Overload Trip Class - What does it really mean?

faq237-684 Posted: 1 Jul 03 Quite often we here of applications in which the motor protection/overload relay 'trips' during normal motor starting. The remedial action taken by many when faced with this problem is to select and install a replacement overload relay, generally one that provides a higher 'Trip Class' setting, for example, Trip Class 20 in lieu of the standard Trip Class 10. Note: There appears to be a general misconception in industry that Overload Trip Class relates directly to the starting time of a machine. This is not the case! All due care must be taken when selecting a protection relay offering higher Trip Class, as this can result in under protection and subsequent failure of the motor. To select an overload relay with a more suitable trip class, you must in the first instance obtain data relating to the motors thermal withstand capabilities. For example, you need to know how many seconds (from cold condition) the motor can the sustain Locked Rotor Current before it is compromised. This information is readily available from most leading manufacturers of motors and is generally provided in one of two formats. a) Specific values for Locked Rotor Current and maximum Locked Rotor Time (from 'cold condition' ) are given. b) A Motor Thermal Withstand Curve is provided. With this information available to you, you can refer to the tables given in IEC 60947 to identify the most appropriate Overload Trip Class. This is defined as the one that provides a trip curve as close as possible to but below the overload curve of the motor. Adopting this process will ensure nuisance tripping is minimised and that the motor is adequately protected at all times. Note: If the above processes are adopted but the trip conditions continue, there are 4 possible causes. 1. The motor (and overload relay) are not given sufficient time to cool between starts. 2. Assuming reduced voltage start (star/delta, auto-transformer, primary resistance,

soft start etc., the motor is not delivering torque sufficient to accelerate the connected load to speed. That is the starting current and starting time under RVS conditions exceeds that permissible by the overload curve. 3. A more advanced protection strategy such as motor thermal modelling may be required. Motor thermal modelling allows the user to 'match' the curves of the protection device to the connected motor. This is of particular advantage when the motors thermal withstand capabilities and the start condition (starting current and starting time) fall between two curves defined by standard overload trip classes. 4. The motor is simply too small for the application. Put simply, the most appropriate protection strategy is the one that allows the motor to be fully utilised without nuisance tripping or fear of motor burn-out. Regards, GGOSS 1. What is a Soft Start? faq237-1064 Posted: 9 Dec 04 Technically, a "Soft Start" (as it relates to AC electric motors) is any device that will reduce the toque delivered to the power train. Mechanically, this can be a clutch, fluid drive, magnetic coupling, shot coupling or any one of a variety of devices that allow the motor to start-up Across-the-Line (X-Line or D.O.L.) while slowly applying the shaft torque to the load to avoid "torque shock". Electrically it can be any system that reduces the torque by virtue of reduced voltage, or a change in the motor connection. Changing the motor connection means altering the way the windings are configured so that a reduced torque is put out from the motor, even though the voltage is normal. Case in point would be a Y-Delta (Star-Delta) starting method, or a Part Winding start. Both of those methods require a motor that has been designed to be capable of starting that way, and as such they are not universally available. Changing the motor terminal voltage reduces the torque because the motor output torque (at a fixed frequency) varies by the square of the applied voltage. So if 50% voltage is applied to a motor, it will produce 25% of it's available torque at that point. If it is a Design B motor, the Locked Rotor Torque at Start-up is typically 160% of Full Load Torque, so starting at 50% Voltage will reduce that to 40% of FLT,

limiting the torque shock to the load. Reduced Voltage starting can be accomplished in several ways as well. A common method is to use an Autotransformer that drops the motor voltage during starting, then is switched out so that the motor gets full voltage when running. This method is called Reduced Voltage Auto Transformer (RVAT) starting. Similar to this are Reactor and Primary Resistor starters which drop the voltage through those devices as well. All of the above technologies can be and often are referred to as "soft start" devices, but more recently this terminology has come to usually mean one specific type, the Solid State Reduced Voltage starter. The SSRV starter uses high speed switching devices called SCRs (Silicon Controlled Rectifiers) to switch on for only a portion of each half of the sine-wave line power. By doing so, the RMS (roughly average) voltage getting to the motor is reduced proportionately by the amount of time the switch is delayed. So if the SCR is not allowed to begin conducting (know as being "gated") until the sine-wave is already 1/2 over with, the output RMS voltage will be 1/2 of the line voltage. By moving the "gate" point further back in the sine-wave, the RMS voltage is increased until the SCR is being gated at the Zero-cross point and the motor is getting full line voltage. The speed at which the SCR gating is backed up is called the Ramp Time, and can typically be anywhere from a fraction of a second to 60 seconds. Although longer times are technically possible, most AC motor applications will not allow this because the increased current caused by the reduced voltage will begin to exceed the thermal safety limits of the motor itself, particularly the Rotor. In addition, the ramp time can be overridden by a Current Limit setting, which determines the motor current through feedback sensors and stops the gate advancement in order to maintain a particular current setting. This feature is useful when the power system has limited delivery capabilities, such as weak utility lines or portable generators. Finally, once the motor is at full voltage the SCR firing becomes unnecessary and it is often beneficial to use a Bypass Contactr to shunt power around the SCRs. SCRs are not perfect conductors, and will reject approx. 1.5 watts of heat per running load amp per phase. So on a 3 phase 100A motor, the SCRs will be rejecting 450W of heat into the enclosure continuously. A Bypass Contactor is a good way of avoiding that heat buildup without introducing dust, moisture or other contaminants into the enclosure How to select the correct motor starting method - Overview faq237-1029 Posted: 9 Sep 04

The selection of a suitable starting method for a motor/load combination is becoming increasingly important as additional loads are added to existing utility and distribution systems. In the past, ample capacities were available in the utility networks to support the needs of industry. As well, the distribution systems of most North American industries were established during the industrial and technological boom years preceding the Second World War. In the 1990s, the viability for the construction of new electrical generation plants became prohibitive. With lower North American utility generating capacity and increased risks involved in the deregulation of this utility, stability and voltage drop concerns have become very real issues that face all electrical power consumers. Problem Full voltage starting of motors can produce objectionable voltage flicker, mechanical stress to gear boxes or belt drive systems and create pressure surges or water hammer in pumping applications. Starting a motor at reduced voltage can help reduce or overcome these problems. If the load cannot be accelerated to full speed using full voltage and current, it cannot be accelerated to full speed using reduced voltage and current. Application Solution There are several factors to be considered when selecting the starting equipment for any electric motor driven load. These include, but are not limited to: 1. The source of power and the effects the motor starting currents will have on the source and the stability of the system voltage 2. The starting and breakdown torque characteristics of the motor (motor speed torque characteristics) 3. The motor starting characteristics (torque) that correspond to the motor best suited to the load characteristics at full load and speed 4. The starting characteristics of: motor torque load torque, accelerating load torque (load inertia) the motor starting, accelerating and running torque on the driven load 5. The available short circuit capacity of the distribution system 6. The operating speed range of the connected load. 7. Process considerations: shock, vibration, mechanical hammer, the control and maintenance of different starting methods. The initial inrush currents, locked rotor currents and the resulting torque values produced, are the factors that determine whether the motor can be applied directly across the line, or whether the current has to be reduced to get the required performance to match the load requirements and/or utility line voltage flicker or voltage dip specifications. Full voltage starting can be used whenever the driven load can withstand the shock of instantaneously applying full voltage to the motor and where line disturbances can be tolerated. Full voltage starting uses a main contactor to apply the motor

stator windings directly across the main system voltage. This type of starting method provides the lowest cost, a basic and simple design of controller, resulting in low maintenance and the highest starting torque. Reduced voltage starting may be required if full voltage starting creates objectionable line disturbances on the distribution system or where reduction of mechanical stress to gear boxes or belt drive systems is required. It must be noted that when the starting torque will decrease proportional to the percent squared of voltage applied (i.e. 50% voltage produces 25% torque =0.50 squared). This phenomenon also occurs in the opposite manner when the voltage is increased. There are three main reasons to apply reduced voltage to medium voltage motors: 1. To reduce the mechanical effect of across the starting and stopping 2. To limit the inrush current inherent with full voltage starting 3. To reduce the effects of pressure surges and water hammer in pumping systems.

Mechanical Shock This reason for applying reduced voltage has various different names; it can be called mechanical shock, mechanical stress, or various other names. The effect is the same. When a medium voltage motor is started at full voltage the torque being applied from the motor to the driven load rises to a very high value almost immediately. This can cause damage to the bearings in the motor or the load, the rotor of the motor or to the mechanical coupling method which connects the motor to the load. The load itself can sustain damage depending on what the application may be. In the case of conveyor application if the load is started to quickly the belts of the conveyor can be stretched or broken. If the motor is connected to the load via chains or belts these coupling means can be damaged as well by sudden starting techniques. Utility Restrictions As utility power systems continue to be run at maximum capacity the effect of starting medium voltage motors across the line can put stress on the factorys power distribution system. The lights go dim, process control systems can fail or trip out or you may be restricted as to when and how often you are allowed to start the motor. Load Related Reasons By soft starting the load you may see improvements in the way the equipment performs. For example, when a soft starter is applied to an agitator by slowing ramping up the speed of the motor the material being agitated tends to splash less and causes fewer problems than when started across the line. In the case of mill applications the material will start to move slower than when started across the line and cause

less wear on the driven load. The ways in which a soft start can improve system performance are only limited to the number of applications that the end user can think of. New uses are being thought of and applied all the time. Torque Requirements It is important to reiterate that when the voltage is reduced when starting a motor, so are the current and torque values. It should be apparent that a motor that will not start a load at full voltage, it will not start that same load under reduced voltage conditions. This conflict between torque and current requirements of induction motors is one typical dilemma facing the user of reduced voltage starting equipment. It may be only one of several problems but is the most common and most important. Reduced voltage starting can be accomplished in several different ways. Reactor Starting This method also reduces the voltage, current and torque to the motor according to the reactor tap setting. It is possible to reduce the motor terminal voltage as required by placing a primary reactor in series with the motor windings, for a period during starting. The use of a reactor during starting results in an exceptionally low starting power factor. Reactors must be carefully designed and applied since any saturation in the reactor will produce in-rush currents close to those seen during full voltage starting. Reactor starting has one major advantage; the voltage to the motor is a function of the current taken from the line. It can therefore be assumed that during acceleration the motor voltage will rise as the line current drops. This relationship results in greater accelerating energy at higher speeds and less severe disturbances during the transition to full voltage. Autotransformer Starting Autotransformer starting automatically switching between taps of an autotransformer reduces the voltage, current and torque to the motor according to the tap setting used on the autotransformer. There are two very distinctive characteristics of an autotransformer starter. 1. The motor terminal voltage is not a function of load current and remains constant during the acceleration time. 2. Due to the turn ratio advantages, the primary line current is less than the secondary motor currents. A three-coil autotransformer is connected in a wye configuration and connected to the motor in such a way as to supply reduced voltage to the motor when the line voltage is applied to the Autotransformer. Several sets of taps are usually available to the user to provide different values of reduced voltage (NEMA standards are 80%, 65% and 50% of the full line voltage).

