Ac Motor Drives 

AC motor drivesare frequency inverters or amplifiers that interface between a controller andan AC motor by converting step and direction input from the controller tocurrents and voltages compatible with the motor. As a drive controller, the ACdrives tend to adjust input frequency. These drives are appropriate machinesthat regulated high speed operation. More people prefer AC drives forindustrial or commercial use because they are smaller, lighter, and morecommonly available than DC motors.

The term AC driveis also used for an AC inverter that uses the DC voltage from a previouscircuit stage to produce an AC current or voltage with the desired frequency.AC drives have been much in application because of the energy saving that canbe obtained through the AC technology. Technology advancement has made thesize, cost, reliability and performance of AC drives very appealing inindustrial sector.

Typesof AC Motor Drives:

AC motor drivesare classified on the basis of the type of AC motor. Following are the mostcommon types of AC motor drives:

Inductionmotors derive: In this motor drive, current is induced into therotor windings without any physical connection with the stator windings and areable to provide ample power and speed.

Synchronousmotor drive: This drive ends to operate at constant speed up tofull load. A synchronous motor drive is often used where there is a need formaintaining the exact motor speed.

Sensorlessvector drive: This drive uses independent control of both thevoltage and frequency supplied to the motor for good speed control.

Servodrive:This drive carries the ability to take a low power command signal from a motioncontroller and turn it into high power current/voltage.

Specificationsof AC Motor Drives:

When looking forAC motor drives, there are a wide range of design specifications available toconsider including:

• Continuous current: This is the option that needs the current to be applied to the motor during continuous operation.
• Supply voltage: This ensures the voltage supplied to the drive.
• Output voltage: This is the range of output voltages of the drive.
• Input frequency: This is accepted by the device.
• Power: This output drives the motor system.
• Operating temperature: This ensures the temperature of the power supply. 

Advantagesof AC Drive: