Setting up a VFD?

[lazylathe]

Here is a pic of the panel

Andrew

 

[Don1966]

Great Andrew your information matches. You have green light to connect.

Don

 

[Swede]

Andrew, you've gotten gobs of good information already... this may help clarify a bit more. This is my VFD conversion web pages. It has some circuit diagrams showing one way to do it.

http://www.5bears.com/vfd.htm

Good luck!

 

[lazylathe]

I cannot thank all of you enough for all the info!!
That is why i love this forum!!!
One of the greatest around, IMO!!! :bow:

Since i have to work tomorrow....
I will hopefully be able to buy the needed parts on Sunday and cobble it all together!

Maybe a test run during the week!! :big:

Andrew

 

[lazylathe]

Andrew, you've gotten gobs of good information already... this may help clarify a bit more. This is my VFD conversion web pages. It has some circuit diagrams showing one way to do it.

http://www.5bears.com/vfd.htm

Good luck!

Thanks Swede!!!
That is awesome!!
More reading material!!! ;D

Andrew

 

[Noitoen]

Andrew, you've gotten gobs of good information already... this may help clarify a bit more. This is my VFD conversion web pages. It has some circuit diagrams showing one way to do it.

http://www.5bears.com/vfd.htm

Good luck!

Just have to rename the Set/Reset switches The NO/NC are in the correct position, just the names are wrong. :big: :big:

 

[lazylathe]

Busy weekend with no time to really do anything in the "Man Cave"...

Did make it to the hardware store and bought some GFCI's and boxes to mount them in.

Now my next question...
Talking with a guy at the hardware store and he had some ideas, did not really like mine!

This is where the mains panel is and the wall against which all my machines are

What i was thinking was taking a line from the panel and running it just below the insulation.
Run the line in conduit and have boxes where i need them for each machine.


They guy at the hardware seemed to think it would be a lot of work and said it would be easier to run the line up to the joists
and then all the way across and have lines going down to the machines.

I personally like the conduit idea! ;D

I also opened the electrical panel and found this!!!

An open 20 amp breaker!!!
So i will use that to connect the line to!

Any other ideas on how to run the line for the machines??

Andrew

 

[f350ca]

I personally like conduit, have the whole shop wired with it. The pvc stuff is super easy to work with, need a 90 you just buy one and glue it in. If you need to add a plug just cut the conduit and add a box. I ran 220 and 110 circuits through one 1/2 inch tube.
Make sure you run 12 gauge for the 20 amp circuit.
Greg

 

[Don1966]

Andrew insure you pick up only 120 volts by using only one leg of this breaker it looks like a double pole breaker. The two legs of this breaker will give you 240 volts. The black wire is used for this and the white connects to the neutral bus that I see behind with white wires on it. Insure that you find the ground bus there should be bare wires already on it. Your breaker can be used, but if you should want another circuit replace with two single breakers, another way is to remove the cross bar connecting the two together then they become two. Running the cable should meet the local codes and conduit will cover this and J boxes, one also for you VFD. Make sure it is large enough to give adaqite space on all sides for cooling itself. Make sure the breaker is off before connecting and verify with a meter that you are connecting to 120vac. Be careful and be safe always check you power on equipment even after you have turned breaker off before touching.

Regards Don

 

[Don1966]

I just noticed you are in Canada. I am not familiar with Canadian codes nor there power panels, but it is possible that they use two pole breakers for 120vac. You can check this with a meter.

Good luck Don

 

[Swede]

Just have to rename the Set/Reset switches The NO/NC are in the correct position, just the names are wrong. :big: :big:

If it makes a difference, the buttons R and S stand for RUN and STOP. This circuit is designed to deliver fused protection to a 240V VFD. Pushing the R button energizes the contactor and thus the VFD. The S button breaks the voltage holding the contactor closed. In addition, the circuit can be tapped for lights, DRO, what have you. Basically, it is a big ON and OFF switch for my mill.

 

[lazylathe]

Thanks Don!!!

I will replace the breaker with two individual 20 amp breakers.
Was wondering what the two pole was all about...

Greg,
My thoughts exactly!
Easy to add more in the future and easy to work with!!

Will be buying supplies during the week and starting the great wire up! ;D
I have a 4 day weekend so should get a fair bit done!

Andrew

 

[Don1966]

Andrew be careful using this set reset circuit on the VFD turning this on and off while the drive is active can distroyed it. Use it only to turn your drive on and off through the required inputs not here power inputs.

Regards Don

 

[lazylathe]

Andrew be careful using this set reset circuit on the VFD turning this on and off while the drive is active can distroyed it. Use it only to turn your drive on and off through the required inputs not here power inputs.

Regards Don

Not quite sure i understand what you mean Don.
Is it a bad idea to use the buttons on the VFD to start and stop the motor?
Is it a better idea to use the remote options for this?

Andrew

 

[rhankey]

Andrew,

Perhaps I missunderstand what you are saying when you will switch to 2 single pole circuit breakers... If you need 220V from your house circuit breaker, which requires 2 hot wires, then you will need a 2 pole circuit breaker like what you show in an earlier picture. If one hot wire of a 220v circuit were to be overloaded, the breaker needs to trip both hot wires. Otherwise you are left with a partially energized circuit and a rather unsafe situation which is a Canadian (and I beleive a US) code violation.

Robin

 

[JorgensenSteam]

If I remember correctly, this VFD had a 120 volt, single-phase input and a 240 volt, 3-phase output to a motor.

If you connect to two 20 ampere circuit breakers, you will have 240 volt input into your drive, and you will fry your drive.

People seem to love to post diagrams that don't apply to a particular situation, but that is rather hazardous.

For 120 volt input, you connect the black wire to one breaker, connect the white wire to the neutral bus, and the green wire to the ground bus.

 

[Don1966]

Robin only if he uses one side of the circuit breaker. The breaker will trip if he uses one side for the 120v power. Or he can remove the locking bar so only one will trip or replace with two singles to have two independent circuits. Here he is using only one side of the breaker for 120v.

Andrew do not use the set reset for start and stop only use the buttons on the drive, or reprogram the drive for remote start stop then you can use it if you wish. But not needed if you use remote start stop. Only use this circuit to emergency stop you equipment not start and stop. The remote start and stop option of the drive is quiet simple, so keep it simple. Turning the drive on and off external to itself is not a good idea and could cause damage.

Don

 

[Don1966]

UNIcasting is correct be carefully of using circuits you do not need.

Don

 

[lazylathe]

The VFD runs off 110V.
What was mentioned earlier was to exchange the dual pole breaker for a single pole breaker.
I will just use ONE of the breakers for the install.
The second one would be a spare, just imagine it does not exist yet, it is waiting in the curtains for it's call. ;D

I could also just use the dual one and just use one side but would be more comfortable exchanging it.

Hope i am making more sense now!

Andrew

More replies!
Don, that is what i was talking about! Two single circuits!! Reading my mind! ;D

 

[Don1966]

Andrew you understand correctly. Just insure you put a meter on the input of the drive before you turn it on and it has 120v. Then put your meter from the ground wire to the black wire on the drive after you turn on the breaker it should read 120v plus or minus a five volts. This is the make sure you are grounded. Also make sure your ground is secured both places the circuit panel and the drive. Leave no wire disconnected on the ground fault receptacle and follow the factory connection diagram or it will not work.

Don