Altistart 48:

This specification is intended for our clients as an aid for selecting the best progressive starter
when preparing invitations to tender on projects.

This document is not Copyright protected.

Specification for electronic starters.
Introduction:

1. This specification relates to 3-phase controlled progressive electronic starters, i.e. 6 thyristor type.

2. The starter assures the starting and stopping of 3-phase asynchronous squirrel cage IEC or Nema
type motors. The possible stopping modes will be: freewheel, braked or decelerated.

Quality of product and of supplier:

3. The electronic starter will have to be developed and qualified in conformity with international
standards and, in particular, with the product standard EN/IEC 60947-4-2 for starters.

4. The starter will have to be CE marked in accordance with the harmonised standard EN/IEC
60947-4-2.

5. With regards to electromagnetic compatibility, the starter will have to conform to the class A level
for radiated and conducted emissions as detailed in the product standard EN/IEC 60947-4-2, and
this applies to all available standard functions within the starter. Class B will be obtainable with
additional accessories and only applies to starters with a nominal current not exceeding 170 A.

6. The starter will have to be UL 508 and CSA certified “Industrial Control Equipment”.

7. The manufacturing plant of the electronic starters and associated design activities will have to be
ISO 9001 version 2000 and ISO 14001 certified.

8. 18 months warranty will be offered from the date of delivery or 24 months from the date of
manufacture.

Product description:

9. The operating principle of the starter will not have to rely simply on motor current limitation during
the transitory phases or on a voltage ramp, but on motor torque control. The starter will have to
provide a torque ramp throughout the accelerating phase. Therefore, it will be able to control the
torque throughout the entire starting phase and, if necessary, provide a constant motor torque
throughout the accelerating phase.

10. For pumping applications, the deceleration will have to be made on a torque ramp.

11. All starter ratings will have to have the same control card. This control card will have to be
identical for all applications and also, the same starter will be able to be used on a crusher, a
pump or a conveyor (taking into account the dimensioning).

12. All the starters will have to incorporate means whereby the actual current is measured in order to
ensure protection of the motor.

13. The incoming power supply terminals will have to be positioned at the top of the starter and the
terminals for connecting the motor will be at the bottom (through wiring).

14. All ratings of starter will have to have connection terminals for the starter bypass contactor. The
current measurements will have to be maintained when the starter is bypassed by the contactor.

15. The starter will have to have a separate control supply.

16. The control terminal block for logic and analogue commands will have to be removable.

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Environment:

17. The starter will have to be capable of operating, without derating, at an ambient temperature range
between –10 and +40°C and between 40 and 60°C with a derating factor of 2% per degree C
above 40°C.

18. The maximum relative humidity will be 95%, without condensation or dripping water, conforming to
the standards IEC 60947-4-2.

19. The storage temperature range can be between -25°C and +70°C.

20. The maximum operating altitude will be 1000 metres (3280 feet). Above this, the starter will be
derated by 2.2% per 100 metre increase.

21. The manufacturer will have to indicate the noise level of the starter, which must not exceed 65
dBA.

22. If the starters incorporate fans for cooling, their continuous operation will have to be avoided. They
will have to be switched automatically in relation to the temperature of the heatsink.

23. The maximum ambient degree of pollution will be degree 3 conforming to IEC 60664-1 (or IEC
60947-4-2).

24. The supplier will have to provide the wiring diagrams of the starters.

25. The supplier will have to make available motor starter combination tables comprising circuit-
breakers, fuses, contactors and starters in order to assure type 1 or type 2 coordination.

Electrical characteristics of the starter:

26. The utilisation category of the starters will be AC 53a conforming to the product standard EN/IEC
60947-4-2.

27. The supplier will have to be capable of offering starters in one or several ranges to cover supply
lines of 208 to 690 V (208 –15% to 690 V +10%).

28. The current range of the starters will be comprised between 17 and 1200 A.

29. The starter will have to automatically adapt to 50 or 60 Hz, with a tolerance of +/-5%. By
configuration, it will have to be capable of operating at a supply line frequency that can vary by +/-
20%.

30. Logic inputs; the starter will have to include a minimum of 4 x 24 V isolated logic inputs.

31. Outputs; the starter will have to include a minimum of 3 relays with a N/O contact. Maximum
switching capacity on inductive load: 1.8 A at 230 V a.c. and 30 V d.c. Minimum switching
capacity: 10 mA for 6 V d.c.

32. Outputs; the starter will have to include a minimum of 2 x 24 V logic outputs.

33. Analogue outputs; the starter will include 1 analogue output with either a 0 - 20 mA or 4 - 20 mA
signal. This signal will be able to be scaled.

34. The starter will have to include its own 24 V power supply for the logic inputs/outputs.

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35. The supplier will have to offer a starter selection table for 2 types of dimensioning:
- Dimensioning 1:
From cold state (motor duty S1): 1 start at 3 In for 46 seconds.
Cycle comprising starting (motor duty S4), with a load factor of 50% and 10 starts per hour, or an
equivalent thermal cycle: 1 start at 3 In for 23 seconds.
- Dimensioning 2:
From cold state (motor duty S1): 1 start at 4 In for 48 seconds.
Cycle comprising starting (motor duty S4), with a load factor of 50% and 5 starts per hour, or an
equivalent thermal cycle: 1 start at 4 In for 25 seconds.

Protective functions:

36. The starter will have to incorporate PTC probe processing.

37. The starter will have to continuously calculate the heating of the motor from the actual current
measured (the current having to be measured and not estimated). Several classes of thermal
protection will have to be offered conforming to the standard EN/IEC60947-4-2: classes 10A, 10,
20, 30 as well as the intermediary classes; one inferior to class 10A, one between classes 10 and
20 and one between classes 20 and 30. The calculation of the thermal protection must be
performed even when the starter is not being supplied.

38. The starter will have to be protected against thermal overloads.

39. The starter will have to detect an underload from the motor torque information. The detection
threshold as well as the allowed duration of the underload will have to be adjustable. This
protection will be able to lead to either a fault on the starter or simple indication in the form of an
alarm via a logic output.

40. The starter will have to detect an overload from the motor current information. The detection
threshold as well as the allowed duration of the overload will have to be adjustable. The duration
of the overload will be able to be adjusted from 0.1 seconds. This protection will be able to lead to
either a fault on the starter or simple indication in the form of an alarm via a logic output.

41. The starter will have to have protection against supply line phase inversion and also against phase
failure of the supply or motor.

42. The starter will take into account management of an external fault. When the contact is open, the
starter goes to fault mode.

43. The protective functions will have to be maintained even when the starter is bypassed by a
contactor.

Communication:

44. The starter will have to include a multidrop serial link for its direct connection on Modbus.

45. The starter will have to be able to be connected to Ethernet and other networks, with connection to
communication bus as an option.

46. The communication will have to provide access to the control, to the adjustment and to the
supervision of the starter.

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Main functions:

47. The starter will be able to start and decelerate several motors in cascade.

48. A second set of motor parameters will be able to be switched to by a logic input.

49. In order to protect the motor against condensation when stopped for long periods, the starter will
have to have a pre-heating function that does not involve rotation of the motor. The pre-heating
current will have to be adjustable.

50. The starter will have to pilot the starter bypass contactor: control closing of the bypass contactor
on completion of start-up and opening on receipt of the stop instruction. This function will have to
be compatible with the stop modes: freewheel, braked and decelerated.

51. The starter will be able to control the line contactor. The contactor will have to close following the
start instruction and open when the motor has come to a stop.

52. Access to the settings will be able to be code locked. The monitoring parameters will have to
remain visible.

Supervision:

53. The standard starter will have to have a dialogue screen and programming keys. As an option, a
remote programming terminal kit will have to be available.

54. The following information will have to be accessible on the dialogue screen:
- Motor current
- Motor torque
- Thermal state of motor
- Cosine ϕ
- Active power
- Current status (accelerating, decelerating, etc.)
- Elapsed operating time of starter
- Last fault detected

55. The following information will have to be accessible on the analogue output:
- Motor current
- Motor torque
- Thermal state of motor
- Cosine ϕ
- Active power

56. The starter will include optional evolved dialogue solutions, such as:
- software workshop for PC in order to prepare, store, download and print the settings,
- terminal with display, clearly showing the parameters.
- For these tools, a minimum of 5 languages will be available: English, French, German, Italian,
Spanish.

Motor data:

57. The starters will have to be dimensioned for operation with IEC or NEMA motors with the following
motor data: Power ___kW or ___HP, permanent current ___A amperes at a nominal voltage of
___ Volts.

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