A type of fluid machinery, blowers are widely used to transmit air through pipelines in HVAC systems, wastewater treatment, aquaculture, and other industries. The blower motor creates and controls air flow, pressure, and speed by driving the impeller at a high speed. Traditional blower motors rotate approximately 8,000 times per minute, but when operating at such a high speed, the friction between mechanical components may induce a temperature increase; hence, gearboxes and oil cooling systems are required to protect the blower from overheating. In addition, when approaching the surge margin, the blower shuts down immediately to prevent sudden changes of air pressure from causing stress and vibration that could seriously damage the blower. However, frequent shutdowns and restarts may reduce the blower’s service life.
In recent years, high-speed magnetic bearings have been introduced to enhance blower motor speed. The magnetic bearing levitates the rotor by magnetic force and enables rotor rotation up to 40,000 times per minute, driving the impeller directly without any physical contact, avoiding energy loss from component friction and the need for lubrication. Although high-speed magnetic bearings offer benefits such as lower friction coefficients, lower energy loss, and longer life, they are more expensive, and more challenging to configure. The magnetic bearing control also usually requires Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) and multiple sensors to ensure safe motor deceleration in the face of sudden power failures. Multiple brands of products and components in the system are hard to integrate and work in synchronization.
With solid, professional experiences in fluid automation control, Delta has launched the High-Speed Maglev Blower Solution to tackle these challenges. The solution consists of the maglev bearing, 3D flow impeller, high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor, high-efficiency inverter, intelligent monitoring system, and more. The maglev blower can operate in constant speed mode, constant pressure mode, and constant flow mode, and is adjustable by a PID controller. The solution also adopts intelligent anti-surge profiles: when the maglev blower approaches surge warning conditions, the system automatically opens the vent valve to relieve pressure without shutting down and adjusts motor speed based on loading, effectively preventing a surge and extending service life.
The High-Speed Maglev Blower Solution achieves high energy efficiency and flexible wiring by integrating various Delta automation products. The solution employs the Magnetic Bearing Controller AMBD Series for high precision magnetic levitation control. Powered by the High Frequency Motor Drive C2000-HS Series, the AMBD Series does not require an AC/DC converter to operate. When an unexpected power failure occurs, its built-in Deceleration Energy Backup function regenerates power from motors to control deceleration and safely lower the rotor, saving on UPS installation cost. With an output frequency up to 1,500 Hz, the direct-drive mechanism of the C2000-HS Series not only fulfills the demand for high speed motor control but also reduces the system size. Paired with output reactors, it suppresses the current ripples on the high-speed motor and protects the maglev blower from overheating. With a built-in flow estimation algorithm, the Standard PLC DVP-ES2 Series calculates real-time air flow according to the pressure difference and temperature at the inlet with an error accuracy of less than 1%, eliminating the need for flow sensors. The PLC features anti-surge profiles for different blower models, and allows manual modification of profile parameters and protection range on the Human Machine Interface DOP-100 Series, ensuring stable motor operation.
Delta’s High-Speed Maglev Blower Solution offers the following benefits:
- A comprehensive solution ensures operation stability
Most fluid automation systems leverage devices from various manufacturers. The solution integrates and employs Delta’s high-performance automation products to enhance stability and lower the costs of installation, technical support, and maintenance.
- Saves space and cost without peripheral devices
The magnetic bearing controller, powered by the motor drive, does not require UPSs to ensure safe motor deceleration when power failures occur. The PLC monitors air flow without flow sensors. The solution successfully reduces the system size for cost efficiency.
- Intelligent anti-surge profiles extend system service life
The solution monitors real-time system operation and enables anti-surge profiles configuration to safeguard the blower against surge damage without frequent shutdowns and restarts.
Delta has been developing highly integrated solutions to upgrade fluid automation in diverse industries for years, and is dedicated to facilitating high-speed fluid machinery solutions for high-performance, energy efficient, and safe process automation to achieve its smart manufacturing vision.