LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS

Definition of Low voltage

Voltage below 1000 V
Types of motors
Asynchronous motors
Single phase Induction motors
Three phase Squirrel cage Induction motors
Three phase Wound rotor with Slip rings
Synchronous motors
cylindrical rotor
salient pole
DC motors
Series
Shunt
Compound
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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS

Standards

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS

Generally used AC voltages

220 Volts single phase,
380, 400, 415, 480, 660 Volts three phase
Single Phase Induction Motors
Capacitor start
Resistance start
Shaded pole
Repulsion Type
Universal Motor

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Single Phase Induction Motors
 Single phase motors are not self starting
as they produce only alternating flux in
the air gap and not synchronously
rotating. Hence do not produce torque
during start
 Single phase motors are built as two
phase motors by splitting the phase, has
two windings main and auxiliary
 Capacitor or resistor can be wired in
series of auxiliary winding to create the
phase shift
 Shaded pole is also used to provide phase
shift
 Auxiliary winding is disconnected once
the motor picks up speed
 Generally rated below 0.37 kW in
industry. Higher rated motors are used in
places where three phase supply is not
available.
 Disadvantage – capacitors are susceptible
to failure
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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Service conditions
Ambient Temperature
Altitude
Voltage Variation
Frequency Variation
Combined Voltage and Frequency Variation

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Ambient Temperature
 Maximum Temperature
 Minimum Temperature
 Design Ambient temperature

 Generally Maximum and Design ambient temperatures are specified same.

 Standard design ambient temperature as per IEC: 40⁰C & minimum temperature : -15⁰C
 When Design ambient is more than 40⁰C, the heat transfer between the motor
external surface to atmosphere reduces, cooling reduces, temperature inside winding
will be higher for the same load. The motor needs de-rating.
 Standard design requires extra margin to be built in to suit higher design Ambient

 Minimum ambient temperatures below zero has effect on the material , may become
brittle and lose strength, example: metals, elastomers, plastics,
 Pressure produced inside enclosure due to ignition of gases is higher at lower
temperature
 Specific Lubricant have to be selected which can sustain low temperatures
 Fit between different components to take care of expansion and contraction where
the difference between design and minimum ambient temperature is high.
Maintaining enclosure protection is a challenge.

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Altitude
Standard design covers installation up to 1000 m above mean sea level
As Altitude increases, the air density reduces, resulting in reduced cooling.
Manufacture shall be specifically asked confirm suitability when the
Altitude is more than 1000 m.
Voltage Variation
Voltage variation is expected on the power system due to increase or
decrease of load and drop in the cable.
Higher Voltage:
Higher starting current with lower starting time
Lower load current
Higher magnetizing current and no load losses
Lower Voltage:
Lower starting current with longer starting time
Higher load current
Lower magnetizing current and no load losses

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Frequency Variation

Hysteresis Loss component:

Eddy current Loss component:
Anomalous loss component:
Higher Frequency:
Higher core losses
Available speed is more
Lower Frequency:
Lower core losses
Available speed is less
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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Combined Voltage and
Frequency Variation
Two zones defined in
IEC
Zone A: combination
variation of Voltage ± 5
% and Frequency ± 2 %
Zone B: combined
variation of Voltage ±
10 % and Frequency +  X axis: Frequency p. u
3/-5 %  Y axis: Voltage p.u

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LV MOTORS: PARTS

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LV MOTORS: PARTS

1. Terminals
2. Stator winding
3. Cooling fan
4. Bearing
5. Shaft and Rotor
assembly
6. Enclosure
7. Foot
8. Rating Plate

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LV MOTORS:DIMENSIONS

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LV MOTORS:DIMENSIONS

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LV MOTORS: MOUNTING

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LV MOTORS: ENCLOSURE
Motor enclosure protects the internals from external
atmospheric conditions and insulates the live parts from
external contact. It also provides surface for cooling.
Protection from External Atmosphere
Dust and solids
Water
Gases
The Enclosures are classified based on Area classification as
Industrial- I
Increased safety - Exe
Flame Proof - Exd
Pressurized - P

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LV MOTORS: IP PROTECTION

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LV MOTORS: COOLING

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LV MOTORS: DUTY CYCLE

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LV MOTORS: PRINCIPLE
 Stator – Three phase winding to which through which three phase
alternating current is passed which produces synchronously rotating
magnetic field
 Rotor - Laminated core, with rotor bars in the slot, shorted at both
the ends
 Rotor receives excitation from stator field by induction
 Relative speed between stator rotating field and rotor is
synchronous speed.
 This induces large voltages in the rotor bar which circulates large
current in the cage and creates a magnetic field in the rotor.
 The rotor magnetic field interacts with stator magnetic field and
torque is produced, rotor begins to turn
 As the rotor picks up speed, the relative speed between stator field
and rotor field reduces and hence torque produced
 Finally motor stabilizes at the torque demanded by the load.
 The slip between the stator and rotor field is must to produce torque

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LV MOTORS: WINDING
Three Phase Squirrel cage Induction Motors
Construction and Winding

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LV MOTORS: WINDING
Three phase wound rotor or slip ring
induction motor

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LV MOTORS: WINDING
The rotor has windings, ends are brought out for external connection of resistance
or shorting through slip rings
Advantages:
By inserting resistance in the rotor circuit high starting torque can be produced
with reduced starting current
Speed control also can be done by adjusting external resistance connected to rotor
Disadvantages:
Higher loss, higher maintenance, Higher machine cost
Stator winding connection
Stator winding is connected in STAR or DELTA
Small motors are connected in STAR up to 1.1 kW, Star formation done internally,
only three terminals are brought out. Windings are rated for phase voltage
(example: 220 V incase of 380 V)
Motors connected to 690 V system also have winding connected in STAR, but all six
leads brought out to terminal box, star formation in the terminal box, the winding
is rated for phase voltage i.e. 400 V.
All other motors will have six leads brought out in to terminal box, connected in
delta.
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LV MOTORS: TERMINAL BOX

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LV MOTORS: TERMINAL BOX
Terminal Box can be
located in 4 positions
Can be rotated in four
directions
Bigger box for higher
size cable
6 terminals inside the
box
6 winding leads
Shorting provision to
connect in delta or
star
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LV MOTORS: TERMINAL BOX

Direction of Rotation
 The direction of rotation shall
match the driven equipment
requirement
 Bidirectional motors will
permit the use of motor in any
direction
 Bidirectional motors will have
the cooling fan blades radial to
shaft axis
 Unidirectional motor blades
will have the blades skewed in
one direction. These blades will
through air on the motor only
when it is run in correct
direction.
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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE
Rated Power
Rated power of motor is the power delivered by the motor at the shaft
Power is demanded by the driven equipment
If more than rated power is demanded, motor gets over loaded
Slip is must for torque production, motor will not produce torque at synchronous
speed
As load on motor increases the slip increases, speed reduces
Electrical Power drawn by the motor = Rated Power/Efficiency
Motor also consumes reactive power from mains for the excitation

Service Factor
Indicates the amount of over load allowed continuously, SF = 1.1 means the motor
can be over loaded continuously by 10 %, but the life will be reduce!

Important Relations
The Torque is proportional to square of the voltage
Starting current is directly proportional to voltage
Load current is inversely proportional to Voltage
Full load Current= kW/(√3 x V x Efficiency x Power factor)
Ns = 120f/P, Slip = (Ns-N)/Ns

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE
Torque – Speed characteristics

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE
Thermal performance
Class F insulation with temperature raise limited to class B.
Standard design ambient 40 ⁰C. Motor needs de-rating for higher
temperatures
Thermal state:
Cold: Motor at ambient temperature
Hot : Motor running with stabilized temperature
Once the motor is started from cold state it is considered as
in Hot state.
Locked rotor with stand time Hot and Cold is provided by
Manufacturer
The motor draws approximately 6-7 times the FLC during
starting
The Locked rotor withstand time Hot at Maximum supply
voltage shall be more than the starting time at 80 % of
Voltage.
Locked rotor protection is set with current detection more
than 250 % of full load current with a time delay more than
the starting time at 80 % of the voltage.
The higher current may be due to starting or because the
rotor is locked while starting
Motor shall have thermal capacity to withstand such
situation.

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE

Thermal Withstand Characteristic (TWC)

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE
Exe motors
Time is the time in which the motor surface
temperature will reach the Temperature Limit
for the Temperature class in which the motor is
suitable in case of stalling from the steady
state operating temperature.

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE
Speed-Torque characteristics of motor with
Load torque curve superimposed

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE

t a (max) at v 80% 
Load GD 2
 Motor GD 2x Ns
375 x T
where;
t a  Accelerating time in sec .
Ns Speed in rpm.
T  Accelerating Torque in kg  m 2 .
Load GD 2 in kg  m 2 .
Motor GD 2 in kg  m 2 .
 TWT Hot at maximum voltage > ta at minimum starting voltage

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LV MOTORS: PERFORMANCE

Starting Duty
3 consecutive starts from Cold condition
2 consecutive starts from Hot condition
4 Equally spread starts in one hour
The winding will get heated up faster during frequent
starting
Heating time constant and cooling time constant are
defined for the design by the manufacturer
Heating time constant and cooling time constant are
used to generate thermal model of the motor
The thermal memory is generated in the motor
protection relay.
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LV MOTORS: NAME PLATE

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Space Heater:
Prevent condensation when the motor is not running
Switched ON automatically when the motor is off
Generally provided for motors 30 kW and above
Separate terminal box is preferred for Space Heater connection
Thermistor:
Actual detection of Temperature
Generally positive temperature coefficient (PTC) are used.
Resistance value shoots up abruptly after a predefined value
Separate relay is required to monitor the thermistor and trip the motor
Three numbers are embedded in the winding slots
Can be wired individually to a relay or connected in series and wired to one relay.
Separate terminal box is preferred for external connection of Thermistor
Provided for VFD supplied motors by default
RTD:
Opted for specific application in case of LV motors
Measurement of winding temperature
PT100, Two nos. per phase, Duplex or two nos. simplex type, three wire connection
Wired to separate terminal box

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Specific Requirement for VFD driven motors
Winding: Dual enamel coated wires and Vacuum
pressure impregnated insulation
Bearing: One side bearing insulated to prevent
circulating currents
Cooling: De-rating due to reduced cooling, or
take extra margin, external cooling for operation
below 40 % of speed
Thermistor for temperature detection
Testing: Combined testing of VFD and the motor
for Exe, Exn and Exd enclosure.

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LOW VOLTAGE MOTORS
Vendor drawing checking Data Sheet:
GA drawing:
Suitability for service
Frame size
conditions
Mounting
Name plate Direction of rotation
Earth studs Enclosure protection
Location of terminal box Cooling
Bearing
Insulation class &
Performance Characteristics:
Temperature rise
T-S characteristics with
superimposed load torque curve Starting time
(only for large and critical Locked rotor withstand
cases)
time Hot and Cold, Time
Starting current Vs Time
tE for Exe
Thermal withstand curves Hot
and Cold Starting duty cycle
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