The difference between soft starter and frequency converter
March 8, 2023
Soft starter and frequency converter are two widely used devices in the field of industrial control. The following will explain the differences between soft starter and frequency converter: 1. The control principles of soft starter and frequency converter are different. Soft starter is actually an excessive control device, which is an industrial control product between the star triangle starting device and frequency converter. Its functions are more than the star triangle starting device, but less than the frequency converter. From the perspective of the main circuit of the soft starter, it is a three-phase anti parallel thyristor connected in series between the power supply and the controlled motor. Then, the internal digital circuit controls the moment when the thyristor conducts within a complete sine waveform of AC power. If the thyristor is allowed to conduct at the beginning of an AC cycle, the output voltage of the soft starter is high. If the thyristor is allowed to conduct at a certain position in an AC cycle, So the voltage output by the soft starter is low. We use this method to gradually increase the voltage at the motor end during the starting process, thereby controlling the starting current and torque of the motor to achieve a smooth start. It can be seen that the soft starter can only change the voltage of the power supply, not the frequency of the power supply. The principle of the frequency converter is relatively complicated. Its function is to change the power supply with voltage of 380V/220V and frequency of 50HZ into an AC power conversion device with adjustable voltage and frequency. The torque and speed of the AC motor can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency and voltage of the power supply. We can see from the main circuit that its main circuit is composed of another six Field-effect transistor, Under the precise control of the control circuit, six field-effect transistors are turned on in turn. The more times the tubes are turned on per unit time, the higher the output voltage and frequency. Therefore, this main circuit is controlled by a digital control circuit to achieve frequency regulation and voltage regulation of the output power supply. 2. The purpose of soft starters and frequency converters is different. The main problem that soft starters solve is to reduce the starting current of large loads and reduce the impact on the power grid. The startup of large equipment will generate a very large starting current, which will cause a significant voltage drop. If traditional step-down methods such as star delta are used, it will not only cause a significant current impact on the power grid, but also cause a significant mechanical impact on the load. In this case, a soft starter is often used for startup to achieve a smooth start of the motor and reduce the power supply capacity. The frequency converter is mainly used in places with speed regulation. It can control the speed of three-phase motors. For example, the frequency converter can be used in the speed regulation of spindle motors of CNC machine tools, the transmission control of mechanical conveyor belts, large fans, and applications of heavy machinery. In general, its function and practicability are far greater than those of soft starters The control function of the frequency converter of the soft starter is different. The main function of the soft starter is to adjust the starting voltage of the motor, achieve smooth starting of the motor, and reduce the impact of the motor on the machinery and power grid. However, because it controls the voltage by controlling the conduction angle for chopping, and the output is an incomplete sine wave, this leads to low starting torque, high noise, and high harmonics, which can pollute the power grid. Although the soft starter also has various functions such as limited current function setting and startup time setting
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