First in-house inverter drive from Atlas Copco 16 July 2014

Atlas Copco has launched its first in-house designed inverter drive, which will now be used throughout its GA 37-90 VSD range of compressors.

Dubbed Neos, the variable speed drives will also be available as spare parts for retrofitting to existing GA compressors in the field.

Manufactured at Atlas Copco's plant in Antwerp, the drive is a response to the fact that compressors are less than 5% of the market for off-the-shelf electric motors and inverters.

Atlas Copco contends that most inverters are designed for a broad range of applications, including pumps and fans, with less demanding torque requirements than those of heavy-duty compressor operations.

Hence the new units, says the firm, which have been tailored to meet current and predicted requirements, in terms of size, robustness and reliability.

Proving the new units involved endurance field testing, with 16 drives installed on a mix of 55, 75 and 90kW compressors and compared to application sites across Finland, Bahrain, Spain, Sweden, Germany and Belgium.

The result, says the firm, is that Neos can operate at continuous full load in temperatures from -20°C to 50°C, with protection against dust ingress to IP 5X.

The design also eliminates any requirement for a control panel. All communication is achieved via CAN connection with the compressor's Elektronikon Mk 5 controller or, for trouble shooting, via Ethernet connection to a PC.

Brian Tinham

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Atlas Copco Compressors

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