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Previous Page: 13-9. Insulation
Previous Page: 13-9. Insulation
not a standard option. It is also applied indoors in designations and enclosure types (taken from NEMA
some installations where pipe breaks may spray the MG-12.42) are summarized in Table 13-2. All of the
equipment. Use weather-protected Type II motors in temperatures in Table 13-2 are measured by resist-
outdoor applications subject to high wind and rain. ance in accordance with NEMA standards. If the
Only explosion-proof motors can be used in areas ambient temperature is higher than 400C, a derating
that are classified as Class 1, Division 1 hazardous equation is given in NEMA MG-I for the allowable
locations in Article 500 of the NEC. These motors are temperature rise (see the latest revision of NEMA
similar to the TEFC in cooling, but are much more MG-I). The insulation materials for the several
expensive than the TEFC motor. classes are:
Submersible motors are often used in water wells
and in many wastewater pumping stations. Most • Class A: Combinations of materials such as cotton,
models must be totally submerged to cool properly, silk, and paper impregnated or immersed in a di-
and because the motors are "ordinarily" submerged, electric liquid, no longer specified for pumping
a submersible rating is adequate. However, in the station applications and now encountered only in
event of a malfunction and subsequent overheating very old drivers.
combined with possible explosive gas accumulation • Class B: Combinations of materials such as mica,
in the manhole, an extreme hazard may be created. glass fiber, asbestos, and so on with bonding sub-
Some motors can be run intermittently or continu- stances.
ously in air. For additional discussion, see Section • Class F: Similar to Class B, but designed for a
13-2 and Chapter 25. higher operating temperature at the same thermal
life.
Immersible motors are TEFC motors in special
• Class H: Similar to Class F, except for the use of
housings that, unlike submersible motors, are designed
component materials (such as silicone elastomers)
to run in air. They can, however, be operated for at
rated for a higher operating temperature at the
least two weeks submerged 10 m (30 ft) under water.
same thermal life. Note that Class H insulation
In 2004, immersible motors from 11 to 1300 kW (15 to
may be unavailable, and its thickness causes design
1750 hp) were available [5]. Larger motors may be-
problems. In the southwest, idle motors in the open
come available. See Section 13-14 for a more complete
reach temperatures of 71°C (1600F) due to direct
description.
sunlight. Because motors with standard insulations
(Class A, B, or F) can burn out quickly, either (1)
protect motors from sunlight, (2) use water-cooled
13-9. Insulation
motors, (3) use Class F insulation and derate the
motors, or (4) best of all, use Class H insulation
Motor windings, by necessity, are closely packed into
regardless of its cost.
slots that are designed to accommodate them. The
methods used to maintain conductor-to-metal, con-
ductor-to-conductor, and phase-to-phase insulation Epoxy insulation was used in the past to permit an
vary greatly depending on the size and application inundated motor to be put into service almost imme-
of the motor. Pumping station designers and motor diately after the dry pit was dewatered. But epoxy is
specifiers are more concerned with the class of insu-
lation than with the details of packaging.
In addition to other considerations, the type of Table 13-2. Allowable Temperature Rise for Insula-
insulation that should be specified for a pump driver tion in Motorsa
motor depends on its suitability in a possibly moist
atmosphere, its ability to be dried readily in the event NEMA insulation letter
of a submersion, and the ambient temperature condi- designation
tions that will prevail in its location. Insulation is Motor enclosure A B F H
ordinarily classified by letter designations that infer
its ability to withstand continuous operation at a Totally enclosed, fan-cooled 60 80 105 125
defined total temperature (or some rise above a Totally enclosed, nonventilated 65 85 110 135
standard ambient temperature). The letter designa- Encapsulated with 1.0 SF 65 85 110
tion is also defined in terms of the types of materials All other motors, with 1.15 SF 70 90 115
used in the insulation system. All other motors 60 80 105 125
The allowable temperature rises above a 400C a
Degrees Celsius above 400C ambient from NEMA MG-I Table
ambient temperature for the various standard letter 12.42.1.4.
short-lived because of the cracks that develop. Use the most sensitive factor is the stator winding tempera-
Class F or H insulation and take the time to dry a ture. Because the allowable temperature of the con-
previously submerged motor properly. Alternatively, ductors is limited by the type of insulation used, the
use immersible motors. insulation system is the determining factor in the al-
Although thermal life is not quantifiable by aging lowable temperature rise. A motor with a service fac-
time alone, modern insulations (Class B, F, or H) can tor rating of 1.15 (standard for most motors for which
be expected to last 25 years at conservative tempera- an SF is available) must therefore be designed for the
tures unless they are subject to extreme vibration or nameplate load operation at an insulation tempera-
extreme thermal cycling. ture of somewhat less than the limiting value given in
Always select water or wastewater pump motors Table 13-2. The service factor stated on the motor
for long life. Furthermore, carefully control the tem- nameplate is based on a sinusoidal voltage source.
perature rise aspects of the insulation system by speci- For a motor used on a nonsinusoidal voltage source
fying the best of materials (within reason). Then take such as an inverter drive, the service factor must be
advantage of every means available to obtain an effi- derated (e.g., from 1.15 to 1.00).
cient motor with a low temperature rise at the specified If the motor is selected according to the advice
loading conditions. A practical and economical way of given in Section 13-9 and loaded only to 85% of the
buying a long-lasting motor is to specify Class B tem- service factor rating, the operating temperature of the
perature rise but require Class F or H insulation. insulation will probably be low enough to allow a
Along with the insulation specification, the motor long life for the windings.
(if available in the enclosure specified) should have an
applicable service factor (SF)—typically 1.15 for most
sizes. Also specify that the maximum pumping horse- Insulation and Service Factor
power load must not exceed 85% of the service factor
rating (about 98% of the nameplate rating). If the Insulation systems and service factor are very closely
motor type does not have a service factor rating avail- related. The maximum loading of the motor can be
able, then the maximum loading should not exceed easily controlled by the specifier and pump manu-
90% of the nameplate rating. This recommended max- facturer. However, it is not ordinarily in the best inter-
imum loading is not low enough to cause undue effi- ests of the owner to load motors too lightly under
ciency or power factor loss in a well-designed machine. maximum operating conditions because of the inher-
The overheating of insulation, whether due to over- ent decrease in motor efficiency and power factor. The
loading, insufficient ventilation, high ambient tem- major considerations that provide long insulation life
perature, or too-frequent starting, can contribute are those required to keep the temperature of the
rapidly to the shortening of insulation life. An old insulation below its maximum rated value.
rule of thumb is that insulation life is halved for every
100C increase above the rated value. The rule is not Ambient Conditions
precise and may not apply to present-day insulation,
but it is a good guideline when a decision must be made Do not place the motor in a closely confined space.
on whether to use a motor above its rating during an It needs "breathing room." If the motor must be in
emergency or to replace it immediately with an ad- an inherently dirty area, specify the proper motor
equately rated unit. Note that the rule applies to a enclosure for the conditions and describe in the
continuous load. It does not mean that an occasional O&M manual the advantage and necessity of fre-
overload of short duration will halve the life of the quent inspection for clogged air passages and accu-
insulation. Common sense dictates that conservative mulations of dirt and debris around the motor.
loading practices should be maintained in pumping
station operation and design. See the IEEE standards
for more information on insulation aging. Responsibility
Problem: Preliminary investigations for a wastewater lift station have led to the following
conditions:
• Flows: 800 gal/min minimum, 1600 gal/min design, 3600 gal/min maximum, and 4500 gal/
min future maximum
. Static lift: 25 ft at low wet well level, 20 ft at high wet well level
• Friction head losses at 4500 gal/min: 15.7 ft at Hazen-Williams C = 120 and 13.4 ft at C =
145 (including "minor" losses within the pumping station).
Four (three duty, one standby) 705-rev/min pumps were selected to meet the various
conditions of head discharge in the following tabulation. Each constant-speed pump is rated at
2100 gal/min for 30 ft TDH at 79% efficiency.
Low wet well (C= 120) High wet well (C= 145)
Pumps Flow rate, Flow rate, Minimum cycle
operating Head, ft gal/min Head, ft gal/min time, min
1 28.0 2300 24.0 2700 6.7
2 33.5 3500 31.0 4100 10
3 37.3 4100 35.3 4800 17
Select the drive motors and size the cables.
Solution: For public works, design for a generic product. Standardization in manufacturing
makes it easy to design and specify on the basis of NEC, NEMA, IEEE, and ANSI criteria.
Required power. From Equation 10-6b, the fluid horsepower is
But the efficiency of the pump is « 79%, so the output (shaft) motor horsepower must be
The motor power requirements for each of the conditions in this tabulation range from 16.4 to
20.8, so choose 25-hp motors, which can meet all conditions. Confirm selection against the
manufacturer's pump curves. Confirm that motor is nonoverloading throughout the entire
design flow range.
Required torque. Horsepower at full speed is not the only criterion. The motor must develop
enough torque at all speeds to exceed the resisting load by a comfortable margin; otherwise the
motor will never reach full speed or will stall. The equipment suppliers usually provide the
pump and the motor, so they will match the motor performance with the load characteristics of
the pump.
To compare the torques, plot the speed-torque curves of the pump and the motor on the
same graph, as in Figure 13-10. If motor torque everywhere exceeds pump torque by, say, 15%,
the motor can develop full speed quickly. Usually this step is not necessary if the pump
manufacturer is responsible for selecting the motor and has been provided a definitive set of
hydraulic conditions.
Motor selection. Speed is determined by load speed unless some form of speed reducer is
used. For certain custom motors, performance data are not published and must be obtained
directly from the motor manufacturer (e.g., full-load amps of a low-speed motor). To
determine whether a Code F motor is available as a standard unit (Code G may be standard),
consult motor manufacturers. The motor is to be mounted high above the floor, so an open,
drip-proof enclosure is satisfactory. Alternatively, a TEFC motor might be preferred for some
protection during washdown—certainly if the motor is mounted at floor level.
Starting. Obtain written approval from the electric utility for frequent line starting of one
motor at a time (assuming there are controls for automatic sequencing) and ascertain the
maximum motor horsepower they will permit for across-the-line starting. Consider the
following scenarios:
• Direct across-the-line starting
• A limited number of across-the-line starts per day
• Across-the-line starts not permitted, but reduced-voltage starting is allowed
• No across-the-line starts and only a limited number of reduced-voltage starts are allowed,
per day.
The last three scenarios may govern motors of 50 hp or more. If the final scenario applies,
consider adjustable-speed drives.
Load calculation. Assume the service available is 480 V, three-phase, and 60 Hz, and that
the length of service run is 100 ft. A Code F motor has an inrush value in the range of 5.0 to
5.59 kVA/hp from NEC Table 430.7(B).
First, size the feeder cable for current. Assume (1)5 kVA for miscellaneous (balanced three-
phase) loads, and (2) three 25-hp duty motors. For the 5-kVA load, the current is calculated
from Equation 8-6. Assume the power factor is 1.0.
(8-6)
Motor full-load current (FLA) for 3600- and 1800-rpm, single-speed motors is selected
based on NEC Table 430.150. In this instance the motor rpm = 720 rpm (synchr onous) and
therefore nameplate current may be used. As this is design, there is no nameplate to read. The
motor manufacturer will need to be contacted to obtain full-load amps at this speed. Assume
FLA = 39.0 A at 720 rpm.
Speed, rev/min
8-in. pump
17-in. impeller 25-hp motor
Accelerating torque
Torque, ft-lb
Figure 13-10. Torque curves of the motor and pump in Example 13-1.
At this point it is appropriate to note that choice of a 720-rpm motor may not be the most cost-
effective. Note that 720-rpm motors are considered custom and, compared to an equivalent 1800-
rpm motor, cost four times as much, are larger, are less efficient, and have a poorer power factor.
Another disadvantage of the custom motor is the long lead (purchase to delivery) time.
From the principles given in Chapter 9, the total branch circuit load is:
Miscellaneous: 6.3 A
Motor No. 1:
Motor No. 2:
Motor No. 3:
Motor No. 4 (standby):
25% of the largest motor:
Total:
The feeder would be designed for 150 A (next size circuit breaker, see NEC 240.6) at full load if
no expansion were contemplated, but a future expansion of 25% would increase the amperage to
133 A x 1.25 = 166 A, so select a cable to carry 175 A (next size circuit breaker, see NEC 240.6).
Inrush persists for such a short interval that it is ignored in the load calculations. However,
inrush does produce voltage drop and cannot always be ignored. Conservative engineers may
limit the voltage drop at the motor terminals to 12 or 15% on starting, which provides a good,
solid electrical system throughout. The drop is approximately 4% in this example.
The motor branch circuit cable would be designed for a motor FLA = 39 A plus an
overload of 25% (i.e., minimum cable ampacity = 39 A x 1.25 = 48.8 A).
Second, size the cables. From NEC Table 310.16, choose THHW-, XHHW-, or RHW-
rated copper cable (75°C rating). From the "Copper/75°C" column, a 175-A load requires
three #2/0 AWG conductors (one per phase) for the feeder cable, and a 48.8-A load requires
three #8 AWG conductors for the motor branch circuit. Grounding conductors are selected
from NEC Table 250.122. From the "Copper" column, the 175-A circuit requires an
accompanying #6 AWG conductor and the 48.8-A circuit requires a #10 AWG conductor.
Third, check for voltage drop. Find the voltage drop from Equation 13-1 (a close
approximation):
(13-1)
where A FL is the line-to-line voltage drop, / L is line current in amperes, R is resistance in ohms
per 1000 ft, cos 6 is the power factor, X is inductive reactance in ohms per 1000 ft, and L is
length in 1000-ft units. If the power factor is 80%, cos 6 is 0.80 and sin 0 is 0.60. From Table 9
in Chapter 9 of NEC, R at 75°C is 0.100/1000 ft and X is 11/1000 ft for 2/0 AWG in steel
conduit. Either 133 or 150 amp can be correctly substituted for /, but at the ultimate load of
175 A
Dual shaft lip seals with pressurized grease Repeller (Hydroseal™) functions like an
system to prevent water entry on drive end. impeller. Creates vacuum if water is present.
Figure 13-11. lmmersible vertical pump motor. Courtesy of Cornell Pump Company.