Alborz Industrial Air Co

Motor Standards for the

Chemical Process Industry
Information and Recommendations for the Engineer

E NGINEERING DATA
Alborz Industrial Air Co.
Motor Standards for the
Chemical Process Industry
Standard IEEE-841
Introduction
IEEE-841 identifies the recommended practice for chemical 6. There was a demand to expand the scope beyond
industry severe duty squirrel-cage induction motors, 600 V NEMA frame sizes. European manufacturers were beginning
and below. It was first issued in 1986 and was significantly to compete in the North American marketplace with TEFC
revised and reissued as a Standard in 1994. Minor revisions designs up to 500 HP. When purchasing TEFC designs from
were also made in 2001. The scope has been increased to 250 to 500 horsepower, users generally would purchase a
severe duty TEFC squirrel-cage induction motors with anti- custom design based on standard API 541 or their own
friction bearings in sizes up to and including 500 HP. Motor specifications. If the standard could incorporate require-
voltages of 2300 V and 4000 V have been added. Changes ments up to 500 HP, users felt that manufacturers would
to the standard are reviewed in detail below. Requirements produce lower cost standardized designs that could be
are identified that improve motor reliability and increase stocked and made readily available for routine purchases
motor life. and emergency situations.

History Revised Scope

Due to the mutual effort of users and motor manufacturers, Based on the above recommendations, the decision was
IEEE-841-1986, Recommended Practice for Chemical made to expand the scope of the standard to include TEFC
Industry Severe Duty Squirrel-Cage Induction Motors – 600 designs up through 500 horsepower with anti-friction bear-
V and below (RP841) was created. It recognized and ings. Both low voltage (up to 600V) random wound and
addressed the special motor requirements of the continu- medium voltage form wound insulation systems are now
ous-process petrochemical industry. These requirements included. Excluded from the scope of this standard are
included the need for a reliable motor to reduce costly motors with sleeve bearings and additional specific features
downtime, a corrosion resistant motor enclosure, low noise required for Division 1 explosion-proof motors. The user
levels, high efficiency and interchangeability. now has the option of using either API 541 or IEEE 841 in the
event that anti-friction bearings are specified for motors up
IEEE standards are required to be revised and updated to 500 horsepower. These changes were incorporated in 1994.
every 5 years. In 1990, a Project Authorization Request
(PAR) was submitted by the IAS Petroleum and Chemical
Industry Committee to revise RP841. The IEEE Standards
Review of IEEE Standard
Board approved the PAR and a new P841 Working Group 841-1994
was formed. This section will review the new requirements and the rea-
sons for the changes. An overview of the mechanical design
Some shortcomings were noted in the original standard: features required by the standard is shown in Table 1 on
1. A significant number of large petrochemical users were page 2.
still purchasing severe duty NEMA frame TEFC motors using
internal company specifications.
Service Conditions
2. The language used was "should" and not "shall". This The ambient temperature range for "Usual Service
language made it difficult to use it as a specification refer- Conditions" was modified by reducing the lower tempera-
ence in a purchase order. ture limit from –15 to –25°C, more closely reflecting actual
3. Several important technical requirements were optional temperatures experienced by motors in petrochemical plants.
on the part of manufacturers. Examples are the "preference
for cast iron frames" and the "recommendation" that bear- "Load inertia greater than and/or starting conditions more
ing temperature rise at a rated load not to exceed 45°C severe than specified in Section 12.54 of NEMA MG-1-
(50°C on two-pole motors). 1993" was added to the list of "Usual Service Conditions."
4. Motor design criteria in a number of areas failed to meet
the need of the petrochemical industry. Areas of specific Ratings
concern were vibration levels, terminal box size, shaft A note was added recommending that users apply motors
runout and bearing life. within their rating based upon a 1.0 service factor. (Do not
extend operation into the 1.15 service factor for normal use.)
5. Users recognized that bearing failures were the leading
This practice provides for long term reliability and still allows
cause of NEMA frame motor failures. Lubricant contamina-
for short-term overload operation (but not more than 15%).
tion and lack of lubrication/overlubrication were believed to
Continued operation above the 1.0 service factor signifi-
be the primary causes of these failures. Users wanted new
cantly decreases motor life due to increased winding and
requirements in the revised standard to significantly reduce
bearing temperature rise. Manufacturers still plan to contin-
bearing failures.

