Software functionality enables the VLT HVAC Drive from Danfoss to be used as a smart sensor. Condition-based monitoring (CBM) turns the drive into “the smartest sensor in your system—a sensor that enables predictive and condition-based monitoring, processes data on the edge and sends data wherever it’s needed,” the company said. “It monitors activity in HVAC systems and alerts facility managers to potential maintenance issues so they can be addressed before reaching a critical stage, improving uptime and reducing costs,” Danfoss added.
Intelligent drives connect with multiple input sources, such as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), on-premises systems, or the cloud, sending data wherever it is needed. CBM embeds multiple monitoring functions in the drive, including motor-stator-winding, mechanical vibration, and load envelop monitoring, Danfoss pointed out. “Users can set various thresholds and automatically or manually determine the baseline for monitoring with different methods in accordance with relevant standards and guidelines. Facility managers can be alerted to faults or mechanical misalignment in the early stages before a crippling failure occurs, and have the ability to compare system performance with baseline data to detect changes in operating conditions and quickly remedy any problems.”
Murilo Dalla Albino, North America sales director for Danfoss Drives, explained, “CBM has made a highly functional drive even more valuable. Embedded CBM allows users to optimize the performance of their HVAC system, identifying and addressing maintenance concerns before a system failure, saving time and money. This is another example of how intelligent VLT drives can solve potentially critical problems in HVAC applications.”
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