Solid State Reduced Voltage Starting The use of solid state Reduced Voltage Starting can provide a smooth stepless method of accelerating and smoothly decelerating a squirrel cage induction motor. This type of starting method, when properly applied can provide an efficient and reliable means of smoothly starting and stopping a motor and load. The use of solidstate reduced voltage starting will perform, in most cases, more efficiently than field coupling, eddy current drives and clutches. The stepless ramped acceleration and deceleration capabilities of these types of starter reduces the inrush currents to the motor, eliminating transitional shocks to the load and reducing voltage flicker on the distribution system. Selection of Appropriate Starting System The selection of an appropriate starting system requires the reviewer to compare or weigh the importance of several factors. Cost and Economics: When determining the starting method, the economics of the decision can also provide important tips to the selection of an appropriate controlling means. Maintainability: The capabilities of the mechanical and electrical support facilities and personnel can have an important impact on the starting method determination. Remote Control Requirements: As businesses become increasingly more competitive, the reductions in the area of personnel related to the control and operation of industrial processes are becoming dramatic. This required reduction of personnel has subsequently hastened the development of the remote control capabilities of modern motor control equipment. In many cases, production flow and efficiency rate adjustments can be critical to the quality of the end product. For example in the case of remote pumping stations, the ability to control the speed of a booster pump, based on the product in the line at the time, can allow a remote location to monitor and adjust flow rates to maximize the capacity of the pipeline. Process Control Requirements: In todays competitive environment, industry is endeavoring to continually improve processes to produce high quality products, at accelerated periods, at the least possible cost. If the process requires variation of speeds, a controller that will vary the motor speed would be appropriate. If depressed distribution voltage, during motor start cycles, is an issue, a solid state or other reduced voltage starting method may suffice. Physical size restraints: The limitations of available physical floor space could be a major concern when

retrofitting new equipment into an existing control area. The physical construction of equipment housing the newer technology may not be suitable incorporated within existing facilities. Careful consideration may be required for the removal of heat generated by semi-conducting devices, printed circuit cards, transformers and other electronic control devices. Cooling systems may be needed to aid in the maintenance of a suitable environment for these types of equipment. Ease of use: One consideration that is sometimes overlooked is the capabilities of the personnel required to service and maintain the equipment. Simpler more traditional starting means may be suitable where basic personnel training levels are maintained. The simpler relay control logic systems may be adequate for the system configuration required for the specific process. How to check a motor (AC) if it is faulty or not? faq237-7 Posted: 3 Aug 00 How do you know a motor is ok or not? How do you have a preliminary idea about a non-functioning/ malfunctioning motor? Especially, if you don't want to remove the motor from its mounting? There are a couple of preliminary tests you could do. First, try finding the ground resistence of the motor. Put the multi-meter in kiloohms and check the resistence between the motor body(or your metallic connector box) and the terminals of the motor. It should show a fairly high value- could be 100 K-ohms or above. Else, there is a ground leakage- this is probably the reason why you get shock (if you're getting!). Next, you could find the resistance of the winding. Connect between the terminals. (I don't know the type of motor used). Across the motor windings you should get a low finite value- could be a couple of hundred ohms- or less. Both the ohm values depend on the rating and type of the motor. What I've specified are indicative only. For example, for a large motor, the winding resistance could be tens ohms or less. For smaller motors, it could be a hundred ohms or so. Now, you have to go to the motor!

I feel it is always better to check the motor at the winding terminals rather than the cable end. Ideally, this should not matter- but take into consideration the working environment - if it's moist and salty, I guess there is a probability that the insulation can become bad, and over many feet of cable length, there could be so much leakage if the cabling is old. I've come across many instances where there is a cable fault. So, if there is a bad cable, we may be suspecting that the poor motor is guilty if we don't check the motor at the winding terminals. Hence what we usually do is: 1. Disconnect the conductors from the drive control end, and megger between cables and each cable to ground. Between cables, it should give almost equal value, in the range of 1-3 ohms for medium rating motors and higher for smaller motors. Between each conductor and ground, megger value should be relatively high, above 100 Kohms or above. (More exact values will be specified by the manufacturer; it will also depend on the working environment and type of motor enclosure) 2. If there is any problem, go to the motor, disconnect the cable - thus isolate the motor- and check the motor terminals again. Now, we can identify the problem to either the cable or the motor

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