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Why Use Expensive VFD Cable For IGBT Drives in Marine ShipBoard Drilling Applications?

Posted by Damian Billeaudeau on Sep 29, 2017 12:33:10 PM

Expensive VFD Cable For IGBT Drives in Marine Shipboard Applications should be specified to protect expensive motors and electrical equipment?

Harmonic currents generated from IGBT power devices can cause excessive heating of motors and other electrical equipment, as well as adversely affect sensitive digital equipment. Standard constructed single or multi-conductor cables will cause premature motor bearing failure, crosstalk, noise to the inverter, and electric shock!

A VFD cable is specifically designed to cancel voltage, magnetic fields and reduce charging currents generated by induced pulse width modulated switching.

EXANE Marine Shipboard VFD construction provides:

- EXANE insulation can withstand the stresses of  substantial voltage spikes
- Sinusoidal lay length contain and cancel magnetic fields generated by power conductors onto the ground conductors
- Double overall shielding, properly grounded, contains the electric field, thus preventing induced voltage “cross-talk” to adjacent cables
- Segmented ground conductors reduce noisy ground currents
- Outer jacket is resilient to UV light, oils, muds, and abrasion

In summary, a properly designed VFD cable will reduce common-mode currents, motor frame voltages and protection against electro-mechanical interference (EMI) for optimized system performance and life expectancy.

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