Delta MVDs are designed to make industrial processing plants more efficient and reduce downtime.
Delta’s MVD systems feature N+1 redundancy topography for increased system availability using modular power cell architecture.
Delta Energy Systems, the Australian subsidiary of Delta Electronics – the world’s largest power electronics company, recently entered an alliance partnership agreement with I S Systems, an Australian-based company specialising in automation systems and variable speed drives, and Marubeni Australia for capital support.
Hartley Henderson spoke to Delta’s Business Development Manager Industrial Automation – Australia & New Zealand, David Bolt, about the strategy behind the new arrangement and the benefits that it is designed to deliver.
What is the significance of the new alliance and what advantages will it bring for the market?
Under the new arrangement, I S Systems is Delta’s primary system integration partner for Medium Voltage Drives (MVD) in Australia, with capital support for large infrastructure projects in a variety of industrial automation applications from Marubeni Australia.
The new alliance will bring about differentiation in the market through delivery of expertise to clients by a highly respected and experienced 100 percent Australian owned company in I S Systems as system integrator, compared to the current situation where equipment suppliers often carry out all the work. This provides a higher performance-to-cost ratio of both services: integration and Delta MV support.
The main point of difference is the provision of a ‘total solution’ for the industry whereby customers will benefit from our offering of local competence combined with global presence.
Which industry sectors will benefit most from the new alliance?
We are targeting heavy industry sectors such as mining, oil and gas, water, power generation, and metal and cement processing. In particular, there will be a strong focus on constant, variable and regenerative torque applications where MVDs (3.3kV to 11kV) are used to drive equipment such as pumps, conveyors, crushers, blowers, and compressors.
What influence are current economic conditions likely to have on the planned operations of the alliance?
The Australian economy is going through substantial change, including in the primary mining sector and we believe that the alliance MVD focus is likely to generate significant interest and uptake.
In the mining industry, and in all other heavy industrial processes, customers are seeking to do more with less operating expenditure (OPEX), and this is a key focus for maintenance and reliability engineers.
They are seeking high system availability with strong and fast local service response, combined with a product (MVD) that can deliver improved application productivity at a reduced cost.
For heavy processes, MVDs produce much greater power output than low voltage drives (LVDs) due to operating at higher supply voltages and providing lower current flow for a given power output. MVDs also use smaller cables than LVDs which can contribute to lower system cost and, for larger projects, significant economies of scale.
What makes Delta an industry leader in MVD systems technology?
Importantly, Delta’s MVD systems feature N+1 redundancy topography for increased system availability using modular power cell architecture.
This technology is oriented for use in high capital infrastructure applications, especially in the mining sector, offering increased system availability with optional power cell and cabinet bypass features.
Modular power cell architecture enables one more power cell in each phase to be implemented, and when the power cell bypass function is on, the MVD can still output 100 percent power without power de-rating. The output voltage is equally distributed to each power cell before and after power cell bypass.
When one power cell fails, the system will bypass the power cell automatically while at the same time bypassing another two power cells to balance line voltage. In a non-redundancy system, reduced power rating operation is necessary. With the bypass cabinet, the auto bypass function can switch from MVD to power grid without power interruption.
What are the typical applications of Delta’s best-selling MVDs?
Our range of MVD variable frequency drives is designed to deliver substantial energy savings, meet special control requirements, raise equipment efficiency and reduce mechanical stress in pipes and air ducts. These drives are designed to give proportional response to what the motor demands.
The Delta MVD1000 Variable Torque product is particularly suitable for use with power plant boiler-feed pumps, mine blowers, blast furnace blowers, cement dusting fans, water plant pumps, and compressors in the chemical industry, while applications for the Delta MVD2000 Constant Torque unit include sugar mills, crushers, mixers, conveyors, ball mills and extruders.
The soon to be released Delta MVD3000 Regenerative Torque unit is designed to deal with inclinations and loads, including in relation to conveyor and excavator operations for example.
These MVDs enable energy to be put back into the grid or used on a remote mine site, thereby reducing energy costs for client companies. Suitable applications include down-hill conveyors, cranes, excavators and hoists.
What do you see as the likely market impact of the new alliance?
The cost of equipment failure and maintenance is very high in Australia, so ensuring reliability is a critical factor, which is why Delta has a primary focus on reliability and redundancy in its technology offerings while providing competent local service and support.
MVDs are used in high value applications where reliability is critical – for example where a city could lose power or water supply. Delta can build redundancy into these systems and provide piece of mind to the client.
Australia needs to automate to improve safety and reduce costs, including energy costs which have more than doubled in Australia in the last 2.5 years. Delta MVDs are designed to make processes more efficient and reduce downtime, thereby assisting to deliver major cost reductions for customers.
Drive and power quality is a big focus area for us, so we look to replace linear on/off drives with variable speed drives that alter power in proportion to the load being powered.
The new alliance brings Delta together with I S Systems which is a technology integrator with a strong history of delivering successful medium to large automation systems.
With over 50 years of experience investing in and supplying to Australian power, infrastructure, resources, and energy, Marubeni Australia is a crucial partner in this alliance structured to deliver a highly competitive ‘total solution’ to the market.