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PRODUCT FACTS
TECHNICAL WHITE PAPERS
Unbalanced Voltage On Polyphase Induction Motors
Three phase induction motors are designed and manufactured such that all three phases of the
winding are carefully balanced with respect to the number of turns, placement of the winding, and
winding resistance. When line voltages applied to a polyphase induction motor are not exactly the
same, unbalanced currents will flow in the stator winding, the magnitude depending upon the
amount of unbalance. A small amount of voltage unbalance may increase the current an excessive
amount. The effect on the motor can be severe and the motor may overheat to the point of burnout.
The voltages should be evenly balanced as closely as can be read on the usually available
commercial voltmeter.
Effect on performance - General
The effect of unbalanced voltages on polyphase induction motors is equivalent to the introduction
of a "negative sequence voltage" having a rotation opposite to that occurring with balanced
voltages. This negative sequence voltage produces in the air gap a flux rotating against the rotation
of the rotor, tending to produce high currents. A small negative sequence voltage may produce in
the windings currents considerably in excess of those present under balanced voltage conditions.
Unbalance Defined
The voltage unbalance (or negative sequence voltage) in percent may be defined as follows:
Percent Maximum Voltage Deviation
Voltage = 100 * From Average Voltage
Unbalance
Average Voltage
Example:
With voltages of 220, 215 and 210, the average is 215, the maximum deviation from the average is
5, and the percent unbalance = 100 X 5/215 = 2.3 percent.
Temperature rise and load carrying capacity
A relatively small unbalance in voltage will cause a considerable increase in temperature rise. In
the phase with the highest current, the percentage increase in temperature rise will be
approximately two times the square of the percentage voltage unbalance. The increase in losses
and consequently, the increase in average heating of the whole winding will be slightly lower than
the winding with the highest current.
To illustrate the severity of this condition, an approximate 3.5 percent voltage unbalance will
cause an approximate 25 percent increase in temperature rise.
Torques
The locked-rotor torque and breakdown torque are decreased when the voltage is unbalanced. If
the voltage unbalance should be extremely severe, the torque might not be adequate for the
application.
Full-load speed
The full-load speed is reduced slightly when the motor operates at unbalanced voltages.
Currents
The locked-rotor current will be unbalanced to the same degree that the voltages are unbalanced
but the locked-rotor KVA will increase only slightly.
The currents at normal operating speed with unbalanced voltages will be greatly unbalanced in the
order of approximately 6 to 10 times the voltage unbalance. This introduces a complex problem in
selecting the proper overload protective devices, particularly since devices selected for one set of
unbalanced conditions may be inadequate for a different set of unbalanced voltages. Increasing the
size of the overload protective device is not the solution in as much as protection against heating
from overload and from single phase operation is lost.
This information is based on NEMA standard MG1-14.35.
- See more at: http://www.usmotors.com/TechDocs/ProFacts/Unbalanced-
Voltage.aspx#sthash.XtlFCeFx.dpuf _-_ When you think of Franklin Electric, we
hope that quality and durability come to mind. That is what we strive for everyday, and after
decades of service to the water industry, we are proud to continue providing quality products and
reliable support. However, even in the most reliable applications problems can occur, causing a
motor to prematurely fail. In the next two issues of the Franklin AID, we’ll examine the most
common reasons for application motor failures.

Motor failures come in three basic types: electrical, mechanical and mechanical that progresses
into electrical. We’ll first focus on electrical motor failures and next issue will look into
mechanical failures. Both will share tips for avoiding application-related problems and getting the
longest life out of your pumping installation.

About eighty percent (80%) of electrical motor failures are a result of winding damage in the
motor stator, due to either overheating or voltage issues. Electrical motors take electrical energy
and convert it into mechanical energy, producing heat as a by-product. In submersible motors, that
heat is removed by the flow of the water past the motor. Overheating is always either caused by a
lack of cooling flow, or the generation of more heat than can be displaced.

Electrical current (amperage) that is higher than normal poses a problem to the motor. As
amperage in the motor increases, the amount of heat on the windings increases. This build-up of
heat in the windings affects the life of the motor. For every 10 °C (18 °F) the internal winding
temperature is increased, the life of the motor is cut in half. For example, if the motor is normally
designed to have an internal temperature of 30 °C with a life expectancy of 10 years, raising the
winding temperature to 40 °C cuts the life to five years. This rule-of-thumb applies to all motors,
not just submersibles.

High amperage can be caused by several conditions creating bound pump, dragging impellers, and
high, low or unbalanced voltage. It may seem counterintuitive, but voltage that is either too high
or too low causes high amps. Franklin Electric designs voltage windings to operate up to plus or
minus 10% from nameplate voltage. For example, a 230 Volt motor needs to see voltage between
207 and 253 Volts. Once the voltage exceeds this range in either direction, the motor cannot run
without excessive heating of the windings.
A three-phase motor is designed to operate with three equal voltages and any voltage imbalance
will lead to an even higher current unbalance. For example, a 1% voltage unbalance will result in
approximately 6-10% current unbalance, causing overheating in the motor windings. At service
factor amperage, the current imbalance in a three-phase motor should not exceed 5% (see page 34
of the AIM Manual for details and how to correct). Any current that significantly exceeds service
factor amperage (found on the motor nameplate and the AIM Manual) is considered high
amperage.

The extreme case of three-phase imbalance is single-phasing. That is, when one of the three
phases is lost. There are two types of single-phasing: primary and secondary. Primary single-
phasing occurs when one line of the high voltage (primary side) of the transformer is opened. A
tree limb falling or a car hitting a power pole can cause this. Single-phasing of the primary can
cause the motor amperage on two of the three lines to increase by 115%, while the third line
increases by 230%. Secondary single-phasing occurs when one line on the motor side (secondary
side) of the transformer is opened. This can be caused by storm damage, loose connections or
insulation problems in the wiring. Single-phasing of the secondary causes the motor amperage on
the remaining two lines to increase by 173%, while the third line drops to zero.

High voltage surges or spikes are usually the result of close proximity lightning strikes, power line
switch gear or the removal of large inductive loads from power lines. These spikes and surges can
travel to the motor windings and break down insulation resistance. Franklin Electric motors can
handle momentary voltage surges up to 10,000 Volts; however, power surges are not limited to
that magnitude of voltage. That is why surge arrestors, capable of handling multiple hits, are
recommended for submersible motors without internal arrestors. Surge arrestors are provided with
most Franklin 4-inch, single-phase motors. Surge arrestors will need to be provided as a separate
component with three-phase motors. Keep in mind that proper grounding is key to the
effectiveness of a surge arrestor. Any surge is looking for the easiest path to the ground and there
is little advantage to an arrestor unless it is grounded to the water strata.

Proper overloads are critical in protecting a submersible motor electrically. Overloads protect
motor windings against heat damage caused by high current. The job of the overload is simple-
detect the condition and take the motor off-line. All Franklin Electric 60 Hz, single-phase motors
have overload protection built-in, either in the motor itself or in the control box (see the May /
June 2011 edition Franklin AID for more details).

Franklin three-phase motors do not come installed with overload protection; you will need to
supply the protection in the three-phase panel. Three-phase panels from Franklin Electric come
supplied with the overload protection you need. These overloads can be one of three types:
1) the traditional heater type
2) adjustable overloads such as the ESP100
3) the electronic type such as SubMonitor.
No matter which type of overload is used it must be a Class 10 overload or capable of providing
Class 10 protection. Improper overload selection and adjustment is one of the leading causes of
three-phase motor failures. Overloads are also designed to protect the motor from extreme cases of
overcurrent. For the best protection against a complete range of scenarios, an electronic protection
device such as Pumptec (single-phase) or SubMonitor (three-phase) is ideal. For more information
on three-phase overloads see pages 29-31 of the Franklin Electric AIM Manual.

Even when the unexpected happens, Franklin Electric encourages you to be prepared by
understanding the cause and effect of electrical application motor failures. With a Franklin motor
you can feel confident in your installation and by taking the proper steps you can better provide a
long motor service life.