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 Table 1. Mechanical Construction Features IEEE 841 Motor
Component Requirement Benefit
Regreasable Maintainability
Grease outlet external to fan cover Ease of relubrication
Inner bearing cap Lubricant containment
Bearings IP55 protection on 324 T/TS frames
Reduced lubricant contamination
and larger
45°C temperature rise limit
Longer lubricant and bearing life
(50° on 2 pole)
Shaft Limit on shaft runout Reduced vibration
Structural integrity, corrosion resistance and
All cast iron construction
Frames, endshields longer life
and fan covers Motor foot flatness/planity and Reduced installation time and
draft angle improved alignment
Cast iron up to 445T frames Rugged design
Terminal boxes
Minimum size defined Oversized to improve quality of terminations

ue marketing motors with 1.15 service factor on their name- higher harmonics and insufficient cooling, insufficient motor
plate to meet current market expectations. accelerating torque at reduced speeds, increased noise lev-
els, winding failures due to repetitive high amplitude voltage
Frame assignments continue to be in accordance with spikes, motor and drive damage due to improper applica-
NEMA MG-13-1984. Note that for frame numbers above tion of power factor correction capacitors, high shaft volt-
445, motor dimensions may not always be uniform from ages, and mechanical failure of the motor or coupling due to
manufacturer to manufacturer. Ending designations (beyond torque pulsations, mechanical resonance or operation at
the T) are also subject to individual interpretations. excess speeds.

Rated voltages of 200 V for low voltage systems and 2300 Insulation System and Temperature
V and 4000 V for medium voltage systems were added con-
sistent with the revised scope. The standard lists normally Rise
used voltages for 60 Hz systems. Other voltages may be The thermal rating of the insulation system, including the
available by special order or by re-rating. Dual voltage lead cables, has been increased from a minimum of Class B
motors are acceptable only for 2300/4000 V. to Class F with a permissible temperature rise of 80°C at 1.0
service factor. This change reflects the current insulation
The standard limits the enclosure to totally enclosed, which system designs provided by most manufacturers for severe
is the North American designation covering both enclosure duty motors.
type and cooling style. TEFC is customarily supplied except
when TENV may be the only practical alternative on smaller The new standard covers rated voltages up to 4000 V ver-
frame sizes. sus voltages up to only 600 V for RP841. Both form wound
and random wound stator windings are allowed. Vacuum
The international IP codes, which classify degrees of pro- pressure impregnated form windings are required for 2300 V
tection by enclosures, are newly referenced. Protection for and 4000 V machines, and are optional for voltages less
terminal boxes is required by IP-55. The first code digit (5) than 600 V for motors above 200 HP. The thermal classifica-
indicates a machine protected against dust entry. The sec- tion of the insulation system to form windings is per IEEE
ond digit (4) indicates protection against splashing water or Std. 275-1992. Form wound insulation systems are also
(5) indicates protection against water jets. required for sealed and capable of passing the water immer-
sion test. Additional requirements include a surge withstand
If a replaceable shaft seal is used to achieve IP-55 bearing capability of 3.5 per unit at a rise time of 0.1 - 0.2 microsec-
protection, it is required to be the noncontact or noncon- onds and 5.0 per unit at a rise time of 5.0 microseconds or
tacting-while-rotating type with a minimum expected seal greater.
life of 5 years under usual service conditions. The introduc-
tion of the new requirement to meet IP-55 for bearing pro- Random windings meeting the thermal classification
tection is expected to result in a significant reduction in requirements of IEEE Std. 117-1974 are the standard
bearing failures. requirements for voltages up to 600 V. Since there is less
evidence of problems with steep-fronted surges in random
Electrical Design winding up to 600 V, the standard imposes no surge perfor-
mance requirements for random windings. Phase insulation,
Motors continue to be NEMA design B, with NEMA starting however, in addition to varnish, is required to be used
capabilities and power supply variations in accordance with between the phases of random windings to improve insula-
the current version of NEMA MG-1-1993. The specified per- tion integrity.
formance of the machine does not require a special electri-
cal design that could adversely impact the availability of The insulation system, including leads, must be compatible
new motors. with mineral oil. This provision insures that the motor insula-
tion system will be suitable for use with oil mist lubrication
The new standard, in addition to pointing out the need for systems. Some additional modifications, however, are usu-
consultation with the manufacturer to avoid problems when ally required to make the IEEE 841 motor suitable for use
using the IEEE-841 motor with adjustable speed drives, also with oil mist lubrication systems.
lists the type of problems one might experience. These
problems include excessive winding temperatures due to

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Bearings and Lubrication ly below 0.08 inches per second were achieved on most of
the rebuilt motors. From the data submitted, the P841
Inner bearing caps are now required to protect bearings Working Group felt that the overall (unfiltered) vibration lim-
from dirt and moisture inside the motor as well as to restrict its should be reduced to about one-half of the levels speci-
grease and oil flow from the bearing chamber into the inte- fied in NEMA MG1-1978. Accordingly, the unfiltered vibra-
rior of the motor. A grease drain with plug that extends tion limits were set at 0.08 inches/sec.
beyond the fan cover (if present) is also now specifically
required to facilitate relubrication. The other concern of users was the vibration at twice run-
ning speed (2x) and twice line frequency (2f). At these fre-
Bearing temperature rise limits are mandatory as opposed quencies the vibration displacement has a much greater
to suggested in RP841-1986. When direct coupled, the sta- detrimental effect than the same displacement at running
bilized bearing temperature rise at rated load must not speed. Also, the twice frequency (2f) vibration is inherent to
exceed 45°C (50°C on two-pole motors). A minimum bear- the motor design and the user can do nothing to reduce this
ing L-10 life requirement based on NEMA defined external vibration component after the motor is manufactured. A
belt loads was included in RP841-1994. The new standard consensus was reached to place a limit of 0.05 inches/sec
also defines belt loads for determining bearing L-10 life in on the 2x and 2f filtered vibration levels. Motor unfiltered
above NEMA frame size motors. Bearing life will improve axial vibration was also limited to 0.06 inches/sec on bear-
due to the lower limits imposed on bearing temperature rise. ing housings. This axial vibration limit does not apply to
roller bearings.
Rotor and Shaft
The specifications impose no new requirements on the rotor, Corrosion-Resistant Treatment
but new shaft runout limits are about one-half of those in A new requirement was added to apply a lubricant during
NEMA MG-1-1993. Motors with shafts that meet these lim- assembly to all unplated threaded surfaces to facilitate
its for TIR should be easier to properly install and align. The removal. The provision to protect stator and rotor air-gap
lower limits will also result in reduced bearing loads and sys- surfaces against moisture and corrosion was strengthened
tem vibration. by including protection for all exposed internal stator, rotor
and shaft surfaces.
Frames and Endshields
RP841-1986 primarily offered suggestions for materials and Efficiency
performance. The new standard requires that frames, end- During the early 60’s, NEMA introduced the T frame design
shields and fan covers shall be cast iron. The old standard that increased motor operating temperatures and had the
would have allowed aluminum and even plastic material for effect of reducing efficiency and power factor.
these components. In addition to improving the durability
and structural integrity of the motors, the standard has new Energy conservation programs during the 1980’s, due to the
performance requirements on foot flatness (0.005 inch max- high cost of building new power facilities, fostered the need
imum foot differential) and specifies a maximum draft angle to use energy efficient motors.
of 1.5 degrees on the top surface of the casting surrounding
the foot mounting holes. These requirements were designed In 1992, the Energy Act of 1991 was amended to include
to eliminate soft foot conditions and shifting of the motor nominal efficiency requirements at full load for most gener-
position during alignment due to the tightening of the al-purpose polyphase squirrel cage induction motors
mounting bolt on a sloping surface. A drilled and tap hole for between 1 and 200 horsepower (manufactured for sale in
a frame ground is also a requirement. the U.S.). The new IEEE-841 standard has a motor efficien-
cy table, which includes these legislated values of nominal
Terminal Boxes and Terminal Leads efficiency. In addition, the table also includes full load effi-
Terminal boxes on 600 V NEMA frame motors are now ciency requirements for motors above 200 horsepower at
required to be cast iron. Terminal box volume must have a both low and medium voltage levels. Efficiency values for
minimum of at least twice the volume specified in Section low voltage motors about 200 horsepower are derived from
11.06.2 of NEMA MG-1-1993. Table 12-10 in NEMA MG-1-1993. Efficiency values for
medium voltage motors (2300/4000 V) were developed by
the P841 Working Group.
Vibration
RP841-1986 referred to ANSI/NEMA-MG1-1978 for vibra- Two values are defined in the table. The nominal efficiency,
tion limits. These limits allowed vibration displacements as which is to be nameplated on the motor, represents the
high as 1 mil on two-pole motors and 1.5 mils on four-pole average efficiency of a large population of motors of the
motors (0.1 to 0.14 inches per second velocity assuming all same design. The second value indicates the minimum val-
vibration at running speed). Users felt that this level of vibra- ues of efficiency that any motor of that design would have,
tion was excessive and resulted in unnecessary bearing fail- due to variations in materials, manufacturing processes and
ures. On the other hand, manufacturers were reluctant to test repeatability.
reduce vibration levels on production line motors due to the
potential impact on manufacturing cost. The standard also revises the test method by which motor
efficiency must be determined. IEEE 112-1991 Method B,
Data was requested from manufacturers and users on the which utilizes a dynamometer, is required for all motor effi-
average vibration of a large population of motors, running ciency testing.
uncoupled and unloaded. Data provided by one manufac-
turer indicated a mean vibration level of 0.03 inches/second The efficiencies also improved for Std. 841-2001 on some
for 3,048 new motors rated from 15 to 250 horsepower. One motors that are 200 HP and less. The efficiency for 2001
user had also collected data on vibration levels of several revision is given in Table 2 on page 4.
thousand motors rebuilt in a dedicated repair facility on a
plant site. The data showed that vibration levels significant-

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 Table 2. Efficiencies of Enclosed Motors*
2-Pole 4-Pole 6-Pole 8-Pole
Voltage
kW HP Nom. Min. Nom. Min. Nom. Min. Nom. Min.
Class
Effic. % Effic. % Effic. % Effic. % Effic. % Effic. % Effic. % Effic. %
.75 1 600 V 77.0 74.0 84.0 81.5 81.5 78.5 75.5 72.0
1.1 1.5 600 V 84.0 81.5 85.5 82.5 86.5 84.0 78.5 75.5
1.5 2 600 V 85.5 82.5 85.5 82.5 87.5 85.5 84.0 81.5
2.2 3 600 V 86.5 84.0 88.5 86.5 88.5 86.5 85.5 82.5
3.7 5 600 V 88.5 86.5 88.5 86.5 88.5 86.5 86.5 84.0
5.5 7.5 600 V 89.5 87.5 90.2 88.5 90.2 88.5 86.5 84.0
7.5 10 600 V 90.2 88.5 90.2 88.5 90.2 88.5 89.5 87.5
11 15 600 V 91.0 89.5 91.7 90.2 91.0 89.5 89.5 87.5
15 20 600 V 91.0 89.5 91.7 90.2 91.0 89.5 90.2 88.5
19 25 600 V 91.7 90.2 93.0 91.7 92.4 91.0 90.2 88.5
22 30 600 V 91.7 90.2 93.0 91.7 92.4 91.0 91.7 90.2
30 40 600 V 92.4 91.0 93.6 92.4 93.6 92.4 91.7 90.2
37 50 600 V 93.0 91.7 93.6 92.4 93.6 92.4 92.4 91.0
45 60 600 V 93.6 92.4 94.1 93.0 94.1 93.0 92.4 91.0
55 75 600 V 93.6 92.4 94.5 93.6 94.1 93.0 93.6 92.4
75 100 600 V 94.1 93.0 95.0 94.1 94.5 93.6 93.6 92.4
95 125 600 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 94.5 93.6 94.1 93.0
110 150 600 V 95.0 94.1 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 94.1 93.0
150 200 600 V 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 94.5 93.6
600 V 95.4 94.5 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 94.5 93.6
190 250
2300\4000 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1
600 V 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 95.0 94.1 - -
220 300
2300/4000 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1
600 V 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 95.0 94.1 - -
260 350
2300/4000 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1
600 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 - - - -
300 400
2300/4000 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1
600 V 95.4 94.5 94.5 94.5 - - - -
340 450
2300/4000 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1
600 V 95.4 94.5 95.4 94.5 - - - -
370 500
2300/4000 V 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1 95.0 94.1
* Minimum efficiency based on 20% loss difference. Nominal efficiency values in this table, up to and including 150 kW
(200 hp), exceed the requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. For the definition of nominal and minimum efficiencies,
see Section 12.59.2 of NEMA MG 1-1998.

