What is a

Motor Starters??
When the stator windings of an induction
motor are connected directly to its 3-phase supply, a
very large current (5-8 times full load current) flows
initially.
This lage current reduces as the motor
accelerates up to its running speed.
nduction motors can !e "irect-on #ine ("$#)
started in this way.
The starting current will not cause damage to
the motor unless the motor is repeatedly started and
stopped in a short space of time.
This is called %fast cycling&. When very large
motors are started direct-on-line they cause a
distur!ance of voltage (voltage dip) on the supply lines
due to the large starting current surge.
This voltage distur!ance may result in the
malfunction of other electrical e'uipment connected to
the supply.
To limit the starting current some large
induction motors are started at reduced voltage and
then have the full supply voltage reconnected when they
have run up to near rated speed.
"irect-on-line starting is the method most
commonly used, the most usual consideration !eing
whether the generator and the distri!ution system can
withstand the starting current without e(cessive voltage
dips.
n the case of loads involving considera!le
inertia, such as centrifugal oil separators, the starting
time may also !e a factor. n case of dou!t, the motor
manufacturer should !e consulted.
The starting current as we have already seen
may !e five to eight times the full load current, and the
heating of the windings is proportional to the s'uare of
the current.
)t starting it will therefore !e *5-+, times
normal.
-urthermore, at the instant of start there is no
windage and no radiation. Therefore a very long starting
period may result in overheating.
-or these reasons it is also undesira!le to
ma.e repeated successive starts without intervening
periods for cooling.
The contactor coil is connected in series with a
start !utton, stop !utton and overload trip contacts.
This is called the control circuit and is
energised from two lines of the 3-phase supply / usually
via a step-down transformer.
When the start !utton is pressed the control
supply is connected to the contactor coil.
The contactor closes and then starts the
motor. When the start !utton is released its contacts
spring open.
)n au(iliary contact on the contactor .eeps
the contactor coil energised after the start !utton is
released.
0ressing the stop !utton !rea.s the control circuit to
the contactor coil1 the contactor trips and the motor
stops.
f the motor ta.es too much current !ecause it
is mechanically overloaded or stalled, the overload coils
will either magnetically or thermally open the overload
trip contacts which will stop the motor and prevent
overheating.
2ote, the correct term is %overcurrent& rather
than the commonly used %overload&.
3educed voltage starting is used for large motors
driving loads li.e cargo pumps and !ow thrusters.
Two methods of reduced voltage starting are star-delta
starting and autotransformer starting.
)fter "$# starting, the ne(t most common method is the
star-delta method.
4oth ends of each phase of the motor starter
windings must !e !rought out and connected to starter.
n the start position the windings are
connected in star1 in the running position they are
reconnected in delta.
The voltage across each phase winding in the
start position is 585 (6783) of line voltage, with
conse'uent reduction of starting current.
The starting tor'ue is also reduced to one-
third of that which would o!tain with d.o.l. starting.
With a single-cage or dou!le-cage rotor of
average performance, this represent a!out 895 of full-
load tor'ue, assuming normal line voltage, !ut if there is
apprecia!le line drop the tor'ue will !e proportionately
lower.
These factors must !e ta.en into account
when deciding whether star-delta starting is accepta!le
for the driven machine.
t will !e accepta!le for centrifugal fans and
pumps if, in the latter case, the friction at starting is not
e(cessive.
When the operating handle is placed in the %start&
position the motor stator windings are connected in star
across the supply.
)s the motor approaches normal running speed the
operator must 'uic.ly change the handle to run position
which changes the motor connection from star to delta.
f the operator does not move the handle
'uic.ly from start to run the motor may !e disconnected
from the supply long enough for the motor speed to fall
considera!ly.
When the handle is eventually put into the run
position the motor will ta.e a large current may !e large
current and accelerate up to speed again.
This surge current may !e large enough to
cause apprecia!le voltage dip. The prevent this, a
mechanical interloc. is fitted to the operating handle.
The handle must !e moved 'uic.ly from start to run
otherwise the interloc. :ams the handle in the start
position.
)n automatic change over is prefera!le and this is
achieved !y using contactors.


