Applications for Regenerative AC Drives
Regenerative energy occurs when a heavy-duty motor turns faster than the determined speed of its AC drive. With regenerative energy being used, the motor begins to act as a generator, thus saving energy and helping it operate more efficiently. The energy that’s produced is sent back to the DC bus (where DC power is kept for use by the inverter area). Regenerative AC drives can be used in a variety of applications. Just a few include ramped stopping or slowing of a fast moving load (i.e. mechanical arm or flywheel), industrial saws, drilling operations, packaging and material handling lines, unwinding operation processes in which the drive is used to hold tension against a downstream operation, and many others.
Basically, these types of AC drives can work in most applications that require the driven load to move slower than the load. If your facility or plant needs to replace an AC drive or install a new AC motor, drive and inverter, check around and compare the various drives that are available. Ask to speak with an engineer if you need help with installation or troubleshooting for your older AC motor and drive. AC drives provide a great solution for many types of operations!