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News Release from: Alstom Power Conversion | Subject: Alspa GD4000/ GD3000E hybrid inverter
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 November 2000
Custom-built hybrid inverter for
Paraguay
In an interesting application, Rugby based Alstom Power Conversion has supplied a custom-built hybrid inverter for use in controlling a centrifugal sugar machine in Asuncion, Paraguay.
In an interesting application, Rugby based Alstom Power Conversion has supplied a custom-built hybrid inverter for use in controlling a centrifugal sugar machine in Asuncion, Paraguay Manufactured by the Western States Machine Company of Ohio, the centrifugal machine is about 1.5m in diameter and can be loaded with up to 1,500kg of massecuite - a form of liquid brown sugar from sugar cane
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Total weight of the centrifuge basket is 8,000kg which, once loaded, takes around 50 seconds to get to full speed - an incredible 1,100rpm.
At this point hot water is sprayed onto the brown sugar, which cleans it to white sugar.
The centrifuge then decelerates, with the Alstom inverter sending net energy back to the power grid of the plant.
The white sugar is finally loaded onto a conveyor and dried out.
Total cycle time of the centrifuge machine is 21/2 minutes, which is in use 24 hours per day.
To control the smooth acceleration and deceleration of the centrifuge's basket, Western States has employed an Alstom ALSPA GD4000/ GD3000E hybrid inverter.
Motor control is via the powerful ALSPA GD3000E, while the front-end user-friendly interface is from Alstom's ALSPA GD4000.
The hybrid inverter runs in VVVF (Variable Voltage, Variable Frequency) mode to provide the ultra smooth operation - as a result wear and tear on all mechanical components is reduced, thereby increasing reliability and plant availability.
Due to the high inertia of the centrifuge, it has a lot of momentum when rotating at full speed.
As a result, Alstom's inverter has been supplied with a regenerative module, so that when the centrifuge is decelerating, the inverter can convert the mechanical momentum energy within the centrifuge back into electrical energy.
This in turn reduces overall energy consumption of the machine, helping to save on costs.
During acceleration, the 377A 6 pole motor runs at 125% of full load current.
Alstom's GD3000E has built-in intelligence to allow the motor a high starting torque and smooth breakaway without tripping - further increasing reliability and availability of the plant.
The Western States Machine Company has been manufacturing centrifuge machines for over 80 years.
With Alstom's GD4000 inverter, front-end motor control of the machines is now even more simple and user-friendly.
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