When it comes to motors, how hot is hot?

Temperatures that are too high affect machine

performance and lifespan.
Plant Engineering Magazine
Jim Bryan
09/10/2013
https://m.plantengineering.com/index.php?id=9539&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=97015&cHash=f0db2fc5a645899e769740fa
1ff7aed9

It's not uncommon for a maintenance technician to call a service center about a repaired motor thats now running
hot. When asked how hot, the reply frequently is: Well, I cant hold my hand on it! Think about that answer for a
minute. The typical human can tolerate touching something thats about 60 to 65 C (140 to 150 F), depending on
calluses, threshold of pain, or how many people are watching. Now keep those numbers in mind as you read the
following discussion of typical motor operating temperatures.

NEMA Standards MG 1-2011, 12.43 defines temperature rise for motors in a maximum ambient of 40 C. Two
points are noteworthy here:

First, in keeping with the NEMA standard, temperature is given here in Celsius; Fahrenheit equivalents
are provided only where appropriate.

Second, ambient temperature refers to the temperature of surrounding air. Some people confuse this with
the expected temperature rise of the motor, which it is not.

The Class F (155 C) temperature rating is popular these days, so its a good one to discuss. With Class F
insulation, the maximum allowable temperature rise ranges from 105 to 115 C for the motors winding insulation,
depending on how the motor is configured. For example, if the motor that was reported to be running hot has a
1.15 service factor, its maximum temperature rise would be 115 C plus the 40 C ambient. The winding embedded
in the slot is almost always the hottest part, so the winding temperature for this motor could reach 155 C.

Motor construction
The surface that our maintenance technician tried to touch will be somewhat cooler than the winding temperature,
depending on the motor construction. On a large cast iron, totally enclosed, fan cooled (IP 54) motor, for instance,
the surface may be 20 to 25 C cooler than the winding hot spot, but only 10 to 15 C cooler on a rolled steel frame
motor, where the surface is much closer to the winding. Temperature differentials are often much greateras
much as 60 Cfor open drip-proof motors (IP 12) and Weather-Protected I (WP I) or Weather-Protected II (WP
II) enclosures. Differences in flat rolled steel and ribbed cast iron frame surfaces also affect the amount of heat
our technician would feel.

Of course, motors are not designed to run at the maximum allowable temperature, because that would drastically
decrease motor life. In fact, every 10 C rise in operating temperature reduces insulation life by half. Therefore the
ultimate design is one that optimizes motor life and function, while keeping the cost of production, maintenance
and efficient operation as low as possible.

As an example, suppose that a motor with a 65 C rise (very conservative by most standards) is put in service on
a hot summer day. If the ambient temperature is 35 C (95 F), the winding total temperature would be: 65 + 35 =
100 C. If motor is so constructed that its surface is about 20 C cooler than the winding, the surface temperature
would be: 100 20 = 80 C (176 F)i.e., much too hot to touch safely! Remember that this is a conservative
design, so the surface temperatures of many motors will be much warmer.

Thermally protected motors

At first glance, the maximum motor temperature rise limits given in NEMA Stds. MG 1, 12.43 appear to contradict
those given for the same insulation classes in NEMA Stds. MG 1, 12.56 and Table 12-8. Actually, the maximum
temperatures shown in Figure 3 apply only to thermally protected motors.

The words Thermally Protected on a motor nameplate indicate that a thermal protection device is an integral part
of the machine and, when properly applied, will protect it from dangerous overheating. In other words, thermally
protected motors are an exception to the rule. If the motor has this added, special layer of protection, the higher
temperatures may be allowed. Based on our earlier example, you can see how these higher winding temperatures
would impact the surface temperature of the motor.

Thermal protection and the correspondingly higher temperature limits are generally reserved for smaller motors.
Even then, however, motor manufacturers will not design a motor to run at the maximum temperature allowed
unless application considerations make it necessary.
Special cases

Some applications require that a motor be housed in an enclosure for noise abatement or other reasons. In such
cases, special care should be taken to control the ambient temperature inside the enclosure where the motor is
located. Cooling is usually adequate if the auxiliary cooling supplies the same volume of air as the motors integral
fan.

If the driven equipment generates heat (e.g., a compressor) and is contained in the motor enclosure, it can
contribute to the temperature rise of the motor. One example that comes to mind (details vague to protect the
innocent) involved more than 100 compressors, each of which was housed in an enclosure with its drive motor
and equipped with a radiator to cool the gas as it was compressed and liquified. Unfortunately, air for cooling was
drawn through the radiator and then exhausted by a fan on the drive motor. With this arrangement, ambient
temperatures in the enclosures reached 70 C, thermally stressing the motor winding insulation to its limit.
Overheated lubricant also evacuated bearing housings, causing numerous bearing failures.

Temperature control is an important factor in successful motor operation. Care must be taken in the design,
application and maintenance of these machines to optimize their performance and life. Having said all that, it is
unsafe to place your hand on a motor to see if it is too hot; get a thermometer instead.

Jim Bryan a technical support specialist at the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA).