Danfoss has announced a revised family of high-power drives with enclosures that are up to 68% smaller than before. Despite the size reductions, the D-Frame VLT drives still incorporate DC chokes and EMC filters.

The new drives, covering the power range 90–315kW, need less panel or wall space than previous versions, which were already among the smallest in their class. This will add to installation flexibility, while reducing installation costs, says Danfoss.

The new enclosures are available in IP20 versions for panel mounting or IP54 for wall mounting. They include Danfoss’ HVAC Drives for HVAC and refrigeration applications, Aqua Drives for the water and wastewater sector, and AutomationDrives for industrial applications. They offer efficiency ratings of more than 98%.

The drives are cooled using a “unique” ducted back-channel to pass air over the drive’s heatsinks. This exhausts 90% of the heat losses from the enclosure, improving reliability and prolonging component lives by reducing temperature rises and contamination.

Extra mains input options are available for the new enclosures, allowing users to order their drives with fuses, mains disconnects, contactors or circuit breakers. These options are housed in an extension that increases the enclosure height slightly, while retaining the drive’s slim, compact design.