Motors&Drives.

book Page iii Monday, January 10, 2005 1:54 PM

Motors and
Drives
A Practical Technology Guide

Dave Polka
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Notice

The information presented in this publication is for the general education of the reader. Because
neither the author nor the publisher have any control over the use of the information by the
reader, both the author and the publisher disclaim any and all liability of any kind arising out of
such use. The reader is expected to exercise sound professional judgment in using any of the
information presented in a particular application.

Additionally, neither the author nor the publisher have investigated or considered the affect of any
patents on the ability of the reader to use any of the information in a particular application. The
reader is responsible for reviewing any possible patents that may affect any particular use of the
information presented.

Any references to commercial products in the work are cited as examples only. Neither the author
nor the publisher endorse any referenced commercial product. Any trademarks or tradenames
referenced belong to the respective owner of the mark or name. Neither the author nor the
publisher make any representation regarding the availability of any referenced commercial product
at any time. The manufacturer’s instructions on use of any commercial product must be followed at
all times, even if in conflict with the information in this publication.

Copyright © 2003 ISA – The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

ISBN 1-55617-800-X

No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.

ISA
67 Alexander Drive
P.O. Box 12277
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Polka, David.
> Motors & drives / by David Polka.
> p. cm.
> Includes bibliographical references and index.
> ISBN 1-55617-800-X
> 1. Electric motors. 2. Electric driving. I. Title:Motors and
> drives. II. Title.
> TK2514 .P65 2002
> 621.46--dc21
> 2002012843
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to my wife, Candy, and my daughter, Korey.
Their support, understanding and encouragement has been monu-
mental in the creation of this literary work. (Maybe I’ll get more
projects done around the house, now that my work is complete.)
I also dedicate this book to my parents, Chet and Carol, who taught
me to stick to my goals, and that you can’t put a price-tag on the
value of education. Teachers are essential to the creation of a well-
trained and efficient functioning society.
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About the Author

Dave Polka has devoted his professional career to training and educa-
tion, in the areas of Electronics and Motor Speed Control. He gradu-
ated from the University of Wisconsin – Stout, Menomonie, WI, with
a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Education, and an empha-
sis in Electronics and Controls.

His first position was with Homestead High School, Mequon, WI,
where he spent eight years as an Industrial Education teacher. His
programs included: Basic Electricity and Electronics, Advanced Elec-
tronics and Instrumentation, and Broadcast Radio.

He held several positions at Allen-Bradley’s Drives Division, Mequon,

WI. He spent three years as a Technical Writer of operation and
maintenance manuals, and seven years as Instructor and Supervisor
of Drives Training, encompassing sales, service and customer training.

Mr. Polka has published several trade journal and website articles,
dealing with topics such as: “What is a Drive?” “How to Maintain a
VFD” and “Energy Savings with VFDs in Paint Spray Booths.”

He currently holds the Training Center Manager position for ABB Inc,
Drives & Power Electronics, in New Berlin, WI. For the past eight
years, he has conducted distributor and customer classes on drive -
applications, programming and operation, for ABB University.
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Acknowledgments xi

Acknowledgments

There are many people that had a hand in the success of this project. It
could not have been created by one person – working in a vacuum. I
would like to thank the following people for their assistance in making
this book, what it is.

I would be remiss in mentioning the people that inspired me throughout

the years – to do my best, research until I find answers, and persist in the
pursuit of excellence. I began my knowledge base, through the direction
and guidance given by those at Allen-Bradley, now Rockwell Automation.
I especially appreciated the assistance by the late Jim Bonham. His insight
into the world of AC and DC drives gave me a foundation from which to
grow. I also thank Howard Murphy, Dave Caruana, Scott Patterson, Clar-
ence Phipps, Jerry Muehlbauer and Glenn Reinders, for their assistance
throughout my formative years.

I also want to thank Ken Graber of Zigman Joseph Stephenson, for his
guidance and encouraging me to accept the challenge of writing technical
articles, and ultimately, the writing of this book. Ken has injected a shot of
“reality” into a rather hectic writing schedule, both professionally and per-
sonally.
I want to thank my professional colleagues at ABB Inc. First and foremost,
Chuck Clark, for his approval of the use of various written works, as well
as photos and graphics. I also thank Roy Coleman and Joe Maloni for
allowing me time to pursue my publishing goals. I also acknowledge the
following individuals for their proofreading and technical suggestions:
Becky Nethery, Mark Kenyon, John Sutschek, Randy Stevens, Dennis
Miller, Michael Tews, Jim Nash, Tim Gladd, and Stuart Koym. I thank
Jamieson Greig, for his insight into legal aspects of literature.

