“Hardcore” Launch: STEP Inverters Successfully Applied in High-Altitude Belt Conveyor Project
2025-02-27
The STEP AS800 series high-voltage frequency converters have been successfully deployed at a mine in Qinghai, located at an altitude of 3,200 meters. The mine’s belt conveyor system has now smoothly entered the trial operation phase.
The application of this frequency converter has not only boosted the mine’s production efficiency but also significantly reduced energy consumption, bringing dual benefits—economic and environmental—to the mining enterprise. In such a high-altitude environment, the equipment’s stability and reliability have been thoroughly validated, marking a further expansion of this series of frequency converters’ capability to operate in extreme conditions.
Challenges of Inverter Operation at High Altitudes
The AS800 series high-voltage variable frequency drives face numerous challenges when used in high-altitude regions with operating ambient temperatures below -20℃, primarily affecting heat dissipation, insulation, and electrical performance.
First, as altitude increases, atmospheric pressure gradually decreases, and the air becomes thinner, leading to a decline in heat dissipation capability. High-voltage variable frequency drives generate substantial heat during operation; if heat dissipation is inadequate, the temperature rise can become excessively high, thereby affecting the normal operation of the equipment. Therefore, when using high-voltage variable frequency drives in high-altitude regions, it is necessary to implement heat-dissipation optimization measures—such as adding cooling fans and optimizing the heat-dissipation structure—to enhance heat-dissipation efficiency.
Secondly, the thin air at high altitudes can lead to a decline in the insulation performance of electrical equipment. As a high-voltage device, the insulation performance of a high-voltage variable frequency drive is particularly critical. At high altitudes, due to the reduced dielectric strength of the air, the insulation clearance of the high-voltage VFD must be increased accordingly to prevent electrical breakdown. At the same time, it is necessary to use high-quality insulating materials to further enhance the equipment’s insulation performance. Moreover, changes in altitude can also affect the electrical performance of high-voltage VFDs. Because the air becomes thinner, the resistance values will change, causing deviations in electrical parameters such as resistance and capacitance. Therefore, when using high-voltage VFDs in high-altitude areas, it is essential to make appropriate adjustments to the electrical parameters to ensure the equipment operates properly.
Product Parameters
The motor selected is a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous variable-frequency motor.
To effectively achieve load-balancing control of the motors, this project is equipped with three 1250-kW variable-frequency drives, which employ a master-slave configuration of one master and two slaves to control the belt conveyors.
The frequency converter receives the set frequency value from the operator console and sends it to the master frequency converter. The master and slave frequency converters communicate via a bus network. The No. 1 frequency converter serves as the master controller, coordinating the synchronous operation of the No. 2 and No. 3 slave speed-regulating systems.
Application site
The STEP Drive variable-frequency drive permanent-magnet direct-drive system has achieved remarkable success in the belt conveyor industry, accumulating extensive practical experience and being widely applied to belt conveyance systems in numerous large-scale coal mines across provinces including Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi. These application cases fully demonstrate the significant advantages of the STEP Drive variable-frequency drive permanent-magnet direct-drive system in enhancing operational efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and lowering maintenance costs.
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