Compressor Drives

Troubleshooting Check List

CDS 302/CDS 303

http://cc.danfoss.com
Check List Content

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 4
For Your Safety...................................................................................................................................... 5
Diagnostics........................................................................................................................................... 6
Initial Trouble Shooting (visual inspection of the installation)........................................................ 7
Input power wiring.................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Output to motor......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Grounding..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Control wiring.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Programming............................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Compressor Motor..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Cable routing............................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Peripheral equipment (sensors, contactors, etc)............................................................................................................................. 7
Trip on over Temperature........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Drive interior................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
EMC Precautions......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Vibration........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Environmental conditions....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Proper clearance......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Trouble shooting ................................................................................................................................. 8

Fault Symptoms - Display of the drive ............................................................................................................................................... 8
No display (blank display)....................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Intermittent display................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Fault Symptoms in the compressor (motor)..................................................................................................................................... 9

Common drives and motor problems...............................................................................................11

Control logic problems...........................................................................................................................................................................11
Programming problems.........................................................................................................................................................................11
IGBT, Motor or load problems .............................................................................................................................................................12
Procedure to conduct the dynamic test to check the IGBT ......................................................................................................12
Faults in the drive.....................................................................................................................................................................................12
EMC - Electro Magnetic Compatibility..............................................................................................................................................13

Static test procedures........................................................................................................................14

Rectifier test (static).................................................................................................................................................................................14
IGBT static test...........................................................................................................................................................................................15

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 3
 Check List Introduction

Many frequency converters that are sent back personnel working with Danfoss frequency
to Danfoss every year for factory analysis converters to identify faults and perform a
are diagnosed with No Fault Found (NFF). first diagnosis on the drive before sending it to
Establishing whether a frequency converter is inspection and analysis.
faulty or not prior returning it to the factory can
increase the uptime of the compressor solution, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING FAULT DIAGNOSIS
reduce the unnecessary use of resources and BEFORE RETURNING A FREQUENCY CONVERTER FOR
limit the number of NFF. FACTORY INSPECTION.
CHECK ALL POSSIBILITIES.
The purpose of this check list is to facilitate IN CASE OF DOUBT, PLEASE SEEK DANFOSS SUPPORT.
users, field technicians, engineers and service

4 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
Check List For Your Safety

Frequency Converters (FC) contain dangerous remote DC-link power supplies, including
voltages when connected to the line voltage. battery backups, UPS and DC-link connections
Only a competent technician should carry out to other frequency converters.
the service.
• Wait for at least 20 minutes before touching any
Some instructions should be compulsorily of the components.
followed to ensure safety while working with the
FC. • When repair or inspection is done, the AC line
must be disconnected.
• Do not touch electrical parts of the FC when the
AC line is connected. • The STOP key on the control panel does not
disconnect the AC line.
• Frequency converters contain DC-link capacitors
that can remain charged even when the • During operation and programming of the
frequency converter is not powered. To avoid parameters, the motor may start without
electrical hazards, disconnect AC mains, any warning. So you have to activate the STOP key
permanent magnet type motors, and any when changing data.

Figure 1: Drive must be

turned OFF for 20min before
repair can start

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 5
 Check List Diagnostics

WARNINGS and ALARM Fault detection via LCP: messages are displayed a) In case of reset alarm: you can stop and then
when the frequency converter fault circuit start the unit.
detects a faulty condition or an unresolved fault.
b) In case of trip-lock alarm, you have to
A warning light flashing display indicates disconnect the mains, wait for dark display,
potential problems. then stop and start.

There are two levels of alarms; Reset Alarms and

Trip-lock Alarms.

Alarm Log Check the content of the alarm log. If the troubleshooting suggested does not
resolve the problem, please contact Danfoss for
5 latest alarms are available through the “Alarm support.
Log” button key on the LCP.
Do not exchange the drive before contacting
Check the alarm code and refer to the Danfoss support.
troubleshooting session of the Operating
Instructions VLT® CDS 302 and CDS 303 on page
135. It contains guidance for the complete list
of alarms and warnings.

Figure 2: WARNINGS
and ALARM messages
are displayed when the
frequency converter fault
detects a faulty condition

6 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
Check List Initial Trouble Shooting (visual inspection of the installation)

This list shows a variety of conditions that Display: Warnings, alarms, drive status; fault
should be inspected visually as a part of initial history and many other items are available on the
troubleshooting. local control panel of the drive.

Input power wiring Check for loose connections. Check for proper fusing. Check for blown fuses.

Output to motor Check for loose connections. Check for switching

components in the output circuit. Check for
faulty contacts in the switch gear.

Grounding The drive requires a dedicated ground wire of the drive to a metal surface is not considered
from its chassis to the building ground. It is also a suitable ground. Check for good grounding
suggested that the motor be grounded to the connections that are tight and free of oxidation.
drive chassis. The use of conduit or mounting

Control wiring Check for broken or damaged wires and on the installation condition, the use of shield
connections. Check the voltage source of the cable or a twisted pair is recommended. Ensure
signals. Though not always necessary depending the shield is terminated correctly.

Programming Check that the drive parameter settings are

correct according to the motor, application and
I/O configuration.

Compressor Motor Check nameplate of the Compressor. Ensure the compressor par. 1-13 is set according to the
compressor matches the drive. Check that drive’s compressor e.g.:

ID Name Setup 1 Factory Setup Unit

113 Compressor Selection VZH117-R410A VZH117-R410A

Cable routing Avoid routing motor wiring. AC line wiring and 20cm between the cables or separate them with
signal wiring in parallel. If parallel routing is a grounded conductive partition. Avoid routing
unavailable, try to maintain a separation of 15- cables through free air.

Peripheral equipment Look for peripheral equipment such as switches these items as possible causes for operational
(sensors, contactors, etc) or input fuses circuit breakers that may be in the faults. Check function and installation of pressure
input power side of the drive or output side of sensors or temperature sensors etc. used for
the motor. Examine operation and condition of feedback to the drive.

Trip on over Temperature Check the operational status of all cooling fans.
Check for blockage or constrained air passages.

Drive interior Drive interior must be free of dirt, metal, chips, failure. Check for cracks or breaks in the housing
moisture and corrosion. Check for burnt or of the power semiconductors or pieces of broken
damaged power components or carbon deposits components housing loose inside the unit.
that were the result of a disastrous component

EMC Precautions Check for proper installation with regards to “ Electrical Installation – EMC Protection “ for
electromagnetic capability. Refer to the CDS further details.
manual, in the chapter “How to install” and then

Vibration Look for unusual amounts of vibration to which mounted solidly or the use of shock mounts
the drive may be subject. The drive should be employed.

Environmental conditions Under specific conditions these units can 45 °C). Humidity level must be less than 95%
be operated within a maximum ambient non-condensing. Check for harmful airborne
temperature of 50°C (24h average maximum contaminates such as sulphur based compounds.

Proper clearance These drives require a top and bottom clearance Drives with exposed heat sinks out the back of
of 10cm to ensure proper airflow for cooling. the drive must be mounted on a flat solid surface.

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 7
 Check List Trouble shooting

Fault Symptoms - Display A fault must have been ocurred when there is:
of the drive
a) No Display in the LCP (blank)
b) Intermittent display in the LCP

No display (blank display) There are three LED indicators lights near the indicates that communications may have failed
bottom of the LCP. with the control card.

If the green power on LED is illuminated but the This is typically seen when an option card has
backlit display is dark, this indicates that the LCP been installed in the drive and is either not
itself is defective and must be replaced. connected properly or is malfunctioning.

It should be certain that the display is completely • If neither indication is available, then the
dark. An error code exists in the drive which source of the problem may be elsewhere.

Figure 3: No Display in the

LCP (blank)

Intermittent display Cutting out or flashing of the entire display and This may be due to improper control wiring or a
power LED indicates that the power supply fault within the drive itself.
(SMPS) is shutting down as a result of being
overloaded.

Figure 4: intermittent
display

8 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
Check List Trouble shooting

• The first step is to rule out the problem in the control wiring.

Figure 5: Check control

cables

• Disconnect all control wiring by unplugging the • If the display stays lit then the problem is in the
control terminal blocks from the control card. control wiring.

Figure 6: Disconnect all

control wiring

All control wiring should be checked for shorts • If the display continues to cut out, the fault
or incorrect connections. can be located in either the LCP itself or on
the Power card.

Fault Symptoms in the

compressor (motor):

Motor will not run • First verify that the unit is properly powered up Such occurrences will result in one or more of the
and there is no warning or alarm . following status messages being displayed:

• The most common cause of this is either

incorrect control logic or an incorrectly
programmed drive.

