Power supply values (drive error)

Let me try to assist you and we will work through the language issue as we go.  First, is this a new installation?  Is your A.C. power single phase or 3 phase?  The 220VAC is really not an issue as the centrifuge has a transformer that can adjust for differing line voltages.  Get back to me with this information and we will go from there.  By the way, I worked on the Avanti series centrifuges from the time they were released until I retired in 2012 but I can still help you out.

Don Klees

Hello Don, thank you very much for the answer. The facility, like the equipment, are old. The building where it is located has a three-phase system, but the centrifuge is single-phase. I clarify that the centrifuge is not directly connected to the electric power supply network, first it has a voltage stabilizer, which, in theory it delivers 220V . I doubt it arose since the centrifuge began to show the "Drive error" and when I saw that the supply voltage is 230V (without indicating any margin) I thought that this could be the problem.

So the voltage stabilizer is a single phase device?  I'm really not familiar with that kind of device.  Anyway, the transformer inside of the centrifuge has the ability to have its taps moved such that it will supply the correct voltage to the centrifuge components that rely on 208 volts which is the most common setting for the centrifuge.  So, what I need you to do is take the back cover off of the centrifuge and take a picture of the transformer so that I can see how the wires are connected.  After that I can determine where I believe the wires should be placed although the best way to determine this is by monitoring the wiring on the transformer directly with a DVM.  I'm assuming that you have the necessary skills to deal with this and just remember, some of the possible places that you can come n contact with can supply lethal voltages so be careful.  EVERYTHING about the proper operation of the centrifuge depends on getting that tap setting set properly.

Don

Hi Don, let me summarize everything that happens with our centrifuge.

I doubt that the problem is the transformer connection because it has been like this since the centrifuge was installed, many years ago, and nobody changed it. However, I am attaching the photos you requested.

Indeed, the centrifuge is connected to a voltage stabilizer, which, at the same time, is connected to the electric outlet (this is because in Argentina the electrical service is usually very poor and potentially harmful voltage rises and falls occur frequently). Now, apparently, the stabilizer failed, and for a while it was delivering between 180V and 200V, at the moment the centrifuge indicated the error "power error", but the users ignored this, cleared it and continued using it. It was after a while that it started giving the "sys error" and finally the "drive error" errors. So, I measured at the test points the voltages that you can see in the attached images. We decided to directly connect the centrifuge to the electric outlet and see what happens. However, the "drive error" continued. One of the users recalled that something similar happened several years ago and, at that time, the official Beckman technician changed a G4PC40UD IGBT. We then proceeded to verify the status of these IGBTs and found that 3 of them were short-circuited. Since we didn't get exactly this transistor, we replaced them with IRG4PC50U.

This repair done, we assembled the centrifuge and tested it. Unfortunately, the error continued. I am also attaching a video in which you can see the indicator LEDs that light up on the board, perhaps this can give you a clue as to what is happening.

All the photos and video are in the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B25KwWa7D962LpBqOqZL4nMedVRwHXAd/view?usp=sharing

Thank you very much in advanced.

Best regards!

Sorry that it took me so longto get back to you but I have been fighting a health issue.  I tried to open your link to the pictures but could not get them to open up.  One thing you MUST do is clear out all of the error messages before continuing.  I have previously posted on this database how to do that.  One thing that I need to know is which "DRIVE" error you actually received.  There are many differenet errors and causes that were discovered over the years but not having good stable power to the unit is definitely going to be an issue going forward.  180VAC is absolutely too low to be compensated by the centrifuge's tapping transformer.  Get back to me with what the drive error was and what the current line voltage is at and we can go from there.

Don