IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO.

3, MAY/JUNE 2002 763

Comparison Testing of IEEE Standard 841 Motors

Alan K. Wallace, Fellow, IEEE, James A. Rooks, Life Senior Member, IEEE, and John R. Holmquist, Life Fellow, IEEE

AbstractThe IEEE Standard 841 was developed to identify

additional specific features deemed necessary for application of
induction motors in the petroleum and chemical industry. The
Pulp and Paper Industry Committee (PPIC) of the IEEE Industry
Applications Society has also been studying the IEEE Standard
841 for possible adoption by the pulp and paper industry. Mem-
bers of the PPIC Ad Hoc Committee on IEEE 841 have suggested
additional requirements to those in the existing standard. This
paper discusses a comparison testing program conducted by
the Motor Systems Resource Facility, an EPRI/BPA center at
Oregon State University, Corvallis, in support of an industrial
investigation of the available motors manufactured to the IEEE
Standard 841. Seven major motor manufacturers participated in
this study. Each manufacturer provided a 50-hp, a 100-hp, and a
200-hp standard IEEE 841 motor for examination on delivery
and IEEE 112 Method A efficiency testing. All of the motors were Fig. 1. Crate damage on delivery.
horizontal, three phase, 60 Hz, four pole, and 460 V (except one
that was 575 V).
Standard 841-1994. Table I of IEEE Standard 841-2000 tends to
Index TermsEfficiency, IEEE Standard 841-2001, Motor Sys- increase the efficiency values above NEMA MG 1, particularly
tems Resource Facility.
for small motors, as is indicated in the Appendix . Nameplate
descriptions of the motors were High Efficiency; Ultra-High
I. INTRODUCTION Efficiency; Premium Efficiency; Severe Duty; Premium
Efficient-Inverter Grade; Premium Efficient; and Super Ef-
T HE IEEE Standard 841 was developed and first issued in
1986, and revised in 1994 [1] to provide a set of detailed re-
quirements for severe duty, totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC),
ficient-Inverter Ready. Each manufacturer provided answers to
a very lengthy questionnaire for each motor.
In addition to efficiency, IEEE Standard 841 addresses other
squirrel-cage induction motors, rated up to 500 hp, for the pe-
features of induction motors for use in severe environments that
troleum and chemical industry. Increasing energy costs and reli-
are observable by either examination or test. As part of the
ability concerns that are now significantly more important than
ongoing consideration of IEEE Standard 841 for the pulp and
first costs, have encouraged members of the forest products in-
paper industry, the Motor Systems Resource Facility (MSRF),
dustries to consider IEEE Standard 841 motors for adoption.
Oregon State University, Corvallis, has worked with the Wey-
Sample calculations [2] have indicated that IEEE Standard 841
erhaeuser Company, as facilitated through J & R Consulting,
motors are worthwhile purchases for new motor applications,
Inc., Tigard, OR, to assess the performance of three ratings of
replacement of failed motors (rather than repair) for ratings of
motors. The seven major manufacturers who participated in this
50 hp or lower, and retrofitting existing standard-efficiency mo-
program provided sample motors, directly from sales stock, for
tors.
testing by the MSRF.
As accepted by both users and manufacturers, no two elec-
The motors were shipped to the MSRF by the commercial
tric motors can be exactly the same, and NEMA MG 1-1998
carriers of the manufacturers choice. All motors were bolted to
[3] provides a standard to cover reasonable tolerances within
wooden pallets. Some of the larger units had wooden crates built
the large quantity of motors purchased to a single specification.
over them, which offered little or no protection (Fig. 1). One
Table 12-10 of NEMA MG 1 provides the basis for nominal
manufacturer chose to provide a sturdy cardboard cover, which
efficiencies of energy efficient motors which is used in IEEE
appeared particularly successful. Most motors arrived covered
with plastic wrap. Three motors in the 200-hp rating had provi-
Paper PID 0201, presented at the 2001 IEEE Pulp and Paper Industry Con- sions for blocking the drive-end bearing. In general, preparation
ference, Portland, OR, June 1927, and approved for publication in the IEEE of the motor for shipping left a lot to be desired.
TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS by the Pulp and Paper Industry
Committee of the IEEE Industry Applications Society. Manuscript submitted On completion of the test programs, each of the seven motor
for review June 30, 2001 and released for publication January 30, 2002. manufacturers was given a complete report of the results for
A. K. Wallace is with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Depart- each of the three motors that they provided. Reports were not
ment, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-3211 USA (e-mail:
wallace@ece.orst.edu). shared between manufacturers, thus maintaining the confiden-
J. A. Rooks is with J & R Consulting, Inc., Tigard, OR 97223-4221 USA tiality of each participating manufacturer. A composite sum-
(e-mail: jrookspdx@aol.com). mary report for each rating was developed and included as part
J. R. Holmquist is with Weyerhaeuser Company, Federal Way, WA
98023-2506 USA (e-mail: john.holmquist@weyerhaeuser.com). of the Program Report provided to all involved motor manufac-
Publisher Item Identifier S 0093-9994(02)04516-4. turers. These summary data are included in this paper.
0093-9994/02$17.00 2002 IEEE
764 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 3, MAY/JUNE 2002
Fig. 2. Schematic of test laboratory.
II. TEST LABORATORY
A. Electrical Supply and Loading
A schematic of the MSRF testing laboratory is shown in
Fig. 2. The dedicated electrical supply for the laboratory is
regulated before supply to the motors under test, for magnitude
and phase balance, by an autotransformer that is fully adjustable
in all three phases. By these means, the motors were powered
at a rated voltage 2 V and phase balance within 1 V/phase.
The motors under test were loaded by a dynamometer which
consisted of a 300-hp induction machine controlled by a
four-quadrant converter programmed to operate in a controlled
torque mode to develop load of 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 110%,
and 120% of rated load power.
B. Electrical Measurements
Liaisons Electroniques-Mecaniques (LEM) transducers,
of ratings appropriate to the motor sizes, sensed the currents
drawn by the motors, and the voltages were measured directly
by a Voltech 3300 power analyzer that had been recently
recalibrated to National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) standards by the manufacturer just prior to the begin-
ning of the test program. The power analyzer then provided
readings of voltages, currents in all three phases, total input
power, and power factor.
C. Mechanical Measurements
Torque and speed of the motor output shaft were measured
by Eaton-Lebow noncontact shaft transducers and displayed, re-
spectively, on a model 7540 Eaton-Lebow digital strain gauge
indicator, and a Phillips 6666 frequency counter that provides an
accuracy of 0.1 rev/min. Depending on the motor rating, models
10k lb in, or 5k lb in torque transducers were employed which
were each calibrated prior to the tests in an end-to-end proce-
dure employing torque arms and known masses.
D. Temperature Measurements
1) To assess if thermal stability of the motor had been rea-
sonably achieved during the testing of each load point of
each motor, a type-K thermocouple was attached to the
cooling fins of the motor frame close to the drive end.
The temperature was continuously displayed on a Fluke
model 5500A multicalibrator.
2) The temperature of the drive-end bearing housing was
periodically measured close to the shaft by a noncontact
thermometer focused on a spot of back paint to ensure
emissivity (Fig. 3).
3) After acceptable thermal stability was obtained, the
winding resistances for all three phases were measured
by an LEM model D 3700 micrometer to enable calcu-
lation of winding temperature rise in accordance with
WALLACE et al.: COMPARISON TESTING OF IEEE STANDARD 841 MOTORS
Fig. 3. Observation of stator case temperature.
Fig. 4. Winding resistance measurement.
the formulas in IEEE Standard 112, based on previous
measurements, prior to the tests, at ambient temperature
(Fig. 4).
III. TEST PROCEDURE
A. Preliminary Inspection
Prior to operation or mounting on the test platform, all mo-
tors were examined for damage and freedom of rotation (after
removal of blocking systems, where used).
B. Initial Setup
The motor shafts were aligned to that of the torque/speed
transducer to a runout of 0.001 in or better (Fig. 5) to ensure
minimum loading of bearings. Before load testing, the motors
were operated at no load and observations were made for any
unusual conditions such as vibration, bearing noise, fan noise,
alignment, and direction of rotation (where applicable). Some
of the motors had suffered bearing problems in transit to the
MSRF and required minor repairs. No-load operation was con-
tinued for a period of at least an hour until no-load losses had
fallen and stabilized.
C. Load Test
The tests of the 21 motors were undertaken in an 11-week
period between mid-March and mid-June 2000. This called for
testing at the rate of two motors per week that, after allowances
765
Fig. 5. Alignment procedure.
for prior motor removal, new motor mounting and recalibra-
tions, required each motor to be completely load tested in one
day. Generally, this was achieved in a continuous operation of
between 1012 h/motor by the following process.
First, in order to elevate its temperature from starting am-
bient to close to a value anticipated for 100% load condition,
the motors were loaded at 130% of rated for 4550 min. The
load was then reduced to 100% until temperature stabilization
was reached. The motor temperature was assessed to be stable
if its value changed by less than 0.2 C in a 10-min period.
Following the 100% load, temperature stabilization was
achieved for 120% load, 110% load, 75% load, 50% load, and
25% load. The step from 110% load to 75% load stabilization
was accelerated by operation at no load for 2030 min.
As each stable load point was achieved, and the electrical
and mechanical data recorded, the motor was disconnected from
the electrical supply, brought to rest, and the resistance of the
winding immediately measured (Fig. 4).
The results of the tests are presented in Section IV.
IV. COMPARISON TEST RESULTS
The test data obtained for the seven different manufacturers
motors in each of the three ratings (200, 100, and 50 hp) are
presented in Tables IIII, respectively. In order to maintain con-
fidentiality, the different manufacturers are identified only by
the numbers 17. In addition, the order has been changed for
each rating, i.e., manufacturer #1 is not the same in the 200-hp
table as the 100-hp or the 50-hp table and similarly for the sub-
sequent motors. However, each manufacturer can identify their
own motor in these tables by the complete test records that were
provided to them under the test project agreement. Thus, each
manufacturer can assess their own product compared to the field
without specific comparison to another manufacturer, albeit for
a very limited sample.
A. 200-hp Comparisons
With one marginally low exception (which has been chal-
lenged in a retest by the particular manufacturer), all seven mo-
tors exceeded the 95% of NEMA MG 1 and the 95.4% of the
IEEE Standard 841 for full-load efficiency. Also, all motors
were well below the 80 C winding temperature rise require-
ments. However, none of the motors met the 45 C bearing
temperature rise, although one motor came very close.
766 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 3, MAY/JUNE 2002

