Career Episode 1

Fully Automatic Star delta Starter

A) Introduction
CE 1.1 Nature of Project: This career episode based on my university report,
which was part of my educational research program.
Educational Institution: Padma Shri Dr Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil College of
Engineering, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
Chronology: January-May-2008, 5th semester study.
CE 1.2 Educational basis: To complete this report the fundamental knowledge
of electrical circuit, control and power circuit, electrical machines , Physics,
Science , principal of electrical circuit and also need of electronics engineering
to fulfil this report. For this project I needed to find information and analysed to
develop fully automatic star-delta starter.
B) Background
CE 1.3 The purpose of this research report to fulfil the requirement of good
starter for Induction Motor. Around 90% to 95% motors used in industries are induction
motor and they need starter to operate them. My job was to search and get enough
information to fulfil this requirement and present it to my supervisor professor and
submit to university.
CE1.4 The main aim for this project was to provide many facilities regarding
various protection and give full detail information about the various components which
are used in starter. Then I explained each component and present to my professors and
they decide whether these information was fulfil the technical requirements of electrical
engineering and my academic policy.
CE1.5 The objectives of this research report were to

1) To provide more protections in agriculture purpose motors.

2) To provide automatic functions.
3) Intension to save Electrical energy by providing appropriate provisions in
Starter.
4) Providing safe and reliable operation.
5) Easy and cheap maintenance.
6) To reduce the cost of starter.

CE 1.6 The main major work from technical point of view to get all information
about all parts which are used to make good automatic starter and provide all protection for
induction motors

CE 1.7 As a professional engineer I was responsible to research all technological

possibilities for the business and consequences, risks, limitations and other factors are taken
into consideration to get desirable positive outcome.

Communication with supervisors, professors, and manufactory staff:

Quality and Technical control

CE1.8 As a student, I always asked to people who were working in company

and they were my senior friends, professors and other staff on regular basis. After conversation
with them I had to find information, read different catalogues of company, general article and
undertake all necessary corrections to meet technical requirements and check the design
solution against the engineering and functional specifications. To fulfil these requirements I
have to study hard and get all the knowledge of electrical engineering, electronics engineering
and so on.

Project development discussions and presentation

CE1.9 During the development of report I have been frequently meeting with
my professors, senior friends and many other people who are working in electrical company
and get lots of knowledge about electrical engineering. My preparation was based on whether
it would be technical or non-technical audience or person, so I need to express in simple and
easy words.

CE1.10 During this project, I also used my skill and knowledge to communicate
with other and how to tackle the situation. All that skills has been improved after this report
and get various ideas when I faced problems in real situation.

Managing information and documents

CE1.11 For this report I had to continuous process of reading and analysing
relevant publications, equipment manuals, internet research and talking with technical persons.
For example what are the problems occurs when you start the induction motor and what ate the
possibilities to failure motors, so I could counter those problems and find the possible solution
by my own ways.

CE1.12 In most of industries Induction motors used and when fault occurs in
motors then the main problems are regarding its starting operations. There are other
possibilities exist like dry run, phase sequence, overload and many more.

CE1.13 At that time manual starter used to start induction motor and they were
not intelligence like automatic starter with various protection. Due to this starter lots of fault
occurs in motors, fuse and the plant were frequently stopping of this electrical fault. The cost
of induction motor was too much and that is why it is necessity to find some good solution and
enough protection for motor.

CE1.14 As mention above problems I decided to find all information regarding

failure of induction motor and how can I maintain motor in good condition and provide as
much as protection in various conditions.

CE 1.15 Such design was innovative and challenging from technical point of
view. Such system has been existed in big firm, but they were very costly and do not enough
knowledge for small business group. That is why I decided to provide enough information and
knowledge about good automatic starter for induction motor.

C) Personal Engineering Activity

CE 1.16 For this project I needed a lot of reading, technical manuals of electric
equipment installed at manufactory, designing functional scheme, designing
various protection circuit and sensors to cut the power supply and keep the
motor in safe conditions, provide all diagram with explanations and testing with
motor in real situation. All these activities need lots of knowledge of electrical,
electronics and power control and so on. So initially I needed to organise myself
and how to handle and create good work according to professional engineer.

Project content

CE 1.17 In this report, I gone through various factors like why starter needs for
the operation of induction motor, their components, power circuits, control circuits and testing
of starter. During this period, I developed my skills about problem solving method and how to
tackle with the situation. In this project, I developed power and control circuit diagram for
starter which was totally fully automatic starter. It was smart starter and automatically work
when any abnormal situation occurs. I designed this starter only for safety purpose.

CE 1.18 Power and control diagram for starter. This is power and control
diagram for starter which I developed for my report and project. (Photocopy taken from my
original report)
Faults occur in Induction motor and provide protection against them

CE 1.20 As per my meeting with different people and my senior friends, I

encountered different faults and provide protection against them. The different protections
were provide in star-delta starter as follow. All this information, I collected from books, internet
source, and general articles and so on. During this process, I came through various situation to
identify the problems and tried to find out solution. At this stage, I always arranged meeting
with my professor and find out outcome which was affect in terms of social, cultural,
commercial or political contexts.

