Repair Best Practices to

Maintain Motor Efficiency

Presenter: Tom Bishop, PE, Senior Technical Support
Specialist, Electrical Apparatus Service Association
(EASA)
Sponsored by:
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 Abstract & Learning Objectives
Motor efficiency is the goal of every plant manager, but too often the motor’s
operation is the only factor considered. Motor reliability is a function not just of
its operational state, but how the motor is monitored and maintained. Join Plant
Engineering as we explore the relationship between motor maintenance and
motor efficiency.

Among the issues the webcast will cover are:

• An explanation of how repair processes affect motor efficiency and reliability

• Descriptions of the best repair practices to maintain or improve efficiency
• An overview of the EASA Accreditation Program for service centers to prove
compliance with good practice repairs via third-party auditing.
Now a word from our sponsor
Speakers:
Presenter: Tom Bishop, PE, Senior
Technical Support Specialist, Electrical
Apparatus Service Association (EASA)

Moderator: Bob Vavra,

Content Manager,
Plant Engineering, CFE Media
Introduction
• Explanation of how repair processes affect
motor efficiency and reliability
• Descriptions of the best repair practices to
maintain or improve efficiency
• Overview of the EASA Accreditation
Program for service centers
– To prove compliance with good practice
repairs via third-party auditing
Energy losses in motors
• Efficiency = Output / Input
Output = Input – Losses
• Five types of losses in motors
– Core losses in
stator and rotor
– Stator I2R
– Rotor I2R
– Friction & windage
– Stray load
Energy losses in motors
Core losses
• Can be increased by:
– Lamination distortion
• Spreading (splaying) teeth
• Excessive grinding or filing
– Damage to interlaminar
insulation
• Burnout at too high a
temperature
Stator I2R loss
• Copper loss in a winding
– I2R = (phase amps)2 x (phase resistance) x 3
• Reduce loss by:
– Increasing wire cross-sectional area
• Stator I2R usually largest component of losses
– Reducing mean (average) length of turn
(MLT)
Rotor I2R loss
• (Current)2 x resistance
– For bars and end rings
– Rotor circuit more complex than
stator
• Rotor resistance can change:
– If cross-sectional area of bars
or end rings change
– If material conductivity of bars
or end rings change
• Rotors repairs are rarely
performed
Friction & windage losses
• Friction:
– Bearings (e.g., sealed vs
open)
– Bearing fits (e.g., too tight)
– Overgreasing
• Windage
– Fans (e.g., oversize
replacement)
– Air passage blockage
Stray load losses
• Major source: high
frequency harmonic fluxes
– Occur near air gap
– Due to stator and rotor
teeth interaction
• Can be increased due to:
– Smeared laminations
– Uneven air gap
Reasons for using best practices
• If efficiency is reduced
– Heating increases
– Motor life and reliability decrease
• If repairs follow best practices
– Original efficiency and reliability maintained
– Possible opportunity to increase efficiency
and reliability
Stator & rotor core condition
• Damaged or overheated
cores
– Stator rotor rub
• Bearing failure
• Excessive radial load
– Overheating
• Discoloration of core
• Increased core losses
– Major damage to stator
core may be unrepairable
Winding condition
• Evaluate overheating
patterns
– Overheated both ends
• Ventilation issue
• Overload
• Over- or under-voltage
– Not all coils overheated
• Shorted/grounded coil(s)
• Single phasing
• Unbalanced voltage
Mechanical damage
• Affects performance and
reliability
• Check for evidence of
damage to:
– Fan or fan cover
– Cooling paths
(air-ducts/channels/ribs)
– Shaft
Verify winding data
• Compare to OEM data or EASA database
• Check magnetic flux and current densities
Core loss testing
• Perform before and
after winding removal
– Watts loss
– Temperature rise
• Repair or replace
defective core
Winding removal
• Critical issue: burnout oven
temperature
– Inorganic coreplate can
withstand higher
temperatures than organic
• Oven controls
– Should have water
suppression system
– Temperature sensing probe
on stator core
Rewinding
• Two options
– Copy winding, if original or exact equivalent
– Change style (e.g., concentric to lap)
• To provide same or better performance
• Maintain efficiency and reliability
– Duplicate original winding
– Minimize end turn length (within limits)
– Equal or increase wire cross-section
Winding type
• Concentric vs lap
Mean length of turn (MLT)
• Coil extensions less
than or equal to original
– To reduce resistance
and I2R losses
• Potential drawbacks:
– Could make coil
insertion more difficult
– Could reduce cooling if
taken too far
Increasing wire size
• Usually possible to increase wire cross-
section versus original
– Reduce current density = reduce I2R losses
• Current density = amperes/wire area

Wire Size: AWG 17 Wire Size: AWG 16

Bare Diameter = .0453 Bare Diameter = .0508

Circular mil area = 2050 Circular mil area = 2580
Shaft
• Bearing seats (journals)
– Fit too tight increases
bearing heating
– Fit too loose can cause
bearing to spin
Bearings
• Replacement bearings
equivalent to original
– C3 fit for most ball bearings
– Contact seals increase
friction
• Incorrect bearings or
installation
– Increased friction losses
– Rapid failure due to damage
Lubrication
• Overgreasing increases friction
– Also reduces bearing life (reliability)
– May measurably reduce efficiency
Fans & fan covers
• Some windage loss is
necessary
– Needed for cooling
– Windage loss vs heating
loss
• Incorrect fan or fan position
– Reduces cooling airflow
No-load run testing
• Check exact speed
– Compare to nameplate
rating
• Measure no load current
– Compare to full load
rating
• Measure vibration
– Compare to ANSI/EASA
AR100 limits
EASA Accreditation Program
• International accreditation program for
electrical apparatus service centers
– Based on electric motor repair good practices
• ANSI/EASA AR100 Recommended Practice for the
Repair of Rotating Electrical Apparatus
• Good Practice Guide of 2003 study, The Effect of
Repair/Rewinding on Motor Efficiency
– Membership in EASA is not a prerequisite for
participation in program
www.easa.com/accreditation
Accreditation program overview
• Evaluate service centers for evidence of
compliance
– Assure use of prescribed good practices to
maintain motor efficiency and reliability
• Applies to 3-phase squirrel-cage motors
– Electrical repairs
– Mechanical repairs
– Includes calibration
Accreditation program overview
• Conformance to program verified by objective
third-party audits
– External audits supplemented by internal audits
– Checklist with 75 criteria to assess conformity
• Number of accredited service centers: 117
• Conforming repairs are labeled by service center
 Questions?

Presenter: Tom Bishop, P.E.

Senior Technical Support Specialist
Electrical Apparatus Service Association
www.easa.com
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Archive:
▪ Within 7 days, an archive with Q&A will be posted
▪ We will send an email to registered attendees with hyperlink
▪ Can also access from the plantengineering.com home page
Speakers:
Presenter: Tom Bishop, PE, Senior
Technical Support Specialist, Electrical
Apparatus Service Association (EASA)

Moderator: Bob Vavra,

Content Manager,
Plant Engineering, CFE Media
 Repair Best Practices to
Maintain Motor Efficiency
Presenter: Tom Bishop, PE, Senior Technical Support
Specialist, Electrical Apparatus Service Association
(EASA)
Sponsored by: