How to make a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) | 1: Overview & Basics

**VERY DANGEROUS - DO NOT ATTEMP THIS AT HOME UNLESS YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL**
Video Chapters:
0:00 Project Overview
0:26 Video Topics
0:40 DC Brushed Motors
0:56 Brushless Motors
1:09 Optimal Current Waveforms
1:42 How VFDs Work
1:59 VFD Block Diagram
2:51 Hardware Design
4:25 Software Overview
5:21 Alternative Speed Controllers
6:19 Origin of this Project
6:42 VFD in Action
7:40 Fin
In this video, I give an overview on how to make a variable frequency drive (VFD).
I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped me with this project, Grazie!
Link to the code (Github):
github.com/MatanPazi/VFD
References:
Brushed motor Eq:
ctms.engin.umich.edu/CTMS/ind...
Brushless motor gif:
thumbs.gfycat.com/SimplisticL...
Motors BEMF:
www.ti.com/lit/ml/slyp711/sly...
BEMF and current alignment:
e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/industria...
VFD gif:
thumbs.gfycat.com/FreshLoaths...
Jeremy Fielding demonstration:
• Will A Dimmer Switch o...
TRAIC speed control method equation:
www.electricaleasy.com/2014/0...
Hz to RPM equation:
www.electricalvolt.com/2019/1...

[@amirpazi]

Great video! Looking forward to the next ones!

[@qzorn4440]

Excellent over view. 😎 Thank you.

[@inbarpazi9985]

Such an informative video! thanks :)

[@yuvalpazi]

Amazing!

[@Bianchi77]

Nice info, thanks:)

[@Jptoutant]

You rule! fascinating stuff

[@EladJJ]

Good stuff 😃

[@christianadanparedescarden3877]

You are a genious!

[@pleasecho2]

Great Scott

[@deshraj9633]

awesom video, great explanation looking forward to hardware and coding detailed video. thanx a lot for sharing knowledge ..keep growing

[@irshadalam029]

Nice work ....

[@cep5618]

Excelent!

[@ivangranic9113]

Very nice video, good work mate!

[@matanpazi3777]

Thanks a lot!

[@sivabala3940]

@@matanpazi3777 Hey there! I found your video very informative and beneficial for my final year project. Would it be possible for me to obtain the PCB design file? Please.

[@matanpazi3777]

@@sivabala3940 Thanks. I purposely left out the design files as a precaution so people wouldn't play around with high voltage without proper training/knowledge. You're welcome to look at part 2 of the series, the hardware video, and learn from it to start your own design. Good luck!

[@Classic_clips123]

Great and impressive work. How do one reverse the direction of the motor rotation ???

[@zaynabds]

How about the harmonics calculation of generates square wave?

[@alirezarostamifard6404]

Great work. Can you add feedback to your board to set a specific rpm for the motor?

[@matanpazi3777]

Thanks. Not in this VFD. The speed setting is in open-loop only.

[@shreyasupasane]

Very nice and informative video @Matan Pazi! Could you suggest if a single phase permanent magnet motor can be used? Thanks!

[@matanpazi3777]

Thanks! Sure, as long as you have a self starting mechanism in the motor, I don't see why not.

[@shreyasupasane]

@@matanpazi3777 That's great. Will try. Thanks.

[@h_techelectronics4456]

😁by now he has forgot about the drill press, how long did it took you, Anyway it was very impressive I think it's better than some factory once that I have installed, an less complicated, 👍nice work

[@Krunalbhongade]

Thanks for sharing this great work. I have been also looking to build one simple 1HP VFD. From your video, it is clear that your motor is rated for 50 Hz whereas you are generating frequency upto 120 Hz. Can you please explain reason behind this? and is it normal rating for VFD to be at 120Hz or are you over-speeding the motor?

[@matanpazi3777]

My pleasure :) I just wanted to show I can exceed the rated speed of the motor using my VFD. I found some sources stating 120Hz is the top limit. I was definitely overspeeding the motor.

[@Krunalbhongade]

@@matanpazi3777 Thanks for the quick reply. This is really very nice work and very well explained in detail.

[@khalidshaffi]

Kindly show connections for single phase motor.