Mike Olson, has been my mentor, and very instrumental in the comple-
tion of this literary work. I appreciated his encouragement, proofreading
and technical expertise. An accomplished author himself, Mike has
always made time for my last minute questions and offered constructive
criticism – that ultimately made my written documents more understand-
able and technically accurate.

I also thank Bill Wagner for his scanning, creation and digital photography
techniques, as well as Randy Stevens, for his photo art rework and graph-
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xii Motors and Drives

ics assistance. I thank those affiliated with ABB, directly or indirectly,

including: Chuck Cowie, Todd Vigorito and Walt Dembiczak for their
insight, suggestions and comments on previously written material.

The people at ISA have been most helpful in guiding me through the maze
of writing requirements. I especially thank Matt Lamoreaux for his
encouragement, and Shandra Botts for her schedule keeping. I also thank
Joice Blackson, for her assistance in the early stages of this project.
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Introduction xiii

Introduction

To some, motor speed control is somewhat of a mystical science, a science

that causes motors and machines to sometimes operate in unexpected
ways. Over 30 years ago, AC drives were considered “new technology.” If
a company wanted to have reliable production, it should stick with
known, proven technology – that of DC drives and motors. In many cases,
the cost of transferring manufacturing machinery to AC technology,
would not warrant the lengthy paybacks. It seemed that AC technology
had a long way to go, to improve in reliability and reduced cost. In some
technician’s minds, you would need to have a new, back-up AC drive,
because the first one would probably fail upon start-up.

As time marched on, low horsepower AC technology improved to the

point where total installed costs, including the motor, were equal to – or
even less expensive than the DC alternative. The size of the AC drive was
equal to or smaller that its DC counterpart. Improvements in power elec-
tronics increased the reliability of AC drives, to the point where one would
almost never hear of a drive failure upon start-up.

This book is intended to de-mystify drive and motor technology, used in

today’s modern manufacturing processes. The text has roots in the practi-
cal side of drive and motor use, with the “design engineering” side of tech-
nology, presented in commonly used terms. An attempt is made to help
the reader “start from scratch,” gathering and reviewing a collection of
basic information – from basic electrical principles to DC and AC motor
principles of operation. The initial cost of a motor only represents about
3% of its total lifetime expense, with operating costs representing the
other 97%. Therefore, energy savings with VFDs (variable frequency
drives) is a topic that faces many consumers in this day of rising energy
costs.
From the basics, the reader is lead on a historical path – reviewing DC and
AC drives that are 10 years old or more. The focus of this section however,
points to the new and improved technology, in both types of drives.
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xiv Motors and Drives

From that point, the reader is lead into feedback methods and devices, and
into closed loop control of drive systems. The concepts reviewed, are the
basics of modern industrial and commercial HVAC systems.

An overall attempt is made to start with the basics, and move into the
more complex concepts of drive operation and design. The book also com-
pares the two technologies, AC and DC, and provides questions and issues
to review when making any drive technology decision. The book ends
with general principles of drive troubleshooting, and ideas on how to con-
duct routine drive maintenance.

Summary sections and “Test your Knowledge” questions are provided at

the end of each chapter, to assist in confirming important points. In addi-
tion, the Appendices are offered as a reference section, providing terms
and definitions, as well as formulas, conversions and enclosure informa-
tion.
Many types of drives are on the market today – ranging from the size of a
person’s fist – to 14 bay cabinets, with the electronics to power thousands
of motor horsepower. Open loop (V/Hz) AC drives are the most common
drive in use today, with up to 70% use, according to some surveys.
Behind the standard open loop drive, stands several other types of drive
products: brush DC servo drives, DC drives, SCR DC drives, stepper drives
/ motors, AC servo drives, and brushless DC servo drives. Though in
smaller percentage of use, encoderless flux vector, closed loop vector, and
direct torque control type drives are gaining in popularity.
It is hoped that this book can be used as a resource for those that design,
apply or maintain AC or DC motor speed controls. It is meant to be an
overall “book of knowledge” on a student’s, technician’s or engineer’s
bookshelf.