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RelianceFormulas&Calculations

BasicMotorFormulasAndCalculations
Theformulasandcalculationswhichappearbelowshouldbeusedforestimating
purposesonly.ItistheresponsibilityofthecustomertospecifytherequiredmotorHp,
Torque,andacceleratingtimeforhisapplication.Thesalesmanmaywishtocheckthe
customersspecifiedvalueswiththeformulasinthissection,however,ifthereisserious
doubtconcerningthecustomersapplicationorifthecustomerrequiresguaranteed
motor/applicationperformance,theProductDepartmentCustomerServicegroupshould
becontacted.

RulesOfThumb(Approximation)
At1800rpm,amotordevelopsa3lb.ft.perhp
At1200rpm,amotordevelopsa4.5lb.ft.perhp
At575volts,a3phasemotordraws1ampperhp
At460volts,a3phasemotordraws1.25ampperhp
At230voltsa3phasemotordraws2.5ampperhp
At230volts,asinglephasemotordraws5ampperhp
At115volts,asinglephasemotordraws10ampperhp

MechanicalFormulas
Torqueinlb.ft.=

HPx5250
rpm

HP=

Torquexrpm
5250

rpm=

120xFrequency
No.ofPoles

TemperatureConversion
DegC=(DegF32)x5/9
DegF=(DegCx9/5)+32

HighInertiaLoads

t=

WK2 xrpm
308xTav.

T=

WK2 xrpm
308xt

WK2 =inertiainlb.ft.2
t=acceleratingtimeinsec.
T=Av.acceleratingtorquelb.ft..

inertiareflectedtomotor=LoadInertia

Loadrpm 2
Motorrpm

SynchronousSpeed,FrequencyAndNumberOfPolesOfAC
Motors
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ns=

RelianceFormulas&Calculations

120xf
P

Pxns
120

f=

P=

120xf
ns

RelationBetweenHorsepower,Torque,AndSpeed

HP=

Txn
5250

5250HP
n

T=

n=

5250HP
T

MotorSlip

%Slip=

nsn
x100
ns

Code KVA/HP

Code KVA/HP

Code

KVA/HP

Code

KVA/HP

03.14

5.05.59

9.09.99

16.017.99

3.153.54

5.66.29

10.011.19

18.019.99

3.553.99

6.37.09

11.212.49

20.022.39

4.04.49

7.17.99

12.513.99

22.4&Up

4.54.99

8.08.99

14.015.99

Symbols

= currentinamperes

= voltageinvolts

KW = powerinkilowatts
KVA = apparentpowerinkilovoltamperes
HP

= outputpowerinhorsepower

= motorspeedinrevolutionsperminute(RPM)

ns

= synchronousspeedinrevolutionsperminute(RPM)

= numberofpoles

= frequencyincyclespersecond(CPS)

= torqueinpoundfeet

EFF = efficiencyasadecimal
PF

= powerfactorasadecimal

EquivalentInertia
Inmechanicalsystems,allrotatingpartsdonotusuallyoperateatthesamespeed.Thus,
weneedtodeterminethe"equivalentinertia"ofeachmovingpartataparticularspeed
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RelianceFormulas&Calculations

oftheprimemover.
ThetotalequivalentWK2 forasystemisthesumoftheWK2 ofeachpart,referencedto
primemoverspeed.
Theequationsays:
WK2 EQ=WK2 part

Npart
Nprimemover

Thisequationbecomesacommondenominatoronwhichothercalculationscanbe
based.Forvariablespeeddevices,inertiashouldbecalculatedfirstatlowspeed.
Let'slookatasimplesystemwhichhasaprimemover(PM),areducerandaload.
WK2 =100lb.ft.2

WK2 =900lb.ft.2
(asseenatoutputshaft)

WK2 =27,000lb.ft.2

PRIMEMOVER

3:1GEARREDUCER

LOAD

TheformulastatesthatthesystemWK2 equivalentisequaltothesumofWK2 partsat

theprimemover'sRPM,orinthiscase:
WK2 EQ=WK2 pm+WK2 Red.