TABLE I
(a) 200-hp MOTOR EFFICIENCY. (b) 200-hp MOTOR POWER FACTOR, IN %. (c) 200-hp BEARING TEMPERATURE RISE, C ABOVE
AMBIENT. (d) 200-hp WINDING TEMPERATURE RISE, C ABOVE AMBIENT

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

TABLE II
(a) 100-hp MOTOR EFFICIENCY. (b) 100-hp MOTOR POWER FACTOR, IN %. (c) 100-hp BEARING TEMPERATURE RISE, C ABOVE
AMBIENT. (d) 100-hp WINDING TEMPERATURE RISE, C ABOVE AMBIENT

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

B. 100-hp Comparisons
All motors in this rating exceeded 94.5% efficiency as re-
quired by NEMA MG 1 and five out of the seven met or ex-
ceeded the 95.0% efficiency of IEEE Standard 841. Four of the
seven motors exceeded the allowable bearing temperature rise,
but all seven were within winding temperature recommenda-
tions.
C. 50-hp Comparisons
Only one of the seven motors tested recorded a full-load effi-
ciency less than either the 93.0% of NEMA MG 1, or the 93.6%
WALLACE et al.: COMPARISON TESTING OF IEEE STANDARD 841 MOTORS 767

TABLE III
(a) 50-hp MOTOR EFFICIENCY. (b) 50-hp MOTOR POWER FACTOR, IN %. (c) 50-hp BEARING TEMPERATURE RISE, C ABOVE AMBIENT. (d) 50-hp WINDING
TEMPERATURE RISE, C ABOVE AMBIENT

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

TABLE IV TABLE V
NEMA MG 1-1998, TABLE 12-10 ENERGY EFFICIENT MOTORS [3] IEEE STANDARD 841-2001, TABLE 1

In general, the IEEE Standard 841 motors operated with good

of the IEEE Standard 841. The manufacturer of this particular
efficiencies and power factor, even at loads as low as 25% of rated.
motor has challenged the MSRF data. At this time, MSRF has
agreed to retest, and the subject motor has been returned to the
MSRF. Four of the seven motors exceeded the recommendation V. CONCLUSIONS
for bearing temperature rise, and again, all motors easily oper- Twenty-one motors from major, reputable manufacturers
ated within the allowable winding temperature rise. have been tested in accordance with IEEE 112 Method A and
768 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS, VOL. 38, NO. 3, MAY/JUNE 2002

the results examined for compliance with IEEE Standard 841.
All motors were easily compliant to the winding temperature
rise recommendation of 80 C. The power factors were good
over a wide load range. In addition, the majority of the motors
achieved the specified full-load efficiencies. However, bearing
temperature rise in excess of 45 C, as recommended in the
IEEE Standard 841, is more frequently exceeded than met; the
problem seems to be exacerbated with increasing motor size.
It is hoped that these findings will guide the members of the
pulp and paper industry in their selection and expectations of
these motors.
APPENDIX
COMPARISON OF NOMINAL EFFICIENCY OF NEMA MG1-1998
AND IEEE STANDARD 841-2001 FOR HORIZONTAL
TEFC MOTORS
See Tables IV and V on previous page.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to thank the following: 1) E. Matheson, X.
Zhou, R. Schmidt, and D. Brown for their diligence and perse-
verance in conducting the load tests; 2) M. Dittrich for his me-
chanical expertise; and 3) the companies Baldor, General Elec-
tric, Marathon, Reliance, TECO, Toshiba, and U.S. Electric Mo-
tors, for providing the IEEE Standard 841 motors for the test.
REFERENCES
[1] IEEE Standard for Petroleum and Chemical IndustrySevere Duty
Totally Enclosed Fan-Cooled (TEFC) Squirrel-Cage Induction Mo-
torsUp to and Including 500 hp, IEEE Standard 841, 1994.
[2] J. R. Holmquist, Reasons for using IEEE Standard 841-1994 motors
for the forest products industry , in Proc. IEEE PPIC, 1998, pp. 8793.
[3] Motors and Generators, NEMA MG 1, 1998.
James A. Rooks (M54SM78LS94) was born in
Washington, GA, in 1929. He received the B.S.E.E.
degree from Washington State College, Pullman, in
1953.
He joined Westinghouse Electric Corporation in
1953, spending almost 38 years with Westinghouse
before retiring in 1991. Most of the Westinghouse
time was while assigned to Portland, OR, with major
association to the pulp and paper industry and elec-
tric motors. About five years was spent in Mobile,
AL, as Westinghouse District Engineer to Interna-
tional Paper. After moving back to the Portland, OR, area, he established J & R
Consulting in 1992, being involved in industrial power distribution and energy
savings.
Mr. Rooks was named the Meritorious Service Award winner at the 2001
IEEE Pulp and Paper Industry Conference. He has spent much time as Chairman
of the Senior Member Committee of the Pulp and Paper Industry Committee
of the IEEE Industry Applications Society, which has successfully nominated
about 50 IEEE members for advancement to Senior Member status.
John R. Holmquist (M52SM80LS90LF00)
was born in 1924 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, to U.S.
parents, making him a U.S. citizen. He received
the B.S.E.E. degree from Oregon State College,
Corvallis, in 1951.
He is currently a Senior Scientist in the Engi-
neering Services Group, Weyerhaeuser Company,
Federal Way, WA. He is the holder of several patents
and has authored many technical papers,
Mr. Holmquist is a member of the IEEE Industry
Applications Society (IAS) and its Pulp and Paper In-
dustry Committee (PPIC), IEEE Power Engineering Society, Professional Engi-
neers, Seattle and Portland local IAS chapters, and TAPPI. In 1998, its inaugural
year, he was selected and inducted into the Oregon State University Engineering
Hall of Fame, an honor to his meritorious and sustained service as an electrical
engineer. He was the major spokesperson for PPIC IEEE 841 efforts and has
received both the Meritorious Service and the Meritorious Engineering Awards
of the PPIC.

Alan K. Wallace (M78SM84F00) received the

B.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical power engi-
neering from the University of Sheffield, Sheffield,
U.K., in 1963 and 1966, respectively.
From 1966 to 1967, he was with Imperial
Chemical Industries, working on the application of
digital computers to process control. In 1967, he
joined the University of Nottingham, Nottingham,
U.K., and taught electrical machine design and
power system analysis until 1974. From 1974 to
1984, he was engaged in design and development
of propulsion systems in the mass transit industry in Canada. He worked with
Spar Aerospace of Toronto and Canadair Services and was manager of Power
Distribution for the Urban Transportation Development Corporation, Kingston,
ON, Canada. In 1984, he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, where he currently teaches
and conducts research, and is also the Director of the Motor Systems Resource
Facility (MSRF). From 1991 to 1992, he was a Visiting Research Fellow at
the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K. His interests are primarily in
adjustable-speed drives, variable speed generation, linear motor applications to
transportation, and power electronic applications.
Dr. Wallace is a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, U.K. From
1988 to 1991, he was an Associate Editor of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER
ELECTRONICS.