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Worki ng Pri nci pl e Of Thermal Motor
Protecti on Rel ay
Fi gure 1 - Pri nci pl e of operati on of a three
pol e thermal l y del ayed bi metal motor
protecti on rel ay wi th temperature
compensati on
Edvard
Working Principle Of Thermal Motor Protection Relay
Principle of operation
Thermal motor protection relays contain three bimetal strips
together with a trip mechanism in a housing made of insulating
material. The bimetal strips are heated by the motor current,
causing them to bend and activating the trip mechanism af ter a
certain travel which depends on the current-setting of the relay.
The release mechanism actuates an auxiliary switch that breaks
the coil circuit of the motor contactor (Figure 1). A switching
position indicator signals the condition tripped.
A = Indirectly heated bimetal strips
B = Trip slide
C = Trip lever
D = Contact lever
E = Compensation bimetal strip
The bimetal strips may be heated directly or indirectly. In the f irst
case, the current flows directly through the bimetal, in the
second through an insulated heating winding around the strip.
The insulation causes some delay of the heat-f low so that the
inertia of indirectly heated thermal relays is greater at higher
currents than with their directly heated counterparts. Of ten both principles are combined.
For motor rated currents over approx. 100 A, the motor current is conducted via current transformers. The
thermal overload relay is then heated by the secondary current of the current transf ormer.
This means on one hand, that the dissipated power is reduced and, on the other, that the short-circuit
withstand capacity is increased.
The tripping current of bimetal relays can be set on a current scale by displacement of the trip mechanism
relative to the bimetal strips so that the protection characteristic can be matched to the protected object
in the key area of continuous duty.
The simple, economical design can only approximate the transient thermal characteristic of the motor.
For starting with subsequent continuous duty, the thermal motor protection relay provides perf ect
protection f or the motor. With f requent start-ups in intermittent operation the signif icantly lower heating
time constant of the bimetal strips compared to the motor results in early tripping in which the thermal
capacity of the motor is not utilized.
The cooling time constant of thermal relays is shorter than that of normal motors. This also contributes
to an increasing dif f erence between the actual temperature of the motor and that simulated by the thermal
relay in intermittent operation.
For these reasons, the protection of motors in intermittent operation is insufficient.
Fi gure 2 - Tri ppi ng tol erances for
temperature-compensated overl oad
rel ays for motor rotecti on under IEC
60947-4-1
Typi cal tri p characteri sti cs of a motor
protecti on rel ay
Temperat ure compensat ion
The principle of operation of thermal motor protection relays is based on temperature rise.
Theref ore the ambient temperature of the device af f ects the tripping specif ications. As the installation
site and hence the ambient temperature of the motor to be protected usually is dif f erent f rom that of the
protective device it is an industry standard that the tripping characteris-tic of a bimetal relay is temperature-
compensated, i.e. largely independent of its ambient temperature (see Figure 2 below).
I = Overload as a multiple of the set current
= Ambient temperature
- Limit values under IEC 60947-4-1
This is achieved with a compensation bimetal strip that makes
the relative position of the trip mechanism independent of the
temperature.
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Sensit ivit y t o phase f ailure
The tripping characteristic of three-pole motor protection relays
applies subject to the condition that all three bimetal strips are loaded with the same current at the
same time.
If , when one pole conductor is interrupted, only two bimetal strips are heated then these two strips must
alone produce the f orce required to actuate the trip mechanism. This requires a higher current or results in
a longer tripping time (characteristic curve c in Figure below).
I
e
= Rated current set on the scale
t = Tripping time
From a cold state:
a = 3-pole load, symmetrical
b = 2-pole load with dif f erential release
c = 2-pole load without dif f erential release
From the warm state:
d = 3-pole load, symmetrical
If larger motors (10 kW) are subjected to these higher currents
f or a longer time, damage should be expected.
In order to also ensure the thermal overload protection of the
motor in the cases of supply asymmetry and loss of a phase, high
quality motor protection relays have mechanisms with phase
f ailure sensitivity (differential release).
Resource: Low Voltage Switchgear and Controlgear Rockwell

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