Red.RPM 2
LoadRPM 2
+WK2 Load
PMRPM
PMRPM

Note:reducerRPM=LoadRPM
WK2 EQ=WK2 pm+WK2 Red.

1
3

1
3

2 +WK2 Load

TheWK2 equivalentisequaltotheWK2 oftheprimemover,plustheWK2 oftheload.

ThisisequaltotheWK2 oftheprimemover,plustheWK2 ofthereducertimes(1/3)2 ,
plustheWK2 oftheloadtimes(1/3)2 .
Thisrelationshipofthereducertothedrivenloadisexpressedbytheformulagiven
earlier:
WK2 EQ=WK2 part

Npart
Nprimemover

Inotherwords,whenapartisrotatingataspeed(N)differentfromtheprimemover,the
WK2 EQisequaltotheWK2 ofthepart'sspeedratiosquared.
Intheexample,theresultcanbeobtainedasfollows:
TheWK2 equivalentisequalto:
WK2 EQ=100lb.ft.2 +900lb.ft.2

1
3

2 +27,000lb.ft.2

1
3

Finally:
WK2 EQ=lb.ft.2 pm+100lb.ft.2 Red +3,000lb.ft2 Load
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RelianceFormulas&Calculations

WK2 EQ=3200lb.ft.2
ThetotalWK2 equivalentisthatWK2 seenbytheprimemoveratitsspeed.

ElectricalFormulas
AlternatingCurrent

ToFind

SinglePhase

ThreePhase

Ampereswhenhorsepowerisknown

HPx746
ExEffxpf

HPx746
1.73xExEffxpf

Ampereswhenkilowattsareknown

Kwx1000
Expf

Kwx1000
1.73xExpf

Ampereswhenkvaareknown

Kvax1000
E

Kvax1000
1.73xE

IxExpf
1000

1.73xIxExpf
1000

IxE
1000

1.73xIxE
1000

IxExEffxpf
746

1.73xIxExEffxpff
746

Kilowatts
Kva
Horsepower=(Output)

I=AmperesE=VoltsEff=Efficiencypf=PowerFactorKva=Kilovoltamperes
Kw=Kilowatts

LockedRotorCurrent(IL)FromNameplateData

ThreePhase:IL=

577xHPxKVA/HP
E

1000xHPxKVA/HP
SinglePhase:IL=
E

See:KVA/HPChart

EXAMPLE:Motornameplateindicates10HP,3Phase,460Volts,CodeF.
IL=

577x10x(5.6or6.29)
460

IL= 70.25or78.9Amperes(possiblerange)

EffectOfLineVoltageOnLockedRotorCurrent(IL)(Approx.)

IL@ELINE=IL@EN/Px

ELINE

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RelianceFormulas&Calculations

EN/P
EXAMPLE:Motorhasalockedrotorcurrent(inrushof100Amperes(IL)attherated
nameplatevoltage(EN/P)of230volts.
WhatisILwith245volts(ELINE)appliedtothismotor?
IL@245V.=100x254V/230V
IL@245V.=107Amperes

BasicHorsepowerCalculations
Horsepowerisworkdoneperunitoftime.OneHPequals33,000ftlbofworkper
minute.Whenworkisdonebyasourceoftorque(T)toproduce(M)rotationsaboutan
axis,theworkdoneis:
radiusx2 xrpmxlb.or2 TM
WhenrotationisattherateNrpm,theHPdeliveredis:
HP=

radiusx2 xrpmxlb.
TN
=
33,000
5,250

Forverticalorhoistingmotion:
HP=

WxS
33,000xE

Where:
W = totalweightinlbs.toberaisedbymotor
S = hoistingspeedinfeetperminute
E = overallmechanicalefficiencyofhoistandgearing.Forpurposesofestimating
E = .65foreff.ofhoistandconnectedgear.
Forfansandblowers:
HP= Volume(cfm)xHead(inchesofwater)

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