Vacumizer™ Vacuum Pump Controller
Variable Speed Vacuum Pumps:
Before you consider installing a variable speed vacuum pump you should first understand the technology. There are basically two types of technology available, the conventional designs offered by a variety of other companies and ours. The conventional versions rely on the constant speed variations of the pump to provide both vacuum regulation and the energy savings. These constant speed changes create very large voltage spikes on both your power system and your electric motor. These voltage spikes damage the insulation on the motor windings and will destroy your backup generator when in use. These voltage spikes also cause stray voltage in your facility because they will conduct through the motor bearings and onto the common motor ground and then onto your facility ground.
Our product incorporates STEP™ technology to enable the pump to run at a constant speed for the majority of the time and only increasing speed occasionally during large vacuum loss events such as a unit fall off. Our product works with a mechanical regulator to provide both stable vacuum regulation and instant on-demand vacuum. Instant on-demand vacuum is provided by the Vacumizer™ operating the pump speed fast enough to ensure that sufficient vacuum is always available for the average vacuum demand. This technology avoids constant pump speed changes and the associate harmful effects.
The Vacumizer™ Vacuum Pump Controller is a step forward in the technology of variable speed vacuum pump controllers. You should not consider the use of any other technology in order to avoid stray voltage and its harmful effects. Many farms using conventional variable speed pump have experienced both stray voltage problems and destruction of their backup generators.
Conventional variable speed controllers:
Large voltage spike caused by conventional system:
| Voltage spike | Normal voltage level |
Other variable speed controllers rely on the changing speed of the vacuum pump to provide vacuum control. This requires rapid speed changes that cause large voltage spikes on the farm power system. These harmful voltage spikes cause stray voltage, radio noise interference and damage to motors. The graph below shows how the voltage spikes are very large during motor speed variations.
The manufacturers of the variable frequency drives used by all variable speed systems recognize the problems created by constant speed changes. One manufacturer has documented in an engineering design journal the fact that very high voltage spikes as high as 2000 volts exist and that they cause damage to motor insulation and bearings. They also document the fact that these large voltage spikes conduct onto the motor ground through the motor bearings and then into the facility power system.
