Variable Speed Control of Pumping in the Mining Industry
Highlights
• Payback within six months
• Reduced energy costs
• Reduced maintenance
costs
• No new motor or cabling
costs
• Improved production
efficiency
• Reduced noise
Problem
A four-pole, 168 kW, 3.3 kV motor
drives a pump which controls the
flow rate of a potash and brine
mix brought to the surface. An eddy
current coupling had been used
to control the pump for more than
20 years but suffered regular
breakdowns. It also used banks of
potentiometers under manual
control, a crude method that did not
allow a fine adjustment of the flow,
even when it was correctly
functioning. It was not possible
to deliver a consistent flow of
potash/brine, resulting in erratic
production schedules.
DriveIT ACS 1000 Medium Voltage AC Drives for speed
and torque control of 315 kW – 5,000 kW motors
Solution
Cleveland Potash replaced the eddy
current coupling by directly retro-
fitting to the motor an ACS 1000
medium voltage AC drive, which
is optimized for direct fitting to
existing and new medium voltage
AC motors. While the ACS 1000 is
typically applied to motors with
powers of 315 kW and more, in
this case Cleveland Potash saw
clear benefits in retrofitting an
ACS 1000 to their 168 kW motor.
Direct retrofit without matching
the drive to the motor was possible
because the ACS 1000 features a
patented sine filter. This, by
producing a pure sine wave,
avoids high voltage spikes and
Cleveland Potash near Whitby, has
achieved payback in less than six months
following the retrofit of an ACS 1000
ACS 1000 medium voltage AC drive
The existing pump and motor system now
controlled by the ACS 1000 operates
more efficiently and quietly than before
Case Study
Mining industry
Cleveland Potash, United Kingdom
Application: Pump, 168 KW
3B HT 490 363 R0001, Rev. APrinted in Finland (0402-1000-1) librisABB Switzerland Ltd
Medium Voltage Drives
5300 Turgi / Switzerland
Tel
+41 58 589 27 95
Fax
+41 58 589 29 84
Email
mvdrives@ch.abb.com
I-Net
www.abb.com /motors&drives
common mode voltage