MOTOR CONTROL

COMPONENTS
Functions and Operations
Motor Controller
A motor controller is a device or
group of devices that serves to govern in
some predetermined manner the
performance of an electric motor
 include a manual or automatic means for
starting and stopping the motor, selecting
forward or reverse rotation, selecting and
regulating the speed, regulating or limiting
the torque, and protecting against
overloads and faults
Motor Components can be
classified as follows:
 Components that provide overload
protection
 Components that perform motor
controller function
 Components that protects against short
circuit and ground faults
 Component providing motor circuit
disconnecting means
 An enclosure for the controller
How motor works?
 A motor goes through three stages
during normal operation: resting,
starting, and operating under load
Overload (OL) Protection
 Overload protection prevents an
electric motor from drawing too
much current, overheating, and
literally “burning out
 Most commonly used OL is the
overload relay
 an overload protection device is
required that does not open the
circuit while the motor is starting,
but opens the circuit if the motor
gets overloaded and the fuses do not
blow
An overload relay consists of:
 A current sensing unit (connected in the
line to the motor).
 A mechanism to break the circuit, either
directly or indirectly.
Mechanism Device
 Eutectic (melting alloy)
 Bimetallic
 Solid State
Characteristics
 Many overload protection devices
have a trip indicator built into the
unit
 Overload relays can have either a
manual or an automatic reset
 Overload relays also have an
assigned trip class. The trip class is the
maximum time in seconds at which the
overload relay will trip when the carrying
current is at 600% of its current rating
Contactor
 Contactors are used by electrical
equipment that is frequently turned
off and on (opening and closing the
circuit), such as lights, heaters, and motors
 to make and break all power supply
lines running to a load
 to repeatedly establish and interrupt
an electrical power circuit (NEMA)
A Knife Blade Switch Used to
Control a Motor
 Issues of Concern in Selecting
Contactors
 speed of operation
 contactor life
 protection for the motor
 protection for the person who operates
the switch (afforded by either remote or
automatic operation)
Manual Controller
Operation
Magnetic Contactor
 A magnetic contactor is operated
electromechanically without manual
intervention
 Can be operated remotely, without the
need for putting a person in a potentially
dangerous location
 Magnetic contactors use a small control
current to open and close the circuit.
Magnetic Contactor Operation
Fault Protection

 The device used to provide protection

against short circuit and ground faults
 The devices used for this protection are
typically an instantaneous trip circuit
breaker, an inverse time circuit breaker,
non-time delay fuses, or dual element
(time-delay) fuses.
Disconnect

 Means of safely disconnecting motors and

controllers from their source of supply so
that maintenance of them and their driven
equipment can be accomplished with no
hazard to personnel
 Disconnecting means include circuit
breakers, motor-circuit switches, and
molded case switches (non-automatic
circuit interrupters).
 Other Components
 Operators
Selector Switch Pushbutton Key Selector Switch Indicating Light

These are devices to help someone change how a machine

works
 Types of Pushbutton

Maintained Contact Momentary Contact

Relay
 A relay is an electrical switch that opens
and closes under the control of another
electrical circuit