Space Heaters levels. Vibration measurements are recorded and supplied,

Manufacturers are now required to provide on the motor along with other required test information, with each individ-
nameplate the maximum surface temperature of the heater ual motor, and should assist users in setting up baseline
when operated at a rated voltage in a 40°C ambient. A note vibration data for new motors at plant sites.
was added in the standard to remind users to specify the
maximum heater surface temperature allowed for gas or The standard was modified to clarify that prototype tests
vapor involved. defined in the Annex are to be utilized for testing motor per-
formance and resistance to corrosion and humidity on new
or prototype motor designs.
Nameplate
The nameplate material is now required to be stainless steel Cost Benefits Analysis
consistent with manufacturers’ normal practice. Motor
weight, maximum space heater surface temperature and Cost data obtained from several motor manufacturers indi-
guaranteed minimum efficiency have been added to the cates that for TEFC motors up to 200 horsepower, the cost
nameplate. of a new motor complying with IEEE 841-1994 will be
approximately 10-12% higher than the cost of a new motor
of the same efficiency class that complies with the original
Tests standard RP841. Accurate cost data for motors in the range
Prior to the time of shipment, manufacturers are now of 250-500 horsepower is not available, since most manu-
required to take five unfiltered vibration readings (velocity) at factures have not designed a sufficient number of motors
no load using an elastic or rigid mount. Vibration measure- meeting the new standard in this size range. Users who
ments are made on the drive end (horizontal, vertical and elect to make the change from a standard efficiency motor
axial) and the opposite drive end (horizontal and vertical). meeting RP841 to an energy efficient motor complying with
Measured vibration levels must comply with specification IEEE-841-1994 may expect an increase in price of as much

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as 35%. The largest portion of the increase, approximately Conclusion
25%, is due to the change from a standard to an energy effi-
cient design. IEEE-841-1994 has made a number of significant improve-
ments to RP841 in order to enhance the reliability and main-
Data from one large industrial plant indicates that because tainability of severe duty motors used in the petrochemical
of the design improvements in IEEE-841 motors, the num- industry. The initial response to the new standard has been
ber of motor failures would be expected to decrease to positive, with inquiries coming from various other industries
approximately 50% of failure levels experienced with older such as automotive and pulp and paper.
designs of severe duty induction motors. If all motors in a
plant facility were replaced with the new design over a peri- References
od of time, this would translate into a doubling of the mean 1. ANSI/IEEE Std. 841-1986, IEEE recommended practice
time between failures for motors at the plant, and could for chemical industry severe duty squirrel-cage induction
result in a significant reduction in production losses attribut- motors-600 V and below. (Also 1994 and 2001)
able to motor failures.
2. A.W. Smith and P841 WG Members, "Introduction to
If the mean time between failure for a motor were to double, IEEE 841-1986, Recommended Practice for Chemical
say from 5 to 10 years, the minimum savings (not counting Industry Severe Duty Squirrel-Cage Induction Motors – 600
production loss savings) would be the avoided cost of V and Below," IEEE Transactions on Industry Applic., Vol. 2-
repairing the motor one time in 10 years. If the purchase No. 1, Jan/Feb 1988
price of a severe duty motor meeting IEEE-841-1986
(RP841) is "n" dollars, the incremental additional dollars to 3. Richard L. Doughty, "Introduction to IEEE Standard for
purchase a motor meeting the requirements of IEEE-841- Petroleum and Chemical Industry- Severe Duty Totally
1994 is equal to (0.1n). If the repair cost is equal to "r" per Enclosed Fan-Cooled (TEFC) Squirrel Cage Induction
unit of the new motor cost or (r)(n), then the calculated return Motors – up to and including 500 HP", 1995
on investment in percent for the purchase of the new IEEE-
841 motor is: 4. NEMA Standards Publication No. MG 1-1993, Revision
ROI = (savings per year x 100)/incremental investment No. 1, December 7, 1993, Motors and Generators
ROI = (r) (n) (1/10) (100)/ (0.1 n) 5. API Standard 541, Form-Wound Squirrel Cage
Induction Motors – 250 Horsepower and Larger, Second
ROI = 100 r Edition, November, 1987
If the minimum expected return on investment is 25%, then 6. IEEE Std. 841-1994, IEEE Standard for Petroleum and
the minimum repair cost at which it would be beneficial to Chemical Industry – Severe Duty Totally Enclosed Fan-
purchase a new IEEE 841 motor would be 25% of the new Cooled (TEFC) Squirrel Cage Induction Motors –up to and
motor cost "n". Typically, for motors in NEMA frame sizes, including 500 HP
the average repair cost exceeds 25% of the new motor
costs. The conclusion reached is that purchase of the IEEE- 7. IEEE Std. 522-1992, IEEE Guide for Testing Turn-to-
841 motor appears to be attractive from a business per- Turn Insulation on Form-Wound Stator Coils for Alternating
spective based on the assumptions made in this analysis. Current Rotating Electric Machines
Users who invest in new IEEE-841-1994 motors should also
remember that to insure continual benefit, motor mainte-
nance and repair standards should also reflect the minimum
requirements of the new standard. Users should contact
their local motor repair shop and discuss repair procedures
to insure that repaired motors also comply with applicable
sections of the new standards.

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