;tar-"elta starter se'uence<
$perator closes motor isolator ; then presses start
!utton.
;tart !utton connects the supply to contactor coil ;.
=ontactor contacts ; close and au(iliary contacts ;6
close.
# close, motor windings are star connected to 3-phase
supply, motor starts.
)u(iliary contacts #6 close at the same time as
contactor contacts #.
The operator may now release the start !utton since
supply to # is maintained through #6.
)fter a time interval which allows the motor to run up to
speed, au(iliary contacts #* and #3 close.
=ontactor coil ; is de-energised and its contacts ;
open1 so do the au(iliary contact ;6.
=ontactor coil " is energised and the motor is
now delta connected to the 3-phase supply.
n some cases a mechanical interloc. is fitted
!etween the contactor contact ; and " so that !oth
cannot !e closed at the same time.
The auto-transformer starter is more e(pensive
than two type so far descri!ed and is generally used
only for the larger types of motor.
t is suita!le for motors in which each end of
the three phases is not !rought out, and which would
therefore !e unsuita!le for star-delta starting.
The starting conditions depend on the position
of the tapping on the transformer winding, i.e. on the
secondary voltage.
>sually three or more tappings are provided so
that there is a choice of starting conditions such as ,9,
+9 or ?55 of line voltage.
The starting tor'ues on these different
tappings can !e estimated as they are proportional to
the s'uare of the voltage.
$n the +95 tapping the tor'ue will !
appro(imately the same as with star-delta starting, and
on the ,9 and ?55 tapping it will !e proportionately
lower and higher respectively.
;tarting large motors with long-run up periods
demands a very high current surge from the supply
generator.
This causes a severe voltage dip which affects
every load on the system. 3educed voltage starting will
limit the starting surge current.
$ne way to reduce the initial voltage supplied
to the motor is to step it down using a transformer.
Then, when the motor has accelerated up to
almost full speed, the reduced voltage is replaced !y the
full mains voltage.
The transformer used in this starter is not the
usual type with separate primary and secondary
windings.
t is an autotransformer which uses only one
winding for !oth input and output.
This arrangement is cheaper, smaller and
lighter than an e'uivalent dou!le-wound transformer.
-or induction motor starting, the autotransformer is a 3-
phase unit, and !ecause of e(pense, this method is only
used with large motor drives, e.g. electric cargo pumps.
The autotransformer with its range of tapping
points gives a set range of starting voltages to limit the
motor starting surge current to a reasona!le value.
)s with the star-delta starter, the
autotransformer may use what is called an open
transition switching se'uence or a closed transition
switching se'uence !etween the start and run
conditions.
n the former, the reduced voltage is rapidly
reconnected to the motor.
The circuit diagram !elow shows a manually operated
open transition, autotransformer starter.

The pro!lem with open transition is that a very
large surge current can flow after the transition from
reduced to full voltage.
)n arrangement which overcomes the
transition switching pro!lem is the closed transition
%@orndorfer& starting method. ) typical circuit is shown
!elow.

When the start !utton is pressed the first stage
contactor coil is energised which closed the main 6
st

contacts and also 6
st
76 and 6
st
7*.
The timer relay coil and the second stage
contactor coil are also energised.
The main *st contacts close, which applies a
reduced voltage from the autotransformer to the motor
windings.
The motor starts. )fter a preset time interval
the times relay opens tr7* which drops out the second
stage contactor.
The star point of the transformer is opened !y
*st so that transformer action no longer ta.es place.
The transformer winding no :ust acts as an
inductive voltage dropping impedance in the supply
lines to the motor.
The voltage applied to the motor is now higher
than !efore !ut is still less than the full supply voltage.
)fter a further time interval the timer relay
closes tr73, which energises the changeover relay.
The changeover relay closes the run contactor
which puts full voltage on to the motor.
)u(iliary contacts rn7* and rc76 on this
contactor drop out the first stage contactor and
maintain the supply to the run contactor coil,
respectively.
The stop !utton or overcurrent relay trips out
the run contactor to stop the motor.
The windings of the autotransformer are short-
time rated and the starting period must not !e unduly
prolonged.
The rating for %ordinary& during is usually
suita!le for not more than two starts per hour.
)fter two consecutive starts a minimum
su!se'uent cooling period of +9 minutes is necessary.
f more fre'uency starting is re'uired, starters
rated for intermittent duty (,9 starts per hour) should !e
specified.
Alectronic starters often referred to as %soft
start&, are finding acceptance in the marine industry.
;olid-state technology is employed to provide
a method of starting without the current and tor'ue
surges mentioned previously.
Thyristors or a com!ination of thyristors and
diodes are used to control the current flow during motor
starting.
The !asic circuit diagrams for these two
alternatives are shown !elow.

The electronics for controlling the firing of the
thyristors is normally accommodated on a small printed
circuit !oard within the motor controller.
)lthough the thyristor7diode configuration is
cheaper it has the disadvantage that it generates third
and even harmonic currents in the motor windings,
whereas the all-thyristor arrangement restricts the even
harmonics.
With this type of starter there are normally three
ad:ustments that have to !e set to suit the drive
machinery<
6. Boltage ramp - This sets the time for the starter to
achieve full voltage output. t should !e noted that the
ramp time is the time ta.en for the output voltage to
reach its ma(imum and not for the motor to reach its full
speed.
f a motor is lightly loaded it may well achieve full speed
!efore full voltage is applied.
*. =urrent limit - This ad:ustment is used to prevent the
starting current e(ceeding a preset value. 4ecause
tor'ue is proportional to the s'uare of the current it
must !e set sufficiently high that ade'uate tor'ue is
developed to accelerate the load from rest.
3. nitial firing angle - t is often important that a drive
should start as soon as voltage is applied, e.g. if the
drive is stand!y to a duty unit.
f the initial firing angel is set too small there
will !e a delay in starting the drive until the voltage has
!een ramped to a value permitting sufficient tor'ue to
!e developed to accelerate it from the rest. f the initial
firing angle is set too large the load may !e suddenly
gra!!ed rather than accelerated smoothly.
Triacs can also !e used for electronic starters. Cowever,
since they have relatively low current ratings and
!rea.down voltages they are generally suita!le only for
low-current low-voltage applications.