© 2019 Cengage

CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

INTRODUCTION

• The electric motor changes electric energy into

mechanical energy
• Torque is the strength that a motor produces by
turning, either while starting or running
• This chapter covers most types of motors
available today and how they are used in the
heating, cooling, and refrigeration industry
• All electric motors should be properly grounded

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Magnetism

• Overview
• Physical phenomenon
• Includes attraction of an object for iron
• Exhibited by a permanent magnet or electric
current
• Produced in many different ways
• Magnetic fields of the earth
• Magnets have two poles: north and south

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Magnetism

• Magnetic field
• Flux
• Magnetic lines of force of a magnet that flow
between the north and south poles
• Magnetic field
• Area that the magnetic force operates in
• Can flow through material

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Magnetism
• Induced magnetism
• Created when a piece of iron is placed in a
magnetic field
• Permanent magnet
• Can hold magnetic
strength
• Electromagnet
• Magnetic field is created
around the conductor
© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Basic Electric Motors

• Electric energy
• Changed to mechanical energy by magnetism
• Based on induced magnetism
• To make an electric
motor rotation
continuous the
magnet field must
rotate

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Basic Electric Motors

• Common motors
• Operate much like a transformer
• Stator being the primary magnetic field
• Rotor being a moveable secondary magnetic
field
• Rotor is not a permanent magnet
• Squirrel cage rotor is most commonly used rotor
today

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Types of Electric Motors

• Motor strength
• Generally used to classify motors
• Motors are selected
mainly because of
starting torque
required

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Types of Electric Motors

• Motor strength
• General types of motors
• Shaded pole
• Split phase
• Capacitor start–capacitor
run
• Capacitor start
• Three phase
• Electronically commutated
© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Types of Electric Motors

• Motor speed
• Electric motor with a load
• Speed = (Flow reversals/second x 120) / Number
of poles
• Common motor speeds
• Two-pole: 3450 rpm
• Four-pole: 1750 rpm

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Types of Electric Motors

• Open and enclosed motors

• Open motors
• Have a housing
• Rotate a device not enclosed in housing
• Enclosed motors
• Housed within some type of shell
• Completely sealed hermetic compressor

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Shaded-Pole Motors

• Overview
• Made of a closed turn of a heavy copper wire
• Used when very small starting and running
torques are required
• Can stall and still not burn out the windings
• Difficult to reverse
• Requires disassembly

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Shaded-Pole Motors

• Troubleshooting
• Single-speed, shaded pole motor
• Easily diagnosed
• Has only one winding
• Multispeed shaded pole motor
• Difficult to troubleshoot
• Additional speed windings

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Capacitors

• Overview
• Consist of two aluminum plates with an
insulator between them
• Two types used in
the industry
• Electrolytic or starting
capacitor
• Oil-filled or running
capacitor
© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Split-Phase Motors
• Resistance-start–induction-run motor
• Most have some method of beginning rotation
• Phases are split by makeup of starting
windings
• Troubleshooting
• Bearings
• Windings
• Centrifugal switch

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Split-Phase Motors

• Capacitor-start–induction-run motor
• Open type
• Easy to check with an ohmmeter
• Enclosed type
• Has an external relay
• Can be locked down due
to worn bearings or
internal failure

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Permanent Split-Capacitor Motors

• Overview
• Simple design
• Has two windings
• Usually trouble-free for
long periods of time
• Built with several speeds
• May have to adapt replacement motor

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Capacitor-Start–Capacitor-Run Motors

• Overview
• Produce high starting torque
• Rarely used as an open-type motor
• Begins on a phase displacement between
starting and running windings
• Sometimes difficult to troubleshoot

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Three-Phase Motors

• Overview
• Rugged, reliable, and more dependable
• Same principles as a single-phase
• Two basic types of windings
• Star winding
• Wye (Y) winding
• Ohmmeter is used to
check resistance
© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Electronically Commutated Motors

• Overview
• Reverse one-half of each AC cycle
• Forms a single directional current
• Construction is
brushless DC
• Three-phase motor
• A two-part motor
• Difficult to troubleshoot
© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Direct Current Brushless Motors

• Overview
• Smaller than conventional residential
equipment
• No brushes
• No commutator
• Eliminates the danger of sparks
• More versatile than AC motor
• Saves energy

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Hermetic Compressor Motors

• Overview
• Designed for single- and three-phase current
• Induction type motors
• Enclosed in a shell with
refrigerant and oil
• Requires special
considerations
• Cannot be visually inspected
© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

Service Call Protocol

• Overview
• Many types of service procedures are
performed each day
• Pre-season startups
• Preventive maintenance calls
• Inoperative system calls
• Always keep in mind the need for service calls

© 2019 Cengage
CHAPTER 8 BASIC ELECTRIC MOTORS

SUMMARY
• The single most important operating principle of an
electric motor is the rotating magnetic field
produced by the current
• There are basically six types of motors used in the
industry
• Hermetic compressor motors are becoming more
popular because of their low cost
• The service technician will often need to diagnose
why a hermetic compressor will not run
© 2019 Cengage