1) Automatic star to delta conversion

2) Single phase protection
3) Short circuit protection
4) Phase sequence corrector
5) Dry run protection
6) Automatic starting
7) Missing phase indicator
8) Cabinet lighting

CE 1.21Automatic star-delta conversion: Now a day for agriculture purpose, semi-automatic

starter use and it is too much dangerous because operator has to make connection star to delta
manual. So I can overcome this problem by using this automatic starter. The power diagram
and control diagram as given below

Precaution with star delta starter: When motor starts initial current is 57.7% in star of the short
circuit current in the delta together with a transient in each phase. The transient current decay
rapidly but the steady state is not reached until the motor has attained 70% of its synchronous
speed. The change over from star- delta connection should not be made until the motor attains
about 90% of synchronous speed, otherwise there will be a current surge considerably greater
than full load current which may even be greater than the standstill current with the star
connection.
CE 1.23 Single phase protection: In this system, I have provided protection against single
phasing to stop motor by using simple interlocking electrical circuit.

CE 1.24 Phase sequence corrector: I have implemented phase sequence corrector provision in
this starter. Which ensure that the polyphase gives to the motor are such that, the rotation of
motor is always run clockwise direction whether may be the phase sequence of incoming lines?

CE 1.25 Dry run Protection: Dry run protection is very much important in electrical energy
saving aspect. It also provides protection to the motor from unnecessary over heating due to
windage and friction losses.

CE 1.26 Missing Phase indicator: In ordinary starter missed phase are checked by the test lamp.
But in my starter I have provided low voltage indicator at the front panel of the cabinet in R-
Y-B sequence, which clearly indicates the presents and missed phases.

CE 1.27 To making this project I need all basic information and guidance from my professor
and other staff. That is why every day I arranged meeting with them and took steps now what
should I do for further development of this starter. They all support me well and whenever I
need any help they were always stand for me. I also read lots of books, company brochure
technical data, internet articles and research paper and so on to complete the report. During
reading and get all information, I always thought critically about its accuracy, reliability and
authenticity of information.

CE1.28 In this project, I cop up with lots of instruments and device which were used in the
project and got much knowledge about them such as miniature circuit breaker, transformer,
rectifier, electromagnetic relay, electromagnetic power contactor, technical data of
telemechanics contactors, interlocking relay card, timer IC 555, digital phase sequence
indicator, led and many more. All integrated components have been selected in terms of
compatibility with each other in terms of voltage, current, frequency range and so on. During
entire project, I closely monitor myself to finish this project in time limit and that is why I gave
priority and made time table to complete each work, test and objectives of my project.

CE1.29 Testing on starter:

This working model is analysed by testing at different stages.

1. Testing on STEP-DOWN TRANSFORMER

Ideal: Input - 230V
Output - 12V
Practical: Input - 230V
Output - 11.50 – 11.75 V

2. Testing on RECTIFIRE
Ideal: Input - 12V AC
Output - 12V DC
Practical: Input - 11.75V AC
Output - 11.50V DC

3. Testing on ELECTROMAGNETIC RELAY

Coil Voltage - 12V
Minimum peak voltage - 10V
Switching change over time - 50 msec

4. Testing on CONTACTOR
Coil Voltage - 230V
Minimum peak voltage - 210V
Switching change over time - 40 msec

5. Testing on DIGITAL PHASE SEQUENCE INDICATOR

DPSI having three phase supply, it directly shows the weather incoming supply having Normal
or Abnormal phase sequence and according to signal it operates Normal or Abnormal contactor
respectively.

6. Testing on TIMER
TIMER 1: It has provided 5 second delay, when input given to this Timer it will gives the
output after 5second.
TIMER 2: It has provide 5 second delay, when input given to this Timer it will gives the output
till 5 second.

7. Testing on SINGLE PHASING PROTECTOR

FULLY AUTOMATIC STAR DELTA STARTER
On the occurrence of Single phasing condition, voltage between one healthy phase and star
point is197V & protection system will trip the motor within one second.

8. Testing on DRY RUN PROTECTION

On the occurrence of Dry run, protection system will trip motor immediately.

9. Testing on SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION

On the occurrence of Short circuit condition, Voltage between any two phase is near about 15V
& this voltage is as a input of 230/12 V transformer. So it gives the output near about 0.788V.
At 0.788 V, Rectifier given output near about 0.7 V and for same voltage relay is reset (It does
not operate) as Electromagnetic Relay having minimum pick up voltage near about 10V.

10. Testing on AUTOMATIC STAR DELTA

Star delta conversion time- 40 msec
At starting, timer II operates motor in STAR Connection for 5 sec. after 5 sec motor continues
run in DELTA connection.

11. Testing on MISSING PHASE INDICATOR

If anyone phase supply is cut off, LED indicator of respective phase does not glow.

12. Testing on AUTOMATIC STARTING

Timer I is used for automatic starting purpose, it has 10 sec delays.
When starter in AUTO mode and power is resuming, this timer is on the motor after 10sec.
CE 1.30 This test was done with my supervisor, professor and other technical staff and we have
better result in protection and saving electrical energy. In this project, some company staffs
have provided financial support and I learned lots of skills from them.
CE 1.31 Design and drafting: All circuit diagrams I draw using cad-cam software and some by
my hand.
CE 1.32 After finishing this testing, I had to make presentation and give all information in my
seminar hall. All student, professors took active interest and asking question about its
application and what will the future scope for the starter. I submitted all written assignments
with technical data and all research paper I used in this project. I made report very well and it
would fulfil the requirement of graduate from the university as a professional electrical
engineer on that day.

D) Summary
In this project, I made fully automatic star-delta starter and try to provide all protection in
electrical aspect subject. This starter was safe and reliable to use. It is less costly and
economically use. In future, we will make starter based on microcontroller and microprocessor
programming. We can also add PLC and SCADA system in this project and reduce the circuit.
But I had no enough finance at that time , so I used my knowledge and try to make starter safe,
reliable, cheap and easy to operate its by non-technical person.