Industrial Engineer · phase 16 of 16
VVVF
Variable Voltage Variable Frequency, a descriptive term for a common AC drive output method.
The Explain card
- Plain English
- Variable voltage variable frequency describes what an AC drive actually does to the motor supply. Both the voltage and the frequency change together, following the volts per hertz relationship.
- Example
- An elevator specification from an Asian manufacturer describes the traction machine as VVVF controlled. It is a standard AC drive on a standard motor.
- Why it matters
- The term is common in elevator, rail and Asian industrial documents, and it names the output method rather than any particular product. When you see it, read AC drive and move on.
- Hook
- The drive described by what it does to the waveform.
Where it sits in the deck
Phase 16: VFD Related Drive Terms
The drive family's wider vocabulary, from soft starters and servo drives to the regenerative units people also call a drive.