LCP Stop The LCP stop message is displayed when the OFF The bottom section of the display will also be
key has been pressed. flashing when this occurs.

Figure 7: LCP stop = OFF key

pressed

Stand by (figure 8) The stand by message is displayed when there is Ensure that a start command is present at
no start signal at terminal 18. terminal 18.

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 9
 Check List Trouble shooting

Stop (figure 9) Message displayed when the Terminal 27 is low Ensure that terminal 27 is logic 1 (pressure
(no signal). switch).

Figure 9: Check pressure

switch

Run OK: 25Hz The RUN OK status display indicates that a run Check the control wiring to ensure that a
command has been given to the drive but the proper reference signal is present at the drive
reference (speed command) is zero or missing. input terminals and that the unit is properly
programmed to accept the signal provided.

Quick tip: Improperly connected wiring or interrupted not operating or the drive not responding to a
wiring is a common service issue for a motor remote input.

10 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
Check List Common drives and motor problems

The common drives and motor problems occur • Motor/load

due to an error in the • Internal drive
• Control logic
• Programming

Control logic problems Control logic problem occurs when the drive If there is not a correct indication, the next step is
does not respond to a given command. to determine whether the signal is present at the
control terminals of the drive.
Control logic problem is located by using the
status information displayed by the drive. This can be performed with a voltmeter or
oscilloscope.
Correct reading indicates that the desired signal
is detected by the microprocessor of the drive.

Figure 10: checking control

signal in the control card

• If the signal is present at the terminal, The circuitry providing the signal along with its
the control card is defective and must be associated wiring must then be checked.
replaced.

• If the signal is not present, the problem is

external to the drive.

Programming problems Three areas where programming errors may Any references or limits set incorrectly will result
affect the drive and motor operation are in less than acceptable drive performance.
motor settings, references and limits, and I/O
configuration. In case of doubt, reset the drive to factory
settings using par. 14-22.
The drives must be set up correctly for the
compressors connected to it. If not, the Download again the OEM settings using the
compressor may fail to start or use higher than copy and paste function in par. 0-50.
normal amount of current.

Check if the correct compressor is selected in

par. 1-13.

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 11
 Check List Common drives and motor problems

IGBT, Motor or load The motor or motor wiring can develop a phase • Perform the dynamic output test procedure on
problems to phase or phase to ground short resulting in all three phases with a digital voltmeter.
alarm indication and a trip of the unit.
• I f the three voltage measurements are
A motor with the unbalanced or non- balanced, the drive is functioning correctly.
symmetrical impedances on all the three phases The problem is therefore external to the drive.
can result in uneven or rough operation or
unbalanced output current. • If the voltage measurements are not
balanced, the drive is malfunctioning.
• To determine whether the problem is internal
or external to the drive, disconnect the motor This typically means that one or more output
from the drive output terminals. IGBT is not switching on and off correctly.

If one of the IGBT fails, the drive is damaged

and must be replaced.

Procedure to conduct the Dynamic tests have to be done without the • Connect the positive terminal of the multimeter
dynamic test to check the compressor connected to UVW connector, and lead to the U connector, and connect the
IGBT the Drive has to be programmed to a proxy 50Hz negative terminal to the W terminal.
at start.
• Connect the positive terminal of the multimeter
The Dynamic test can indicate if one of the IGBT lead to the V connector, and connect the
doesn’t switch, and the output voltage will drop negative terminal to the W terminal.
on the fault terminal, UVW.
The meter reading will be between 360V - 380V
Program the multimeter to AC 1000V RM. when performing the dynamic test at 400V
mains and 50Hz/3000RPM output depending on
• Connect the positive terminal of the multimeter instrument used.
lead to the U connector, and connect the
negative terminal to the V terminal. The reading should be within ±1.5 percent. When
the reading exceeds this, the IGBT is damaged.

Figure 11: Dynamic test

Faults in the drive

Drive temperature sensor / • If the drive is stopped and cooled, the LCP • If not, the temperature sensor or temperature
Over temperature fault reading shall show the ambient temperature. measurement circuit is defective.

Current sensor fault When a current sensor fails, it is indicated • If the motor is disconnected from the unit, the
sometimes by an earth fault alarm that cannot be LCP shall read out 0.00A.
reset, even with the motor leads disconnected.
• If anything else is shown, this indicates a
• Disconnect the motor from the drive, and then defective current sensor.
observe the current in the display of the drive.

