Programming an inverter

[BobmanDad]

I'm finally getting somewhere thanks to the folks on this forum. I thought it would be better starting a new thread, rather than asking this question under another subject heading.

I have this inverter - Powtran PI8600 and it is now directly connected to this 3 phase motor:

GEC MOTOR ALPAK INDUCTION MOTOR BS 5000

The wiring in the motor is set to Delta.

I have the manual for the inverter but it may as well be written in Klingon! Is anyone familiar with this inverter who could give me some basic getting started directions?

 

[wizard]

I took one look at my manual and put it in a draw, I then wired it up and it worked.

 

[BobmanDad]

Mine doesn't unfortunately. It def needs programmed.

 

[flh801978]

Can you post a link to a manual ?

 

[wizard]

i have two both different makes and just switched them on and they worked

 

[graduate_owner]

Hi Bobmandad,

I use an inverter and I've never had to set anything. The only parameters I'm familiar with (on my inverter - Eurotherm) are the ramp parameters, which allow you to set the time taken to get up to full speed (less strain on bearings with no jerky start) and to slow down gradually, or inject a DC pulse to give a rapid braked stop. I understand what that means but tbh I've never used them. As far as linear or quadratic motor characteristics etc are concerned, well it's not something I really want to learn about.

However on recent re-reading of the manual I have found a parameter that allows me to increase low speed torque, which I hadn't found before. I'm going to give this a go.

My inverter gets connected to 3 different motors as necessary and just seems to work. It even works fine on my milling machine where it powers both the main driving motor and a small 3-phase suds pump.

This is probably of little interest to you, but I do have one suggestion - could you re-set the unit to it's factory settings? The default values may just do the job for you.

K

 

[BobmanDad]

Thanks folks.

I can't post a link. But if you search for Powtran PI8600 you should find the manual.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

How have you got the inverter control wired? do you have a forwar/reverse switch and potentiometer for speed?

 

[wizard]

How have you got the inverter control wired? do you have a forwar/reverse switch and potentiometer for speed?

that should be part of the inverter

 

[BobmanDad]

Yes, all part of the inverter.

 

[BobmanDad]

Update

I watched a video online that gave some simple instructions without any real explanation. In the video the inverter had 5 parameters set. The parameters go from F001 to F050. The ones set were:

F047 -> 1
F001 -> 400
F012 -> 400
F014 -> 400
F015 -> 400

I did this and pressed the FWD button, which I assume means run. The motor does not turn but it does make a whining sound.

Here is a picture showing the wiring:

Here is a picture of the plate on the motor:

Maybe some of that will help?

 

[wizard]

It will start on zero revs not enough to turn it over you need to bring the revs up

 

[BobmanDad]

No start on zero or any other value.

I noticed one interesting thing. The motor turns quite freely with no power. When I turn on the inverter there is resistance to turning it manually.

 

[wizard]

When i switch mine on there is an arrow that i press to increase the speed

 

[BobmanDad]

Wizard, do you have a Powtran?

I've taken a screenshot of a page in the manual which shows how to setup parameters - see below.

I don't know which parameters to set or why. The picture shows 9 steps, then a flow diagram. Is the flow diagram just a graphical representation of the steps 1 to 9?

 

[wizard]

No Powtran i have a IMO and a TECO both plug and go i checked that before i bought them

 

[wizard]

there must be a speed control and its not the knob

 

[wizard]

Have you checked there is power coming out of each phase? Did you check the motor works using the single phase test

 

[BobmanDad]

Thanks Wizard. I had an IMO but it kept tripping the power.

I didn't try the test as I didn't know what to do with the capacitor and where to get the additional live from.

Could you explain a little further and I'll try it?

 

[wizard]

Ok get a lead with a plug on it put the green/yellow to the motor casing; get a spare piece of brown wire and make it so you have two brown live wires one to go to the first phase on the motor
a blue to the other phase
the other brown wire into the capacitor then out of the capacitor to the third phase
you will have to spin the motor to get it going, if the motor runs ok there is nothing wrong with it. I have used t phase motors like this in the past its just a pain to get them started.