INDUCTION MOTOR STARTING METHODS AND ISSUES

Copyright Material IEEE

Paper No. PCIC-2005-24
John Larabee Brian Pellegrino Benjamin Flick
Member IEEE, Member IEEE
iohn.larabee(siemens.com brian.oelleqrinoasiemens.com beniamin.flickCZsiemens.com
Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
4620 Forest Ave.
Norwood, OH 45212
USA
Abstract - Many methods can be used to start large AC The time it takes for the motor to accelerate the load is
induction motors. Choices such as full voltage, reduced dependent on the inertia of the load and the margin
voltage either by autotransformer or Wye - Delta, a soft between the torque of the motor and the load curve,
starter, or usage of an adjustable speed drive can all have sometimes called accelerating torque. In general, the
potential advantages and trade offs. Reduced voltage longer the time it takes for the motor to accelerate the
starting can lower the starting torque and help prevent load, the more heat that will be generated in the rotor bars,
damage to the load. Additionally, power factor correction shorting ring and the stator winding. This heat leads to
capacitors can be used to reduce the current, but care additional stresses in these parts and can have an impact
must be taken to size them properly. Usage of the wrong on motor life.
capacitors can lead to significant damage. Choosing the
proper starting method for a motor will include an analysis
of.the power system as well as the starting load to ensure I-
z
that the motor is designed to deliver the needed
performance while minimizing its cost. This paper will 0:

examine the most common starting methods and their 0Q

recommended applications.
Index Terms: motor starting. reduced voltage start, z
autotransformer, wye-delta, power factor correction 0w
G.
I. INTRODUCTION
There are several general methods of starting induction PERCENT SYNCHRONOUS SPEED
motors: full voltage, reduced voltage, wye-delta, and part Fig. 1 Typical Speed Torque and Current Curves with
winding types. The reduced voltage type can include solid -

50% Centrifugal Type Load Curve

state starters, adjustable frequency drives, and
autotransformers. These, along with the full voltage, or II. FULL VOLTAGE
across the line starting, give the purchaser a large variety
of altematives when it comes to specifying the motor to be The full voltage starting method, also known as across the
used in a given application. Each method has its own line starting, is the easiest method to employ, has the
benefits, as well as performance trade offs. Proper lowest equipment costs, and is the most reliable. This
selection will involve a thorough investigation of any power method utilizes a control to close a contactor and apply full
system constraints, the load to be accelerated and the line voltage to the motor terminals. This method will allow
overall cost of the equipment. the motor to generate its highest starting torque and
In order for the load to be accelerated, the motor must provide the shortest acceleration times.
generate greater torque than the load requirement. In This method also puts the highest strain on the power
general there are three points of interest on the motor's system due to the high starting currents that can be
speed-torque curve. The first is locked-rotor torque (LRT) typically six to seven times the normal full load current of
which is the minimum torque which the motor will develop the motor. If the motor is on a weak power system, the
at rest for all angular positions of the rotor. The second is sudden high power draw can cause a temporary voltage
pull-up torque (PUT) which is defined as the minimum drop, not only at the motor terminals, but the entire power
torque developed by the motor during the period of bus feeding the starting motor. This voltage drop will
acceleration from rest to the speed at which breakdown cause a drop in the starting torque of the motor, and a
torque occurs. The last is the breakdown torque (BDT) drop in the torque of any other motor running on the power
which is defined as the maximum torque which the motor
will develop. If any of these points are below the required bus. The torque developed by an induction motor varies
load curve, then the motor will not start. See Fig. 1. roughly as the square of the applied voltage. Therefore,

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 depending on the amount of voltage drop, motors running magnetizing current of the motor unless they can be
on this weak power bus could stall. In addition, many disconnected from the motor in the event of a power loss.
control systems monitor under voltage conditions, a
second potential problem that could take a running motor The addition of capacitors will change the effective open
offline during a full voltage start. Besides electrical circuit time constant of the motor. The time constant
variation of the power bus, a potential physical indicates the time required for remaining voltage in the
disadvantage of an across the line starting is the sudden motor to decay to 36.8% of rated voltage after the loss of
loading seen by the driven equipment. This shock loading power. This is typically one to three seconds without
due to transient torques which can exceed 600% of the capacitors.
locked rotor torque can increase the wear on the
equipment, or even cause a catastrophic failure if the load With capacitors connected to the leads of the motor, the
can not handle the torques generated by the motor during capacitors can continue to supply magnetizing current
staring. after the power to the motor has been disconnected. This
is indicated by a longer time constant for the system. If
A. Capacitors and Starting the motor is driving a high inertia load, the motor can
change over to generator action with the magnetizing
Induction motors typically have very low power factor current from the capacitors and the shaft driven by the
during starting and as a result have very large reactive load. This can result in the voltage at the motor terminals
power draw. See Fig. 2. This effect on the system can be actually rising to nearly 50% of rated voltage in some
reduced by adding capacitors to the motor during starting . cases. If the power is reconnected before this voltage
decays severe transients can be created which can cause
The large reactive currents required by the motor lag the significant switching currents and torques that can
applied voltage by 90 electrical degrees. This reactive severely damage the motor and the driven equipment. An
power doesn't create any measurable output, but is rather example of this phenomenon is outlined in the appendix.
the energy required for the motor to function. The product
of the applied system voltage and this reactve power Ill. REDUCED VOLTAGE
component can be measured in VARS (volt-ampere
reactive). The capacitors act to supply a current that leads Each of the reduced voltage methods are intended to
the applied voltage by 90 electrical degrees. The leading reduce the impact of motor starting current on the power
currents supplied by the capacitors cancel the lagging system by controlling the voltage that the motor sees at
current demanded by the motor, reducing the amount of the terminals. It is very important to know the
reactive power required to be drawn from the power characteristics of the load to be started when considering
system. any form of reduced voltage starting. The motor
manufacturer will need to have the speed torque curve
To avoid over voltage and motor damage, great care and the inertia of the driven equipment when they validate
should be used to make sure that the capacitors are their design. The curve can be built from an initial, or
removed as the motor reaches rated speed, or in the break away torque, as few as four other data points
event of a loss of power so that the motor will not go into a through the speed range, and the full speed torque for the
generator mode with the magnetizing currents provided starting condition. A centrifugal or square curve can be
from the capacitors. This will be expanded on in the next assumed in many cases, but there are some applications
section and in the appendix. where this would be problematic. An example would be
CALCULATED PF vs. PER UNIT SPEED screw compressors which have a much higher torque
requirement at lower speeds than the more common
centrifugal or fan load. See Fig. 3.

a
0. 4
C0
-x
0

ui .210
CL
I-

z I--
U' z
Ul

SPEED (pu)
.99
a. ,a.s
28

Fig 2 Typical Power Factor vs. Speed for 2 Pole Motor

PERCENT SYNCHRONOUS SPEED
B. Power Factor Correction
Capacitors can also be left permanently connected to Fig. 3 - Sample Speed Torque and Current Curve with
raise the full load power factor. When used in this manner Screw Compressor type load curve
they are called power factor correction capacitors. The
capacitors should never be sized larger than the By understanding the details of the load to be started the
manufacturer can make sure that the motor will be able to

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generate sufficient torque to start the load, with the equipment, this could lead to exciting the natural
starting method that is chosen. frequency of the system.
A. Autotransformer C. Adjustable Frequency Drives
The motor leads are connected to the lower voltage side This type of device gives the greatest overall control and
of the transformer. The most common taps that are used flexibility in starting induction motors giving the most
are 80%, 65%, and 50%. At 50% voltage the current on torque for an amount of current. It is also the most costly.
the primary is 25% of the full voltage locked rotor amps.
The motor is started with this reduced voltage, and then The drive varies not only the voltage level, but also the
after a pre-set condition is reached the connection is frequency, to allow the motor to operate on a constant volt
switched to line voltage. This condition could be a preset per hertz level. This allows the motor to generate full load
time, current level, bus volts, or motor speed. The change torque throughout a large speed range, up to 10:1. During
over can be done in either a closed circuit transition, or an starting, 150% of rated current is typical.
open circuit transition method. In the open circuit method
the connection to the voltage is severed as it is changed This allows a significant reduction in the power required to
from the reduced voltage to the line level. Care should be start a load and reduces the heat generated in the motor,
used to make sure that there will not be problems from all of which add up to greater efficiency. Usage of the
transients due to the switching. This potential problem AFD also can allow a smaller motor to be applied due to
can be eliminated by using the closed circuit transition. the significant increase of torque available lower in the
With the closed circuit method there is a continuous speed range. The motor should still be sized larger than
voltage applied to the motor. Another benefit with the
autotransformer starting is in possible lower vibration and Wave shape of 0° firing angle
noise levels during starting.
1.5 -
Since the torque generated by the motor will vary as the

'.-'
square of the applied voltage, great care should be taken
to make sure that there will be sufficient accelerating
torque available from the motor. A speed torque curve for CDI 0.5 /X
the driven equipment along with the inertia should be used E~~~~~~~~~~ 0
to verify the design of the motor. A good rule of thumb is
to have a minimum of 10% of the rated full load torque of
t1L -0. ! 00 - \- - -
-
the motor as a margin at all points of the curve. -1 - .- ~ ;

Additionally, the acceleration time should be evaluated to -1.5

make sure that the motor has sufficient thermal capacity to Firing angle of Soft Starter
handle the heat generated due to the longer acceleration
time.
Wave shape of 90° firing angle
B. Solid State or Soft Starters
1.5
These devices utilize silicon controlled rectifiers or SCRs.
By controlling the firing angle of the SCR the voltage that
the device produces can be controlled during the starting 40 0.5
of the motor by limiting the flow of power for only part of
the duration of the sine wave. See Fig 4. 0 0

The most widely used type of soft starter is the current -0.5

limiting type. A current limit of 175% to 500% of full load -1

current is programmed in to the device. It then will ramp
up the voltage applied to the motor until it reaches the limit -1.5

value, and will then hold that current as the motor Firing angle of Soft Starter
accelerates.
Tachometers can be used with solid state starters to Fig 4 Wave shapes for 00 and 900 firing angles.
-
control acceleration time. Voltage output is adjusted as
required by the starter controller to provide a constant rate the required horsepower of the load to be driven. The
of acceleration. AFD allows a great degree of control in the acceleration of
the load that is not as readily available with the other types
The same precautions in regards to starting torque should of reduced voltage starting methods.
be followed for the soft starters as with the other reduced
voltage starting methods. Another problem due to the The greatest drawback of the AFD is in the cost relative to
firing angle of the SCR is that the motor could experience the other methods. Drives are the most costly to employ
harmonic oscillating torques. Depending on the driven and may also require specific motor designs to be used.
Based on the output signal of the drive, filtered or

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 unfiltered, the motor could require additional construction
features. IV. INCREMENT TYPE
These construction features include insulated bearings, The first starting types that we have discussed have deal
shaft grounding brushes, and insulated couplings due to with the way the energy is applied to the motor. The next
potential shaft current from common mode voltage. type deals with different ways the motor can be physically
Without these features, shaft currents, which circulate changed to deal with starting issues.
through the shaft to the bearing, through the motor frame
and back, create arcing in the bearings that lead to A. Part Winding
premature bearng failure, this potential for arcing needs to
be considered when applying a motor/drive package in a With this method the stator of the motor is designed in
hazardous envikronment, Division2/Zone2. such a way that it is made up of two separate windings.
The most common method is known as the half winding
An additional construction feature of a motor used on an method. As the name suggests, the stator is made up of
AFD may require is an upgraded insulation system on the two identical balanced windings. A special starter is
motor windings. An unfiltered output signal from a drive configured so that full voltage can be applied to one half of
can create harmonic voltage spikes in the motor, stressing the winding, and then after a short delay, to the second
the insulation of the motor windings. half. This method can reduce the starting current by 50 to
60%, but also the starting torque. One drawback to this
It is important to note that the features described pertain to method is that the motor heating on the first step of the
motors which will be started and run on an AFD. If the operation is greater than that normally encountered on
drive is only used for starting the motor, these features across-the-line start. Therefore the elapsed time on the
may not be necessary. Consult with the motor first step of the part winding start should be minimized.
manufacturer for application specific requirements. This method also increases the magnetic noise of the
motor during the first step.
D. Primary Resistor or Reactor Starting
B. Wye Delta Starting
This method uses either a series resistor or reactor bank
to be placed in the circuit with the motor. Resistor starting Induction motors that are set up for this type of starting are
is more frequently used for smaller motors. built so that the leads from each end of each phase group
are brought out to the motor terminal box. This allows the
When the motor is started, the resistor bank limits the flow motor starter to initially connect the leads in a wye
of inrush current and provides for a voltage drop at the connection for starting, and then reconnect them in the
motor terminals. The resistors can be selected to provide delta configuration for running. By initially starting the
voltage reductions up to 50%. As the motor comes up to motor in the wye connection, it reduces the voltage by a
speed, it develops a counter EMF (electro-magnetic field) factor of I / J This reduces the starting current and the
that opposes the voltage applied to the motor. This further
limits the inrush currents. As the inrush current starting torque by roughly 2/3. Depending on the
diminishes, so does t>e voltage drop across the resistor application the motor can be switched to the delta
bank allowing the torque generated by the motor to connection from about 50% speed to full speed. It must
increase. At a predetermined time a device will short be noted that the same issues apply that were covered
across the resistors and open the starting contactor earlier in regards to the switching method. If the open
effectively removing the resistor bank from the circuit. circuit method is used, transients may be a problem.
This provides for a closed transition and eliminates the
concerns due to switching transients. This method is usually employed on motors rated below
600V. Motors rated 2.3kV and higher are usually not
Reactors will tend to oppose any sudden changes in suitable for Wye-Delta starting
current and therefore act to limit the current during
starting. They will remain shorted after starting and
provide a closed transition to line voltage.

The following table summarizes the various starting methods and characteristics
Adjustable Primary
Full Auto- Solid State Frequency Resistor I
Voltage transformer Starters Drives Reactor Part Winding Wye Delta
Initial System LOW MODERATE HIGHER HIGHEST MODERATE LOW LOW
Cost
Starting HIGHEST LOW MODERATE LOWEST MODERATE MODERATE LOW
Current
Starting HIGHEST LOW LOW HIGHEST LOW LOW LOW
Torque _

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 V. CONCLUSION
[3] "Applying Capacitors at Motor Terminals", Moore, R.C.,
There are many ways start an induction motor. The Schwartzburg, W.E., Motor Application Reference, Allis
selection of the best method to use will be based on the Chalmers Electrical Review, 1967.
overall power system constraints, cost for the equipment,
and the driven equipment. While the full voltage method is [4] "Compensating for Low Motor Power Factor" Ader, E,
Finley, W.R., Plant Engineering, June 17, 1993.
the easiest and least expensive from the point of the [5] "Starting of Large Medium Voltage Motors, Design
equipment, it may invoke cost penalties from the utility, or Protection and Safety Aspects", Bredthauer, J., Struck,
the power system at the location may not be able to N., IEEE PCIC-94-17 1994.
support the required level of energy draw. The reduced
[6] NEMA MG1-2003
voltage methods provide a solid means of easing he
required energy draw, but do so at the expense of motor VIl. VITA
generated torque during starting. These methods may
also lead to having to increase the size of the motor in John A. Larabee received his BS Degree in Electrical
order to generate the torque required for the load. The Engineering from Florida Intemational University, Miami,
Adjustable frequency drive will remove both of these FL. Currently, he is Manager of Product Engineering for
obstacles, but requires a price premium for the equipment. Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., Cincinnati, OH. He
Understanding the utility limitations, as well as the starting has a background within Siemens of design engineering,
torque and speed requirements of the driven equipment process engineering, and information technology.
will allow you to determine the best overall configuration
for your application. Benjamin D. Flick received his BS degree in Electrical
Engineering form the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati,
VI. REFERENCES Ohio. Currently he is Supervisor, Electrical Engineering
for Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio,
[1] "Methods for the Control of Large Medium-Voltage and is currently active in NEMA working groups.
Motors: Application Considerations and Guidelines"
Kay, J.A., Paes, R.H., Seggewiss, J.G., Ellis, R.G., Brian Pellegrino received his BS Degree in Electrical
IEEE Transactions On Industry Applications, Vol. 36, Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati,
No. 6, November/December 2000. Ohio. He is currently a Senior Product Engineer for
Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. Cincinnati, OH.
[2] "Starting High Inertia Loads" McElveen, R.F., Toney,
M.K., IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol.
37, No. 1, January/February 2001.

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 Appendix: Capacitor Calculations for a 700HP 4160V
motor. Full Load Efficiency 94% Full Load Power V *I*I 4160*21.5* 1 55kY
Factor 90%, No load current at full voltage 21.5A kVAR = l55kVAR =

1000 1000
kW = 700 * 746/1000 = 522.2kW The capacitance is given by:
1000*kVAR
kVA = 522.2/0.90 = 580.2 ~ =
23.754
kVAR = 58Q.2sin(25.84) = 252.9
The capacitive reactance is given by:
This allows us to construct the power triangle for this 106
motor. xc = =111.70hms
522.2 kW
By assuming different values for the voltage we can
construct a line labeled 155kVAR in Fig A.
In order to see the effect of 175kVAR on the system we
252.9 kVAR can perform the calculations again with a capacitive
580.2 reactance value of 98.5 Ohms. This line is labeled
175kVAR in Fig A. This indicates that the terminal
voltage will raise to approximately 119% of normal when
Where E = cos-1 (0.90) = 25.84deg the power is removed from the motor and no reduction in
motor speed with 175kVAR of capacitance applied to the
To find the magnetizing kVAR use the no load current at motor terminals. The line 270kVAR is based on
full voltage 21.5A calculations where the power factor is corrected to 100%
In this case the voltage can rise to 145% of the rated value
with no decrease in motor speed. If the power circuit is
reclosed before this voltage has had an opportunity to
decay severe switching currents and torques can result.

No Load Saturation Curve

0 10 20 30 40 so 60
Magnettzing Current (Ampare

Fig. A

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