Unit Selection - Electric Motor

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SEED Guides >

Unit Selection - Electric Motor

1.
2.
3.
4.

Aims
Selection Procedure
Factors Affecting Motor Selection
Motor Selection and Specification

Original Guide by P H Hamilton

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1. Aims
The purpose of this guide is to enable the user to determine the attributes required of an electric
motor to meet a specific power transmission need and then to select one from those offered by
manufacturers. It has been compiled as part of a series which covers typical elements of a system.
In this Guide only conventional power transmission motors will be considered. This covers AC and
DC motors between about 30 watts and 30 kilowatts. Other motors will be dealt with in other Guides.
Figure 1 shows a generalised procedure for selecting elements in the system. It shows that it is
necessary to determine information about the drive system before the selection can take place.

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2. Selection Procedure
Before embarking on the selection procedure it is necessary to ensure that the need for an electric
motor, as distinct from other forms of drive, has been carefully considered. The Guide System
Selection -Rotary Power Transmission gives assistance in this process.
The successful selection of a suitable motor is the result of matching the requirements of the power
transmission system with one of the range of motors offered by the manufacturers. Thus information
about the system and information about available hardware is necessary.
Gather information about system
The most important information is usually related to its purpose, constituent elements, life,
performance, environment and the economic situation for which it is required. This information is
needed in order to understand the total system so that the motor selected consistent with the rest of
that system. The temptation to the mechanical engineer is to consider only purpose, performance and
perhaps environment should be strongly resisted. Although this stage is sometimes difficult and time
consuming it must be completed thoroughly if an appropriate unit is to be identified.
Decide on Influential Factors
Factors which influence the choice of motor must now be identified. A listing of most of the
important and common factors appears below. Not all of these factors are important on every
occasion so careful study of the system is required to ensure that those considered are actually
relevant. Refer to the Product Design Specification for the system.
Establish limits of acceptability for
factors
Each factor should then be defined in terms which are as objective as possible. Thus, where
appropriate, numerical information should be given, terms must be explained and vagueness avoided.
Then the boundaries of satisfaction must be defined for each of the chosen factors. This helps the
designer to decide which motors meet the requirements in each respect. The boundaries must be
numerical whenever possible. When subjective judgements are necessary a means of comparison
must be established.
Collate information from
manufacturers
Manufacturers' data should now be collected and arranged into a suitable format. There is a finite
number of motors available from manufacturers and the selection process is constrained by the form
and content of the information presented by them and the range of catalogues available. There is a
good case for maintaining a 'rolling' catalogue library or data on reference cards (or
microfilm/computer) since this stage can be very time consuming if a unique set of data is collected
separately on each occasion. Data on, say, size, performance, cost can be noted in numerical form,
giving a range where appropriate. In the case of less objective data a rating may be shown based on
advice or opinion gathered.
Select suitable element based on best

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match
Optimising the choice is now a process of finding the best compromise (in the opinion of the
designer) between the priorities of the system and the availability of the hardware. As far as the
factors involving numerical data are concerned, some yield a 'go/no-go' situation which will
eliminate those motors which are e.g.: too costly, too heavy, too big etc.
Other requirements involving more subjective data should be compared on the basis of their ability
to meet the criteria as laid down in the Product Design Specification. This may be an iterative process
which converges on the best compromise.
The evaluation technique used here will be similar to that used elsewhere in the design activity.
Consult manufacturer of chosen
element for advice if required
Further advice on the detail of installation or specifying and ordering will be required from the
manufacturer's information. Normally this would be available from the catalogue but sometimes it is
necessary to communicate directly with a representative of the company.
Electric motors are classified by the electrical supply required, the environmental conditions
prevailing and the mechanical drive characteristic produced. The designer must ensure that each of
these is taken into account when specifying the chosen motor. If in doubt the literature or
representative of the motor manufacturer should be consulted.

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3. Factors Affecting Motor Selection

Mechanical Output Required
The most likely starting point for motor selection is the output required from it to drive the system.
This information must be found from a consideration of the other elements in the system. Most of the
common elements are covered in other Guides in this series. The mechanical output can be subdivided as follows:
Load
Load is defined as the torque required to drive the system, including the driven machine.
This may be constant or may vary with speed. Thus a relationship between torque and speed, called a
characteristic of the system, should be established. Some typical load characteristics are illustrated
in Appendix 1. Some motor characteristics are shown in Appendix 2.
The nominal torque required by the system at normal running speed will be a function of the work
done by the driven machine. It is usual to estimate the percentage overload which might be applied
as a result of system malfunction before the motor reaches its stalling point. Figure 2 shows the
relationship between the required data.

If the torque varies with time then the maximum range should be found. If it varies with speed then
the relationship between the two is needed.
The Duty of the system involves the number of hours per day it is in use and the proportion of time
the system is working at full load. Motors are rated according to the time they can maintain their full
load without its temperature exceeding the maximum permitted by the insulation class. Continuous

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rating means it can work continuously and has a built in overload margin. Continuous maximum is
similar but without the overload margin. Intermittent rating for a given time means that working is
restricted to that time and a minimum time must be allowed for cooling between loaded periods. It
follows that for a given motor the 'continuous' rating has the lowest value. In order to take account of
the function of the driven machine and the duty cycle a service factor is used. Selected values of
service factor are shown in Appendix 3.
AC motors starting a system having high inertia usually demand a high starting current. This may be
inconvenient and may carry tariff penalties. Special starting devices may be appropriate. The inertia
of the system and the frequency of starting should be determined. The starting characteristics of
selected AC motors is shown in Appendix 4.
Acceleration of the system will depend on the difference between the torque required to drive the
system at a given speed and the torque provided by the motor at that speed. It is necessary to ensure
that this is sufficient and sometimes that it is not excessive.
The system mechanical efficiency accounts for all the 'losses' in the system. A guide to system
efficiencies is given in Appendix 5.
The nominal power requirement of the system is given by:
Nominal Torque(Nm) x Nominal Speed(rad/s) x Service Factor / System Efficiency
Drive
The motor may drive a machine through a coupling directly or through some intermediate device
such as a gearbox. In both cases the nature of the shaft coupling and the compatibility of the shaft
geometry is important. Shaft couplings are the subject of another Guide in this series.
Direction of
Rotation
Most systems are designed to rotate in a specific direction so it is necessary to determine which
direction. Some systems require to rotate in both directions, i.e. to be reversible.
DC motors can be reversed easily by switching the polarity of the supply. AC motors running on a
polyphase supply can be reversed by switching the phases. AC single phase motors are difficult to
reverse and are usually designed for a specific direction of rotation.
If reversing of the system is required the frequency of reversals must be determined. The system
inertia and acceleration characteristic will be important considerations.
Speed
For systems running at a nominally fixed speed it is necessary to determine that speed and the
permitted variation or tolerance. For systems which are required to be driven at varying speed the
speed range must be supplied as well. Many electric motors can be controlled easily over a wide
range of speeds. However it is important to specify the minimum acceptable speed range since there
are usually significant cost penalties involved.
DC motors may be controlled by varying the voltage of the supply with feedback if precision is
required. AC motors run at a nominal speed related to the frequency of the supply and the number
of field poles so changing either of these parameters can provide varying speed. In addition small
variations of speed may be obtained by varying the supply voltage or the electrical resistance of the

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rotating part of the motor. Standard speed motors should always be specified if possible, on cost
grounds.
Electrical Supply

The normal electrical supply to industrial installations in UK is 3-phase Alternating Current which
implies 415 volts at 50 Hz frequency. Single phase AC machines can be supplied from one of the
phases provided that the three phases are loaded as equally as possible. In some installations a Direct
Current supply may be available or be derived from the AC supply with the use of rectifier circuits.
If DC supply is already available its voltage and maximum permitted current should be
established. In some cases the maximum variation from the nominal voltage is important.
If the AC supply is to be used the number of phases available and frequency must be determined.
Then the nominal voltage, the lowest allowable power factor and the maximum permitted
current must be found. This last is particularly important for AC motors since during starting they
tend to draw high currents.
Environment
The environment of the motor is taken to include its entire conditions of working. These include: the
maximum ambient temperature of the cooling air: temperatures above 40 C reduce the nominal
rating of the motor. As an approximate guide an increase of 5 C in the ambient air temperature
reduces the power rating by 5%.
The altitude of installation: air density is reduced at significant altitudes above sea level and with it
the capacity of the air to cool the motor. The following table may be used as a guide:
Altitude (m)
Reduction in Power Rating (%)

2000

3000

4000

15

25

The combination of these two factors will affect the class of insulation to be specified for the motor
since both affect the cooling rate. The following table gives a guide to the allowable temperature rise
for the most common insulation classes.
Max. Temp Rise (C)
Insulation Class (BS 4999)

75

90

140

The condition of the surrounding air: this may be contaminated with liquid and/or solid particles of
varying sizes. This factor determines the type of enclosure to be specified. While there are
theoretically many types available, the three most common are:
drip-proof (DP); totally-enclosed / fan -cooled (TEFC); Flameproof (FP)
These are defined in Appendix 6 and together with other types are specified by British Standards.
The installation requirements: the space available to manoeuvre, install and fix the motor must be
determined and the means of handling it should be known especially if it is a large machine.
Motor casings may be mounted independently on flat surfaces or located on a driven machine using a
flange. Standard casing dimensions cover a range of motor types and are specified by British
Standards. Most manufacturers include dimensional information in their catalogues.
Motors must be firmly and accurately mounted to transmit the required torque and to avoid

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misalignment of the shafts. Special mountings may be used to adjust the motor's position or to reduce
the effects of vibration. All mountings should be checked to ensure that they are suitable for the
forces applied by motor torque, weight and inertia.
The cost of electric motors varies with power rating, type of motor, ancillary equipment required and,
of course, manufacturer. Appendix 7 gives a guide to the comparative cost of motors on the basis of
their 'type' and manufacturers should be asked for quotations for specific cases.

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SEED Guides Unit Selection - Electric Motor <

4. Motor Selection and Specification

By considering the above factors information relating to the requirements of the motor and the
conditions in which it is to operate is established. By comparing this information with the motors
available from a range of manufacturers a suitable motor may be found. It must then be specified
completely. A selection of manufacturers is given in Appendix 8 and an example of motor
specification is shown below.
Manufacturer's Name:
Catalogue reference number:
Motor Type:
Power Rating:
Duty:
Nominal Speed:
Enclosure Type:
Insulation Class:
Starting Equipment:
Overload Protection:

Crompton Parkinson Ltd.

MD 132 S
AC Squirrel Cage Induction
5.5 kW
Continuous
2855 rev/min
Totally- enclosed, Fan-cooled
E
Star-Delta; one start per hour
120% overload before max. current limit

APPENDIX 1: Relationships between Load and Speed

Figure 3 shows typical relationships between load and speed for three different machine types. They
are idealised diagrams and real systems will approximate to these characteristics.

APPENDIX 2: Some Common Electric Motor Characteristics

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It should be noted that universal motors can be supplied with AC or DC power. Other single phase
motors are only self-starting by virtue of an artificially created 'split phase'. The most common
methods of achieving this are shown.
3-phase induction motors are the most common in industrial applications of power transmission.
Different characteristics can be achieved by varying the design of the windings. The most common
variations are shown. Small variations of speed can be achieved by varying supply voltage or rotor
resistance.
DC motors may be designed to have constant power, constant torque or a combination of the two.

APPENDIX 3: Service Factors

TYPES OF ELECTRIC MOTOR
High Starting Torque Normal Starting Torque
e.g.: DC Series wound e.g.: DC Shunt wound
OPERATIONAL HOURS PER DAY
<10 10-16 >16 <10 10-16 >16

TYPES OF DRIVEN MACHINE

Light Duty

fans; light conveyors;

1.0

1 .1

1.2

1.1

1.2

1.3

Medium Duty

pumps; machine tools;

Heavy Duty

compressors; mills;

1 .1

1.2

1.3

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.4

1.5

1.6

Extra Heavy Duty

crushers; hoists;

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.5

1.6

1.8

For high inertia and reversing applications the above should be multiplied by 1.25.

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APPENDIX 5: Efficiencies of Drive Systems

TYPE OF DRIVE

EFFICIENCY (%)

TYPE OF DRIVE

Vee Belt
95
96 - 98
Flat Belt
97
Chain
96
Spur Gear (per pair)

EFFICIENCY (%)

Worm Gear (5:1 reduction) 96

Worm Gear (40:1 reduction) 86
98
Hydraulic Coupling

APPENDIX 6: Selected Enclosures for Electric Motors

Drip-Proof casings have ventilation openings in the end shield which are screened so that accidental
contact with moving parts is impossible. They are protected against the ingress of failing water (e.g.:
condensation) and are suitable for use in areas where cooling air is uncontaminated. They are the
lightest and least expensive of the options quoted in this Guide.
Totally-enclosed, Fan-cooled casings have all working parts completely enclosed. Cooling air is
forced over the casing by a fan mounted on the non-driving end of the shaft. They are suitable for use
in contaminated environments which do not contain inflammable substances.
Flameproof casings are similar to TEFC but of heavier construction and are designed to withstand
the explosion of a prescribed inflammable gas within it and not to transmit the flame to the same gas
in the surrounding atmosphere.
Other enclosures covered by BS 4999 include open frame, screen protected, marine.
APPENDIX 7: Comparative Cost of some Electric Motors
MOTOR TYPE
Split Phase
Capacitor Start
Cap Start/Cap Run
Permanent Split Cap
Shaded Pole
Repulsion Start
Basic 3-Phase Induction
DC with speed control

LOW COST

MED COST

HIGH COST

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

APPENDIX 8: Selected Manufacturers of Electric Motors

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The addresses and telephone numbers of the above and the product ranges from other manufacturers
may be found in a good quality engineer's Buyers' Guide.
APPENDIX 9: Selected relevant British Standards
BS 4941
BS 4999

Motor Starters: Direct on-line; reduced voltage; rheostatic.

General Requirements: classification and dimensions of casings; cooling
methods; methods of operation; limits to temperature rise; Characteristics and
performance; Noise; Thermal protection.

BS 5000

Requirements for particular applications; general; special protection;

flameproof.
Motor Starters for high line voltage.

BS 5856

Further information may be found in the following reference:

Small Motor, Gearmotor and Control Handbook (4th Edition) Bodine Electric Company (1978)
NOTE: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information given is correct and up-todate, SEED the publishers and authors cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that
might occur in this Guide. Use of the methods or data on projects for application outside the
educational environment should be justified and validated during the course of the designer's normal
professional duties.

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