Fundamentals of a Motor Thermal Model and its

Applications in Motor Protection

B.Venkataraman, B.Godsey
Black & Veatch Corporation

W. Premerlani
GE Global Research
Niskayuna, New York

E.Shulman, M.Thakur, R.Midence

GE Multilin
Markham, Ontario

1. Abstract
This paper discusses the fundamentals of a motor thermal
model and its mathematical interpretation and physics for the
different stages of motor operation. (overload, locked rotor, too
frequent or prolonged acceleration, duty cycling applications).
It explains Thermal Model Time Constants and other technical
parameters that cause the biasing of the thermal model
algorithm. Other topics covered in this paper show that (a)
detailed motor data sheet information, and (b) coordination
between the protection engineer and the motor supplier, can
lead to proper selection of motor thermal protection parameters.
This paper presents a closer look at motor stall, acceleration
and running thermal limit curves. It also explains the concept
of thermal capacity and elaborates on how thermal capacity is
evaluated in motor protection devices. The following points are
also covered in this paper:

Discusses some additional methods, such as voltagedependant and slip-dependant motor overload curves,
employed to evaluate thermal capacity in
nonstandard motor applications,
Presents the concept of matching thermal
time constants for motor cyclic loads cases.
In addition, the response of a thermal
model algorithm in practical applications is
demonstrated.
Describes a real case example showing how
to apply and fine-tune the thermal model in
high-inertia load application.
Explores in this context, some of the key
topics that will ensure safe operation of the
motor while promoting satisfactory motor
design characteristics.

2. Introduction
Induction motors are the workhorses of any
industrial plant. Typical motor applications
include pumps, fans, compressors, mills,
shredders, extruders, de-barkers, refiners,
cranes, conveyors, chillers, crushers, and
blowers. Statistics have shown that despite their
reliability and simplicity of construction, annual
motor failure rate is conservatively estimated
at 3-5% per year, and in extreme cases, up to

12%, as in the Pulp and Paper industry. Downtime in a factory

can be very expensive and, in some instances, may exceed
the cost of motor replacement. Proper machine protection is
required to minimize the motor failure rate, prevent damage
to associated equipment and to ensure both personnel safety
and production targets.
The document Report of Large Motor Reliability Survey of
Industrial and Commercial Installations, published by the IEEE
Motor Reliability Working Group [3] contains the results of IEEE
and EPRI surveys on motor reliability and major causes of motor
failure. The summary of these results is shown in Table I.
In spite of different approaches and criteria (IEEE failure groups
are formed according to cause of failure and EPRI according to
failed component) both studies indicate a very similar failure
percentage associated with mechanical- and electrical-related
machine problems.
Analyzing the data from this table we can conclude that
many failures are directly or indirectly related to, or caused

IEEE Study
Failure Contributor
Persistent Overload
Normal Deterioration

EPRI Study

Average

Failed Component

4.2%

Stator Ground Insulation

23.00

26.40%

Turn Insulation

4.00

Bracing

3.00

Electrical
Related
Failures

Core

1.00

Cage

5.00

Electrical Related Total

36.00%

Electrical Related Total

30.60%

High Vibration

15.50%

Sleeve Bearings

16.00

Poor Lubrication

15.20%

Antifriction Bearings

8.00

Trust Bearings

5.00

Rotar Shaft

2.00

Rotor Core

1.00

30.70%

Mechanical Related Total

32.00%

High Ambient Temp.

Bearing Seals

6.00

Abnormal Moisture

5.8

Oil Leakege

3.00

Abnormal Voltage

1.5

Frame

1.00

Abnormal Frequency

0.6

Wedges

1.00

Mechanical Related Total

Abrasive Chemicals

4.2

Poor Ventilation Cooling

3.9

Other Reasons

19.7

Other Components

21.00

38.70%

Maintenance Related &

Other Parts Total

32.00%

Environmental Reasons &

Other Reasons Total

33%
Mechanical
Related
Failures

31%
Environmental
Maintenance
& Other
Reasons
Related
Failures

35%

Table 1.
Summary of IEEE and EPRI Motor Reliability Surveys.

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

41

by, extensive heating of the different motor parts involved in

machine operation. That is why we find accurate tracking of
motor thermal status and adequate response of the motor
control system to abnormal situations to be very important.
Modern trends in motor design and construction are moving
in the direction of making motors more compact and efficient.
The use of inorganic insulation materials such as fiberglass
and silicon resins provides improved dielectric motor insulation
properties compared to legacy materials such as cotton
and varnish. But at the same time some new materials are
more vulnerable to excessive heating. Another important
consideration that should be consdered in tracking the thermal
state of the motor, is heating overestimation, which can also
cause undesirable motor stoppage and hence potentially costly
interruption of processes. The statements above clearly explain
the importance of an accurate thermal estimate of a motor in
service.
Currently this task (precise motor thermal protection) is strongly
supported by modern technology. The developed algorithms can
be implemented in microprocessor devices, which are capable
of providing a desirable level of accuracy and flexibility.
The thermal algorithm operates as per the following sequence:

42

Real-time motor data is supplied to microprocessor

device.

This data is processed according to the firmware thermal

algorithm program and compared with expected values,
stored in memory.

The protection device computes the analog value, which is

compared with the programmed threshold.

The protection device triggers the digital outputs if the

compared analog value exceeds this threshold.

In high-inertia load applications voltage monitoring can be

used in the thermal model algorithm to dynamically match
the thermal limit to different starting conditions. In some
applications speed sensors are employed to detect slow rotor
rotation or motor stall.
Another important part of thermal model implementation
is Expected values stored in MPD. This term implies that
information is available from the motor designer and motor
manufacturer, that is related to the thermal reserve, allowed
performance and thermodynamics of the motor in question.
The motor is not a homogeneous body and even one component
can be presented as a combination of nodes connected
via thermal resistance to each other and external ambient
conditions. For example, the stator has slot copper, end-head
copper, teeth and a core. Each node is characterized by its own
rate of temperature change. [6]
That is why in order to do the full analysis and detect a boundary
for normal operation, motor designers always target the
development of the most detailed model including electrical,
mechanical, thermal, and chemical components. But once
a motor is properly designed and constructed to its intended
specifications, a less detailed model is adequate to provide
thermal protection by evaluating thermal risk with reference to
motor data sheets and thermal damage curves.

The ideal analog method for modeling the thermal image in the
Motor Protection Device (MPD) would be to embed non-inertial
temperature sensors into the stationary (stator) and rotating
(rotor) parts of the motor structure. However, it is not feasible
to install temperature sensors in the rotors for technical
reasons, reliability and cost. An additional reason to reject such
temperature sensors as the main basis for thermal protection,
is the fact that the traditional Resistance Temperature Detector
(RTD) has a relatively slow reaction time and cant respond
adequately to the high speed of the heating process during
motor acceleration.

Common sense dictates reliance on a complete motor analyses

to determine the correspondence of the MPD algorithm variables
to the data typically available from the motor manufacturer.
MPD also incorporates simplified algorithms modeling physical
motor states and processes. This approach allows us to attain
an adequate level of thermal protection in modern MPD, for
any application, by handling the available motor information. In
trying to keep the algorithm simple we face another challenge.
It is rather difficult to relate the thermodynamic behavior of the
motor under steady-state conditions, with the rapid stator and
rotor heating that occurs during thermal motor transients such
as acceleration, stall and cyclic load change. The algorithm must
also account for heat transfer from the motors winding to the
housing and from the housing to the free (ambient) air. To resolve
this issue the time before trip parameter was selected as the
common criterion for thermal condition evaluation. Actually,
for motor acceleration and stall conditions, the safe stall time
specified by motor designers, is the only objective estimate of
the maximum allowable motor temperature, because of the
real difficulty of directly measuring the rotor temperature. [6]

Stator RTDs actually provide realistic results in monitoring the

temperature under balanced motor conditions, but again they
are not suitable for monitoring the fast thermal transients.

Based on the discussion in this section of the paper, the main

motor thermal algorithm requirements can be summarized as
follows:

Alternatively, a main real-time input thermal model could use

3-phase motor current. The electrical energy applied to the
motor is partially transformed into heat which is stored in the
motor. Thus this heat is a function of current and time. This fact,
plus some other factors and assumptions that will be covered
further in this paper, are employed to develop and implement
the current-based thermal model. 3-phase current values
measured in real-time are also used in special algorithms
applied to detect different stages of motor operation: stopped,
start, run, overload.

Accuracy. A precise estimate of the thermal motor image.

Consideration of different motor applications, such as
variable frequency, voltage unbalance, long acceleration,
cyclic loads. Reference to data specified by motor
designers.

Simplicity. The algorithm is easy to understand. A simple

way to calculate the thermal estimate of the motor for the
operational sequence in question.

Dependability. The capability of monitoring the thermal

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

capacity at any moment of motor operation. The thermal

estimate is maintained and responds adequately to MPD
power failure events.

A Start Supervision Element preventing an excessive

number of motor starting sequences.

A mechanical Jam Detector.

Compliance to industry standards.

The algorithm
must meet the requirements, and should follow the
recommendations listed in, IEEE Guide for AC Motor
Protection (Std C37.96-2000) [9] and IEEE Guide For the
Presentation of Thermal Limit Curves for Squirrel Cage
Induction Machines (Std 620-1996) [10].

An acceleration limit timer.

Phase Short Circuit and Ground Fault Protection Functions.

Voltage and Frequency elements ensuring motor operation

within specified limits. Phase Reversal Detection.

Power Elements to monitor and respond to abnormal motor

loading conditions.

MPD failure detection.

Reliability. The model is supported by alternative motor

temperature evaluation methods, based on RTDs
monitoring. This backup method is extremely useful in
cases where the thermal process significantly deviates
from what was expected because of abnormal ambient
temperatures or motor cooling impairment.

Communication capability to host computers to allow easy

integration into existing DCS and SCADA systems.

Cost justifiable.

Can be adapted (retrofitted) to multi-vendor MCCs and

motor starters.

Flexibility. The possibility of apply the model even in very

unusual cases.

Industrially hardened by means of a conforming coating, to

work in mill environment.

In addition to the accurate thermal model the state of the

art Motor Protection Device should be equipped with the
enhancements and additional functionality listed below.

Highly accurate predictions of mechanical and insulation

failure, as well as the broken rotor bar condition, without
removing the motor from service and without the need for
resident experts.

The capability of reading/capturing motor currents and

voltages during electrical system faults.

The capability of recording and storing in the devices

nonvolatile memory, time-stamped events related to
abnormal motor situations.

Easy Setup. The parameters required to set up the thermal

model are obtained from the standard set of motor data
readily available from motor manufacturers.

RTD Inputs for absolute temperature monitoring, alarming

and tripping of the motor at high temperatures.

Temperature-based stator thermal estimate, capable to

correct main thermal model in the abnormal operational
conditions

A temperature-based stator thermal estimate, capable

of correcting the main thermal model under abnormal
operating conditions

Wide selection of thermal overload curves; standard for

typical applications, user defined for unusual applications
and voltage dependant for special applications, featured
long starts of high inertia loads.

A Motor Start Lockout feature inhibiting the start of the

machine in the case of non-availability of sufficient thermal
reserve to complete the acceleration. The lockout time is
calculated based on the available thermal capacity, the
maximum learned value of Thermal Capacity Used (TCU)
during one of the last 5 successful starts and the rate of
temperature change for the motor at standstill.

A wide selection of thermal overload curves; standard for

typical applications, user-defined for unusual applications
and voltage-dependant for special applications, featuring
long starts of high inertia loads.

Thermal model biasing in response to the current unbalance

that causes an extensive heating effect.

The option to select separate cooling constants for the

motor in the stopped and running states.

A current unbalance element capable of issuing a warning

about a potentially dangerous level of unbalance and of
tripping the motor off line on singlephasing.

Additional protection functions can be provided using expensive

equipment such as vibration sensors and/or instruments to
display the current spectrum of the motor, to predict incipient
failures. These are not covered in this document.

3. Thermal Protection Theory

There are two main types of thermal risks for an overheated
motor: stator insulation may degrade and/or rotor
conductors may decrease their capability to resist bending
(deformation) forces or even melt. Deterioration of stator
insulation presents the chemical process that is governed by
an Arrhenius equation [6[, [7]. NEMA Motor Insulation Class
defines the maximum allowable temperature rise above the

Fig 1.
Aging Factor of Motor Insulation.

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

43

ambient or thermal limit, if temperature exceeds this limit it

doesnt cause immediate insulation failure but decreases the
insulations expected lifetime. A fairly accurate approximation
of Arrhenius equation states that an operating temperature
increase of 10C in excess of the thermal limit cuts the life of
stator insulation by half. The percent of life vs temperature
characteristics for different classes of insulation are shown at
Figure 1.
The thermal risk for a squirrel cage rotor is that the rotor
conductors may deform or melt. Since there is no insulation,
the rotor conductors can be operated at a much higher
temperature than the stator conductors. It is difficult and
impractical to provide a numerical temperature value defining
the rotor thermal limit. Motor designers address the maximum
allowable rotor temperature under stall, acceleration or any
other fast transient conditions by stating the stall time thermal
limits for a hot or cold motor. These values must correspond to
the system voltage level during the stall event. For the majority
of applications, the safe stall time defines the rotor thermal
limit, but in some special cases motor capability during stall
and acceleration is dictated by the stator thermal limit. A rule
of thumb to define a stator-limited motor says: When the
voltage rating of the motor is equal to or greater than 10 times
the horsepower rating, the motor is stator limited. For example:
500 HP, 6900 V. [8]
Steady-state operations such as running overloads are usually
not an issue for the rotor. Under running conditions the stator is
subject to extensive heating. Thus a stator overload protection
element ensures an overall sufficient level of thermal protection
for a rotor rotating at near synchronous speed.
The steady state and transient thermal behavior of the stator
and rotor conductors of a motor depends on the details of the
motor thermal circuit. The motor designer typically uses a rather
detailed thermal circuit, including separate representations
of stator iron, rotor iron, stator conductors, rotor conductors,
internal air, external air, motor shell and end shields. Details of
the thermal circuit depend on the ventilation construction of the
motor, including drip proof, totally enclosed fan cooled, and
totally enclosed non-ventilated. For example, heat storage in
each circuit element as well as convective or conductive heat
transfer between various pairs of circuit elements is included
in the model. A typical motor thermal circuit used by a motor
designer may have on the order of 20 nodes and 20 branches,
resulting in a dynamic response characterized by several time
constants.
Motor designers are typically interested in a few standard
thermal scenarios including steady state loading, cold, hot and
successive starting. The designer checks the computed steadystate temperature of the stator winding to make sure it is within
the capability of the selected insulation system, designers also
define the time limits to withstand overloads. It is also very
important to determine running and stopped motor cooling
rates especially for totally enclosed non-ventilated motor
designs and in some applications with intermittent use ratings.
The motor designer is also interested in allowable cold and hot
44

stalled times. Stalled thermal calculations are usually performed

assuming adiabatic conditions. The designer often concedes
the fact that the peak temperature of the stator winding may
temporarily exceed the steady state capability of the insulation
system, taking into account the expected application of the
motor and how many times it is expected to be stalled cold
or hot in a lifetime, in making a design compromise. After a
design is complete, a summary of the thermal model becomes
available. Basic information includes the steady state thermal
rating of the motor, hot and cold stall times, and the cooling
time constants of the motor. For medium and large motor
designs complete thermal damage curves of allowable time
versus current are provided as a standard.
Once the motor has been designed, and the basic operational
parameters have been established for steady state load and
cold and hot stall times, the responsibility shifts to thermal
protection for the motor. For majority of service conditions
the operating profile of the motor matches the assumptions
made by the motor designer, so that the main job of thermal
protection is to stay out of the way and let the motor run.
However, if motor is abused by mechanical breakage or human
error then protection steps in to assure there is no risk of thermal
damage.
The question is, what model should be used to protect the motor
when it is running? What is a reasonable compromise between
accuracy and complexity? What physics should be included?
What should be used as an estimate of operation limit?
As we mentioned before the ideal method would be to have
the direct accurate temperature measurement and use aging
factor to estimate the consumed motor thermal capacity. But
temperature sensors (RTD) have a delayed response to thermal
transients such as stall and acceleration and cant serve as a
basic criterion for a thermal model.
How detailed should the model be?
We should certainly provide a model with enough flexibility
to protect motors that have a dynamic thermal response
represented by several time-constants. A single time-constant
is not always adequate [6]. Physics shows that there are at least
4 distinct thermal time-constants: 2 for the stator conductors,
and 2 for the rotor conductors. For example, when heat is
generated in the stator conductors, the first effect is to raise
the temperature of the conductors. The stator winding in the
stator slots are surrounded by a steel magnetic core. Therefore,
as the windings get hot, heat begins to flow from the windings
into the steel core. The combination of the thermal capacity of
the winding and the thermal conductivity/impedance between
the winding and the steel core establishes a short timeconstant. Heat that continues to flow from the winding into the
surrounding core is stored in the core, causing its temperature
to rise, but more gradually than the initial rate of rise of the
windings, because of the greater thermal capacity of the core.
Eventually, the temperature of the core (and the motor frame,
etc.) also rises, causing heat transfer by convection to the
surrounding air. The combination of the thermal capacity of the
core and the frame and the thermal impedance between them
and the cooling air establishes a time-constant that is much

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

longer than that of the winding-core interaction.

So, the next question is, what is the best way to go beyond a
single time-constant model?
The most reasonable way to model the thermal state of the
motor is to measure motor current and to correlate it in real
time to motor thermal damage curves. The manufacturers
thermal damage curves represent the results of simulations
of a complete motor model, including a multi-node thermal
model. The curves capture the multi-time-constant parameters
and thermal damage times for running, stall and sometimes
acceleration conditions of the motor. Typical curves are shown
at Figure 3. Any point on the motor thermal damage curve
represents a thermal time limit at a specific level of current,
or in other words: The thermal limit defines how long a motor
can withstand the corresponding level of stator current without
exceeding the thermal boundary specified by the motor
manufacturer. Details of the thermal model implementation,
based on overload curves are given in the next section.
In this section we answer two important theoretical questions
concerning a thermal model based on motor thermal damage
curves (overload curves):
1.
2.

What is the relationship between standard overload curves

and a single time-constant thermal model?
Does an overload curve based thermal model behave
correctly when it is used in applications in which the load is
not constant?

We turn to mathematical analyses of the physics to answer

theses two questions, starting with an analysis of a single timeconstant model. The thermodynamic behavior of homogeneous
body at rest (motor) heated by electrical current can be described
by a single time-constant thermal equation:

dT ct 
I c2 t  R  H T ct 
dt
T ct  motor temperature rise above ambient
I ct  motor current
C

(1)

It is convenient to rewrite equation (1) in terms of per unit

temperature rise and per unit current:

I rated
Tmax

C
H

dT t 
dt

2
I rated
R
 T t 
H Tmax

(3)

I 2 t   T t 

(4)

Equation (4) can be used to analyze the thermal response of

a single time-constant model to a steady overload. It can be
shown that the solution of equation (4) for a steady overload,
starting from a cold initial condition, is given by:

T t 

I 2 1  et / W

I per unit motor current (a constant)

T t  per unit motor temperature rise

(5)

Equation (5) can be solved for the amount of time needed for
the temperature rise to reach the thermal limit of the motor, i.e.
T(t)=1:
I2
tmax I  W ln 2
I 1

tmax I  time estimated by a simple thermal

(6)

model for the motor temperature to

reach thermal limit

To develop a comparison between a single time constant

thermal model and overload curves, we now turn our attention
to standard overload curves, which are given by:

tmax I 

87.4 CM
I 2 1
trip time, seconds

(7)

curve multiplier

To compare standard overload curves with the behavior of a

single time constant model, it is useful to start by recognizing
that the numerator of the right hand side of equation (7)
corresponds to a time constant:

per unit temperature rise

t max I 

per unit current

W CM

(2)

rated current

I 2 t 

The maximum temperature is related to the rated current such

2
I rated
R
= 1 . In that case, equation (3) can be rewritten
that
as: H T max

CM

electrical resistance

T t  T ct  / Tmax
I t  I ct  / I rated

dT t 
dt

tmax I 

C specific heat capacity of the motor

H running heat dissipation factor
R

W CM
I 2 1
87.4 CM

(8)

Equation (6) and equation (8) are plotted in Figure 2. In order to

make the curves align for large values of current, it is necessary
to satisfy the following constraint:

motor temperature at thermal limit

trip condition

In that case, equation (1) can be rewritten as:

C
H

W CM

87.4 CM

(9)

In other words, in order for an overload curve to match a single

time-constant thermal model during a simple step overload, the
Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

45

We then take the first two terms in a Taylors expansion of

ln (1 x ) with respect to x around the point x = 0:
ln(1  x ) | ln(1)  x |  x

? t max I  |

I2

x  1

I 2 !! 1

(12)

Equation (8) describes how long it will take a standard overload

curve to reach thermal limit for a constant overload. We now
turn our attention to how a standard overload curve behaves
during cycling loads. We start with the differential equation that
is used to implement standard overload curves:
dT t 
dt

Fig 2.
Single Constant Thermal Model vs Relay Overload Curve Comparison

time-constant implied by the curve multiplier of the overload

curve must be set equal to the time-constant of the single timeconstant model. In Figure 2, the ratio of the time divided by the
time-constant is plotted against per unit current. It can be seen
that although equation (6) is not exactly the same as equation
(8), the approximation is very close, particularly for large values
of current. For lower values of current, the standard overload
curves are a better approximation to typical motor overload
curves than a single time-constant model. That is because
there are at least two time-constants in the thermal response
of a motor. Over short time intervals, the thermal response
of a motor is dominated by heat transfer from the stator and
rotor conductors to iron. Over longer time intervals, the thermal
response is dominated by heat transfer from the iron to cooling
air. A single time-constant model cannot be accurate over the
full range of operation and tends to overprotect a motor when
it is operated near its rated load. A standard overload curve
provides protection that is a closer match to a motors thermal
limit. The close proximity of the two curves for large values of
current is not a coincidence because both models are equivalent
to an adiabatic model for large values of current. This can be
shown mathematically by finding the asymptotic behavior of
the two curves. First, equation (8) is given approximately by:

t max I 
t max I  |

W CM
I 1
2

W CM
I2

(10)

I !! 1
2

A similar approximation can be shown to hold for equation

(6) by rewriting and taking a Taylors expansion in terms of
the reciprocal of the square of the current. First, we rewrite to
explicitly show the dependence on the reciprocal of the square
of the per unit current:
I2

t max I  W ln 2
I  1
1

t max I  W ln

1  1/ I 2
t max I 
x

46

W ln1  x 

W ln 1  1 / I 2

(11)

I 2 t   1

(13)

W CM

To gain insights into what the response is to a cycling load,

we will consider a simple cycling load in which the current
alternates between no load and an overload value:

Ilow

0 | current during the low cycle

I high

current during the high cycle

tlow time interval for the low cycle

thigh time interval for the high cycle

(14)

Motor heating is proportional to the square of the current, so

the effective current for heating over the cycle is:

(15)

Equation (15) can also be expressed in terms of a duty cycle

ratio:
H effective
D

D I high 2  1  D  I low 2

duty cycle ratio

t high

(16)

t low  t high

If the current and heating are expressed in per unit and the low
cycle current is approximately equal to zero, the steady state
boundary condition for tripping the motor becomes:
1 = D I high 2

(17)

Equation (17) defines the appropriate response to a duty cycle.

It can be shown that a single time-constant model provides
approximately this response. The next question is what is the
response of a standard overload curve to a duty cycle? Analysis
of a standard curve under load cycling conditions will show
that the response is correct, and will reveal how to properly
set an overload curve model to match the behavior specified
by equation (17). We must consider values of current below
pickup, during which our motor thermal model is defined by the
following differential equation:

1/ I 2
Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

dT t 
dt

W cool

equal to one resulting in the following consistency constraint:

hot
I 1 
 T t 
W cool cold

cooling time constant

1

(18)

hot hot stall time

cold cold stall time

hot

The factor
cold is included to match the hot and cold
stall times specified by the motor manufacturer. By including
the factor in the cooling computation, the hot overload curve
is effectively shifted down by the correct amount relative to the
cold overload curve to account for the difference in time to
trip of hot and cold motor conditions.
For the load cycle under consideration, the current during the
unloaded part of the cycle is approximately equal to zero, so the
differential equation given by (18) reduces to:
dT t 
T t 
(19)

W cool
dt
Taken together, equations (19) and (13) describe the behavior
of our model during the assumed load cycle. The approximate
temperature rise during the overload portion of the load cycle
estimated by the overload curve is computed by multiplying
equation (13) by the overload time:

'Thigh |

W CM

2
I high
 1 t high

(20)

The approximate temperature drop estimated by the cooling

model during the unloaded portion of the duty cycle is
computed by multiplying equation (19) by the appropriate time,
with per unit temperature equal to 1, because that is what it will
be approximately equal to during a limit cycle that approaches
tripping:
1
'Tlow | 
tlow
(21)
W
cool

The overload detection boundary is determined by setting the

net temperature change equal to zero. This implies that the
total of the right hand sides of equations (20) and (21) taken
together is equal to zero:

'Thigh  'Tlow

W CM

2
I high
 1 t high 

W cool

t low

87.4 CM
(24)
60
Equation (24) represents a consistency constraint relating the
cooling time-constant and the curve multiplier of a standard
overload curve. Figure 9 shows what can happen if it is not
satisfied. There are three cases shown for a cycling load with an
approximate per unit heating value of one. In the first case, the
cooling time-constant is set too long resulting in over-protection
and early motor tripping. In the second case, the cooling timeconstant is set according to equation (24) to match the implied
time-constant of the curve multiplier, and the protection is
correct. In the third case, the cooling time-constant is set
too short, resulting in under-protection and possible motor
overheating.

W cool (min)

4. Thermal Model Algorithm

The thermal model algorithm was developed in order to create
the thermal image of the motor and closely track the thermal
conditions for all states of motor operation. The following states
of motor operation are recognized:

Motor Stopped: Current is below zero level threshold and

motor switching device indicates the open status.

Motor Starting: State is declared when previous state was

Stopped and current greater than 2% of the motor full
load amps has been detected. The motor current must
increase to the level of overload pickup (service factor
times full load amps) within 1 second otherwise motor will
transfer into the next state: Running

Motor Running: State is declared when previous state was

Starting and motor current drops below overload pickup
level.

Motor Overloaded: State is declared when previous state

was Running and motor current raises above the overload
pickup level.

0 (22)

Equation (22) can be rearranged to show that standard overload

curves respond correctly to cycling loads. Equation (22) also
reveals how to properly select parameters for a load cycling
applications:
1

W cool
2
D I high
W CM

(23)

Equation (23) expresses the actual overload detection boundary

of an overload curve model in terms of its settings, the duty
cycle, and the amount of overload. Except for the factor
of cool
, equation (23) is exactly the same as the ideal overload
CM
detection boundary, specified by equation (17). Equation (23)
and equation (17) will be identical, provided that cool
is set
CM

Fig 3.
Motor Thermal Limit Curves

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

47

Thermal Capacity Used (TCU) evaluates the thermal condition

of the motor. TCU is expressed as percentage of the thermal
limit used during motor operation. Per IEEE Std 620-1996 (10)
the motor thermal limit is presented in the form of a timecurrent curve for 3 possible motor overload conditions: locked
rotor, acceleration and running overload. Every point on this
curve represents the maximum allowable save time at a stator
current above normal load.
TCU is incrementally updated every 100 milliseconds and the
integrated value of TCU is stored in the thermal memory register
of MPD according to the following equation.
TCU @ T

TCU @ T 1 

TIME INTERVAL
u 100%
TIME TO  TRIP

(25)

The following example can be a good illustration of TCU

accumulation during the cold motor start; initial TCU is equal to
0%. Motor starting pattern (1) and relay overload curve (2) are
shown at Figure 3.
For simplicity assume that the time interval for TCU update is 1
second. Every point of motor current on this plot corresponds
to the number of seconds that motor can withstand before
tripping on overload. The numerical values showing the progress
of TCU accumulation during 17 seconds of motor acceleration
are presented in table 2. We can observe that by the end of a
successful starting the thermal memory of the motor protection
device (MPD) accumulates 46.7% of TCU.

Thus HCR is 8 sec / 10 sec = 0.8 and the level of stabilized TCU
featuring the hot motor is equal to 20%, or in other words the
allowed motor thermal withstand time at overload conditions
will effectively decrease by 20%. If the motor load is lower then
100% the TCU level corresponding to the hot motor condition
is proportionally lower: 75% load 15% TCU, 50% load 10%
TCU and so on.
The unbalanced stator phase current will cause additional
rotor heating due to the developed negative sequence current
and flux rotating in the opposite direction to rotor rotation with
approximately double the power system frequency. The skin
effect in the rotor bars at this frequency will cause a substantial
increase in rotor resistance and hence increased heating, which
is not accounted for by the regular thermal model. In order
to account for this additional heating factor the Equivalent
Current concept is introduced. The idea is that the current
input into the thermal model is biased to reflect the additional
heating caused by the negative sequence component of the
load current.
I EQ

2
IM
u (1  K u ( I 2 I 1 ) 2 )

(26)

where:
I EQ - equivalent motor heating current
I M - real motor current
I1 - positive sequence component of real motor current
I 2 - negative sequence component of real motor current
K - unbalance bias factor

The Unbalance Bias K factor reflects the degree of extra heating

caused by the negative sequence component of the load
current and can be defined as the ratio of Positive Sequence
Rotor Resistance to Negative Sequence Rotor Resistance. It
is practical and quite accurate to use the estimate method
to define the K factor. Equations for typical and conservative
estimates are presented below.
(27)
where I LRC is the motor locked rotor current.

Table 2.
Thermal Capacity Used (TCU) calculation.

Typically the motor manufacturer provides locked rotor thermal

limit curves or locked rotor safe stall time values for 2 motor
conditions: cold motor (motor @ ambient temperature) and hot
motor (motor @ ambient + rated rise temperature). In order to
distinguish between the 2 aforementioned motor conditions
the additional motor parameter, Hot/Cold Stall Time Ratio (HCR)
is included in MPD algorithm.
These parameters define the proportional increase of TCU of the
motor running fully loaded at a settled temperature compared
to the motor resting at ambient temperature. For example let us
assume that according to the motor data sheets the Cold Safe
Stall Time is 10 seconds and the Hot Safe Stall Time is 8 seconds.
48

Of cause, in order to provide a complete thermal model of

the motor in service, the cooling process must be taken into
account. Cooling is characterized by Cooling Time-constants.
These constants define the rate of cooling under stopped and
running operating conditions.
When the motor is running at rated load, TCU accumulated
during the motor start will decay exponentially and will stabilize
at the level of TCU matching hot motor thermal conditions. If
the motor load is lower, then obviously the thermal balance
point is proportionally reduced.
The stopped motor will also be subjected to the exponential
decay of TCU stored in MPD thermal memory during motor
operation. Natural cooling of the rotating motor or forced
cooling by means of the special fans installed on the machine
shaft cause a much higher cooling rate of the running machine
compared to the motor at standstill, typically the ratio is 2:1.

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

Thus 2 separate Cooling Time-Constants are used in the Thermal

Model Algorithm. The equations to calculate TCU decay of the
cooling motor are as follows:
(28)
Where:
TCU START (%)
t (min)

TCU END (%)

is the initial value of TC accumulated

by the moment the cooling starts;
is duration of cooling;
is the Cooling Time Constant;
is the steady state level of TC

3. RTD bias maximum

This point is set to the temperature rise equal to the motor
insulation thermal limit.
Typically for NEMA B class motors insulation class is F with
temperature rise above ambient of 115C. The TCU at maximum
temperature point is equal to 100%.
Rate of change of TCU between the adjacent points is
approximated as linear.

The steady state thermal condition for the motor at stand

still is the ambient temperature, which is corresponding to
(29)
TCU END (%) = 0 .
The steady state thermal condition for the running motor is
calculated as:

TCU END

I eq
SF u FLA

u 1  HCR  u 100%

(30)

Where:

In some unforeseen situations, when the motor cooling is

blocked or ambient temperature deviates significantly from
the industry standard value (40C), it becomes difficult to
accurately replicate the motors thermal condition based solely
on the measured current. That is why it is practical to apply
an independent algorithm, calculating TCU by means of stator
RTDs (resistance temperature detectors) and correcting the
thermal model upwards if needed.

Fig 4.

The RTD-TCU Curve is constructed based on the 3 key points.

See Figure 4 for details.

Let us assume that the following motor information is available

to us.

1. RTD bias minimum

RTD Bias of Thermal Model

5. Thermal Model Behavior at Different

Operational Conditions
In order to illustrate how TCU varies during motor operation let us
review the following motor data and operational sequences.

Motor thermal limit curves are as presented at Figure 3.

Motor Cold and Hot Locked Rotor Times at 100% of the

system voltage are 34 and 26 seconds respectively. At 80%
of the system voltage Cold and Hot Locked Rotor Times are
50 and 38 seconds respectively.

Motor Acceleration at 100% of the system voltage is 17

seconds. Maximum locked rotor current is 6 times that of
full-load amperes (FLA). The MPD overload curve that we
employ as a limit to calculate TCU, is shown in Figure 3.
Please note that the location of this curve is between the
hot and cold thermal limit curves supplied by the motor
manufacturer. The time-current relation in this curve is per
following equation:

Set to 40C or another value of ambient temperature, if the

appropriate RTD is available. TCU is equal to 0%.

2. RTD bias mid point

The mid-point temperature is set according to the motors hot
running temperature and is calculated as follows:
Rated Temperature Rise + Ambient Temperature
For example: The temperature rise for NEMA Class B motors
with 1.15 Service Factor, is 90C. Thus the temperature value for
this point is 130C. The TCU quantity for this point is the value of
a steady-state running condition @ rated motor load, and can
be found as:
TCU CENTER = (1 HCR ) 100%

(31)

Tto trip (sec)

87.4 u 12
2
I EQ
1

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

(32)

49

The Running and Stopped Motor Cooling Constants are

respectively 20 and 40 minutes. Motor Service Factor =
1.15.

Current Unbalance Factor: 6

Sequence 1: Combined operation (Figure 5)

State A. Initially the motor is at ambient temperature.
TCU = 0%. The motor is ready to start.
Section AB. The motor is successfully started at 100% voltage.
Acceleration time = 17.1 seconds, TCU accumulated during
start is 46.7% (details are in Table 2)
Section BC. The motor runs for 45 minutes at a steady load of
80% with 10% current unbalance. TCU by the end of the period,
exponentially decays to level of 19.5 %. TCU is calculated per
equation 25.
Section CD. The Motor runs at 125% balanced overload for 15
minutes. TCU increments to the level of 67.7%.

Fig 6.
Stall Trip. 100% Voltage

Section DE. The Motor runs at 125% overload with 10%

current unbalance until the thermal capacity reaches 100%
and the relay trips the motor offline in 8.5 minutes. It is not well
illustrated on the graph, but the addition of current unbalance
at the running overload state decreases the trip time by 1.5
minutes or 15% (the calculated balanced overload trip time for
the section DE is 10 minutes).
Section EF. The motor is at standstill and cools down to ambient
temperature for 150 minutes. TCU decays to approximately 0
level. The rate of cooling is 2 times slower than of the running
motor.

Fig 7.
Stall Trip. 80% Voltage

Figures 6 and 7 demonstrate how the thermal model provides

an adequate protection where the motor is taken offline before
the thermal limit is reached. This situation has been evaluated
for hot and cold motor conditions at both 100% and 80% of the
system voltages applied to the motor.

Sequence 3: Running overload

Fig 5.

Three different scenarios are considered:

Thermal capacity used during motor operation.

The motor is overloaded immediately after a cold start.

Sequence 2: Motor stall

An overload is applied to the motor that was started, and,

prior to overload, run unloaded for 2 hours.

An overload is applied to the motor that was started and,

prior to overload, run at full load for 2 hours.

The motor can be seriously damaged if a rotor stall occurs

during the start attempt. Stall can occur due to a mechanical
breakage or a human mistake. The stalled motor draws current
equal to locked rotor amps. Locked rotor time (LRT) values
provided by the motor manufacturer specify the thermal limit
for the motor at ambient and rated conditions. Typically LRT is
specified for the motor starts performed at 80% and 100% of
the system voltages.
50

The overload that was applied in all three cases was 125%
of motor full-load amps.The motor thermal limit time values
allow for applying a 125% overload to the cold and hot motor
for 50 and 29 minutes respectively (data can be found in

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

Figure 3). The first case is characterized by severe heat

generation in the rotor bars during the startup. Immediately
following, the motor startup, the overload heats up the stator
windings preventing heat transfer to the environment. This
situation presents a serious thermal impact and the motor is
taken offline faster in comparison to the other two cases. Trip
time in this case is 16.3 minutes.
The second scenario presents an overload of the motor at
ambient temperature. Initial TCU is 0%. According to the thermal
model algorithm computations, the trip will be implemented 31
minutes after the overload is applied; which is lower than the
cold motor limit (50 min). In a real application, the temperature
of the unloaded running motor is typically higher than the
ambient temperature, because of the associated motor losses.
This fact explains why the significant margin between the cold
overload trip time (31 min) and the cold thermal limit (50 min) is
required.
The third scenario shows the hot overload (i.e. the motor is
assumed to be at the rated temperature). The initial TCU in this
case, the moment before the overload is applied, is 25%, so
the tripping time is proportionally lower, compared to the cold
overload. Tripping time in this case is 23 minutes, which is lower
than the hot thermal limit (29 minutes).

Sequence 4: Consecutive starting

Per NEMA MG1 standard (11) medium and large induction
motors are required to withstand thermally:

2 consecutive starts, coasting to rest between starts, with

the motor initially at ambient temperature (cold starts)

One start with the motor initially at rated load operating

temperature (hot start)

protection devices are capable to learn and store, in the nonvolatile memory, TC value utilized by motor during successful
start and use this value in the start inhibit algorithm.

Sequence 5: Cyclic load

According to considerations discussed in a previous section of
this paper, the main criterion for a thermal models adequate
response to cyclic load is the matching of the implied heating
time-constant to the explicit running cooling time-constant
(see equation 24). Let us review a balanced cyclic load (i.e. the
effective heating) (equation 16) of 1.
After the cold start, the motor varies the load every 30 seconds
at between 20% and 160% of the full-load current. Per equation
24, the running cooling constant is calculated as follows

W cool

87.4 u CM
60

87.4 u 12
60

17.5 (min)

(33)

In order to provide a more accurate thermal model response

to cyclic load conditions, the cooling time-constant should be
adjusted to the calculated value. At the same time this change
(from 20 to 17.5 minutes) would cause no significant impact to
the other motor operating sequences.
Figure 9 demonstrates the importance of cooling constant
value in the thermal model response to cyclic load conditions.
Three cases are shown for a cycling load with an approximate
per unit effective heating value of one. In the first case, the
cooling time-constant is set long, resulting in over-protection
and premature thermal model triggering. In the second case, the
cooling time-constant is set to match the implied time-constant
of the curve multiplier, and the thermal model adequately
responds. In the third case, the cooling time constant is set short,
resulting in under-protection and possible motor overheating.

An illustration of the thermal model response to consecutive

starting is shown on Figure 8.
As you can see, the thermal model provides the start sequence
required by NEMA.
An important enhancement to the thermal algorithm is the Start
Inhibit function, which is employed to prevent excessive motor
starting in cases where there is not enough thermal capacity
available to perform a successful start. Modern intelligent

Fig 9.
Thermal model response to cyclic load

Sequence 6: Starting of high inertia loads

Fig 8.
Hot and Cold Consecutive Starts

The thermal model algorithm has an additional enhancement

that allows the coordination of protection with high-inertia long
starts, while acceleration time is greater than the safe motor
stall time. The voltage-dependant dynamic thermal limit curve
is employed to account for varying thermal limits corresponding
to the acceleration current levels at the different terminal motor
voltages.
Figure 10 shows an example of a 100% voltage high inertia start
Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

51

lasting 17 seconds (curve 1), and a locked rotor time limit of 8

seconds (curve 4). Actually curve 4 implies the line of the same
IT. In many short motor start applications it is reasonable to
conservatively approximate that the thermal limit remains the
same during motor acceleration. In the short start applications
an error introduced by this assumption doesnt prevent the
motor from successfully starting. The thermal limit curve is thus
constructed from sections 2, 3 and 4. If the same approach is
applied to the case shown on Figure 10, it will result in the TCU
reaching 100% in the middle of the acceleration (Figure 11,
curve 1).

same application reduced to 80% voltage start (Figure 10,

curve 7). LRC at 80% is 4.8 times of FLC. From the 100% voltage
case we know that the locked rotor condition is referenced to
the thermal limit of 288, and the allowed locked rotor safe time
for an 80% voltage start yields 12.5 seconds, but according to
the acceleration thermal limit curve (Figure 10, section 5) the
thermal limit time corresponding to 4.8FLC is 40 seconds which
is much higher than the allowed value. This means that if the

As we mentioned in previous sections of this paper, as the

thermal limit is a function of motor speed during acceleration,
the acceleration thermal limit (curve 5) shows up differently
from the locked rotor limit. Each point on curve 5 corresponds
to current value which, in turn, corresponds to motor rotation
speed during startup. Based on this, we can indirectly find
the reference between motor speed and thermal limit, and
construct an updated motor thermal limit curve which will
include sections 2 and 5 shown on Figure 10.
The new curve helps achieve a successful motor start (Figure 11,
curve 2) despite the fact that locked rotor safe time is shorter
than acceleration period. The protection method described
above is relevant for an ideal situation with a constant terminal
voltage of 100%.
In reality the system voltage can deviate from 100% because of
the voltage drop during motor startup. The locked rotor current
(LRC) is almost directly proportional to the voltage applied to
the motor terminals during acceleration, this fact must be taken
into consideration when the acceleration portion of the thermal
limit is used in the thermal model algorithm.

Fig 11.
Thermal Model Response to High Inertia Load Starts

motor stalls under the reduced voltage conditions it becomes

underprotected and appears to be in real danger of burning.
To handle this situation the thermal model is equipped with
a mechanism capable of dynamically responding to voltage
variations during motor startup. Line 6 on Figure 10, shows the
new position of the acceleration curve 4, shifted in response to
the voltage reduction to 80%. The successful start under these
operational conditions is shown on Figure 11, curve 3.
This technique provides adequate thermal protection in cases
of high-inertia load application. In some cases where the
thermal limit difference between locked rotor and acceleration
conditions is not clearly identified, this element should be
supported with a zero speed sensor.

6. Application Description
Fig 10.
Voltage Dependent Thermal Limit Curves

For example, for a 100% voltage start (Figure 10, curve 1) the
locked rotor thermal limit is calculated based on a LRC of 6 times
full load current (FLC) and 8 seconds of the allowed locked rotor
safe time, and IT is equal to 288. After 14 seconds the motor
accelerates to approximately 80% of the rated speed and the
current drops to the level of 4.8 times that of FLC.

This case study examines the Induced Draft (ID) fan application
on the A. B. Brown Unit 2 Selective Ccatalytic Reduction (SCR)
Project, located in Evansville, Indiana. Unit 2 is owned by Vectren
Corporation, and the role of Black & Veatch (B&V) on this project
was to construct an SCR facility in this plant.
The SCR Project Scope of Work included modifying both ID fans
for catalyst draft losses. The motors were powered from 13.8
kV switchgear.

The allowed time to withstand 4.8 FLA for this stage of

acceleration is 40 seconds; IT=922. Now let us consider the
52

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

Motor ratings and data

Motor Parameter

The relay provides thermal protection of the motor during

abnormal starting or running conditions, preventing
thermal damage to the motor (i.e., the MPD curve is placed
below the motor thermal damage curves).

The relay allows the motor to be started successfully

without nuisance trips, in accordance with the number of
starts and thermal/cooling characteristics recommended
by the manufacturer

The relay settings allow proper coordination with the

respective tie and main circuit breakers on the 13.8 KV bus
to which the motors are connected.

Value

Motor Horse Power

5500 HP

Rated Voltage

13200 V

Phases

Motor Full Load

893 RPM

Service Factor

1.15

Frequency

60 Hz

Rated Full Load Current

226 A

Rated Locked Rotor Current

1205 A

Insulation Class

Ambient Temperature

43 C

Temperature Rise @ SF=1.0

77 C

Temperature Rise @ SF=1.15

87 C

Typically the B&V specifications require the motor design to

meet the following criterion:

Table 3.
Basic Motor Data

Table 3 presents the motor information pertaining to the ID fan

motors.

Motor starting and thermal characteristics

The motor manufacturer provided the thermal limit curve under
locked rotor, acceleration, and running overload conditions,
as well as time-current curves during acceleration at rated
voltage and at minimum specified starting voltage. Some of the
important motor characteristics (from the manufacturers data
sheet and curves) are summarized in Table 4.
Motor Data
Description

Voltage

Value

Acceleration time @ Rated Voltage in Seconds

100%

28.0

Acceleration time @ minimum Voltage in Seconds

80%

53.0

Cold Locked Rotor Safe Stall Time @ rated voltage and

ambient temperature in seconds

100%

26.0

Cold Locked Rotor Safe Stall Time @ min voltage and

ambient temperature in seconds

80%

47.0

Hot Locked Rotor Safe Stall Time @ rated voltage at

service factor load operating temperature in seconds

100%

23.0

Hot Locked Rotor Safe Stall Time @ min voltage at

service factor load operating temperature in seconds

80%

Maximum Starts Per Hour

Motor safe stall time at minimum starting voltage shall not be

less than motor acceleration time at minimum starting voltage,
plus 2 seconds. The motor manufacturer could not meet this
requirement for this high-inertia application and indicated that
a speed switch would be provided in lieu of this requirement. The
speed switch option was not used because the MPD provided
a range of setting options for the overload feature. The MPD
was originally set using the custom overload curve feature to
match the motor characteristics, in addition to all the above
listed protection criteria.

Problems during startup of ID fans

The problem that the commissioning team faced during startup
was that the successive motor start-time delays determined
by the MPD thermal model were inconsistent with what was
allowed by the motor manufacturer. The motor data sheet
allowed the following operational characteristics:

Two successive cold starts or one hot start.

Following this sequence a new start would be allowed after

any of the following:
-

A cooling period of 40 minutes if the motor was running

at service factor load and then stopped.

42.0

A cooling period of 10 minutes if the motor was running

unloaded and then stopped.

N/A

100%

A cooling period of 20 minutes if the motor was deenergized, coasted to rest, and left idle.

Maximum Cold Consecutive Starts @ min Voltage

80%

Maximum Hot Consecutive Starts @ rated Voltage

100%

Maximum Hot Consecutive Starts @ min Voltage

80%

Maximum Cold Consecutive Starts @ rated Voltage

Running Cooling Time Constant in minutes

N/A

Initial / Modified (during Startup) Stopped Cooling Time

Constants in minutes

N/A

16 / 12

Table 4.
Motor Starting and Thermal Limit Characteristics

Protection philosophy
The ID fans on the A. B. Brown Project are fed from a 13.8 kV
auxiliary electric system and are protected by a multifunction
motor protection device (MPD). The fundamental philosophies
used in setting the MPD are as follows:

It was observed that the MPD was delaying restart by 40 to 43

minutes after every start attempt, regardless of whether it was
a second cold restart or the first hot restart. This performance
was unacceptable to the client who wanted reliable cold starting
as well as a restart time consistent with that indicated by the
motor manufacturer. Some of the motor parameters recorded
in the MPD during the startup of one of the fans are as follows:

Hottest RTD Values: 70 C.

Learned Starting Current: 1.085 A.

Average Motor Load: 60 percent of the rated current.

It was also noticed that the MPD thermal model was

accumulating almost all the available thermal capacity
even during the first cold successful start, thus preventing

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

53

the motor from performing a successive start. The MPD

did not allow a restart for 40 to 43 minutes because of the
start-inhibit feature that prevented further restarts when the
available thermal capacity was not sufficient for a successful
start. This performance was found to be inconsistent with the
motor manufacturers recommendations. B&V requested the
involvement of the motor and relay manufacturers to resolve
this apparent problem.

Solution to the problem

B&V closely coordinated with all the parties, and the following
measures were put in place in sequence:

The motor manufacturer provided the following

recommendations regarding the thermal model settings of
the MPD:
-

To better model the motor during the 9 minutes of

coast-down period, decrease the stopped cooling
time-constant to 12 minutes.

Decrease the safety margin in the start-inhibit function

to shorten the lockout time between starts. (The safety
margin was changed from 25 to 5 percent.)

Acting on these recommendations, the relay manufacturer,

B&V, and the motor manufacturer collaboratively reviewed
the motor protection coordination and relay set points. The
following actions were taken:
-

54

Use the voltage-dependent overload curve option

available in the MPD, and set it with reference to the
motor thermal damage curve.

The relay overload curve was changed to the voltage

dependent overload curve, with the revised relay
points on the hot thermal curve for the starting
zone.

The stopped cooling time-constant was programmed

as 12 minutes, reduced from 16 minutes.

Acceleration time was changed to 35 seconds because

the motor was observed to start and accelerate
satisfactorily within approximately 28 seconds.

The thermal capacity used margin set point was

changed from 25 to 5 percent.

The jogging block function was left on, and the

maximum number of starts was programmed to be 2;
time between starts was programmed to 0.

The restart block was enabled and set to 10 minutes

(600 seconds) to comply with the motor requirements
of coasting to rest (9 minutes) after being de-energized,
before the new start would be allowed.

The RTD bias of the thermal model was disabled

because it was inappropriate for this application. It
is important to mention here that B&V, as part of the
control design, always programs an alarm in the relay
for high temperature based on RTD inputs.

The thermal capacity alarm level setting was left at 85

percent to be readjusted later if required.

Did it work?
The synergistic efforts to problem solving between B&V, the
relay manufacturer, and the motor manufacturers paid off.
The implementation of voltage-dependent overload curves
resolved the issue of unreliable motor starting, and the motor
successive restart time delay was reduced to around 20 minutes
to the satisfaction of the client. The fans have been successfully
commissioned and are now running without problems at the A.
B. Brown plant.

Lessons Learned from This Experience

The cited case study highlights the need for flexibility and
collaboration between all parties and, above all, a customeroriented approach to relay coordination studies for complex
motor applications. The following are some of the salient
lessons:

The relay application engineer should obtain accurate

information about the motor before designing the relay
settings. In this respect, it is important that the motors
certified acceleration curves provided by the motor vendor
match actual conditions. In addition, the proper cooling
time-constants recommended by the motor manufacturer,
must be programmed into the relay so that motor behavior
may be simulated accurately.

The motor manufacturer must be consulted and requested

to concur on overload relay selection curves in applications
where the motor starting curves and the thermal damage
curves are very close to one other. The solution that was
arrived at in the A. B. Brown case study, where a portion
of the overload curve was set on the motor thermal
curves, would not have been possible without the motor
manufacturers concurrence.

All efforts must be made to achieve safe operation of the

motor and adequate coordination with other devices and,
at the same time, meet the operational expectations of the
application.

7. Conclusions
The modern industrial marketplace has a strong demand for
a simple, reliable, accurate, multifunctional MPD designed in
accordance with industry standards. The major element of
a MPD is the thermal model, which must create an accurate
image of the motor thermal conditions at any stage of the
protected machines operation.
Theoretical considerations prove that a simplified thermal
model based on an equivalent single time-constant model, and
overload curves matching motor manufacturers standards
for thermal limits, can provide adequate protection at a level
of accuracy desirable for this type of application. It can be
clearly demonstrated that if the implied thermal constant of
the overload curve matches the explicit cooling constant of
the running motor, the relay algorithm computes the correct
thermal image of the motor during a cycling load.

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

8. References
[1] Sam F. Farag and M. K. Jhaveri, Intelligent MicroprocessorBased Devices Provide Advanced Motor Protection,
Flexible Control, and Communication in Paper Mills IEEE
Transactions On Industry Applications, Vol. 33, No. 3, May/
June 1997.
[2] Gabriel J. Paoletti and Alex Rose, Improving Existing Motor
Protection for Medium V oltage Motors, IEEE Transactions
On Industry Applications, Vol. 25, No. 3, May/June 1989.
[3] 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, pp. 853-864,
July/Aug. 1985.
[4] James H. Dymond, Stall Time, Acceleration Time, Frequency
of Starting: The Myths and The Facts IEEE Transactions On
Industry Applications, Vol. 29, No. 1, Jan/Feb 1993.
[5] Sam F. Farag, Robert G. Bartheld, and William E. May,
Electronically Enhanced Low Voltage Motor Protection and
Control, IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems
Conference, May 1993, pp. 166-174.
[6] David R. Boothman et al, Thermal Tracking A Rational
Approach to Motor Protection, T74 029-5, IEEE PES Winter
Meeting, 1974.

Fig 12.
Coordination of ID Fan Motor Thermal Limit Curves and MPD Thermal
Protection Curves.

[7] Emanuel L. Brancato, Estimation of Lifetime Expectancies

of Motors, IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine, Vol. 8 No. 3,
May/June 1992.

A detailed explanation of the thermal algorithm actually

provides the tools required to calculate the thermal capacity for
literally any application. In many cases, it is useful to evaluate
thermal model behavior before motor energizing and compare
the results with operation restrictions dictated by the motor
manufacturer. Analysis of typical motor sequences based on
real motor specification data shows how the thermal model
algorithm implemented in an MPD can successfully handle
excessive motor operation duty and avoid stator and rotor
overheating as well as premature machine tripping because of
thermal overestimation.

[11] NEMA Standards Publication No. MG 1-1993. Motors and

Generators.

Thousands of motor protection systems employing the proposed

thermal algorithm have been successfully installed in various
motor applications. However, in a few instances, the setting of
motor thermal protection is not as straightforward as it is in the
majority of cases.

[12] Grainger, L.G.; McDonald, M.C. Increasing refiner

production by using motor thermal capacity for protection
and control, IEEE Transactions On Industry Applications,
Volume: 33 , Issue: 3 , May-June 1997.

The A. B. Brown case study presents a unique situation where the

close coordination between the parties involved (the end-user,
the application engineer, the relay manufacturer and the motor
manufacturer) allowed the refinement of application-related
information so that proper thermal protection and coordination
during commissioning could be provided.

[8] B. H Moisey, Concepts of Motor Protection. Edmonton,

Alberta, 1997.
[9] IEEE Guide for AC Motor Protection. Std C37.96-2000.
[10] IEEE Guide For the Presentation of Thermal Limit Curves for
Squirrel Cage Induction Machines. Std 620-1996.

[13] GE Multilin, Setting The 469 Motor Management Relay for

A Cycling Load Application, GE Publication GET-8478.

Motor Thermal Model Protection Applications

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