456

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 2 5 , NO. 3, MAYIJUNE 1989

Improving Existing Motor Protection for Medium

Voltage Motors
Abstract-Evolutionary concepts in motor protection make possible
the opportunity to retrofit earlier installations in line with modern
practices. Motor failures and associated present-day costs are analyzed,
and potential troubles generated within the plant and from the utility
distribution system are documented. These troubles, their effects, and
resultant motor failure modes have been illustrated to determine the
maximum protection desired for prolonged motor life. Limitations of
older forms of motor protection utilizing induction-type over current
relays are presented in contrast with the desired protection. The features
of several different types of current microprocessor-based relays are
reviewed as eligible candidates for motor protection upgrades. An
example of work performed as part of a comprehensive field retrofit i s
presented as well as any economic considerations.

TABLE I
MOTOR FAILURE CLASSIFICATION

I E E E Sruor [81

E P R I STUOY [81

- w

F A I L E D CO MPONENT

4.2
26.9

PERSISTENT O V E R L O A D I N 6
NORMALD E T E R I O R A T I O N

BRACING

ELECTRICALLY RELATED:

15.5
15.2

HIGM V I B R A T I O N
POOR L U B R I C A T I O N

RECENT IEEE article [8] included the results of both an

IEEE survey and an EPRI survey. The data were
reviewed to determine the percentage of failures associated in
the following four groups: electrically related, mechanically
related, environmentally and maintenance related, and other.
The two sources of information proved extremely useful in
this analysis, because the IEEE survey identified the failure
contributor, and the EPRI survey identified the percentage
failure by component. The IEEE survey includes an objective opinion, whereas the EPRI survey includes actual failed
components. The summary of the analysis of the two studies is
shown in Table I, and the results indicate the following
percentage of failures for the four groups considered.
Percent of Failure
Electrically related
Mechanically related
Environmentally and maintenance related
Other
Total

33
32
15
20
100

MOTORPOTENTIAL
TROUBLES
Following this macro review, we identified potential motor
troubles, their effects, and the resultant failure categories [2],
Paper PID 88-29, approved by the Cement Industry Committee of the IEEE
Industry Applications Society for presentation at the 1988 30th IEEE Cement
Industry Technical Conference, Quebec, Canada, May 24-26. Manuscript
released for publication July 26, 1988.
G. J . Paoletti is with Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 2608 Tauton
Drive, Pennsauken, NJ 08109.
A . Rose is with Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 1447 Chesnut Avenue,
Hillside, NJ 07205.
IEEE Log Number 8926550.

WiCHANICAL RELATED:

3.0
5.8

ENVIROMENTAL A H )
M I N T E N A M RELATED:

199

1.5
0.6
4.2

PERCENT

23.0
4.0
3.0
1.o

5.0
36.0

SLEEVE BEARINGS
BEARINGS
THRUST B E A R I N G

ANTIFRICTION

ROTOR S H A F T
ROTOR CORE

JeJ

H I O H A M B I E N T TEMPERATURE
ABNORMAL M O I S T U R E
ABNORMAL VOLTAGE
ABNORMAL FREOUENCY
ABRASIVE CHEMICALS
POOR V E N T I L A T I O N / C O O L I N 6

16.0
8.0
5.0
2.0

J29
BEARING

SEALS
O I L LEAKAGE
FRAME
WEDGES

6.0

3.0
1.o
1.o

Itp

19.7

21 .o

100.0

100.0

OTHER:

TOTAL:

CORE
CAGE

XL6

__

MOTORFAILURE
SUMMARY

STATOR GROUND I N S U L A T I O N
TURN I N S U L A T I O N

[3], [11]-[ 141. We categorized the majority of motor troubles

into four groups as shown in Figs. 1-4: unbalanced voltage
effects, single phasing effects, overloading effects, and environmental and maintenance effects.

Unbalanced Voltage Effects

There have been numerous papers addressing the harmful
effects of unbalanced voltages and the associated unbalanced
currents 121, [14]. When voltages are unbalanced, a much
higher current is induced in the rotor because it has a much
lower impedance to the negative-sequence voltage component.
For a 3-percent voltage unbalance, the current unbalance
might be 18-24 percent [3]. The increase in stator current is
usually small; therefore the overloads do not trip in time to
prevent damage from the high induced rotor current [ 131. This
additional rotor heat can exist for a considerable time period,
and since the rotor and shaft are a continuous metallic
structure, the heat transfer to the shaft ends can reduce bearing
life [3].
Whereas much has been written concerning the effects of
unbalanced voltages, there has been little or no documentation
identifying the specific cause of additional motor failures as a
direct result of persistent unbalanced voltages. Fig. 1 identifies
the potential troubles which can result in voltage unbalance. It
shows that the effects of voltage unbalance are stator and rotor

