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Why and How Braking Resistors Are Used: Broken Down Into Simpler Pieces

Braking resistors are used to safely dissipate excess electrical energy generated during motor braking as heat. When a motor stops or slows, its rotational inertia causes it to act like a generator and backfeed energy into the variable frequency drive. A braking resistor connected via a braking chopper redirects this energy and prevents the voltage in the VFD from rising to dangerous levels. Braking resistors are specified based on the average braking power required by the application and appropriate resistance for the VFD/chopper. Duty cycles describe the typical pattern of braking events to determine average power needs.

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Ganesh Kumar
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391 views

Why and How Braking Resistors Are Used: Broken Down Into Simpler Pieces

Braking resistors are used to safely dissipate excess electrical energy generated during motor braking as heat. When a motor stops or slows, its rotational inertia causes it to act like a generator and backfeed energy into the variable frequency drive. A braking resistor connected via a braking chopper redirects this energy and prevents the voltage in the VFD from rising to dangerous levels. Braking resistors are specified based on the average braking power required by the application and appropriate resistance for the VFD/chopper. Duty cycles describe the typical pattern of braking events to determine average power needs.

Uploaded by

Ganesh Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Why and how braking resistors are used

Fundamentally the purpose of a dynamic braking resistor is to slow down, quickly stop, or
control a motor by absorbing the counter-electromotive force (CEMF) and keeping the drive
and motor within safe tolerances to prevent damage and destruction.

When removed from a power supply, most DC motors will act as electrical generators due to
their permanent magnets. If a resistor is then connected as a load, the energy produced by
the rotational inertia of the DC motor will be dissipated by the resistor slowing down
the motor. While AC motors do not have permanent magnets in their rotors, they do have
an induced magnetic field created by the rotating magnetic field in the stator. The energy
lost in the stator will backfeed into the variable frequency drive (VFD), which will rise the
voltage on the DC bus in the VFD. The greater the difference between the output of the VFD
and the rotor’s actual speed, the more energy will be fed into the VFD. If the VFD tries to
brake the motor too quickly, the voltage will rise too much and damage the VFD. Most VFDs
will shut down as a safety feature before this happens, and the motor will coast to a stop by
friction alone. With appropriately sized braking resistors the motor can be stopped much
more quickly without raising the voltage to unsafe levels.

Broken down into simpler pieces:


 Motors are designed to take electrical energy and convert it into mechanical
energy for an application.
 When the application needs to brake, reverse, or overhaul a load, there will be
CEMF (counter-electromotive force) generated. The mechanical energy will
create electrical energy, making the motor effectively act as a generator.
 This excess regenerated energy must go somewhere; when the motor is
controlled by a VFD, it will go to the VFD (specifically the DC bus).
 A braking transistor (usually part of a braking chopper) is connected to the DC
bus to shunt (i.e. redirect) power to the Dynamic Braking Resistor when the DC
bus voltage reaches a pre-determined level.
 The braking resistor will safely dissipate this energy as heat.

Brake resistor specifications - power and resistance

Brake resistors are always designed with two specifications, average braking power, and
resistance.

Braking power
Peak braking power is commonly approximated by taking the motor horsepower (in watts)
and the braking torque and multiplying them. For example a 20HP motor with a 150%
braking torque would give you a peak power of: (20*745.7*1.5) = 14914 Watts

The most correct method of getting braking power (for deceleration applications) is more
complicated and time-consuming, we describe this in more detail on our Braking Resistor
Calculator page. Essentially this requires accounting for the inertia of the load, inertia of the
motor, any gearing effects, starting motor speed, and desired ending motor speed.
Peak braking power must be translated into average braking power by using the duty cycle.
Please refer to the “Braking resistor duty cycles” section below for more information on duty
cycles. Assume our cycle is 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off.

For deceleration applications:


14914 watts * (20/(40+20)) * (1/2) = 2486 watts

For overhauling applications (double the power):


14914 watts * (20/(40+20)) = 4971 watts

Resistance
Braking resistors with smaller ohmic values will help motors stop faster but will also
dissipate more heat.

The most important variable is minimum resistance, which is always determined by the
braking chopper / transistor’s capacity. This info will come from the drive OEM.

Maximum resistance is calculated by accounting for the DC bus operating voltage and peak
braking power.
Source: Allen-Bradley

The following diagram displays the relationship between speed, torque (and braking
torque), power (and braking power), and regenerated power.

Braking resistor duty cycles

There is no industry consensus on standard duty cycles. Each brake resistor or drive
manufacturer has their own standards. Ultimately this doesn’t matter; typical duty cycles are
presented for what someone anticipates a “standard” or “typical” application is.

For market reasons, drive manufacturers typically specialize in certain applications (for
example, one may focus on HVAC industry drives, another may focus on crane control).
Inevitably this results in “typical” application duty cycles based on what the manufacturer
specializes in.

Generally, these are presented in various formats, which can all mean the exact same thing:

 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off


 30 seconds on, 60 second cycle
 50% duty, 60 second cycle

Source: ABB

The above diagram depicts an application with a trapezoidal movement profile. Here the
cycle time is 2.5 seconds, and the braking time or time on is 0.5s, which gives us a duty cycle
of 20%. The best way to size a brake resistor is always based on your specific application.
This will ensure your resistor is cost-effective, and won’t fail because it is under-powered.
We’ve got a helpful tool to help you size a braking resistor for your application you can
find here.
The downside to this method is that you may not know all the details of your application
ahead of time, or you simply don’t have the time. In this case we recommend you select
your drive manufacturer from the “Browse by Drive Manufacturer” section, and choose a
brake resistor based on the cross-reference lists that matches your drive model based on
recommendations from the manufacturer.

 Braking types / categories

There are two different braking types or categories that significantly affect the sizing of a
braking resistor.

Source: ABB

Deceleration / Dynamic Braking


If you have a motor running and simply want to brake it, this is referred to as deceleration.
The braking power peaks at the beginning and gradually decreases to 0 (which will occur at
your desired decelerated speed). You are dynamically converting a rotational energy into
electrical energy, which allows faster braking than just letting the motor coast to a stop.
Sometimes this is also referred to as a “Horizontal Load”.
The average braking power is half the peak braking power.

Application examples: conveyors, trolleys, gantry cranes

Overhauling Load / Holding


Your braking application is countering an external force, usually gravity, and braking power
is constant. Here your rotational energy is naturally converting into electrical energy, and
you are diverting it away from the motor and drive. Sometimes this is also referred to as a
“Vertical Load”.

The average braking power is the same as the peak braking power.

Application examples: cranes, hoists, elevators

The application of a DC bus has extended and evolved as VFD technology has. In the context
of braking resistors, the DC bus is a discharge medium for regenerated energy.

A brake chopper or braking chopper consists of some electronic components whose


function is to shunt or redirect power to the braking resistor when the VFD voltage exceeds
a certain threshold. They use a simple on-off control.

Many manufacturers use braking transistor and brake chopper interchangeably.

A chopper is essential “the brains” of a braking resistor, and is a slave to the DC bus.
Source: KEB

The above diagram displays the relationship between the DC bus in a VFD, the brake
transistor, and the brake resistor.

Although we are not a manufacturer of brake choppers, we’ve worked to develop


relationships with reputable suppliers and can help provide you a chopper suited towards
your drive and required braking power.

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