What is the difference between braking unit and braking resistor in AC drives?

A braking unit or sometimes called a braking chopper is an electrical switch (normally IGBT) that manages the DC bus voltage by switching the braking energy to a resistor where the braking energy is converted to heat.

By activating the braking function, it can manage the DC bus voltage level and avoid overvoltage nuisance tripping by switching the braking energy to a resistor where the braking energy is dissipated in the form of heat.

This means that the braking unit or chopper is the controlled path - like a switch - (IGBT) that allows regenerative motor energy to flow and the braking resistor is the element where this regenerative motor energy will be dissipated in.

Released for:Schneider Electric Nigeria