Electricity and Control January 2024

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Efficient motors and drives are key to industry energy solutions

With the continuing energy supply shortfall in South Africa, motors and drives can play a central role in industry’s energy solution strat egy. The manufacturing and pro cessing sectors, which include minerals processing plants, are energy-intensive industries, and finding ways to reduce energy consumption and increase effi ciencies is essential for economic

Jaco Brits, Projects and Technical Manager at WEG Africa.

and environmental reasons. Jaco Brits, Projects and Technical Manager at WEG Africa, says the company has the knowledge and expertise as well as the technology solutions to assist operations in reducing their operating costs and increasing their productivity – safeguarding their energy security at the same time. “Electric motors and drives are used across industries to operate pumps, mixers, conveyors, vibrating screens and feeders, crushers, and other machinery including, for instance, automated packaging systems,” Brits says. “Advances in motor and drive technology, underpinned by WEG’s extensive research and development, have seen substantial improvements in energy efficiency. Advanced control algorithms enable motor performance to be opti mised based on real-time conditions,” Brits explains. “The algorithms assist in ensuring motors operate at peak effi ciency levels, even in complex processes. “By upgrading to newer technology and installing higher efficiency motors such as the WEG IE3 or IE4 The NewFeed Feeder Protection Relay from NewElec pro vides microgrid feeder security in the dynamic inter face where solar farms intersect with traditional power grids. The NewFeed Feeder Protection Relay is de signed to safeguard this link. It is purpose-built to fortify the connection between solar farms and conventional power grids in low voltage (LV) and medium voltage (MV) distribution settings. The NewFeed relay has the capacity to gauge a number of critical metrics: from voltage and current to complex evaluations like positive, negative, and zero sequences, phase angles, power factor, harmonics, and Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). It also looks at independent earth leakage levels. This comprehensive data toolkit facilitates the seamless incorporation of complete ANSI protection attributes to safeguard microgrid feeders. The NewFeed relay serves to protect motors as well, with the added flexibility of multiple curve selections like IEC60255-8, NINV, VINV, EINV, MINV, DT, IT, I2T, and I4T. What’s more, its directional current components cater adeptly to parallel feeder scenarios.

electric motors, customers can lower their energy usage significantly. “In addition,” he says, “by combining high efficiency motors with WEG variable speed drives (VSDs), better con trol and optimisation of equipment can be achieved. This ensures equipment operates at its most energy-efficient speed and power level and will reduce operating costs.” Commenting on the use of VSDs, Brits explains that traditional fixed speed motors run at a constant speed, regardless of the load requirements. In contrast, VSDs are most effective in controlling the speed and torque of motors based on the actual – and changing – load requirements. With this level of precision, the speed of A WEG Top Premium Efficiency motor driving a pump via belt and pulley, controlled by a WEG CFW11 VSD. All this functionality is contained within a compact 45 mm DIN rail mounted enclosure. The enclosure is a hub of insight. LED indicators signal fault conditions, field in puts, and relay outputs, ensuring clarity even in complex applications. This transparency is complemented by the relay’s internal configurability, facilitating adaptable logic and comprehensive statistical records. Further capability is provided through the NewFeed re lay’s range of MV and LV current transformer module blocks (CTMB). This feature enables the seamless integration of var ious current ranges into higher current and system voltage systems. The integration of interposing current transformers and voltage transformers with selectable ratios enriches flex ibility, enabling isolation and expansive range settings. An additional current balance CT (CBCT) addresses earth leak age detection exclusively. Front-end configuration software empowers users to tai lor the device’s functionality. An onboard database etches 36 fault records and 940 event records with precise time stamps, and a comprehensive data recorder and spectrum Continued on page 13

Safeguarding connections to the traditional grid – and more

In the fast-evolving landscape of feeder protection, the NewFeed Feeder Protection Relay delivers innovation, advanced functionality, and reliability.

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12 Electricity + Control JANUARY 2024