Maintenance of Electrical Motors 1.5

Maintenance of Electrical
Motors and Associated

Apparatus
1
Motor Preventive Maintenance
Any electric motor PM program should be designed with these four elements
in mind:
1. Inspection and test
2. Lubrication and impregnation
3. Cleaning
4. Protection and safety measures
The four element approach contains the following steps:
1. Inspection. We need to determine what is to be inspected, the

equipment has to be examined, visible defects have to be identified,
and we have to make sure that minor adjustments are made and major
defects are being reported. General motor inspection should be
directed toward these components:
a) Air passages.
 Inspect rotor and stator air passages for obstructions on

explosion- proof motors and totally enclosed fan cooled motors.
 Air filters on weather-protected (WP II) motors.
 Inertia filters, filter media and remote fans on pipe ventilated
motors.
b) Bearings.
 Inspect for over greasing or under greasing.

 Inspect for dirt and foreign matter in bearing housings.
 Check periodically for proper alignment to avoid bearing
overloads.
2
c) Motor windings.
 Keep them cool.

 Keep them clean.
 Inspect stator winding air gaps.
d) Squirrel cage rotors.
 Inspect for heat checked end rings.

 Inspect for fractured rotor bars.
e) Winding insulation values.
f) Vibration monitoring.
 Set limits for small motors as a function of speed.

 Set limits for large motors.
2. Lubrication. Lubrication practices on antifriction bearing motors

vary widely. We should determine proper lubricants, quantities, and
equipment. After establishing a lubrication schedule, it has to be
implemented.
3. Cleaning. We need to determine cleaning standards and

requirements, establish a cleaning schedule and implement it.
4. Protection and Safety. Safety requirements have to be established,

safety equipment installed, and its effectiveness monitored.
The task that follows now is the building of appropriate check lists for each
PM element. It should contain the following information:
1. Motor name and “yard” number.
2. Location.
3. Frequency designation of PM activity.
3
4. Operation sequence number.
5. A simple description of the PM operation using verbs at the beginning
of a sentence.
6. Required tools and/or special equipment and instruments.
7. Required replacement parts.
8. Required time to perform PM activity.
9. Space for the inspector’s comments or any other special comments.
After the various electric motor PM checklists have been developed, thought
should be given to the implementation of the program. Two main
considerations will help in the implementation of the motor PM program.
They are motor criticality and the cost of the program.
To determine whether an electrical motor is critical, one has to look at the
cost implications of a failure. For instance, the breakdown of an unspared
4,000 horsepower ethylene refrigeration compressor drive motor would have
a different financial impact than a small motor driving a fully spared water
pump in a batch type cleaning operation. As to the case of the 4,000 HP
pipe-ventilated induction motor, there would be no question as to whether a
PM program should be considered. Frequently, cleaning and inspection of
this critical motor becomes an integral part of the process plant’s turnaround
preparations. Figure 9 illustrates the elaborate fixture necessary to
accomplish the task on site in an economical way.
However, there are a multitude of cases where a decision to do or not to do
PM on motors does not appear that straightforward. Questions that should be
answered during the development of the implementation schedule
for an electric motor PM program are:
1. How critical is the motor?
2. What will operation downtime cost?
4
3. Is similar or alternate equipment available?
4. Are spare motors available or easy to obtain?
5. Are major spare parts such as winding coils and bearings available?
6. What is the motor failure experience?
7. What is its age?
8. What is the motor operating severity?
Figure 6. Field removal of rotor for winding cleaning and inspection

of a large pipe ventilated induction motor.
In conclusion, it is necessary to determine the benefits and costs of an

electrical motor PM program. Only after its cost factors have been compared
to current maintenance practices and other related downtime costs can it be
determined if a motor PM program will truly support itself.
5
Preventive Maintenance of Nonrotating Electrical Apparatus
Power transformers and electrical switchgear are another link in the chain
that ends in a reliable motor driven process machine. As on other occasions,
we are defining preventive maintenance in this context as the planned
periodic testing, cleaning, adjusting, and lubricating of each component.
A preventive maintenance program of nonrotating electrical apparatus

should above all be done by experienced personnel. Quite often such a
program can be truly predictive because it allows detection of incipient
failures. Consequently, action can be taken before serious and extensive
damage will occur. It is essential for a successful preventive maintenance
program that accurate records be kept of all work performed. The records
must also show a forecast of future work.
Power Transformers. Transformers generally require less care and

attention than most other kinds of electrical power apparatus. Often they are
the most vital link in an electrical distribution system.
Oil preservation is the most important aspect of transformer maintenance. It

requires an understanding of oil deterioration and how it can be prevented.
The main factors determining the chemical action in transformer oils are:
 The moisture concentration
 The oxygen concentration
 The presence of copper
 Temperature
Each of these factors contributes to oil deterioration. The result is a large

number of possible chemical products which can affect the oil. One of the
6
products is acid, which can attack the insulation and metals of the
transformer and reduce the dielectric strength of the insulation. Other
products are sludges which impede the transformer cooling.
As a consequence the oil has to be cleaned or replaced. Selection of proper

limits at which oil should be filtered or replaced is partly a matter of
judgment and experience. Oil preservation depends primarily on keeping
oxygen and moisture away from the oil. This fact in turn requires that the
case and the openings in the case be made pressure tight.
The following are oil defect limits:
1. The dielectric strength of transformer oil should not be allowed to fall

below 22,000 volts.
2. The moisture content should not be higher than 20 parts per million.
3. New transformer oil has usually an acid No. of .MO. If the acidity
rises to an acid No. of. 10, the transformer oil should be replaced or
purified via vacuum dehydration (see volumes 1 and 2 of this series).
4. Transformer oil samples should be taken at least every two years. The
samples may be taken from the sampling valves at the bottom of the
transformer tank. Drain off and discard at least two quarts of oil
before saving a test specimen. Water and condensate in oil will collect
in the bottom of tanks and in drain lines and will drain off with the
initial oil withdrawn from the tank.
The temperature of main substation transformers should be checked at least

once a month. A visual check of the tanks for rust spots and discoloration
should be made at the same time.
7
Usually the tanks have level gauges. These gauges are calibrated to indicate
the level of oil in the main tank. On ratings above 7,500 kVA, a low level
alarm contact is provided. The oil level should be checked at least once a
month.
Large power transformers are usually supplied with a fault pressure relay. It
is also referred to as a gas detector relay and is used to give an indication of
faults of a major nature resulting in a sudden increase in internal pressure. It
consists basically of a bellows which operates a microswitch. The contacts
of the microswitch are used to operate circuit breakers. The fault pressure
relay can be tested by applying a small amount of air pressure through the
test check valve. Preferably, this test should be done when the transformer is
not in service. It can be done under load by opening the tripping circuits to
the circuit breakers involved
Dry-Type Transformers. This type of transformer is not generally used as

a main power transformer, but mainly for lighting service, distribution
centers and control power. Because its case must have openings to allow for
air circulation, the windings are subject to dust infiltration over a period of
time, reducing the cooling air through the windings.
An inspection period of every two years is recommended at which time the

windings should be cleaned and checked for loose connections.
High Voltage Insulators. The buildup of foreign materials on high voltage

insulators will lead eventually to flashovers. A flashover will generally result
in the loss of an incoming line because of its similarity to a ground fault.
The rate at which buildup will occur will depend upon the following
environmental conditions.
8
 High humidity
 Corrosive gases
 Salt laden atmosphere
 Heavy dust
Under normal operating conditions, it is not usually possible or practical to

check the insulation value of a high voltage insulator unless the complete
structure is deenergized. However, a visual inspection is sufficient to detect
contamination buildup.
Experience has shown that in areas where there! is a lot of contamination in

the atmosphere, insulators should be washed once a year. This period may
be extended to two years if the contamination is not too severe. Special
equipment is required to wash insulators while maintaining a plant in
operation. Utilities are usually well equipped to do this work. For the short
time required to do this work, engaging the local utilities has proved to be
the most economical method of accomplishing this
work.
Power Circuit Breakers. A circuit breaker must be kept in good condition

if the expected performance is to be obtained. It has only one chance to
operate each time a fault occurs and if it fails to trip, serious damage may
result. The more common types of circuit breakers are oil circuit breakers
and air circuit breakers.

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Maintenance of Electrical

Motors and Associated

The four element approach contains the following steps:

1. Inspection. We need to determine what is to be inspected, the

 Inspect rotor and stator air passages for obstructions on

 Inspect for over greasing or under greasing.

 Keep them cool.

d) Squirrel cage rotors.

 Inspect for heat checked end rings.

e) Winding insulation values.

 Set limits for small motors as a function of speed.

2. Lubrication. Lubrication practices on antifriction bearing motors

3. Cleaning. We need to determine cleaning standards and

4. Protection and Safety. Safety requirements have to be established,

Figure 6. Field removal of rotor for winding cleaning and inspection

In conclusion, it is necessary to determine the benefits and costs of an

A preventive maintenance program of nonrotating electrical apparatus

Power Transformers. Transformers generally require less care and

the most vital link in an electrical distribution system.

Oil preservation is the most important aspect of transformer maintenance. It

 The moisture concentration

 The oxygen concentration

 The presence of copper

Each of these factors contributes to oil deterioration. The result is a large

As a consequence the oil has to be cleaned or replaced. Selection of proper

The following are oil defect limits:

1. The dielectric strength of transformer oil should not be allowed to fall

The temperature of main substation transformers should be checked at least

Dry-Type Transformers. This type of transformer is not generally used as

An inspection period of every two years is recommended at which time the

High Voltage Insulators. The buildup of foreign materials on high voltage

 Salt laden atmosphere

Under normal operating conditions, it is not usually possible or practical to

Experience has shown that in areas where there! is a lot of contamination in

Power Circuit Breakers. A circuit breaker must be kept in good condition

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