Note: Both faults above are non-reparable. Drive needs to be replaced

12 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
Check List Common drives and motor problems

EMC - Electro Magnetic

Compatibility

Effects of EMI Electro Magnetic compliance or EMC are the Detrimental Effects To These Systems May
voltage and current which are not sinusoidal but Include The Following:
pulsating.
• Pressure/flow/temperature signal transmitter
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) concerns signal distortion or aberrant behaviour
for typical commercial and industrial equipment. • Radio and TV interference
• Telephone interference
EMI related disturbances to drive operation are • Computer network data loss
uncommon, but the following detrimental EMI • Digital control system faults
effects may be seen:

• Motor speed fluctuations

• Serial communication transmission errors
• Drive CPU exception faults
• Unexplained drive trips

Sources of EMI Drives utilize Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors These devices rapidly switch the fixed DC bus
(IGBTs) to provide an efficient and cost effective vo ltage creating a variable frequency, variable
means to create the Pulse Width Modulated voltage PWM waveform.
(PWM) output waveform necessary for accurate
motor control. This high rate of voltage change [dV/dt] is the
primary source of the drive generated EMI.

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 13
 Check List Static test procedures

POWER MUST BE OFF / MAINS AND MOTOR • If rectifier or IGBT fail, the complete power
CABLES DISCONECTED! card has to be exchanged, since in the CDS
drives, the rectifier and IGBT are integrated in
Verification of: Rectifier (input, mains) / IGBT one power card.
(Output, motor)

Rectifier test (static)

Symptom: Failure of the rectifier module will usually result Procedure to conduct the static test on rectifier:
in blown input line fuses.

Step 1 • Connect the negative terminal of the • The multimeter should show the diode drop
multimeter meter lead to the positive DC bus. of around 0.44 volt on the three terminals.
• Connect the positive terminal of the multimeter
lead to the input terminal L1,L2,L3 in turn.

Figure 12: Multimeter

should read a voltage drop
of 0,4V

Step 2 Now reverse the meter leads, i.e. connect • Connect the negative terminal of the meter
the positive terminal of the meter lead to the lead to the input terminals L1, L2, L3 in turn.
positive DC bus. • The multimeter should show diode open.

Figure 13: Multimeter

should show diode open

Step 3 Now repeat the procedure by connecting to the • Connect the negative terminal of the meter
negative DC bus in order to the test the lower lead to the input terminals L1, L2, L3 in turn.
part of the rectifier bridge which consist of •T  he multimeter should show the diode drop
diodes of around 0.44 volt on the three terminals.

Figure 14: Multimeter

should show a diode drop
of 0,44V

14 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
Check List Static test procedures

Step 4 Now reverse the meter leads, i.e. connect the • Connect the positive terminal of the meter lead
negative terminal of the meter lead to the to the input terminals L1, L2, L3 in turn.
negative DC bus. • The multimeter should show diode open.

Figure 15: The multimeter

should show diode open

Note: A diode drop reading will vary depending on the model of the ohm meter

IGBT static test IGBT's are placed on the output of the CDS drives

Step 1 • Connect the positive terminal of the multimeter • Connect the negative terminal of the
lead to the positive DC bus. multimeter lead to the motor terminal U, V, W
in turn.
• The multimeter should show the diode open.

Figure 16: The multimeter

should show diode open

Step 2 Now reverse the meter leads, i.e. connect the • Connect the positive terminal of the meter lead
negative terminal of the meter lead to the to the motor terminals U, V, W in turn.
positive DC bus. •T  he multimeter should show the diode drop
of around 0.4 volt on the three terminals.

Figure 17: The multimeter

should show the diode drop
of around 0.4 volt on the
three terminals

Step 3 Now repeat the procedure by connecting to the • Connect the negative terminal of the
negative DC bus in order to test the second set multimeter lead to the negative DC bus.
of IGBTs. • Connect the positive terminal of the multimeter
lead to the motor terminal U, V, W in turn.
• The multimeter should show open diode.

Figure 18: The multimeter

should show open diode

FRCC.PC.036.A2.02 15
 Check List Static test procedures

Step 4 Now reverse the meter leads, i.e. connect • Connect the negative terminal of the meter
the positive terminal of the meter lead to the lead to the motor terminals U, V, W in turn.
negative DC bus. • The multimeter should show diode drop
around 0.4 volts.

Figure 19: The multimeter

should show diode drop
around 0.4 volts

16 FRCC.PC.036.A2.02
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