ELECTRIC MOTORS

R PARAMAN
rparaman@devkienergy.com
 Index
• Major Opportunities
• Motor Efficiency and Power Factor
• Motor Shaft Load vs Current
• Motor failures & Rewinding
• Motor Replacement
• Impact of Voltage unbalance on Motor
• Motor Sizing
• Soft Starters – Any Savings?
• Transmission Efficiency – Gear Train
• Transmission Efficiency - Belt
• Motor Losses
• High Efficiency Motors
• Case Study – High Efficiency Motor
 Major Opportunities

• Stopping idle or redundant running of motors

• Matching motor with the driven load
• Improving transmission efficiency
• Use of High efficiency motors
• Improvement in motor driven systems.
Motor Efficiency & Power Factor
Motor Shaft Load vs. Current
 Motor Failures & Rewinding

• Motors rarely burn out due to overload. Usually the

abnormal conditions in the driven equipment, bearing
seizure, failure or wrong setting/malfunction of protection
devices, abnormal ambient conditions are the cause. Please
investigate the cause before sending the motor for
rewinding and repair.
• Rewind the motors as per the original winding data. If not
available, contact the manufacturer.
• Select a good rewinder following good practices.
 Motor Failures & Rewinding
• Do not allow rewinders to use open flame or heat the stators
above 350C for extracting the old, burned out winding. This can
damage the inter-laminar insulation of the steel core and
increase the core losses.
• Sand blasting of the core and/or grinding of laminations can also
create shorts in the core, leading to higher core losses.
• Motor rewinding does not necessarily lead to drop in motor
efficiency. There are no general rules about the likely drop in
efficiency. Motor efficiency reduces 1% to 2% by repeated
rewinding. This is mainly due to increase in the core losses.
• Keep data on no load inputs (current, power at a measured
voltage) for all new motors, including motors returning after
rewinding. These can be used for comparison and replacement
decisions.
Impact of Voltage Unbalance on Motors
 Transmission Efficiency: Gears & Belts
Type Efficiency %
Spur Gear Cast teeth 93
Cut teeth 96
Bevel gear Cast teeth 92
Cut teeth 95
Worm gear Thread angle 30 85 - 95
Thread angle 15 75 - 90
Planetory gear > 98%
V-belts 95% to 96%
Endless Sandwich belts 98%
& Timing belts
Motor Losses
 Motor Losses
Typical Factors affecting these losses
values
%
No load losses
Core losses 15 – 25 Type and quantity of magnetic material
Friction & Windage 5 – 15 Selection and design of fans and bearings
Load losses
Stator I2 R losses 25 – 40 Stator conductor size
Rotor I2 R losses 15 – 25 Rotor conductor size
Stray load losses 10 – 20 Manufacturing & design methods
Electric Motor Efficiencies: IEC Standards
Electric Motor Efficiencies: IE1 and IE2
Electric Motor Efficiencies: IE3 and IE4
 High Efficiency Motor: General Guidelines
• For purchase of motor for a new application, the pay back period on the differential
price is likely to be up to 1 year, depending on the rating, running hours and the tariff.
• For replacing an existing running motor, the pay back period is likely to be about 2
years, after considering some salvage value for the existing motor.
• For replacing a frequently burnt and rewound motor, which otherwise would have
been rewound, the pay back period is likely to be about 1.0 to 2.0 years.
• For grossly under-loaded (< 30%) standard electric motors, operating at a poor
efficiency, replacement by appropriately sized high efficiency motors may payback
within 1 to 2 years.

