Motor Protection: Types, Faults and Devices

What Are The Small And Large Motor Protection Scheme

A motor protection system is a set of devices and methods that protect an electric motor from various faults and damages. An electric motor is a crucial component of many industrial and domestic applications, ranging from small appliances to large machines. Therefore, it is important to ensure the proper functioning and safety of the motor and its circuit.

In this article, we will discuss the types of motor faults, the types of motor protection devices, and how to select them according to the National Electrical Code (NEC) and the motor characteristics.

What is a Motor Fault?

A motor fault is a condition that causes the motor to operate abnormally or fail. Motor faults can be classified into two main categories:

External faults: These are faults that originate from the power supply network or the load connected to the motor. Some examples of external faults are:

Unbalanced supply voltages: This occurs when the three-phase voltages are not equal in magnitude or phase angle. This can cause negative sequence currents in the motor, which produce additional losses, heating, and torque pulsations.
Under-voltage: This occurs when the supply voltage drops below the rated value of the motor. This can cause reduced torque, increased current, and overheating of the motor.
Reverse-phase sequence: This occurs when the order of the supply phases is reversed. This can cause reverse rotation of the motor, which can damage the load or the motor itself.
Loss of synchronism: This occurs when a synchronous motor loses its magnetic lock with the supply frequency. This can cause excessive slip, hunting, and instability of the motor.

Internal faults: These are faults that originate from the motor or the driven plant. Some examples of internal faults are:

Bearing failure: This occurs when the bearings that support the motor shaft wear out or seize due to friction, lubrication problems, or mechanical stress. This can cause noise, vibration, shaft misalignment, and stalling of the motor.
Overheating: This occurs when the temperature of the motor exceeds its thermal limit due to overloading, insufficient cooling, ambient conditions, or insulation breakdown. This can cause deterioration of the insulation, winding damage, and reduced efficiency of the motor.
Winding failure: This occurs when the windings of the motor are short-circuited or open-circuit due to insulation breakdown, mechanical stress, or external faults. This can cause sparks, smoke, fire, and loss of torque in the motor.
Earth fault: This occurs when a phase conductor of the motor comes in contact with a grounded part of the circuit or equipment. This can cause high fault currents, damage to the insulation and equipment, and potential shock hazards.

Motor faults can have serious consequences for the performance, safety, and lifespan of the motor and its circuit. Therefore, it is essential to detect and protect against them using appropriate devices and methods.

What is a Motor Protection Device?

A motor protection device is a device that monitors and controls one or more parameters of the motor or its circuit, such as current, voltage, temperature, speed or torque. The purpose of a motor protection device is to prevent or minimize damage to the motor and its circuit in case of a fault or abnormal condition.

There are different types of motor protection devices depending on their function, principle, and application. Some common types are:

Fuses: These are devices that interrupt the circuit when a high current flows through them due to a short circuit or overload. They consist of a metal strip or wire that melts when heated by the fault current. Fuses are simple, cheap, and reliable devices that provide fast protection against short-circuits. However, they have some disadvantages, such as:

They are not reusable and need to be replaced after each operation.
They do not provide protection against overloads or under-voltages.
They do not provide indication or isolation of the fault location.

Circuit breakers: These are devices that interrupt the circuit when a high current flows through them due to a short circuit or overload. They consist of a pair of contacts that open or close by an electromechanical mechanism triggered by a sensing element. Circuit breakers are more advanced than fuses as they provide the following:

Reusability and resetability after each operation.
Protection against overloads and under-voltages by adjusting their trip settings.
Indication and isolation of the fault location by manual or automatic operation.

Overload relays: These are devices that interrupt the circuit when a high current flows through them due to an overload. They consist of a sensing element that measures the current and a contact that opens or closes by an electromechanical or electronic mechanism. Overload relays are designed to protect motors from overheating and insulation damage due to prolonged overloads or unbalanced voltages. There are two main types of overload relays:

Faster response and better protection against short-circuit currents or ground faults.
Immunity to ambient temperature and no need for adjustment.
Higher accuracy and repeatability due to digital processing.
Additional features such as phase loss detection, reverse rotation detection, communication, and diagnostics.
They are slow to respond and may not protect against short-circuit currents or ground faults.
They are affected by ambient temperature and may need to be adjusted accordingly.
They have limited accuracy and repeatability due to mechanical wear and tear.
Thermal overload relays: These are devices that use a bimetallic strip or a heating element to sense the temperature rise of the motor current. When the current exceeds the preset value, the thermal element bends or melts, causing the contact to open or close. Thermal overload relays are simple, cheap, and reliable devices that provide inverse time protection, meaning they trip faster for higher overloads. However, they have some disadvantages, such as:
Electronic or digital overload relays: These are devices that use a current transformer or a shunt resistor to measure the motor current and a microprocessor or a solid-state circuit to control the contact. When the current exceeds the preset value, the electronic element sends a signal to open or close the contact. Electronic or digital overload relays are more advanced than thermal overload relays as they provide:

Differential protection relays: These are devices that compare the currents at the input and output terminals of the motor or its winding. When the difference between the currents exceeds a certain value, indicating a winding fault, the relay trips the circuit. Differential protection relays are very sensitive and reliable devices that provide fast protection against phase-to-phase and phase-to-earth faults in low-voltage and high-voltage motors.
Reverse rotation protection relays: These are devices that detect the direction of rotation of the motor and prevent it from running in reverse. Reverse rotation can damage the motor or the load, especially in applications such as conveyor belts, pumps, or fans. Reverse rotation protection relays can use different methods to sense the rotation direction, such as:

Phase sequence detection: This method uses a voltage relay or a wattmeter relay to measure the phase sequence of the supply voltage. If the phase sequence is reversed, indicating reverse rotation, the relay trips the circuit.
Negative sequence detection: This method uses a current relay or a power relay to measure the negative sequence component of the motor current. If the negative sequence component is high, indicating reverse rotation, the relay trips the circuit.
Speed detection: This method uses a speed sensor or a tachometer to measure the speed of the motor shaft. If the speed is negative, indicating reverse rotation, the relay trips the circuit.

How to Select Motor Protection Devices?

The selection of motor protection devices depends on several factors, such as:

The type and size of the motor
The characteristics and ratings of the motor
The type and severity of possible faults
The requirements of the NEC and other standards
The cost and availability of the devices

The NEC Article 430 provides general rules and guidelines for selecting motor protection devices based on these factors. However, it is also important to consult with the manufacturer’s recommendations and specifications for each motor and device.

Some general steps for selecting motor protection devices are:

Determine the full-load current (FLC) of the motor from its nameplate or from NEC Table 430.250 for AC motors or Table 430.251(B) for DC motors.
Select an overload protection device that can handle at least 115% of the FLC for motors with a service factor of 1.15 or higher or with a temperature rise of 40°C or less; or 125% of the FLC for other motors. The overload protection device can be a thermal overload relay, an electronic or digital overload relay, or a differential protection relay, depending on the type and size of the motor.
Select a short-circuit and ground-fault protection device that can handle at least 150% of the FLC for motors with a service factor of 1.15 or higher or with a temperature rise of 40°C or less; or 175% of the FLC for other motors. The short-circuit and ground-fault protection device can be a fuse or a circuit breaker, depending on the type and size of the motor.
Select a reverse rotation protection device if the motor or the load cannot tolerate reverse rotation. The reverse rotation protection device can be a phase sequence detection relay, a negative sequence detection relay, or a speed detection relay, depending on the type and size of the motor.
Select the conductor sizes for the motor circuit according to NEC Table 310.15(B)(16) for general wiring and NEC Table 430.250 for motor branch circuits. The conductors should have an ampacity not less than 125% of the FLC for motors with a service factor of 1.15 or higher or with a temperature rise of 40°C or less; or 115% of the FLC for other motors.
Select the appropriate devices and methods for motor control, starting, stopping, speed regulation, and communication according to the type and application of the motor.

Conclusion

Motor protection is a vital aspect of electrical engineering that ensures the safety and efficiency of electric motors and their circuits. Motor protection devices are selected based on the type and size of the motor, the type and severity of possible faults, the requirements of the NEC and other standards, and the cost and availability of the devices. Motor protection devices include fuses, circuit breakers, overload relays, differential protection relays, and reverse rotation protection relays. Motor protection devices monitor and control parameters such as current, voltage, temperature, speed, and torque to prevent or minimize damage to the motor and its circuit in case of a fault or abnormal condition.

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