Arkel ADrive VVVF Elevator Inverter (Speed Control Unit)

ADrive is Arkel’s VVVF drive for lift machines — the manufacturer calls it a VVVF inverter, or speed control unit. It drives both synchronous gearless and asynchronous traction machines, in open or closed loop, and is designed specifically for lift duty rather than adapted from a general industrial inverter.

Five power classes

The range runs 5.5, 7.5, 11, 15 and 22 kW. Each class is specified by continuous and short-term current, which is the figure that actually matters when a machine is sized: 14 A continuous and 28 A for up to six seconds at 5.5 kW, rising to 50 A and 100 A at 22 kW. The table below gives the full set.

What is built for lift duty

An anti-rollback function holds the car at start without needing a load cell, and a separate hold function prevents motor oscillation from excessive start-hold gain. Static auto-tuning identifies a synchronous motor with the brake closed. Mechanical brake feedback and PTC monitoring of the motor and brake resistor are part of the standard function set. A dedicated manual recovery screen follows EN 81-1/A2 6.6.2 c. The last 256 faults stay in memory, which turns a service call from guesswork into reading a list.

Noise, energy and rescue

A 10 kHz IPM switching frequency and four low-noise fans keep the drive quiet, and a built-in DC reactor reduces the current drawn from the supply. Arkel states up to 40 % saving in lift electricity consumption. Rescue runs from a 60–120 V battery pack or a 220 VAC UPS, with the control circuit able to live on an external 24 VDC supply. ADrive is EMC test certified and carries an EU type-examination certificate.