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http://electrical-engineering-portal.com/comparison-of-soft-starting-and-frequency-converter-motor-starting
Comparison of Soft Starting and Frequency Converter Motor Starting (on photo: VFDs installed on fan and pump motors; credit: crockett-facilities.com)
Soft starting
A soft starter is, as you would expect, a device which ensures a soft starting of a motor.
A softstarter has different characteristics to the other starting methods. It has thyristors in the main circuit, and the
motor voltage is regulated with a printed circuit board. The softstarter makes use of the fact that when the motor
voltage is low during start, the starting current and starting torque is also low.
Advantages //
Soft starters are based on semiconductors. Via a power circuit and a control circuit, these semi-conductors reduce
the initial motor voltage.
During the starting process, the soft starter gradually increases the motor voltage, thereby allowing the motor to
accelerate the load to rated speed without causing high torque or current peaks .
Soft-starting curve Synchronous speed Full load torque (left) and Full load current (right)
Soft starters can also be used to control how processes are stopped . Soft starters are less expensive than frequency
converters.
Another feature of the softstarter is the softstop function, which is very useful when stopping pumps where the
problem is water hammering in the pipe system at direct stop as for star-delta starter and direct-on-line starter.
Drawbacks //
They do, however, share the same problem as frequency converters: they may inject harmonic currents into the
system, and this can disrupt other processes. (Read more about this)
Part 2
By controlling the frequency, the rated motor torque is available at a low speed and the starting current
is low, between 0.5 and 1.0 times the rated motor current, maximum 1.5 x In.
Another available feature is softstop, which is very useful, for example when stopping pumps where the problem is
water hammering in the pipe systems at direct stop. The softstop function is also useful when stopping conveyor belts
from transporting fragile material that can be damaged when the belts stop too quickly.
It is very common to install a filter together with the drive in order to reduce the levels of emission and harmonics
generated.
Advantages //
The frequency converter makes it possible to use low starting current because the motor can produce rated torque at
rated current from zero to full speed. Frequency converters are becoming cheaper all the time.
As a result, they are increasingly being used in applications where soft starters would previously have
been used.
Frequency converter curve Synchronous speed Full load torque (left) and Full load current (right)
Drawbacks //
Even so, frequency converters are still more expensive than soft starters in most cases; and like soft starters, they
also inject harmonic currents into the network.
References //
Motor book by Grundfos ( Download guide)
Sofstarter Handbook (Download handbook)