Motor Protection Fundamentals
Motor Protection Fundamentals
Ali Kazemi, PE
Regional Technical Manager
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Irvine, CA
• Motor Basics
• Protection Requirements
♦ Thermal
♦ Short circuit
• Special Consideration
♦ High Inertia Motor Starting
♦ VFD Application
A Motor Is an Electromechanical
Energy Converter
Motor Types
• Induction motors
♦ Squirrel cage rotor
♦ Wound rotor
• Synchronous motor
♦ Salient-pole rotor
♦ Round rotor (high speed)
The Rotor
What Is Slip?
Rotor Moves Slower Than the Stator’s Field
Calculation of Slip
Slip
or
1.6%
Torque
Rated Power
Current Rating
Locked-Rotor Amperes
Motor Data
Rated output: 5000 hp
Rated speed: 3583 rpm
Rated voltage: 4000 volts
Rated frequency: 60 hertz
Rated current: 608 amperes
Locked‐rotor current: 600 percent
Hot stall time: 7 seconds at 100 percent voltage
Cold overload time: 800 seconds at 2 per‐unit current
Service factor: 1.15
Locked‐rotor torque: 55 percent
Insulation class: F
AC Motor Starting
Starters
Accelerating Torque
Thermal
Limit
Curves
Motor
Initially at
Ambient
Temperature
Thermal
Limit
Curves
Motor
Initially at
Operating
Temperature
Negative-Sequence Current
Thermal Effect on the Rotor
• Unbalance protection
• Phase differential protection
• Load-jam protection
Thermal Element - 49
• Phase
♦ Set at 2 times ILR
♦ Set at 1.2 times ILR, 10-15 cycle delay
• Ground
♦ Set higher than maximum imbalance
1.1 times (ILR)
♦ Set at 20% of IFL, 10-15 cycle delay
High-Inertia Start
• Acceleration time ≥ Rotor safe stall time
• Standard thermal/overcurrent element will
time out and trip motor offline
• Motor will never start
Summary
Reference Material
Industry Guides
AC Motor Protection
Guide: IEEE C37.96
IEEE 242-2001
♦ Recommended
protection practices
♦ Chapter 10: Motor
protection
NEMA MG 1
National Electrical
Manufacturers
Association
(NEMA) Standard
MG 1: Provides
construction and
testing
requirements for
motors and
generators
AC Motor Protection
By Stanley E. Zocholl
• Covers operation
and protection of
ac motors
• Optimizes motor
protection relay
thermal and fault
protection settings