Over current

What does ALARM 13 mean?

The inverter peak current limit (approximately 200% of rated current) has been exceeded. The warning lasts about 1.5 seconds before the frequency converter trips and issues an alarm. This is often caused by shock loading, rapid acceleration of high-inertia loads, or can occur after kinetic back-up. An overcurrent condition can rapidly damage the inverter's power components.

• Sudden mechanical jam or shock load on the motor, causing a rapid spike in current.
• Short circuit in the motor windings or in the motor cable between the frequency converter and the motor.
• Motor operating in a highly overloaded state (e.g., exceeding 150% rated current) for a short duration.
• Too fast acceleration ramp time (P3-41, P3-43) for the motor inertia, leading to high startup current.
• Faulty IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) or output stage in the frequency converter.

Click steps to track your progress.

1. 1

   Check the mechanical system for any sudden obstructions, jams, or excessively high inertia loads during operation.

2. 2

   Increase acceleration ramp time (P3-41 for ramp 1, P3-43 for ramp 2) to reduce startup current peaks.

3. 3

   Measure the resistance between the motor output phases (U, V, W) at the frequency converter terminals to detect short circuits or ground faults in the motor or cable.

4. 4

   Perform a megger test (insulation resistance test) on the motor and motor cable to ground, following safety procedures.

5. 5

   Verify that motor nameplate data (P1-03 Motor kW, P1-04 Motor V, P1-05 Motor A) is correctly entered and matches the connected motor.

6. 6

   Reduce the mechanical load or consider a higher-rated frequency converter if overcurrent events are frequent under normal operating conditions.