thermal science

Cooling Tower Performance

FA N M OTO R OV E R A M P I N G

Overamping
Overamping occurs when the amperage drawn by the fan motor The relationship between power draw and amperage for 3-phase
exceeds the fan motor nameplate amperage. In other words, more power is shown by the following equation:
horsepower is required than the recommended maximum for the
motor. Overamping is often thought to be caused by incorrect fan
pitch, but it is likely the result of other issues that are not inherently η
related to the fan. Before attempting to repitch the fan blades, hp = V x I x √3 x fp x
746
kW = V x I x √3 x fp x η
please refer to the Troubleshooting list on page 2.

If following the troubleshooting list does not solve the problem, the
Where V = voltage
issue may lie with the fan pitch. The blades are pitched to draw
I = currents (amps)
approximately the same volume of air year-round while consuming
fp = power factor
power that is less than the motor nameplate. However, the air
η = efficiency
density is higher in winter, and the fan will draw more horsepower
than in the summer to move the same volume of air. In addition,
the initial trial pitch is calculated using theoretical models, meaning
For example, assume an 1800 rpm motor has a nameplate of
it may need adjustment after taking into account deviations in the
40 hp, with a voltage of 460 V, and nameplate amperage of about
system. If incorrectly pitched, the fan can draw more than the
49 A. Efficiency is normally about 95% while the power factor
nameplate horsepower of the motor, leading to overamping. When
usually has a value of about 0.85. If the fan is overamping by 5%,
full nameplate amps are drawn at design conditions, the cold water
it is drawing about 51.6 A, or 42 hp. This assumes the voltage is
temperature will be in alignment with the contractual guarantee.
relatively constant. It is important to note that the power factor
Please follow the fan user manual for the correlation between air
is not constant for any particular system. Therefore, a calibrated
density and motor amperage.
wattmeter is preferred when measuring power because it
Finally, it is important to note that overamping can be acceptable in automatically measures the motor power factor.
certain situations. Particularly, if the ambient conditions are much
colder and/or the range is much lower than design, the increased ➠
air density may cause overamping. All fan motors are selected
with a 1.15 safety factor for operation at the maximum ambient
temperature, so a small amount of overamping at or below the
design ambient conditions will not cause the motor to overheat.
 thermal science
Troubleshooting

Possible Cause of Overamping Solution

Air density variation due to insufficient heat load or - Ensure cooling tower is operating at full design duty
colder ambient temperature than design at design ambient conditions
- Calibrate wattmeter/voltmeter/ammeter
Inaccurate instrumentation used in measuring power/
- Measure after cooling tower has been operating
current draw
continuously for 15 minutes (high current during
motor startup)
- Check system wiring (connections, length of wires,
Low voltage
etc.)
Power loss from point of measurement to motor - Measure power as close to motor as possible
- Measure voltage (low voltage causes trips,
particularly during start-up)
Overload heater tripping
- Ensure heater is in correct location
- Run the system in bypass mode; if overamping
VFD operating incorrectly
ceases, the VFD should be inspected
- Rewire system if it does not match the wiring
Incorrect wiring
diagram
Incorrect motor speed - Replace motor if speed is incorrect
- Ensure the gear ratio is the same as the engineering
record
Incorrect gearbox ratio
- Rotate fan by hand to manually count reduction ratio
- Compare fan blade count to that of the engineering
Incorrect number of fan blades
record; fan replacement is necessary if different
- Ensure the proper measurement procedure is
Incorrect blade pitch measurement procedure followed (reference fan user manual for specific fan
model)
- Ensure adequate warm-up time for the gearbox
Oil in gearbox is viscous due to temperature
(typically 15 minutes minimum)

SPX COOLING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

7401 WEST 129 STREET TR-018 | ISSUED 10/2016
OVERLAND PARK, KS 66213 USA COPYRIGHT © 2016 SPX CORPORATION
913 664 7400 | spxcooling@spx.com In the interest of technological progress, all products are subject to design

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