Document details

This paper poses some questions as to the adequacy of the widespread use of variable speed drives. It presents a comparison of different variable speed drives, by studying their output wave forms and applying them to a mechanical one stage inertia flexible rotor specially designed for this purpose. The comparison of the output of the variable speed drives used reveals significant differences between them, which affect the way the load is driven and the overall behaviour of the mechanical system. A comparison against a sine wave reference shows that even the best of the variable speed drives used is outperformed, since the “perfect” sine wave ensures constant rotating speed, thus minimizing vibrations along the mechanical shaft.