automatic, increasing the ease of working with it.
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