W ATER C OOLED C ENTRIFUGAL C HILLERS

11 kV A PPLICATION

O P E N D R IV E F L E X I B I L I T Y

Thanks to open-drive, York can offer large chillers driven directly by 11 kV power
supply

P O W ER S U P P L Y S YS T E M S FOR L AR G E C H IL L ER S

Choices of Power Supply

a) 11 kV b) 6.6 kV c) 3.3 kV d) 380 V

Important and Primary Considerations

Availability of power supply at site
Cost of transformation from Input supply to motor supply
Cost of protection system at each stage of voltage level
Availability of switchgear, motors and other components
Reliability of components
Required manpower skill level
Initial cost of equipment, cabling, civil work, etc
Operating cost of spares
Lifecycle cost

A D V AN T AG E S O F 11 K V M O T O R V S 6.6/3.3 K V

Elimination of 11 Æ 6.6/3.3kV Transformer

No transformer losses (~ 2-3%)
Possibility of direct on line starting
Reduced cost of civil work due to:
a) Structural design: elimination of concentrated dead load
b) Smaller footprint
Stable power supply directly from the substation

Lower Current at 11 kV
Reduced line loss
Reduced cabling cost
T Y P I C AL E L EC T R I C AL S C H E M E : L O W V O L T AG E

T Y P I C AL E L EC T R I C AL S C H E M E : 11 K V W IT H A U T O -T R AN S S T AR T E R
11 K V S T AR T I N G M EC H AN I S M S

Reduced Voltage Starting

Reduced inrush < 60% LRA
a) Electromechanical: stepped transition; expensive
• Auto-transformer
• Primary reactor
b) Magnetic (FCMA): step-less voltage ramp-up; sinusoidal supply

Solid-State
Step-less voltage ramp-up
Toothed supply
Inrush < 70% LRA
Very expensive

Inverter Drive
Step-less voltage and frequency ramp-up using PWM technique
Inrush < FLA
Extremely expensive

Direct on Line (DOL)

Also known as Across-the-Line
Most economical and space saving
No individual step-down transformers
Loading directly onto large substation
Eliminate reduced voltage starting
C AS E S T U D Y : DOL S T AR T IN G M EC H AN I S M

Due to the large capacity of the substation transformers (usually 50MVA @ 30%
impedance), DOL starting can be used without sacrificing the stability of the
power supply

Calculations below show that the transformer secondary Voltage-Dip with Auto-
Tap correction will be 5.2% only; acceptable voltage variation by most of the plant
equipment is 7-10%

The Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCB) in the distribution panel can be used to
start/stop the compressor motor. Lockable draw-out type VCB also provide safe
isolation for service
A D V AN T AG ES OF DOL S T AR T I N G

Elimination of Starting Gear

More than US$ 60,000 for each motor

Elimination of Heat Dissipation: from ATS or SSS (~ 0.5-1%)

• Simplicity of design
• Reduced number of equipment Æ Greater reliability
• Smaller footprint

Faster Acceleration of Motor

Shorter duration of inrush current. Generally at 80% voltage, motor takes
twice the time to accelerate than at 100%

I N I T I AL C O S T AG AI N S T L O W E R V O L T AG E

Motor Price per Size ($/hp) is almost Flat

Best suitable for fewest numbers of motors

Minimum Available Switchgear Size: 400 A

Each adequate for 7 MW motor load
Best suitable for fewest number of VCB feeders

Best Value with Large Drives

Generally found suitable for chillers with 1500 hp drivelines and above
The larger the better