IIEE Foundation

Center for Training, Education and Research

2003 July 7-11, IIEE Training Center, 4/F IIEE Bldg. Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines

Module #4
Circuit Protection

1
 Overview

• Common causes of motor failure

• IEC Standard Definition
• Motor protection solutions
– Extending motor life
• Smart Motor Protection
• Coordinating short circuit & overload protection (optional)

2
 Motor and Machine Requirements

• Optimize production
– Avoid failures
– Minimize
downtime

• Minimize repair costs

– Motors
– Mechanical Parts
2 / Moprot_e.ppt / Feb. 1998 / P. Wildi

3
 What causes a motor to fail ?

High Ambient
Temperature
Rotor Damage 9% Overload
5% Condition
30%
Bearing Damage
13%

Ageing
10%
Single Phasing
14%
Moiture & Dust
19%
3 / Moprot_e.ppt / Feb. 1998 / P. Wildi

4
 Fewer Costly Motor Replacements

Squirrel cage induction motor

• Rotor (rotating part)
• Stator (stationary part)
• Fan
• Windings
Stator Rotor

Cost of Downtime vs.. Dollars

Downtime

Time

5
 What causes a motor to fail ?

• Heat

• Aging

• Humidity and dirt

• Mechanical
breakdown ,
vibration
3 / Moprot_e.ppt / Feb. 1998 / P. Wildi

6
Sources of Heat in Motors

• Windings
(impedance)

• Bearings (friction)

7
Heat from Windings

• Directly proportional to
load

• Windings represent
resistance

• As current increases
heat doubles as the
square of the current

8
Excessive Load

• Heat is directly correlated

to load

• Loading is a function of
– voltage
– load being driven

• Brown outs / low voltage

condition

9
High Inertia Load

• The motor takes an

abnormally long time to
accelerate.

10
High Ambient Temperature

• The ambient temperature

is high which make heat
inside the motor above
normal temperature.

• The motor may not be

able to use with big load
or long accelerating
starting time.

11
Locked Rotor Damage

Windings damaged
by excessive locked
rotor current

Note: Locked Rotor currents

can range from 6 to 10 times
the motor full load current

12
 Voltage Considerations

• Overvoltage (surges)

• Undervoltage

• Voltage unbalance

13
 Overvoltage

• Overvoltage causes insulation to breakdown

prematurely

• When insulation breaks down…

– short circuits can occur

– the potential for ground faults exists

14
Overvoltage Damage

Damage caused by
voltage surges

15
 Undervoltage

• Undervoltage causes the motor to work harder –

– As voltage decreases current increases

16
Overcurrent Damage

Damage caused by
excessive current

17
 Voltage Unbalance

5% 25%

5% Voltage Unbalance 25% Heat Increase

Result is damage to windings due to increased current

in corresponding unbalanced leg

18
Result of Unbalanced Voltage

Motor winding damaged as

result of unbalanced
voltage

19
Phase Loss

• Caused by blown fuse

or open circuit

• Leading cause of motor

failure

• Current increases in
remaining “phase”

20
 Effect on Current

1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
% Full
1 Normal
Load
0.8
Current Phase Loss
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Phase A Phase B Phase C

Graph showing effect on full load current upon phase loss

21
Effect on Motor

Motor winding damage

due to phase loss

22
 Other Contributing Factors

• Dirt ,contamination and moisture

• Poor ventilation

• Condensation

• Misapplication

23
Moisture and Contamination

• Moisture can get into the

motor due to condensation
and leakage.

• Causing premature failure

of insulation and bearing.

• Overload relay can not

protect this problem.

24
Poor Ventilation

• The motor can not get

cool air to take away
heat.

• Overload relay can not

detect this problem.

25
 How to Extend Motor Life

• Detect and protect before damage occurs

• Model motor current and trip before motor winding

temperature exceeds rating

• Use protection that best fits your needs

26
 Protection methods

A
Monitoring motor current
– Modeling motor temperature rise

Monitoring winding temperature

– Temperature sensors
– Temperature relays

4 / Moprot_e.ppt / Feb. 1998 / P. Wildi

27
• Overload relay:
– designation and current settings
– rated frequency, when necessary
– time-current characteristics, when necessary;
– trip class
– time, in seconds,
– number of poles;
– nature of the relay: thermal, magnetic or solid state.

28
Basic Overload Protection

• Overcurrent protection
when motor is drawing too
much current over a
specific period of time.
• Then overload device cuts
power to the motor
• Based on thermal model
of motor
• Phase loss/sensitivity

30
Basic Overload Protection

• Normal state aux.switch of

O/L is normally closed.

• When O/L detect overload

condition, aux. sw will
change state to be opened.

• Then there is no supply to

the motor.

31
Basic Overload Protection

• When we start motor

by DOL, inrush current
is 6-8 time of full load
current.
• Overload relay need
to have a time delay at
start up period to
protect nuisance
tripping.

32
 Overload Relay Solutions

Bimetal

Bimetallic O/L Eutectic Alloy

Solid-state

33
Traditional Thermal Overload Relay

• Let current run through

heater element to generate
the heat.

• If current is exceed setting

value, heater element will
create mechanical move to
trip it out

34
Eutectic Alloy

• Heat causes eutectic alloy to

change from solid to liquid

• Non-adjustable (discrete heater

elements)

• Phase loss response

proportional to current

35
Heater Element

• A heater elements is consisting of

– a heater coil
– a tube with a eutectic alloy
– a ratchet wheel

36
Eutectic Operation

• The excessive current will make

eutectic alloy heats up and melts.

• Then ratchet wheel can be spin freely

and open the overload relay ‘s
contact.

37
 Eutectic Operation

EUTECTIC ALLOY
POWER
POWER HEATER CIRCUIT
CIRCUIT

RATCHET PAWL

PIVOT TO
STARTER
TO COIL
STARTER
COIL
CONTACT CONTROL
ACTUATOR CIRCUIT
CONTROL
CIRCUIT
Reset Position Tripped Position

38
Eutectic Alloy Overload Relay

39
 Heater Element Selection

Class 10 : Type J
Class 20 : Type W
Class 20 : Type WL

For Type J and W Heater Elements, the rating of the

relay in amperes at +40C (+104F) is 115%of the “Full
Load Amperes”
For Type WL Heater Elements, the rating is 120% of the
“Full Load Amperes”

40
Bimetal Operation

• Heat causes bimetal

to deflect

• Adjustment range 1.5:1

• Phase loss sensitivity required

• 15% setting accuracy

• Manual/automatic reset

41
Bimetal Operation

• The current will go to heater element

which is a bimetallic strip.
• A bimetallic strip is made of
dissimilar metals.
• When there is overload, a bimetallic
strip will expand at different rates.
• Resulting in a deflection or
mechanical motion.

42
 Bimetal Mechanism

Normal State Overload Condition

43
Phase Loss Differential Mechanism

Balanced Overload Unbalanced Overload

44
Bimetallic Overload Relay

• Once the trip is occurred,

the relay can be reset by
pressing the reset button.

• Automatic reset is available

also.

45
IEC Bimetallic Overload Relay

• Ambient temperature
compensated
• Isolated alarm contact

• Single phase sensitive

• Visible trip indication

• Manual/automatic reset

46
 Applying Traditional OLRs

Bimetal Eutectic alloy

• Normal application • Normal application

(Overcurrent protection) (Overcurrent protection)
• Limited phase loss • Limited phase loss
protection protection
• Ambient temperature • Inherent adjustment
compensation security
• Manual/automatic reset • Manual reset only

47
Advance Solid State Overload Relay

• New technology of
overload relay

• Using electronic circuit to

sense the current

48
Solid-state Overload Relay

Similarities

• “Thermal
protection”

• Phase loss
protection

49
 Solid-state Overload Relays

• ASIC (Application
Specific Integrated
Circuit) Provides:

– Low energy
consumption
– Logic for advance
motor protection
– Thermal memory

50
 Solid-state Overload Relays

• ASIC (Application
Specific Integrated
Circuit) Provides:

– Low energy
consumption
– Logic for advance
motor protection
– Thermal memory

51
 Principles of Operation (I)

Block Diagram

Current Transformer Output Contacts

Current Transformer ASIC/ Logic

Current Transformer

Power Supply

52
Solid State Overload Relay
Vs
Bi-Metal Overload Relay

53
Solid-state Overload Relay

• NEMA or IEC
• Self powered
• Adjustment range 3.2:1
• Phase loss protection
• Low energy
consumption
• Ground fault protection
• Jam/stall protection

54
 Phase Lost Protection
• Phase Loss Protection:
– Caused by blown fuse or open circuit
– Leading electrical cause of motor failure
– Current increases in remaining “phase”
• Traditional Overload Relays may take 40 Seconds or more to trip
• MCS-E1 Overload Relays will trip within 2..3 Seconds on a fully loaded motor
• Protects Motor From Damage Caused by Overheating of Motor Windings

30 2..3 Sec.

20 Class 20

10 Class 15
40 Sec.
Class 10

Phase Loss Trip Times

100 600 Traditional Bimetal Overload Relays
% Current
Solid-state Overload Relays
55
 Low Energy Consumption

• Traditional Bimetal Overload

Relays Consume 6 Watts of
Power 6 Watts

• Solid State Overload Relays

Consume Only 150 mW of Power

• Cooler Control Panels

150 mW
• Reduces the need for
external cooling Power Consumption
Traditional Bimetal Overload Relays
Solid-state Overload Relays

56
Thank for Today

57