Maintenance of Electrical

Motors and Associated

Apparatus

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Types of Enclosures
Motors in petrochemical plants work under a variety of adverse conditions,
ranging from wet and corrosive environments to hazardous areas containing
combustible liquids, vapors, gases, and dusts. Because of this wide range of
environmental conditions, a number of different types of enclosures have
been developed. The two basic types of motor enclosures are the open-type
and the totally-enclosed type as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Basic types of motor enclosures

Open Motors. An open motor is one in which a free exchange of air is

permitted between the surrounding atmosphere and the interior of the motor.
Cooling air is drawn into the motor through ventilating openings at each end
and exhausted through similar openings at the bottom of the motor. The air

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is circulated by means of fans formed on each end of the rotor assembly.
Open motors may be either drip-proof, splash proof, or flood proof. Another
type popular in the petrochemical industry is the weatherproof motor.
Weatherproof I has one baffle before incoming air passes the windings.
Weatherproof II has two baffles and filters in the incoming air flow.

Totally-Enclosed Motors. A totally-enclosed motor is one in which there is

no free exchange of air between the surrounding atmosphere and the interior
of the motor. The interior of the motor is completely covered by the stator
frame and the end covers, but not sufficiently enclosed to be airtight.
Totally-enclosed motors may be either non-ventilated or fan-cooled. Totally-
enclosed non-ventilated motors are cooled solely by heat radiation from the
surface of the motor. Totally-enclosed fan-cooled motors are cooled both by
radiation and by means of a shaft-driven fan mounted in a housing external
to the main motor enclosure. The fan draws air into its housing and directs it
along the outer surface of the main enclosure between cooling fins cast into
the stator frame. In both the totally-enclosed nonventilated and totally-
enclosed fan-cooled motor types, the radiation of heat is helped by fans
formed on each end of the rotor assembly. These fans keep the air within the
main motor enclosure circulating to improve the transfer of heat to the
exterior.

In addition to the two basic types of totally-enclosed motors, nonventilated

and fan-cooled, other types of totally-enclosed motors are in use. These are
explosion-proof, dust-explosion-proof and pipe-ventilated motors.

Explosion-Proof Motors are similar in appearance to standard totally

enclosed motors. They are, however, constructed with wide metal-to-metal
joints having close clearances, nonsparking fans, and thicker enclosure

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material. This enables them to withstand an explosion inside the motor and
also to prevent any sparks, flashes, or explosions generated within the
enclosure from igniting the surrounding atmosphere. Explosion- proof
motors must be used in all locations where hazardous gases or vapors
surround the machine. Class II dust-explosion-proof motors are constructed
similarly to Class I explosion-proof motors. The enclosure is designed to
exclude ignitable amounts of dust and to prevent a dust explosion inside the
motor. The metal-to-metal joints of the enclosure prevent any sparks or hot
gases inside the motor from igniting exterior accumulations or atmospheric
suspensions of dust on or near the motor. Dust-explosion- proof motors must
be used in all locations where hazardous dusts surround the machine.

Pipe Ventilated Motors find a typical application on large process

compressor trains. Their construction is similar to standard drip-proof
motors with the exception of openings that are provided at each end of the
motor enclosure for the connection of cooling ducts or pipes. The cooling
ducts enable cooling air to be drawn from a non hazardous environment
remote from the operating area of the motor. Air is circulated either by a fan
on the motor shaft inside the enclosure or by a separate remotely located fan
or blower connected to the ducting.

This concludes our discussion of motor enclosures. In the following section

we are going to discuss induction motor nameplate information and its
significance.