0093-9994/89/0500-0456$01
.OO 0 1989 IEEE

457

PAOLETTI AND ROSE: MOTOR PROTECTION FOR MEDIUM VOLTAGE MOTORS

EFFECTS

POTENTIALTROUBLES

ELECTRICAL
FAILURES
(33 1)

l L L I L I T Y D I S I ~ T I O NS Y S T L B :
-UNBALANCED

IWCORING L I N E

-REDUCED

USAGE OF TRANSP O S I T I O N S I N H I G H VOLTAGE

TRANSMISSION L I N E S

STATOR

- P R I M A R Y OPEN D E L T A T R A N S FORMER BANK

CURRENTS

UNBALANCE

ROTOR B A R

SEOUENCE
CURRENTS

-UNEOUAL CONDUCTOR
IMPEDANCE
-BLOUN FUSE ON A THREE
PHASE BANK OF P.F.
CORRECTION C A P A C I T O R S

-PLANT E X P A N S I O N S U I T H O U T
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
CAPACITY

. INDUCED

VOLTAGE

' NEGATIVE

-UNBALANCED THREE PHASE

L I G H T I N G LOADS

STATOR
WINDING

STATOR
HEATING

HEATING

(LOOSEB A R S )

ROTOR

VIBRATION^

SHAFT~BEARING
LUBRICANT
OVERHEATING

F AIL U R E
MECHANICAL
FAILURES
(32 I )

Fig. 1 . Unbalanced voltage effects.

POTENTIALTROUBLES
:-

-TRANStlISSION
ONE PHASE

ELECTRICAL
FAILURES
(33 1)

REMAINING
PHASE U I N D I N G S
EXPERIENCE
EXCESSIVE
0VERHEA:ING

L I N E OUT ON

- U T I L I T Y F U S E B L O U N I N ONE
PHASE

-TRANSMISSION

RfslLcTs

EFFECTS

STATOR

L I N E F A U L T ON

ONE PHASE

PHASING

STATOR

MAXIMUM
VOLTAGE

-UNBALANCED
-SINGLE

UNBALANCE
NEGATIVE
SEOUENCE
CURRENTS

VOLTAGE SOURCE

PHASED ROTOR CONTROL

-BROKEN MOTOR Y I N D I N G L E A D

-FUSE

BLOUN

IN ONE PHASE

LVBIRATOI N

ROTOR

.ROTOR
HE A T IN G j

-DISCONNECT S U I T C H BLADE
M A L F U N C T I O N ON ONE PHASE

1
BEARING

FAILURE

OVERHEATING

- C A B L E F A U L T I N ONE PHASE

MECHANICAL
FAILURES

-CABLE D I S C O N N E C T E D I N ON
PHASE

(32 I )

-OVERHEATED/LOOSE E L E C T R I C A L
CONNECTION ON ONE PHASE

Fig. 2. Single phasing effects.

heating, with the ultimate failure mode being stator winding

failure, or bearing failure due to bearing lubricant overheating
or rotor vibration. The figure indicates why persistent voltage
unbalance (and the resultant heating) is not identified as the
prime cause of a motor failure. That is, the ultimate failure
may be considered normal deterioration for an electrically
related failure, and poor lubrication or high vibration for a
mechanically related failure [8].
In regard to the existence of unbalanced voltages, the IEEE
survey [8] showed a higher failure rate for 1.15 service factor
motors than for 1.0 service factor motors.
Under causes, overheating was reported as a significant failure
initiator which raises the suspicion that exceeding temperature
rises might be an application problem.

motor operating at 115-percent motor loading will have a

considerably shorter insulation life than a 1.O service factor
motor operating at 100-percent motor loading. The effect of
voltage unbalance is shown for insulation class B:
Service Factor
Motor Loading (percent)
Relative Insulation Life
0-percent voltage unbalance
1-percent voltage unbalance
2-percent voltage unbalance
3-percent voltage
- unbalance
4-percent voltage unbalance

1.0 1.5 1.5

100 100 115
1.00
0.90
0.64
0.37
0.17

2.27
2.10
1.58
0.98
0.51

0.50
0.44
0.30
0.16
0.07

This could indicate that the higher failure rate of 1.15 service
factor motors could also be the result of the existence of
Another IEEE paper [12] indicates that a 1.15 service factor persistent voltage unbalance.

