V-belt break detection via VSD
When Anglian Water contacted Gibbons Engineering Group regarding their aeration blowers at Hadleigh Works near Ipswich, they had a specific challenge in mind. They wanted to know if there was a way to detect when a V-belt had broken using the existing Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) on three aerator blower units.
Broken belts can lead to motors spinning freely without a load, wasting energy and potentially damaging equipment over time. Early detection would allow operators to act quickly, reducing downtime and preventing unnecessary wear.
Gibbons’ engineers devised a clever programming-based solution that would trigger a drive fault whenever motor load dropped below a predetermined current threshold for a set period of time. This condition would only be monitored when the drive was in run mode, ensuring that the system wouldn’t generate false alarms when at a standstill.
To establish accurate parameters, Gibbons’ engineers removed the V-belts and ran each motor under no-load conditions, recording the current draw to define the correct threshold. The result was a tailored fault logic that accurately identifies a ‘motor belts broken’ condition, displayed clearly for operational staff to act on immediately.
Initially, one ACQ580 drive and two older ACS550 drives controlled the blowers. However, the ACS550 units required hardware upgrades to accommodate the necessary relay outputs for this modification. Following a successful 14-day monitoring period on the existing ACQ580, Anglian Water opted to upgrade the remaining two drives to ACQ580 models.
The outcome not only resolved the original enquiry but also provided Anglian Water with enhanced reliability and modernised control systems. The site now benefits from early fault detection, reduced maintenance response times, and improved operational efficiency.
As part of every installation, Gibbons retained full digital parameter backups of all drives to support future maintenance and ensure continued peace of mind for the client.