[@anlpereira]

I'm currently workng on a project like this. But I will use software to generate a SPWM on a ATTiny85. My goal is to make a 10Kw, 220V Triphase inverter with some protections like overvoltage, overcurrent and undervoltage. Is there any big difference of making a 1kw to 10kw inverter? Is it better to use separated IGBTs in the board or the high power IGBTs modules? Do I need to make somthing like a Power Factor Corrector? Thank you very much.

[@matanpazi3777]

I believe there is a significant difference. For example regarding the current you can expect in your board. I could get away with increasing the trace width a bit, but in your case the currents are significantly higher and you will have to handle it accordingly (Thicker/wider traces , via stitching, exposed copper for adding solder, etc.) Regarding separated IGBTs, it depends on the components you find. Here are examples of 7[kW] power modules which might fit your project, seems like they're at the upper end of available power modules: www.st.com/en/power-modules-and-ipm/sllimm-high-power.html It's way easier to use a ready made power module, especially if you want the protections you mentioned, they're usually included in the power module. Obviously if you don't find what you need at a reasonable price, you'll have to build it yourself. Power Factor Corrector: If it's for personal use, I'm not sure your electrical utility company will notice, but I really don't know. P.S: I would start with a project with lower power and work my way up from there.. this is pretty dangerous if you're not an expert, and even if you are, it's still pretty dangerous. Good luck and stay safe!

[@anlpereira]

@@matanpazi3777 Thank you for quick reply. I Found these ST Modules amazing. I will try to buy one. Up to 7kw is very good for me.

[@stephenraymer7661]

If you open the top portion of the drill press are there not pulleys that you can change the gear ratio to speed up and slow down the drill?

[@matanpazi3777]

Hey, yes, there are but my father-in-law changed the motor in the drill to a motor with a higher nominal speed. So now the lowest available speed isn't slow enough for him. So it would be a matter of changing the pulleys which he wanted to avoid. And besides, I wanted to make a VFD :)

[@freddiesoft]

Really?

[@conscienceincomatose198]

2:35 You forgot the most important button, which is the rotation direction control button

[@h_techelectronics4456]

Pls what's the programing language you use to program your microcontroller ? I want to learn programing so I can be good at programing Arduino.

[@Enigma758]

It's C++.

[@kenhardty]

please what is the high frequency used to generate the square wave in output

[@matanpazi3777]

A counter overflow event happens every 64[us], so the PWM freq is 1/64[us] = 15625[Hz]. You can read more about it in the comment section in the code (Lines 1-25): github.com/MatanPazi/VFD/blob/main/VFD.ino

[@kenhardty]

@@matanpazi3777 thanks. Would the SPWM still work without the external oscillator?

[@khalidshaffi]

Nice project! Could you kindly upload wiring diagram of motor.

[@matanpazi3777]

Thanks! Sure: github.com/MatanPazi/VFD/blob/main/References/Motor_Wiring_Diagram.jpg

[@wilkin06]

Hello, there would you share the schematics, i would like to study this project electronics components

[@matanpazi3777]

Sure, will upload it to my VFD Github repository (Link in the description) in a week or so, on vacation ATM.

[@matanpazi3777]

Uploaded schematics to GitHub.

[@wilkin06]

@@matanpazi3777 thanks so much.

[@badanimations3187]

Please send the code

[@sohaeb-ot9ci]

Does this code work with 60Hz power frequency?

[@matanpazi3777]

If I understood you correctly: Yes, the AC-DC and rectifier can work with 60[Hz] / 110[V] and 50[Hz] / 220[V] And the code isn't affected by the input AC frequency.

[@AjayChaudhary-wi3og]

Can you help make this project

[@Enonymouse_]

It's important to use a motor specifically made for a VFD, you will shorten the life of the motor a lot.

[@matanpazi3777]

For 1-phase motors, depending on how the auxiliary winding is connected, it can be an issue.

[@Enonymouse_]

@@matanpazi3777 It's beyond the scope of stuff here but its useful to know that with the popularity of commercial VFD's, motor manufacturers have started to make some specifically for VFD use because some of the common motor types under perform when not operating at their preset values. Interesting stuff in your channel, keep it up. :) I love tinkering with soldering irons and circuits.

[@sweetali4578]

how i can contact you please