Medium-voltage drive for large synchronous and asynchronous motors
The Schneider Electric ATV1200A9006363 is a medium-voltage AC drive from the Altivar 1200 series, designed to control both asynchronous and synchronous motors up to 686 kW from a 3.0 to 3.63 kV supply. It delivers 820 kVA apparent power and draws 100 A line current through a 36-pulse diode rectifier bridge, which inherently reduces line-side harmonics below IEEE 519 thresholds without external filters. The drive is assembled in a floor-standing enclosure with separate air flows for the power section and control electronics, a design that keeps the control cabinet cooler and reduces dust ingress on the logic boards. Forced convection cooling moves 13,200 m³/h in the standard-efficiency configuration and 19,800 m³/h in the high-efficiency variant, so the installation room must have adequate intake and exhaust louver area to match these volumes.
Overload capacity and protection envelope
The overload withstand profile is specified for both standard and high overload duty: 1.2 × In for 60 s or 1.5 × In for 3 s under standard overload, and 1.5 × In for 60 s or 1.85 × In for 3 s under high overload. This means the drive can handle a 185 % current surge for three seconds — enough to clear a downstream fault or accelerate a high-inertia load without tripping. The 60-second overload at 120 % covers most starting profiles for centrifugal pumps and fans. Ground fault protection is integrated into the drive, and the dielectric strength between earth and power terminals is rated at 20 kV AC. The prospective line short-circuit current withstand is 31.5 kA for 150 ms, so the upstream breaker coordination must be set to clear within that window to avoid damage to the input rectifier. The drive carries CE marking and complies with EN/IEC 61800-3 (EMC), EN/IEC 61800-4 (adjustable speed drives), and EN/IEC 61800-5-1 (safety). An integrated EMC filter is included, which simplifies panel design for installations that need to meet conducted emission limits without an add-on filter box.
Control supply and I/O architecture
The control electronics require an external 220 V AC supply at 3 kVA; the cooling fans draw from a separate 380 V AC supply. This split lets the control remain powered for diagnostics even when the main fan circuit is off. An optional external 220 V AC/DC supply for control is also available. The drive provides four software-configurable analogue inputs (0-20 mA / 4-20 mA, 24 V max, 250 Ω impedance) and one analogue output of the same type. Discrete inputs number six standard, expandable to ten with an optional card. Electrical isolation between power and control circuits is maintained, so the 24 V I/O loop can share a common with the PLC without ground-loop issues.
Physical footprint and site preparation
The enclosure dimensions vary by efficiency tier: standard efficiency measures 3060 mm wide × 2520 mm high × 1400 mm deep; high efficiency is 3660 mm wide × 2670 mm high × 1500 mm deep. The operating altitude range is 1000 to 2000 m with a current derating of 0.6 % per 100 m above 1000 m — at 1800 m, expect a 4.8 % reduction in available output current. Power connections use M10 bar-type screw terminals with a clamping capacity of 6 × 40 mm² per phase, with cable entry from the bottom or top. The operating position is vertical ±10°, and the enclosure is grey (RAL 7032). Vibration resistance is 4.9 m/s² from 10 to 50 Hz, which is adequate for most industrial floor installations but not for direct mounting on a reciprocating compressor skid without isolation pads.