IronHorse Motors Frequently Asked Questions
Question
What motors can be used with a drive (inverter)?
Answer
All the 3-phase AC motors we sell can be used with AC Drives (do not try to use a single-phase motor with a drive - it won't work!).The main restriction on using a motor with a drive is "how slow can you turn the motor while it is fully loaded". Since many of the motors we sell are Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled (TEFC), they must run above a certain speed for the fan to cool the motor. All our 3-phase motors have specification tables that specify the "Minimum Speed" that the motor can be driven when fully loaded. If the motor is fully loaded and driven at a slower speed, the motor will overheat. Many of our general purpose IronHorse motors can run 1/4 to 1/10th of their base speed. Some of the inverter-duty Marathon motors can run 1/1000th of their base speed (an 1800RPM MicroMax motor can run 1800/1000 = 1.8RPMs fully loaded).
Also, we recommend always using a line reactor wired between the drive and the motor. A line reactor can reduce the peak voltages generated from any AC drive that can prematurely break down the motor insulation. Google "AC drive reflected wave" for more information.
FAQ Subcategory: None
This item was last updated on 2016-11-21
Document ID: 1146
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