458

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 25, NO. 3, MAYIJUNE 1989

POTENTIALTROUBLES

efsllLls

EFFECTS

ELECTRICAL
(33 2 )
FAILURES

T I O N SYSTLLI:
LOU ON I N C O M I N G

-VOLTAGE
LINE

TURN T O TURN
SHORT
-EXCESSIVE

C Y C L I N G OR
PULSATING LOAD

STATOR
WINDING

-CONTINUOUS OVERLOADING

TO COIL

COIL

SHORT

OVERHEATING
-PROLONGED A C C E L E R A T I O N
TIME

-t!OTOR LOAD M E C H A N I C A L
TROUBLES

STATOR

UINDING

PHASE TO PHASE

FAILURE

SHORT

-TRACKING
-PULVERIZING

- R E P E A T E D STALLIN6
t!ECHANICAL
STRESSES ON

UINDIMGEND

-REPEATED STARTING

TURNS AN0

COIL

POTENT
I AL
IRON
CORE
DAMAGE

-OVERHEATING

- L O U VOLTAGE S U P P L Y

T O GROUND
SHORT

IRON
OARAGE

INDIVIDUAL

COILS

Fig. 3.

Overloading effects

POTEnTIMTROUBLES

BEslllLs

LEfLGIs

ELECTRICAL:
- H I G H AMBIENT
TEMPERATURE

%:~~:~TING

- V E N T I L A T I O N SYSTEM
OBSTRUCTIONS

OVERHEATING/

HARnomIc
INCREASED
EDDY
C O N T E Y T OF E L E C T R I C A L - C U R R E Y T
AND
H Y S T E R E S I S LOSSES.POUFP
I N LARIMATIONS

-EXCESSIVE

-LOSS O f / O R E X C E S S I V E
BEARING LUBRICANT
- C O N T A M I N A T I O N OF
BEARING LUBRICANT
-OVERHEATED B E A R I N S
LUBRICANT
-COOLING WATER L O S S
OR OVERHEATED

-MIS-ALIGNnENT. SHAFT
B E N D I N G OR LOOSE
FOUNOATIOW

-ROTOR

OUT OF BALANCE

FAILURES

(33 2 )

I
INSULATION

-VOLTAGE STRESS

tlmMuLu:

INSULATIOY
ELECTRICAL
r DETERIORATION INSULATION
I

BREAKDWN

ENVIigtlENTAL

UA1W:N:U
FAILURES

BEARING LUERICAMT
O V E R H E A T I N G AND/OR
DE TE R I O R A T I O N
B
iA
tRN
IG

MECHANICAL

FAILURE

FAILURES
(32 2 )

EXCESSIVE
VIBRATION

A
Fig. 4.

Environmental and maintenance effects

Single Phasing Effects

The potential troubles which can lead to single phasing are
shown in Fig. 2. The effects are similar to those identified for
unbalanced voltages, since single phasing represents the worst
case of an unbalanced voltage condition. An additional effect
is that the remaining phase windings experience overheating,
thereby creating a greater potential for stator winding failure.

Overloading Effects
Fig. 3 illustrates the potential troubles that can result in
overloading effects. The majority of troubles generate only
stator winding overheating, whereas two troubles, repeated
starting and repeated stalling, also generate mechanical
stresses on winding end turns and individual coils. These
mechanical forces, generated via the production process
(starting-stopping, etc.), result in physical stress on the end-

turns of the copper winding, thereby increasing the potential

for cracking and conductive paths.
Another possibility is a substantial increase in insulation
temperature as a result of motor jogging operations or repeated
starts within a short time period. This can be the result of
normal production, start-up of the process line, or the
implementation of new production equipment. A jogging
(starting) operation of a motor increases the current flow
substantially for a short time period. During this time period
the tempcrature begins to increase within the motor insulation
system. Following the jog, the motor would operate at a
reduced current flow, thereby allowing the motor temperature
to return to normal. When repeated jogging occurs beyond
normal operations, the heat generated by the jogging has not
dissipated before the next jogging cycle. This increased
temperature further accelerates the deterioration of the insulation in conjunction with the physical stresses applied to the

459

PAOLETTI AND ROSE: MOTOR PROTECTION FOR MEDIUM VOLTAGE MOTORS

TABLE I1
APPROXIMATE REWIND COSTS FOR AC INDUCTION MOTORS
.

Voltage
(V)

Speed
(r/min)

Horsepower
(hP)

Rewind Cost

Machine Type
ac form-wound
ac form-wound
ac form-wound
ac form-wound

2300
2300
2300
2300

1800
1200
720
450

5200
6000
7000
10 200

ac form-wound
ac form-wound
ac form-wound
ac form-wound

2300
2300
2300
2300

1800
1200
720

500
500
500
500
2000
2000
2000
2000

350

($)

13 000
14 000
18 300
25 OOO

insulation system. If ample moisture and dirt are present,

immediate failure may occur. Other conditions may result in
motor failure several months following the repeated jogging
(starting) operations.

Environmental and Maintenance Effects

Fig. 4 indicates the potential troubles that can result in either
electrical or mechanical problems.

motors are shown in Table 11. The data were obtained from an
informal survey. For motors at 4160 V , the costs in the table
could be increased by 10-20 percent. If the rotor must be
rewound. the additional cost would add 30-50 percent to the
above estimates.

In-and-Out Cost

In-and-out cost normally involves the cost of in-house

maintenance personnel to electrically disconnect, mechaniMOTOR
FAILURE
COSTS
cally uncouple, and remove the motor for transportation to a
The c3st of any proposed improvement in the protection of a repair facility. When the repaired motor is returned, these
motor involves the cost of new hardware as well as engineer- maintenance personnel would install, electrically connect, and
ing evaluation, installation, and start-up. In todays competi- mechanically couple the motor. The total in-and-out costs are
tive industrial environment, any cost expenditure must be the total manhours required multiplied by the cost per
evaluated for its immediate payback or specific cost avoid- manhour. This cost usually does not vary much unless the
ance. To assist in such a review, the cost associated with motor motor is extremely large. Normally the internal cost will range
from $2500 to $5000, unless considerable rigging is required
failures must be briefly addressed.
The three primary costs are: first, the actual repair cost of to remove the motor from the production line.
the failed motor; second, the in-and-out costs to remove the
motor; and third, the lost revenue due to an unscheduled Loss of Production Cost
outage. The maintenance and/or engineering departments
Loss of production cost can easily be the highest of the
quite often evaluate only the cost to rewind a motor when three, depending upon market conditions. If a high demand for
evaluating the cost effectiveness of improved protection. This a product exists, and the market price level is reasonable, the
is common because the in-and-out effort is performed by plant lost production revenue may never be recovered, because
maintenance personnel and does not involve an additional purchasers will find other sources of the desired product. On
expenditure to an outside organization. The lost production the other hand, if the demand is low, and prices are depressed,
costs are also not discussed because many personnel can point the lost production revenue may not have a substantial impact.
to cutbacks involving maintenance personnel or funding, This cost will vary, but it should be estimated for purposes of
indicating that the past cutbacks have resulted in this unavoid- determining the cost effectiveness of considering improved
able outage.
motor protection.

Repair Cost
Actual repair costs usually involve a complete rewind. The
motor stator slots of the old copper windings are stripped, and
new insulated coils are installed. This is a good time to
consider the installation of resistance temperature detectors
(RTDs) if they did not already exist. Other work may also be
required, depending on the type of failure and the extent of
damage. For example, if the failure was due to massive
bearing failure, the shaft may have dropped, thereby causing
the rotor to come in physical contact with the stator during
operating speeds. The result can be excessive iron damage. In
addition, shaft work may be required as well as additional
machining of the bearing housings.
Examples of approximate rewind costs for ac induction

TRADITIONAL
MOTOR
PROTECTION
The earliest form of medium-voltage motor protection was
the use of induction-type overcurrent relays. This type of
protection provided good locked rotor protection, though it
overprotected the motor for normal overloading and/or starting modes. The result was the use of a motor below the
designed parameters. Todays competitive industrial climate
would contrast greatly to such a conservative and less costeffective approach. Fig. 5(b) illustrates this type of protection.
To better utilize a motor at the designed perimeters, many
users employed an additional relay which consisted of a
thermal overcurrent relay. The operating curve of a thermal
overcurrent relay closely duplicates the average heating curve
of the electric motor. The input to this relay is current;

460

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 25, NO. 3, MAYIJUNE 1989

\LTypocaI
Motor
Copabllity Curve
BL-l Relay

Startinq
LOcked RotorTime

(a)

Tlme

CO

(b)

Fig. 6. (a) Device 49 relay. (b) Device 51 relay.

motor. ... A general recommendation is to apply phase unbalance protection to all motors lo00 hp and above. For motors
below lo00 hp, the specific requirements should be investigated.

BL-l
1491
Ttme

CO 5 Relay 1511

Current

kR

(C)

Fig. 5. Motor protection (Devices 49 and 51).

therefore prevention of winding overheating due to jogging

actions, high ambient conditions, or ventilation obstructions is
not possible without the use of RTD's. This type of relay
provided good protection for light and medium overloads, but
not for heavy overloads, especially approaching locked rotor
conditions. Fig. 5(a) illustrates the protection provided by a
thermal overcurrent relay. Fig. 5(c) illustrates the protection
by combining the thermal overcurrent relay (49 Device)
shown in Fig. 6(a), with the induction disk overcurrent relay
(51 Device), shown in Fig. 6@), which provided locked rotor
protection. IEEE Standard 242-1975 [7] indicates that the
desirable and undesirable features of the 49 Device and the 5 1
Device are that they are almost exact opposites. This further
supports the use of both relays for motor protection.
In regard to phase unbalance (Device 46), IEEE Standard
242-1975 [7] states the following:
Many motors, especially in the higher horsepower ratings, can
be seriously damaged by negative-sequence current heating,
even though the stator currents are low enough to go
undetected by overload (overcurrent) protection. Therefore,
phase unbalance protection is desirable for all motors where its
cost can be justified relative to the cost and importance of the

In regard to phase current differential protection (87

Device), IEEE Standard 242-1975 [7] recommends its use as
follows: a) with all motors 1000-2000 hp and above used on
ungrounded systems; b) with all motors 1000-2000 hp and
above used on grounded systems where the ground protection
applied is not considered sufficient without differential protection to protect against phase-to-phase faults; and c) for large
horsepower ratings (2500-5000 hp), the cost of differential
protection compared to the cost of the motor would generally
justify the use of this relay. However, differential protection is
frequently justified for much smaller motors, especially at
voltages above 2400 V.
Motor differential protection offers prevention by limiting
the damage that results from typical motor failure. This
limited damage does not always result in a reduced repaired
effort if the motor has been removed from service. Normally a
motor with differential protection will clearly identify the
initial fault, since the corresponding heating and damage have
not been given time to spread. However, a rebuilt motor will
usually require a complete rewind or associated extended
repair. Motor differential protection can avoid a major rewind,
especially if continuous operations can continue with the failed
coil cut-out of the winding. Due to the extremely high cost of
major repairs on large units, the IEEE recommendations are a
sound investment. In regard to stator winding overtemperature
(Device 49), IEEE [7] recommends the use of six detectors in
motors rated 1500 hp and above.
IEEE Standard 242-1975 [7] also discusses protection
against too frequent starting (9.3.14), lightning and surge

46 1

PAOLETTI AND ROSE: MOTOR PROTECTION FOR MEDIUM VOLTAGE MOTORS

protection (9.3.16), protection against failure to rotate or

reverse rotation (9.3.20),and mechanical and other protection
(9.3.21). The majority of medium voltage motors in use today
are not protected by the full complement of relays discussed.
Many motors do not require this full complement of protection, but the majority of motors are not adequately protected.
The primary reasons for the traditional lack of proper motor
protection are: higher installation costs, additional system
complexity, and a misunderstanding of the causes of motor
failures versus the often used reason of normal deterioration.
MOTORPROTECTION
REQUIRED
This paper has discussed motor failures as well as traditional motor protection requirements. Before discassing the
protection modes available through microprocessor-based
relays, we will summarize the motor protection requirements.
As previously discussed, Figs. 1 , 2, 3, and 4 identify the
potential troubles, resultant effects, and failure modes for the
four primary categories: unbalanced voltage effects, single
phasing effects, overloading effects, and environmental and
maintenance effects. A review of these figures indicates the
potential troubles or critical effects from which motors must
be protected against. For example, Fig. 1 indicates the need to
protect against voltage unbalance and the accompanying
negative-sequence currents. After evaluating each figure a
tabulation was developed indicating the critical effect or
potential trouble which identified the protection required. This
tabulation is summarized in Table 111. Combining the information from Tables I and I11 indicates the protection that would
address approximately 80 percent of the motor failures.
Voltage stress would be addressed by properly applied
lightning and surge protection.
IMPROVED
MEDIUM
VOLTAGE
MOTORPROTECTION
As discussed, due to various application and loading
considerations, it proved impossible to adequately protect a
motor with a single relay. The common practice developed
was to apply a combination of relays in an attempt to provide a
protection system.
In addition to the preceding relay application difficulties,
our industrial environment has created additional constraints
for the plant engineer. Two considerations are as follows.

1) As power requirements are increasing, minimal investment to increase electrical distribution systems has
resulted in distribution systems delivering more load.
This can cause voltage unbalance and waveform distortion, which in turn affects motor heating and associated
motor life.
2) Plant life extension is a method of obtaining additional
productive plant life with minimal effective expenditure.
Each piece of equipment or system is evaluated for
methods to effectively extend the life of the equipment
and/or improve overall productivity.
The advent of the microprocessor has resulted in a single
multifunction relay, which provides total integrated motor

TABLE 111
TROUBLE
EFFECTS AND REQUIREDPROTECTION
FIGURE NURM

TICAL E F F E C T S

PROTECTION REOUJREB

VOLTAGE UNBALANCE
NEGATIVE SEOUENCE
CURRENTS

SINGLE PHASING

- SINGLE PHASING

STATOR Y I N D I N G
OVERHEATING
-OVERLOAD R E L A T E 0

MECHANICAL S T R E S S E S
ON U I N O I N G END TURNS
AND I N D I V I D U A L C O I L S
-RELATED TO REPEATED
STARTS AND S T A L L I N G

- LOCKEDROTOR
- STARTS PER HOUR

STATOR Y I N D I N G
OVERHEATING
-RELATED T O H I G H AMBIENT
TEMPERATURE AN0 V E N T I L A T I O N OBSTRUCTIONS

Rm ALARM

EXCESSIVE

NEGATIVE

HARRONICS

- VOLTAGE UNBALANCE
N E G A T I V E SEOUENCE
CURRENTS

OVERLOAD

CURRENTS
SAHPLING

VOLTAGE STRESS

BEARING LUBRICANT
OVERHEATING

- Rm

EXCESSIVE

- R n

VIBRATION

TRIP

SEOUENCE
/ YAVEFORM

L I G H T N I N G AND S U I T C H I N 6 SURGE P R O T E C T I O N
ALARM

TRIP

ALARR / T R I P AND
CONTINUOUS V I B R A T I O N
MONITORS

protection. These relays provide the majority of the protection

criteria presented in Table 111.
Some microprocessor-based relays include the following
protective functions:
instantaneous overcurrent trip level/start delay-Device
51
locked rotor current-Device 50
ultimate trip current current level-Device 51
zero sequence ground fault trip-Device 50/5 1G
stator (RTD) winding overtemperature settings-Device
49
bearing (RTD) overtemperature settings-IEEE 9.3.21
jam trip level
underload trip-Device 37
phase loss and phase unbalance-Device 46
phase reversal.
Specific additional protective features designed into some
microprocessor based relays are
maximum number of motor starts allowed per timeIEEE 9.3.14 and Device 66
maximum allowable stall time setting
antibackspin time delay
differential protection-Device 87.
Also available in some of the above units are various control
and monitoring functions such as
six starter-type configurations
incomplete sequence
alarm contacts
communications capability
operations counter
run timer
remaining starts

462

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 2 5 , NO. 3, MAYIJUNE 1989

oldest start time

time remaining to start
ammeter
voltmeter
frequency meter
power factor meter
kWh meter
kW meter
kvar meter
RTD temperatures
load loss.
Other advantages of the microprocessor-based relays versus
their induction disk relay counterparts are the reduced level of
periodic maintenance, ease of adjustment, and bui!t-in diagnostic features. In addition, some microprocessor-based protective relays provide the added option of using RTD input
data to shift the protector curve based upon the actual
temperature of the stator versus an arbitrary ambient.
Fig. 7 illustrates some of the features available utilizing a
microprocessor motor protection device. The time-current
curve illustrates the traditional time-delay curve, with additional set points for jam protection, underload protection, and
maximum allowable locked-rotor amps. Additional protection
criteria such as the maximum number of motor starts allowed
per time period, bearing temperature protection, and others
are vital for comprehensive motor protection, whereas these
protective modes are not presented on the traditional timecurrent curve.
When selecting an appropriate motor protection device, the
recommended protection listed in Table III should first be
reviewed. Potential troubles and/or critical effects that exist in
the plant should be determined, and the minimum required
protection can be identified from the table. In addition to
standard protection, the need for the following protection
should be analyzed:
0
0

0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0

0
0

differential protection
stator RTDs
bearing RTDs
starts per time period
incomplete sequence
power monitoring
potential transformers (PTs)
current transformers (CTs)
future communications
trip contacts
alarm contacts
remote trip or restart.

Part of the selection criteria should also include a review of the

methodology employed in determining the rms values, negative-sequence components, harmonic content, and others.
Various manufacturers utilize different approaches ranging
from averaging to sophisticated waveform sampling. The
resultant motor protection should provide maximum utilization
of existing motors, while providing a factor of life extension
due to the comprehensive protection provided.

5 8 1 0

20

1w

multiples 01 lull-load amps

Fig. 7.

Microprocessor motor protection curve.

TYPICAL
FIELDRETROFIT
APPLICATIONS
Existing motor protection devices receive signals from
existing current transformers, potential transformers, motor
RTDs and others. These new microprocessor-based products
are programmable for various current-transformer and potential-transformer ratios. They can also be equipped to function
with 10, 100, or 120 Q RTDs. This allows for the use of
existing sensing devices with the improved monitoring and
protection device. Occasionally, if additional protection is
desired beyond that which currently exists, additional sensing
devices may be installed.
One example involved the field retrofit of motor protection
for a 4160-V 450-hp totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC)
horizontal motor to operate at 1185 r/min at full load. The
existing protection consisted of induction disk overcurrent
relaying providing locked rotor protection and thermal overcurrent relaying providing overload protection. The existing
protective equipment was removed and three new CTs were
installed as well as a BYZ CT for ground protection. The new
relay utilized was mounted in the space vacated by the older
equipment. All work was completed during a July 4, 1987
shutdown during normal work days and was completed in
three days. In addition an overhaul was performed to the
switching device for the motor. The front panel of the
retrofitted unit is shown in Fig. 8.
The retrofit resulted in the many additional protection and

PAOLETTI AND ROSE: MOTOR PROTECTION FOR MEDIUM VOLTAGE MOTORS

Fig. 8.

Microprocessor-based motor protection retrofit.

control criteria versus the previous installation. The user was

particularly interested in obtaining the following additional
features:
phase loss and phase unbalance-accurate negativesequence and heating effects
maximum number of motor starts allowed per time
locked rotor current setting and protection
ultimate trip-current current level
zero-sequence ground fault trip
incomplete sequence signaling and control.
Other features obtained, due to the comprehensive design of
the microprocessor-based relay, were
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

463

jam trip level

underload trip
phase reversal
maximum allowable stall-time setting
antibackspin time delay
ammeter
alarm indication
future communications capability
operations counter/run timer
remaining startdoldest start timehime remaining to start.

A second retrofit was performed involving a critical

production motor within a plant. The motor protection scheme
had already undergone a previous retrofit with a first
generation microprocessor-based relay. The earlier relay did
not include the sophisticated waveform sampling for negativesequence currents and harmonics, the power monitoring

functions of the newer relays, and the setting for maximum

number of motor starts per hour.
In regard to this retrofit, the following additional features
were of particular interest to the user:
maximum number of motor starts allowed per time
phase loss and phase unbalance-accurate negativesequence and heating effects
power factor meter
kWh meter
kW meter
kvar meter.
This retrofit required the additional installation of potential
transformers to satisfy the new power monitoring features.
The existing current transformers and RTDs were utilized
without any changes.
Assuming the use of existing sensing devices, the retrofit
cost involves engineering evaluation, hardware, installation,
field verification, and start-up. Hardware costs can vary due to
the number of options requested; engineering and installation
will depend on system complexity. An estimate involving a
typical field retrofit would be $10 OOO to $15 OOO.

ENGINEERING/ECONOMIC
CONSIDERATION
The potential motor troubles and required protection discussed should be reviewed to determine the susceptibility of
the critical production motors within the plant. Anticipated
frequencies of failures should be estimated with the existing
motor protection, and the associated costs including repair, inand-out, and lost production costs should be determined.
An example of a typical production motor economic
analysis could include repair costs of $10 OOO and in-and-out

464

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 2.5, NO. 3, MAYIJUNE 1989

costs of $5000. Edison Electric Institute [l] indicates that the

average service life for motors 250 hp and above is 6.2 years.
IEEE Report of Large Motor Reliability Survey of Industrial and Commercial Installations, Part I [8] indicates that
the average hours of downtime/failure for these motors are
69.3 hours.
The payback can be determined in relation to the loss
production cost:
payback =

retrofit cost

(rewind + in-and-out production cost)

per year

retrofit cost = $15 OOO

(This includes approximately $10 000 for the retrofit
and $5 OOO escrow for future repair costs.)
rewind cost = $10 OOO every 6.2 years = $1600 per year
in-and-out cost = $5 000 every 6.2 years = $800 per year
l 5 Oo0+ (production loss cost16.2).
payback = 2400

Production Loss Cost

(69.3 hours)

