Motor Basics

AGSM 325

Motors vs Engines

• Motors convert
electrical energy to
mechanical energy.
• Engines convert
chemical energy to
mechanical energy.

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 Motors
• Advantages
– Low Initial Cost - $/Hp
– Simple & Efficient Operation
– Compact Size – cubic inches/Hp
– Long Life – 30,000 to 50,000 hours
– Low Noise
– No Exhaust Emissions
– Withstand high temporary overloads
– Automatic/Remote Start & Control
• Disadvantages
– Portability
– Speed Control
– No Demand Charge

Magnetic Induction

• Simple Electromagnet

• Like Poles Repel

• Opposite Poles Attract

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 Operating Principle

Motor Parts

• Enclosure
• Stator
• Rotor
• Bearings
• Conduit Box
• Eye Bolt

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 Enclosure
• Holds parts together
• Helps with heat dissipation
• In some cases, protects internal components
from the environment.

Stator (Windings)
• “Stationary” part of the motor sometimes referred to as “the
windings”.
• Slotted cores made of thin sections of soft iron are wound
with insulated copper wire to form one or more pairs of
magnetic poles.

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 Rotor
• “Rotating” part of the
motor.
• Magnetic field from
the stator induces an
opposing magnetic
field onto the rotor
causing the rotor to
“push” away from the
stator field.

Wound Rotor Motors

• Older motor designed to operate at “variable speed”
• Advantages
– Speed Control, High Starting Torque, Low Starting Current
• Disadvantages
– Expensive, High Maintenance, Low Efficiency

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 Bearings
• Sleeve Bearings
– Standard on most motors
– Quiet
– Horizontal shafts only
– Oil lubricated
• Ball (Roller) Bearings
– Support shaft in any
position
– Grease lubricated
– Many come sealed
requiring no maintenance

Other Parts

• Conduit Box
– Point of connection of
electrical power to the
motor’s stator windings.
• Eye Bolt
– Used to lift heavy motors
with a hoist or crane to
prevent motor damage.

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 Motor Speed
• Synchronous Speed
– Speed the motor’s
magnetic field rotates.
– Theoretical speed with
not torque or friction.
• Rated Speed
– Speed the motor
operates when fully
loaded.
– Actual speed at full
load when supplied
rated voltage.

Synchronous Speed
• Theoretical Speed
• A well built motor may
approach synchronous
speed when it has no load.
• Factors
– Electrical Frequency
(cycles/second)
– # of poles in motor

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 Rated Speed

• Speed the motor

runs at when fully
loaded and supplied
rated nameplate
voltage.

Motor Slip
• Percent difference between a motor’s
synchronous speed and rated speed.
• The rotor in an induction motor lags slightly
behind the synchronous speed of the changing
polarity of the magnetic field.
– Low Slip Motors
• “Stiff”….High Efficiency motors
– High Slip Motors
• Used for applications where load varies significantly…oil
pump jacks.

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 Torque

• Measure of force
producing a rotation
– Turning Effort
– Measured in pound-feet
(foot-pounds)

Torque-Speed Curve

• Amount of Torque
produced by motors
varies with Speed.
• Torque Speed Curves
– Starting Torque
– Pull Up Torque
– Breakdown Torque

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 Motor Power
• Output Power
– Horsepower
– Amount of power
motor can produce at
shaft and not reduce
life of motor.
• Input Power
– Kilowatts
– Amount of power the
motor consumes to
produce the output
power.

Calculating Horsepower

• Need Speed and

Torque
• Speed is easy
– Tachometer
• Torque is difficult
– Dynamometer
– Prony Brake

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 Watt’s Law

• Input Power
• Single Phase
– Watts = Volts X Amps X p.f.
• Three Phase
– Watts = Avg Volts X Avg Amps X p.f. X 1.74

Example

• Is a 1 Hp 1-phase motor driving a fan overloaded?

– Voltage = 123 volts
– Current = 9 amps
– p.f. = 78%
• Watts = Volts X Amps X p.f.
Watts = 123 volts X 9 amps X 0.78 = 863.5 Watts
864 Watts / 746 Watts/Hp = 1.16 Hp
• Is the motor overloaded?

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 Electrical = Input
• We measured Input
• Motors are rated as Output
• Difference?
– Efficiency 1.16 Hp
• If the motor is 75% Input
efficient, is it overloaded?
• Eff = Output / Input
• Output = Eff X Input
0.75 X 1.16 Hp = 0.87 Hp
HP
• The motor is NOT Output?
overloaded

Example #2
• Is this 10 Hp, 3-phase motor overloaded?
– Voltages = 455, 458, and 461 volts
– Currents = 14.1, 14.0 and 13.9 amps
– P.f. = 82%
• Watts = Voltsavg X Ampsavg X p.f. X 1.74
Watts = 458v X 14a X 0.82 X 1.74 = 9148.6 Watts
9148.6 Watts / 746 Watts/Hp = 12.26 Hp
• Is the motor overloaded?

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 Example #2
• We measured Input
• Motor is rated as Output
• Difference? 12.26 Hp
– Efficiency Input
• If the motor is 90%
efficient, is it overloaded?
• Eff = Output / Input
• Output = Eff X Input
Hp
0.90 X 12.26 Hp = 11.0 Hp
Output ?
• The motor IS overloaded!
• How bad is the overload?

Motor Types
CLASSIFICATION OF MOTORS
AC MOTORS

Polyphase Universal Single-Phase

Synchronous Induction Synchronous Induction

Hysteresis Hysteresis
Reluctance Squirrel Reluctance Squirrel
Cage Wound Cage
Rotor Wound
Permanent
Rotor
Magnet Split Phase
Design A
Design B Capacitor Run
Wound Rotor Design C Repulsion Capacitor Start
Synchronous Design D Repulsion Start Capacitor Start/Run

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 Synchronous vs Induction Motors

• Synchronous Motors • Induction Motors

– Turn at exactly the – Turn at less than
same speed as the synchronous speed
rotating magnetic field. under load.
– 3600 rpm, 1800 rpm, – 3450 rpm, 1740 rpm,
etc. etc.

NEMA 3 Phase Motors

• 3 Phase Induction
Motors
• NEMA Torque-
Speed Design
Types
– A,B,C,D,E

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 Design Type B

• Today’s “Standard” 3-
Phase Motor
• Good Starting Torque
– In-rush amps 4-6 times
full load amps
– Good breakdown-
torque
– Medium Slip

Design Type A

• The “old” Standard

• Higher starting torque
than “B”.
• Higher in-rush current
(5-8 times full load
amps)
• Good breakdown
torque

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 Design Type C
• Common OEM
equipment on
reciprocating pumps,
compressors and other
“hard starting” loads.
• High starting torque
• Moderate starting
current (5-8 times
FLA)
• Moderate breakdown
torque

Design Type D

• Common on
applications with
significant loading
changes as a machine
operates.
• Impact Loads
– Punch Presses, Metal
Shears, etc.
– Pump Jacks

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 Design Type E

• Newest NEMA Category

• Newer ultra-high efficiency motors
– Higher Starting Torque
– Higher Starting Current (8-12 times Running)
– Ultra Low Slip (Higher Rated Speed)

Single Phase Induction Motors

• Are not “self starting”
– Require a starting mechanism.
• The name generally
describes its “starting
mechanism”.
– Split Phase
– Capacitor Run
– Capacitor Start
– Capacitor Start-Capacitor Run
– Shaded Pole
– Synchronous
– Universal

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 Split Phase Motor

• Common small single

phase motor
– Good Starting Torque
– Moderate Efficiency
– Moderate Cost
• Small conveyors, augers,
pumps, and some
compressors
• 1/20th to ¾ Hp, available
to 1.5 Hp

Split Phase Motor

• Starting winding in
parallel with Running
winding
• Switch operates at
70-80% of full speed.
• Centrifugal Switch
– Sticks Open
– Sticks Shut

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 Capacitor Run Motor
(Permanent Split Capacitor or PSC)

• Primarily a fan
and blower
motor.
• Poor starting
torque
• Very low cost
motor.

Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC)

• Capacitor in
“Capacitor Winding”
– Provides a “phase
shift” for starting.
– Optimizes running
characteristics.
• No centrifugal switch

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 Capacitor Start Motor

• Larger single phase

motors up to about 10
Hp.
• A split phase motor
with the addition of a
capacitor in the
starting winding.
• Capacitor sized for
high starting torque.

Capacitor Start Motor

• Very high starting

torque.
• Very high starting
current.
• Common on
compressors and other
hard starting
equipment.

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 Capacitor Start-Capacitor Run

• Both starting and

running characteristics
are optimized.
– High starting torque
– Low starting current
– Highest cost
• For hard starting loads
like compressors and
pumps.
• Up to 10 Hp or higher
is some situations.

Capacitor Start-Run Motor

• Larger single phase

motors up to 10 Hp.
• Good starting torque
(less than cap start)
with lower starting
current.
• Higher cost than cap
start.

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 Synchronous Motor

• Special design for

“constant speed” at
rated horsepower and
below.
• Used where
maintaining speed is
critical when the load
changes.

Universal Motor

• Runs on AC or DC
• Commutator and
brushes
• Generally found in
portable power tools.
• Lower Hp sizes

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 Universal Motor

• Very high starting

torque.
• Higher torque on DC
than AC (battery
operated tools)
• The higher the rpm,
the lower the torque.

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