A Note of Caution:
• High efficiency motors have lower slip and hence these operate at slightly higher
speeds. Hence in the case centrifugal pumps and fans, this may lead to slightly higher
flows and some increase in power. Hence for these applications, use of high
efficiency motors should be done carefully to ensure that the increased power
requirement does not neutralise the reduction in motor losses.
• Measures like change in pulley ratios or trimming of impellers may have to be done
to maintain the flow at existing levels.
 Case Study: Replacement of Old 15 kW Rewound IE1 Motor
by Higher Efficiency IE2 Motor
A 15 kW motor was being used to drive an air-conditioning compressor. This
motor had been rewound a few times. The normal load current was 32.5 A.
Since this was higher than the rated current. The no load current (after
removing the belts) was observed to be 24 A (85% of the full load current)
and the no load power loss was 2.334 kW, which is very high. The operating
efficiency of the motor was estimated to be about 76%. This motor was
replaced by a new High Efficiency Motor.
Existing Motor: Make: Bharat Bijlee, Rating: 15 kW/20hp, Voltage: 415V,
Current: 28A, Speed: 1445 rpm
New Motor: Make: Bharat Bijlee, Rating: 15 kW/20hp, Voltage: 415V,
Current: 26.1A, Speed: 1450 rpm, Efficiency: 90.8%, Power Factor: 0.88
The new no load current was 6.6 A and the no load power was 0.873 kW.
The saving in no load power was 0.873 kW. The saving in no load power itself
was 1.461 kW. Ignoring the reduction in copper losses, the minimum saving
for about 6000 hours operation is 8766 kWh/annum i.e. Rs. 35,000/- per
annum. The payback period was one year.
Case Study: Replacement of 3.7 kW Under-loaded IE2 Motor
by Higher Efficiency 2. 2 kW IE4 Motor in a Flour Mill

Old 3.7 kW IE2 Motor New 2.2 kW IE4 Motor

 Case Study: Replacement of 3.7 kW Under-loaded IE2 Motor
by Higher Efficiency 2. 2 kW IE4 Motor

• A 3.7 kW, 6 pole (950 rpm) motor was driving a Screw Conveyor in the
Wheat Cleaning section of a Flour Mill. This motor was operating at a
steady load, consuming 1.053 kW, implying that the motor was grossly
under-loaded (< 20% of rated shaft load).
• In discussion with the plant team, it was decided to replace this motor
with a 2.2 kW (1500 rpm synchronous speed) Permanent Magnet IE4
motor, with rated efficiency of 89.5%. The pulley ratios were changed to
ensure that the screw conveyor continued to operate at the original
speed. The average power consumption was measured to be 0.812 kW,
implying a saving of 22.9%.
• Considering operating time of 8,000 hours/year and electricity price of Rs.
9.00 per kWh, the annual energy savings are expected to be 1928
kWh/year i.e. Rs. 17,350 per annum. The investment for the new electric
motor was Rs. 18,000/-
 Case Study: Replacement of 2.2 kW Under-loaded IE2 Motor
by Higher Efficiency 1.5 kW IE5 Motor (with VFD) in a Flour Mill

Old 2.2 kW IE2 Motor New 1.5 kW IE5 Motor

(with additional VFD for speed matching )
 Case Study: Replacement of 2.2 kW Under-loaded IE2 Motor
by Higher Efficiency 1.5 kW IE5 Motor (with VFD) in a Flour Mill

• A 2.2 kW, 4 pole (1405 rpm) motor was driving a Elevator in the Wheat
Milling section of a Flour Mill. This motor was operating at a steady load,
consuming 0.638 kW, implying that the motor was grossly under-loaded
(< 25% of rated shaft load).
• In discussion with the plant team, it was decided to replace this motor
with a 1.5 kW (1500 rpm) IE5 motor, with rated efficiency of 90.6%. A
Variable Frequency Drive was also installed to ensure that the screw
conveyor continued to operate at the original speed. The average power
consumption was measured to be 0.451 kW, implying a saving of 29.3%.
• Considering operating time of 8,000 hours/year and electricity price of Rs.
9.00 per kWh, the annual energy savings are expected to be 1496
kWh/year i.e. Rs. 13,464 per annum. The investment for the new electric
motor was Rs. 16,000/- and Rs. 12,000/- for the VFD. The total
investment of Rs.28,000/- is expected to payback in 2.1 years.