Payback

10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
$100 000

3.7 years
2.7 years
2.1 years
1.7 years
1.4 years
10 months

$
$
$
$
$

REFERENCES

Edison Electric Institute, Apparatus Trouble Summary 1985,

Motors-250 HP and Greater.
1. C. Postingl, Why you cant afford motor voltage unbalance,
Plant Eng., Nov. 1982.
T. Hobson, Get complete motor protection, Power, Jan. 1965.
A. Freund, Total motor protection, E C M , Sept., 1987.
J. Alacchi, Reliability considerations in cement plant power distribution, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-15, no. 2, MarJApr. 1979.
C. Heising, Quantitative relationship between scheduled electrical
preventive maintenanceand failure rate of electrical equipment, IEEE
Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA- 18, no. 3, May/June 1982.
IEEE Recommended Practice for Protection and Coordination of
Industrial and Commercial Power Systems, Standard 242-1975,
Chap. 9, Motor Protection, 1983.
Motor Reliability Working Group, Report of large motor reliability
survey of industrial and commercial installations, Part I, IEEE
Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-21, no. 4, JulylAug. 1985.
Motor Reliability Working Group, Report of large motor reliability
survey of industrial and commercial installations, Part 11, IEEE
Trans. Appl., vol. IA-21, no. 4, July/Aug. 1985.
Motor Reliability Working Group, Report of large motor reliability
survey of industrial and commercial installations, Part 111, IEEE
Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-23, no. 1, Jan./Feb. 1987.
A. Bonnett, Analysis of winding failures in three-phase squirrel cage
induction motors, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-14, no. 3, May/
June 1978.
R. Brighton and P. Ranade, Why overload relays do not always
protect motors, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-18,no. 6, Nov./
Dec. 1982.
N. Woodruff, Economical motor protection using microcomputer
technology, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. IA-20, no. 5 , Sept./Oct.
1984.
P. Cummings, J. Dunki-Jacobs, and R. Kerr, Protection of induction
motors against unbalanced voltage operation, IEEE Trans. Ind.
Appl., vol. IA-21, no. 4, May/June 1985.
C. Krug and D. Mueller, Microprocessor-based protection for
electric motors, in IEEE Industrial Commercial Power Syst. Tech.
ConJ 83CH1898-6, 1983, pp. 196-209.
L. Kohn, Motor life, Iron and Steel Engineer, pp. 48-53, Aug.
1978.
Westinghouse Electric Co., Applied Protective Relaying, 1976.
Gabriel J. Paoletti (S75-M76-M88) was born in

In addition to the above, consideration should be given to the

expected life of the plant and potential areas for providing life
extension in the most cost-effective manner possible.

CONCLUSION
Motor protection via microprocessor-based relays is not
new to the industry. Until recently, these relays have been
primarily applied to new installations. These relays have
become mature protective devices from a reliability standpoint
as well as from a comprehensive protection standpoint. Future
relays may be less costly, whereas the critical protection
modes are accurately incorporated in current models.
The process of retrofitting existing motor protection
schemes is now a viable alternative for any of the following
reasons: plant life extension, plant productivity improvement,
reduced maintenance and repair costs, and increased system
reliability. The majority of medium voltage motors, unlike
their low voltage motor counterparts, involve primary production functions. For this reason, these motors should be
reviewed for the reasonableness of improving their existing
motor protection. The use of a microprocessor-based relay can
serve this purpose in a cost effective manner.

Philadelphia, PA, in 1953. He received the

B.S.E.E. degree from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, in 1976
He was with Westinghouse Electric Corporation
for eleven years, involved in field engineering,
power distribution equipment modernization, motor
repam, engineering studies, project engineering,
marketing research, and application engineering.
He is presently an Applications Engineer for the
Westinghouse Engineering and Instrumentation
Services Division in the Philadelphia/New York region.
Mr Paoletti IS a Registered Professional Engineer in the States of
Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 1987 he received the Westinghouse Signature
Award of Excellence in Engineenng for work involving commercial building
distnbution systems.
Alex Rose (A76-SM76) was born in South Africa
in 1935. He is a certified Electrical Engineer from
Witwatersrand Technical College.
He served in various engineering professional
and management positions in South Africa prior to
emigrating to the United States in 1977. During that
time he joined Westinghouse Electric Corporation
and has worked in five different states in various
capacities. He is currently a Regional Engineering
Manager for the Westinghouse Engineering and
Instrumentation Services Division. with responsibility for service activity in New Jersey and designated areas within New York,
Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Mr. Rose is a Fellow of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers.