When you specify a motor, how do you know it can take the heat?

Understanding motor insulation classes and temperature ratings is simpler than

you might think. Though we're focusing on standard AC induction motors, you
can apply most of this information to DC motors. Let's begin by looking at motor
temperature terms.
Ambient temperature is the temperature of the air surrounding the motor. This is
the threshold point or temperature the motor assumes when shut off and
completely cool.
Temperature rise is the change within a motor when operating at full load. For
example; if a motor in a 78F room operates continuously at full load, the
winding temperature will rise. The difference between its starting temperature
and its final elevated temperature is the motor's temperature rise.
Hot spot allowance. The standard method of measuring "temperature rise"
involves taking the difference between the cold and hot ohmic resistance of the
winding. This averages the temperature change of the whole winding, including
the motor leads, end turns, and wire deep inside the stator slots. Since some of
these spots are hotter than others, an allowance factor uses the average
temperature to indicate what the temperature probably is at the hottest spot. We
call this allowance factor the hot spot allowance.
Insulation class. Insulation classes group insulations by their resistance to
thermal aging and failure. We designate the four common insulation classes as
A, B, F, or H. The temperature capability of each class is the maximum
temperature at which the insulation can operate to yield an average life of
20,000 hr. The Table, on page 78, shows the rating for 20,000 hr of average
insulation life.
Insulation system. Manufacturers use several insulating components when
building motors (see sidebar, on top of page 78). A chain is only as strong as its
weakest link, so manufacturers base insulation system classifications on the
component with the lowest temperature rating. For example, if a manufacturer
uses one Class B component with F and H components, the entire system is
Class B.
Putting it all together. The basic ambient temperature rating point of most
motors is 40C. A motor rated for 40C is suitable for installation where the
normal surrounding air temperature does not exceed 40C (104F). This is the
starting point.
When the motor operates at full load, it has a certain temperature rise, which
adds to the ambient temperature. For example, U frame motors originally had
Class A insulation and a maximum temperature rise of 55C. In a 40C ambient
temperature, this gives an average winding temperature of 95C. That's 40C
(ambient) ` 55C (rise). Manufacturers use the 10 difference between 95C and
105C rating of Class A insulation to handle the hot spot allowance. If you take
a motor designed for a 55C rise and Class A insulation, and change the
insulation to Class B, you have an extra 25C of thermal capability. You can use
this extra capability to handle higher than normal ambient temperatures. In so
doing, you extend the motor's life.
You can also use this capacity to handle higher than normal temperature rise
brought on by overloads. You can get overloads from high or low voltages,
voltage imbalance, blocked ventilation, high inertia loads, frequent starts, and
other factors. For example: If a motor with Class A design (55C) temperature
rise has Class B insulation, then you could expect it to have a normal insulation
life - even when ambient temperature is 650C. These design criteria show that
even if a motor feels hot, it may be fine (see sidebar, below).
In a T frame motor with Class B insulation, the extra 25C of thermal capacity
(Class B compared to Class A) accommodates the higher temperature rise
associated with the smaller T frame motors. For example: A standard T frame
motor might have a rating of 40C ambient, 80C temperature rise, and a 10C
hot spot allowance. When you add these three components together, you use
up the total temperature capability of Class B insulation (130C).
Changing insulation classes. By building a Class B, totally enclosed, fan-cooled,
T frame motor with Class F insulation, you may increase the service factor from
1.0 to 1.15. You can use this same change of one insulation class to handle a
higher ambient temperature or increase the motor's life. This could also make
the motor more suitable in high elevations where thinner air has less cooling
effect.
Actual insulating practice. Improvements in insulating materials have reduced
manufacturing costs. As a result, most motor manufacturers use a mixture of
materials, many of which have higher than required temperature ratings. Some
manufacturers stopped using Class A materials altogether. This means even
though many fractional horsepower motors should have a Class A temperature
rise, the real insulation is Class B or better. Similarly, many motors designed for
Class B temperature rise actually use Class F and H materials. This extra
margin gives the motor a life bonus.
As a general rule of thumb, insulation life doubles for each 10 of unused
insulation temperature capability. For example, if you design a motor to have a
total temperature of 110C (including ambient, rise, and hot spot allowance), but
build it with a Class B (130C) system, an unused capacity of 20C exists. This
extra margin raises the expected motor insulation life from 20,000 hr to 80,000
hr.
Similarly, if a motor's load is less than full capacity, its temperature rise will be
lower. This automatically lowers the hot spot temperature and extends motor
life. If the motor operates in a lower than 40C ambient temperature, its life will
be longer. The degree rule applies to motors operating at above rated
temperature; insulation life drops by half for each 10C of overtemperature.
Depending on design and cooling arrangements, motor surface temperature
can be hot to the touch. Surface temperatures of 75C to 95C can exist on T
frame motors. However, these temperatures do not necessarily indicate
overload or impending motor failure.
Motors use these components for insulation.
- Enamel coating on the magnet wire.
- Insulation that comes to the conduit box.
- Sleeving where leads connect to magnet wire.
- Lacing string that binds the end turns of the motor.
- Slot liners (in the stator laminations) that protect the wire from chafing.
- Top sticks that hold the wire down in place inside the stator slots.
- Varnish that manufacturers dip the completed assembly in, prior to baking it.
The dipping varnish seals nicks or scratches that may occur during the winding
process. The varnish also binds the entire winding together into a solid mass so
it doesn't vibrate and chafe when subjected to the high magnetic forces.

Temperature Rise
Temperature rise is the increase in the motor's internal operating
temperature. The ambient temperature plus the temperature rise is the
maximum temperature at which the motor should operate at full load.
The heat causing the temperature rise is a result of electrical and mechanical
losses, and a characteristic of a motors design. The ambient temperature has
very little, if anything to do with the motors actual temperature rise. Certain
inaccessible spots of a motor winding are considered to be the hottest spots of
the insulation system. These areas are called hot spots. For this reason, a 10
Degree C allowance is made for uneven heating in the motor. This is called a
hot spot allowance. The total temperature rise equals the rise due to the load on
the motor plus the hot spot allowance. Typically there is no control over
temperature rise due to the load or hot spot allowance.
By selecting a motor that can produce enough horsepower without being
overloaded, and by ensuring the motor runs in ambient temperatures at or
below the nameplate rating, one can limit motor temperature and maximize life.
If a one horsepower motor with a service factor of 1.0 is required to
continuously deliver 1 1/2 horsepower, the internal temperature of the motor
would probably exceed the rating of the insulation material. This will result in
premature motor failure. A good rule to remember is that for every 10 Degrees
C that the operating temperature increases over rated temperature, motor life
will be cut in half.