610

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY AND GENERAL APPLICATIONS, VOL. IGA-7, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971

Large Fan
SUNDAR RAJAN,

Drives in Cement

MEMBER, IEEE, AND

Abstract-The various mechanical and electrical considerations

in the selection of large fan drives are discussed. First there is a
review of different types of fans, their special characteristics, and
the methods of controlling the air volume. The discussion then
proceeds to the two basic types of fan drives: constant-speed direct
motor drives and variable-speed coupling drives. The direct drives
include the squirrel-cage induction motors, wound-rotor motors,
and synchronous motors. Considerable detail is given on heat losses
and temperature conditions resulting from the load torque, accelerating torque, and terminal voltage during starting period. Remedial
measures are offered to the motor designer and electrical engineer
so that a special motor may be designed for a specific electrical
system. Stress is placed on the importance of joint efforts by the
motor designer, electrical engineer, and mechanical engineer in
selecting a drive system with sound engineering and economics.
The variable-speed drives include eddy-current and fluid coupling
devices. Information on the operating performance and initial
cost of these drives is presented, and their application in some of
the major cement plants is shown. The electrical system design is
given in a simplified manner. System problems are also considered
and simplified methods of calculating voltage drops, starting voltage
dips, and accelerating time of motor starting are detailed with
sample calculation. The importance of preventive maintenance is
also stressed, and step-by-step methods for carrying out such
maintenance work are offered.

TIMOTHY T. HO,

Plants

SENIOR MEMBER,

IEEE

range. This eliminates the necessity of using oversize

motors. In the selection of a fan for cement plant application, however, efficiency is not the only consideration. For example, for a kiln exhaust gas system, material
abrasion is an important factor.

Methods of Fan Control

There are three basic methods of controlling the air
output of a fan. The first method is to vary the speed of
the fan, which can be accomplished by the use of variablespeed drives. The second method is the use of inlet or
outlet dampers which vary the system resistance to the
air flow. In this method, with lower volumes, the fan is
working against a higher pressure, and therefore part
of the power is wasted. The third method is to use inlet
vanes to control the amount of work which the fan can
do on the air. Since this method does not involve increase
in pressure, there is no loss in power.
The variable-speed drive results in higher first cost
due to more expensive drive equipment. Vane control is
more expensive than damper control, but in many cases
the difference can be quickly compensated for in power
savings. At 75 percent of normal volume, the power
consumed with outlet dampers is about 90 percent of
full load, and with vane control about 75 percent, or a
saving of about 15 percent. When a fan is to be running at
60- to 80-percent volume, vane control is more economical. Fan characteristics using various types of dampers
are shown in Figs. 5-7.

FANS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

THERE ARE TWO major types of fans, defined below.
1) Axial1 Flow Fans: The air flow through the
impeller is substantially parallel with the shaft upon which
the impeller is mounted.
2) Centrifugal Fans: The air enters the center of the
rotating wheel at the inlet; it is accelerated by the blades
and propelled from the periphery of the fan wheel into the Torque-Speed Curve
outlet duct.
Fig. 8 describes a typical torque-speed performance
Centrifugal fans are further classified as follows:
curve of fans commonly used in cement plant applications.
Due to the friction of the bearings the rotating masses
a) those with straight radial blade fans;
a certain percentage of the full-load torque at
impose
b) those with the tip of the blade curved forward, that
This value is best obtained from the manubreakaway.
is, in the direction of rotation;
for approximation, the following can
facturers.
However,
c) those with the tip of the blade curved backward or
be
applied:
away from the direction of rotation.
Figs. 1-4 describe the various characteristics of the axial
T, = torque at starting = 55
flow fans and the three types of centrifugal fans.
Of the three shapes of blade configuration, fans with where
backwardly inclined blades -are generally high-speed
T1 torque at breakaway (ft.-lb)
high-efficiency units with highly stable pressure curves.
D diameter of shaft bearing surface (in)
Also, the horsepower curves are self-limiting, with the
W weight of fan (lb).
horsepower reaching a maximum in the normal selection
Once the masses start rotating, the torque value goes
down, as shown by the initial portion of the curve. As the
Paper 71 TP 52-IGA, approved by the Cement Industry Comat about 23 percent of the
mittee of the IEEE IGA Group for presentation at the 1971 IEEE fan speed goes up (usually
Cement Industry Technical Conference, Seattle, Wash., May 10-14. full-load speed), air displacement starts imposing a load
Manuscript received June 9, 1971.
of torque is proporThe authors are with Kaiser Engineers, a Division of the Kaiser on the drive and then the variation
tional to the square of the speed.
Industries Corporation, Oakland, Calif. 94604.

611

RAJAN AND HO: FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS

100

50

80

40

60L&J
o3 0

30O

aI-

2 00
2

0 i'0

0.

'o

0o0

030

60

l0

20

50

40

30

70

60

80

90

VOLUME IN 1000 CFM

Fig. 1. Performance of axial flow fans.

12C

STATIC

1010 -o
- 8(

-TOTAL

z
uJ

EFFICIENCY-'

o 6(

w
O

PRESSURE.

120

TOTAL PRESSURE-_
- - - -

STATIC
~ ~

La.

C.)

IT Tl

EFFICIEC

41)

BRAKE - --HORSEPOWER-

OiiL0

21 0

10

60

- -TTLPESR
100 TOTA~~~L
PRESSURE

TTI

60

0-

EFFICIENCY_

40BRK
0

20
20 3

lo 20 30 40 so 60 70 80 90 ioo
PERCENT OF WIDE OPEN VOLUME

10

20 30

~~~~HORSEPOWER
50600

80

lo 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 loo
PERCENT OF WIDE OPEN VOLUME
Fig. 3. Performance of forwardly curved blading centrifugal fans.
0

Fig. 2. Performance of radial blading centrifugal faiis.

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

PERCENT OF WIDE OPEN VOLUME

Fig. 4. Performance of backwardly inclined blading centrifugal fans.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY AND GENERAL APPLICATIONS,

612

30

20

10

40

50

80

70

60

90

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971

100

PERCENT OF WIDE OPEN CFM AND BHP

EXAM PLE: 50% OF WIDE OPEN CAPACITY
OUTLET DAMPER SETTING: 400-BHP :64% WIDE OPEN BHP

Fig. 5. Fan control by opposed blade outlet damper.

W1Dt OPE'NT

900

9oo
800
CD

;z

Io

700

6 00--

F 60
c'

500
LAJ

400

3L

~400

0-

300

_-

0
0

10

20

30

40

60

50

70

80

90

100

PERCENT OF WIDE OPEN CFM AND BHP

CP/

EXAMPLE: 80% OF WIDE OPEN CAPACITY

OPEN BHP
OUTLET DAMPER SETTING:400-BHP:

lo 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 loo
PERCENT OF WIDE OPEN CFM AND BHP
EXAMPLE: 80% OF WIDE OPEN CAPACITY

"I

530-BHP:72% WIDE OPENBHP

Fig. 7. Fan control by inlet damper.

INLET DAMPER SETTING:

85%/WIDE

Fig. 6. Fan control by parallel blade outlet damper.

Cy

20

60

40

80

% OF FULL-LOAD SPEED

Fig. 8. Typical speed-torque

curve

of fans during starting.

100

RAJAN AND HO: FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS

613

TABLE I
TYPICAL TORQUE AND CURRENT OF NEMA B MOTORS FOR FAN DRIVES

HP

MINIMUM
LOCKED ROTOR

MINIMUM
BREAKDOWN

MINIMUM
PULL-UP

3600

70

175

63

1800

80

175

72

3600

70

175

63

1800

80

175

72

3600

70

175

63

1800

80

175

72

3600

70

175

63

1800

80

175

72

3600

70

175

63

1800

80

175

72

3600

70

175

63

1800

80

175

72

RPM

MAXIMUM
LOCKED ROTOR

TORQUE IN % OF TORQUE IN fo OF TORQUE IN % OF CURRENT IN % OF

F. L. TORQUE
F. L. TORQUE
F. L. TORQUE
F. L. TORQUE

600

250

600

300

600

350

400

600

600

450

500

t~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FAN DRIVES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

Starting Requirements
The various characteristics of the drive and the load
that have to be investigated for the proper selection of a
fan drive are detailed in the following.
1) Locked-Rotor Torque: The minimum torque at
standstill.
2) Pull-Up Torque: The minimum torque developed
during the period of acceleration from standstill to full
speed.
3) Breakdown Torque: The maximum torque developed
during starting without an abrupt change in speed.
4) Pull-Out Torque: Same as breakdown torque (only
synchronous motors).
5) Pull-In Torque: Torque developed during the transition from slip-speed to synchronous speed (only synchronous motors).
Table I details the preceding values for induction and
high-torque synchronous motors. Further considerations
are as follows.
6) WR2 of Load: The WR2 of the load influences the
starting time; higher WR2 of the load will result in longer
acceleration time. Table II indicates the recommended
values of load WR2 established by NEMA for the induction
motors usually applicable for fan drives. It applies to
standard polyphase squirrel-cage motors having minimum
locked-rotor torques equal to 60 percent of full-load
torque and a rated temperature rise to 40C. Motors can,
accelerate without injurious temperature rise under the

600

TABLE II
WR2 (EXCLUSIVE OF MOTOR WR2) LOAD
LARGE INDUCTION OR HIGH-TORQUE

SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS
SPEED, RPM

HP__

3,600

1,800

1,200

900

720

600

514

210
246
281

1,017
1,197

315

2,744
3,239
3,723
4,199
4,606

5,540
6,540
7,530
8,500
9,460

9,530
11,270
12,080
14,570
16,320

14,830
17,550
20,230
22,870
25,470

21,560

1,373
1,516
1,714

25,530
29,130
33,280
37,000

500
600
700
800
900

381
443
503
560
615

1,880
2,202
2,514
2,815

10 100

3,108

5,130
6,080
6,900
7,760
8,500

17,070
21,190
21,310
27,440
30,430

28,050
33,100
38,080
42,950
47,740

40,850
48,260
55,500
62,700
69,700

1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750

668

11,360
13,260
15,060
16,780

31,170

33,470
40,740
47,700

34,800

54,900
61,100

52,500
64,000
75,100

1,006

3,393
4,073
4,712
5,310
5,880

19, 260

2,000

790
902
1,004

85,900
96,500

76,600
93,600
110,000
126,000
111,600

2,250

1,180
1,256

6,420
6,930

18,440
20,030

38,430
41,900

67,600
73,800

106,800
116,800

156,900
171,800

250
300
350
400
450

2,500

349

9,410

12,250
14,060
15,830
17,560

23,390

26,350

following conditions: 1) rated voltage and frequency

applied; 2) during the accelerating period, the connected
load torque should be equal to, or less than, a torque which
varies as the square of the speed and is equal to 100
percent of full-load torque at rated speed; and 3) two
starts in succession (coasting to rest between starts) with
the motor initially at ambient temperature or one start
with the motor initially at ambient temperature not
exceeding its rated-load operating temperature.

614

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON
300

INDUSTRY AND GENERAL APPLICATIONS, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971

250
C31

250

CL

200

200

150 -

100

50

50

CLA

I-

O0

i0

20

30

PERCENT

40

50

60

70

80

90

00

ri

50

SYNCHRONOUS SPEED

Fig. 9. Typical speed-torque curve for fan-drive motors.

7) Motor Torque Versus Speed Curves: Fig. 9 shows the

typical speed-torque curve for high-torque synchronous
motors or squirrel-cage induction motors, and Fig. 10
is a similar curve for wound-rotor motors.
8) Motor Rated Torque Versus Net Torque: The motor
torque varies approximately as the square of the terminal
voltage. That is, if the voltage is only 0.8 pu, the torque
equals 0.64 pu of the rated value with rated terminal
voltage. The net starting torque is always lower than the
rated torque.

20

40

60

80o

00

PERCENT SYNCHRONOUS SPEED

Fig. 10. Typical speed-torque curves of wound-rotor motors with

various steps of external resistance in secondary circuit.

chronous motors should be selected purely on the basis of

low initial cost.
The salient-pole-type synchronous motors are usually
used for fan-drive applications. There are two distinct
steps in the starting of a salient-pole synchronous motor:
Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor Drive
1) acceleration to pull-in slip, and 2) pull-in to synchronous
The most widely used ac motors for fan application speed
by field application. The synchronous motor must
comply with the NEMA design B characteristics. These have adequate torque at each step to meet the requiretypes of motors have starting and accelerating torques ments imposed by the load. The speed-torque curve
adequate for the fan application with full-voltage starting- during step 1) is similar to that of an induction motor.
current values acceptable to most power systems.
Starting Performance of Fan Drives (Synchronous or
Wound-Rotor Induction Motor Drive
Squirrel-Cage Induction Type)
Wound-rotor motors are applicable when starting
The squirrel-cage windings in the rotor may be damaged
current is severely restricted or when controllable ac- during fan starting. as a result of mechanical failure due
celeration is desired. Speed-torque curves for various to severe vibrations leading to bar fracture, or thermal
resistance steps in the rotor circuit are as illustrated in failure due to overheating caused by excessive current,
Fig. 10.
prolonged accelerating time, or repetitive starting. Of
Acceleration during the starting of wound-rotor in- these, thermal failure is the more common phenomenon.
duction motors can be accomplished by one of three
The starting current persists in the rotor until the rotor
methods: 1) current-limit acceleration; 2) secondary- reaches 85 to 95 percent of full speed, resulting in a very
frequency acceleration; 3) definite-time acceleration.
high temperature rise. If the rotor could be brought up to
speed quickly, the increase in temperature would not be
Synchronous Motor Drive
excessive, and the heating of the rotor would be within its
The main characteristic of the synchronous motor is its physical capability. Although it is the bars that usually
ability to provide power-factor (PF) correction for the break, excessive heat in the short-circuiting rings or end
electrical system. These motors are available at 100- rings is the cause of the final rupture. Fig. 11 shows the
and 80-percent leading PF.
temperature rise in the rotor due to the heat losses during
Motors with 80-percent PF cost 15 to 20 percent more acceleration. It can be seen that the rotor heat loss inthan those with unity PF. The reactive kvar can be creases much more rapidly in the lower speed range than in
varied by adjusting the field current. Furthermore, the higher speed range.
synchronous motors generate more reactive kvar as the
Another aggravating cause for this temperature rise is
voltage decreases. They stabilize system voltage better repetitive starting. If, in addition to accelerating high
than capacitors since they supply more leading kvar as inertia and providing the load torque, a fan motor is
the voltage drops. For sizes above 1 hp/(r/min), syn- subjected to repeated starts without sufficient time

615

RAJAN AND HO: FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS

10 0
L)> 500

CLL

cr

/T-15

oe

LNJ

400

F-

clAfi1- 7
i-

00

300

WI L

12:3

LLJ

O-20

40

0
40
80
20
AVERAGE PERCENT LOAD TORQUE

40

-i

nf

200

Fr-

tJ

50

(TX)

70
90
120
PERCENT VOLTAGE

(b)
(a)
Fig. 12. Rotor heating curves during starting. (a) Rotor heating as
affected by accelerating torque; Tm-accelerating torque, T1load torque. (b) Rotor heating as affected by starting voltage; T, is
0.5-percent average, Tm is 100-percent average, and terminal voltage is 1.75-percent average.

CZ)
CLJ
20

25

50

PERCENT

FULL SPEED

75

100

150

- .

- ~~~.

A CT U AL MA XI MU M

Fig. 11. Rate of rotor hearing in squirrel-cage inductioIn motors.

O-

intervals to allow the motor to return to, or near to,

rated normal operating temperatures, the heating effect
would be cumulative and could prove destructive. Even
though the winding does not fail at once, the bars and
end rings may become embrittled by excessive heating and
eventually crack and become inoperative.
Remedial Measures on Fan-Drive Motor Design and
Application
Motor Design by Manufacturer: The manufacturer is in
the best position to choose the right motor. He can tell
whether or not a standard motor will do the job. Where
the standard motor is inadequate, the manufacturer can
make design modifications to fit the need. The common
changes usually incorporated are as follows.
1) Special rotor-bar shapes or materials are used to
concentrate more of the motors equivalent resistance
(and therefore most of the accelerating heat loss) in the
bars and less in the end rings or stator.
2) Heavier cross sections of bars or rings are used to
provide more heat-sink thermal capacity.
3) Long bar construction is used with bar overhaing
greater than normal.
4) Retention caps keyed to the shaft are used to restrain expansion of the end rings under thermal and
centrifugal forces.
5) Shrink rings made of stainless steel are used on the
machined outside diameter of the rotor bars extending
beyond the core to hold down the end rings under thermal
and centrifugal forces.
Manufacturer's Test Torque-Speed Curve: The manufacturer should give the user a torque-speed curve specific
for the motor, as designed and tested. Fig. 9 shows a
typical torque-speed curve which includes a guarantee on
the tested

torque values

If given the

necessary

as indicated by the dotted line.

load data and starting conditions,

TORQUE

VARRIATION

-,A

20

40

60

80

PERCENT FULL LOAD SPEED

l00

Fig. 13. Comparison of actual and typical speed-torque

fans.

curves

of

it is up to the motor designer to be sure that this guaranteed

minimum is sufficient. Considerations should also be
given to the torque overloads due to stalling, high-load
counter torque, or voltage dip.
System Design by Engineer: A reduction of terminal
voltage at the motor during acceleration time can increase
rotor heating considerably. At first glance it might be
reasoned that the motor gets hot because of high starting
current. However, reducing the current in the stator by
reducing the voltage does not reduce the magnitude of
heating losses on the rotor because it requires longer
accelerative time. In fact, the rotor temperature rise may
be well within the safety limit at 100-percent voltage
but at 75-percent voltage may increase the temperature
well over the limit with a good possibility of damage.
This also brings forth the fact that an average load torque
of 50 percent or less, coupled with average motor torque,
may produce only 20- or 30-percent additional rotor heat
but a load- torque of 100 percent will make the rotor
nearly three to four times hotter. Fig. 12 illustrates the
rotor heating as affected by the accelerating torque
and starting voltage. In order to avoid excessive heating
and to provide adequate starting torque, the engineer
should incorporate the following: 1) an adequate motor
torque to provide for higher accelerating torque; 2) a rated
motor voltage of 4 percent less than system nominal

616

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY AND GENERAL

APPLICATIONS, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971

300
280

240

200

IJ-a)

60
60

ir-

Cy12

0c

LJ

C)
Cl:
z

400

Fig. 14. Torque

I1:20

1200

800

versus

1600

SLIP,RPM
slip of eddy-current coupling for various

values of excitation.

20

ASSUMED LOAD HP IS PROPORTIONAL

z II00

TO(RPM)3

50

-j

Fig. 16. Fluid coupling characteristics.

cj

0 HORSEPOWER Ls

20
0

the machine should be triggered by the proper interlocks.

Also, an adjustable timer in the control circuit could
be installed to prevent restarting within a predetermined
time delay.

40
cLA

00

PERCENT SYNCHRONOUS SPEED

Eddy-Current Coupling Drive

The eddy-current coupling provides speed control for
Fig. 15. Eddy-current coupling characteristics.
the fans by varying the amount of excitation current.
This relation is demonstrated in Fig. 14. The coupling
for
starting
voltage
also reduces shock to the fan at the time of starting. Fig. 15
and
an
system
adequate
3)
voltage;
details the various operating characteristics of eddythe motor during normal or abnormal conditions.
Another possible source of error occurs when considering current coupling drives.
the fan curves for the selection of the drive. For example,
Fluid Coupling Drive
compare the fan curve in Fig. 8 with the pattern of actual
The basic fluid drive concept utilizes the hydrokinetic
fan torque requirements of Fig. 13. Note how the envelope
includes
to transmit power through oil particles. Thus
at
principle
low
speeds,
the
actual
of
curve, particularly
A
is
delivered in accordance with the basic law of
curve.
the
the
of
than
typical
far
range
power
higher
torques
1/2 MV2, where E represents energy,
standard motor may not be capable of accelerating some kinetic energy E
of these loads. The application engineer should therefore M the mass of the working fluid, and V the differential
provide a margin of at least 15 percent to start a fan velocity of the oil particles before and after impinging on
having the torque curve shown in Fig. 13. With the the runner blade. In variable-speed drives, the mass of the
motor test torque curve shown in Fig. 9, the NEMA working fluid can be changed while the machine is operatproposal indicates a 30-percent margin for average fan ing, and an infinitely variable output speed is achieved.
The main advantage of this type of coupling is that the
load.
The third area of concern centers about the need for drive motor never has to work against high stall torque at
frequent restarting-whether it is for maintenance or for start-up. The motor therefore can be rated with low
controlled operation. It is a good practice that process starting torque but with high breakdown torque.
Fig. 16 gives the performance characteristics of the
interruptions do not shut down fan motors. Instead,
automatic damper-closing and bypass valves to unload standard and new automatic types of coupling drives.
l0

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

PERCENT FULL LOAD SPEED

617

RAJAN AND HO: FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS

TABLE III
ITEMS REQUIRING CONSIDERATION

MECHANICAL
ENGINEER

30,000
ELECTRICAL
ENGINEER

MOTOR
DESIGNER

WATER-COOLED E-C
COUPLINGS 1200 RPM

25,000
FAN SPEED

TYPE OF FAN AND WR2 VALUE

FAN HORSEPOWER RATING

STARTING TORQUE REQUIREMENT

MOTOR ENCLOSURE

WATER-COOLED E-C
COUPLINGS 1800 RPM
-AIR-

20,000

COO?LED E-C

oc,n
X
X

X
X

/1

~~~FLUID DRIVE
1200 RPM

15,000

I-C

~
tFLUID
DRIVE

,/E'/// 1 r _800 RPM

MOTOR RATINGS AND CONTROLLER

HEATING LOSS AND STARTING

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

OVERALL ECONOMICS

MAINTENANCE

2~,L

-j

FLUID DRIVE PRICE INCLUDES

FLUID DRIVE a ACTUATOR

II

200

400

600

800

I _

EDDY-CURRENT COUPLING
PPRICE INCLUDES COUPLING B EXCITATION CONTROLLER

LAIR-COOLED E-C
COUPLINGS 1800 RPM

The torque transmission of the new automatic type at

lower speeds is very low. This protects the driving motor
by limiting stall torque to a value that can be carried
continuously by the motor without overheating.

10,000

1000

II
1200

Il

1400

1600

18RX 2000

HORSEPOWER

Fig. 17. Cost of induced draft fan drives (estimated purchase price).

SELECTION OF FAN DRIVES

Direct Drives
For any specific application, motor enclosures should
be selected to provide the required mechanical and
electrical protection in order to prevent high maintenance
costs and premature failure. Selection of the proper type
of motor is also very important. Synchronous motors are
economical to operate because of their higher efficiency
and capability for correcting PF. They are also more
economically applied in the larger size range.
Although nonstandard special features of a motor
should be reduced to a minimum because each special
feature results in increased investment and future maintenance cost, it is important to match the correct motor to
a given fan. This is generally a joint effort between the
mechanical and electrical engineers. Table III shows the
roles of the mechanical and the electrical engineer, as
well as the equipment manufacturer, in properly matching
the motor to the fan drive.

Coupling Drives
Fig. 17 compares the cost of the various types of
coupling drives described in this paper. Ac motor prices
are not included since they are equal. At 1200 r/min and
below 500 hp, the purchase price of fluid drives and eddycurrent couplings is roughly comparable. In larger sizes
the fluid drive is more economical. At this point, it should
be mentioned that a gear reducer with motor and fluid
drive at 1800 r/min is usually less costly than a direct
drive with motor and fluid drive at the lower fan speed.
Fig. 18 compares the operating costs of drives using eddycurrent or fluid coupling with those of damper controls.

-cc

I-

CL

10

TO
50
60
80
20
30
40
PERCENT FAN SPEED OR DAMPER POSITION

90

100

Fig. 18. Performance comparison of dampers versus eddy-current

and fluid drive couplings.

It can be seen that a drive with eddy-current or fluid

coupling is comparatively more efficient than a direct
drive with damper control at various operating points.
Table IV lists recent installation of the fans and fan drives
in cement plants.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY AND GENERAL APPLICATIONS,

618

TABLE IV
FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS
OPERATIONS

HP

TYPE

ALPHA PORTLAND,
Orange, Texas

1967

300

E-C Coupling Water-Cooled

Closed Circuit

MEDUSA,

1967

900

Inlet Damper

PACIFIC WESTERN IND.

Lebec, California

1967

1250

Fluid Drive

SANTEC,
Holly Hills, South Corolina

1966

500

Inlet Damper

UNIVERSAL ATLAS,
Honnibal, Missouri

1966

1500

Inlet Damper

NATIONAL CEMENT
Raglond, ulobomo

1966

500

E-C Coupling Air-Cooled

MARQUETTE,
Catskill, New York

1966

600

Inlet Damper

ARKANSAS CEMENT
Foremon, Arkonsos

1966

800

Fluid Drive

KEYSTONE,
Both, Pennsylvania

1966

600

E-C Coupling Air-Cooled

MARTIN MARIETTA,
Martinsburg, West Virginia

1966

700

Fluid Drive

NORTHWESTERN STATES,
Mason City, lowa

1966

800

Fluid Drive

SOUTHWESTERN PORTLAND,
Victorville, California

1964

1250

Fluid Drive

AMERICAN CEMENT,
Riverside, California

1964

1000

E-C Coupling Air-Cooled

AMERICAN CEMENT
Detroit, Michigan

1971

1000

Fluid Drive

MARTIN MARIETTA,
Thomoston, Maine

1971

900

Fluid Drive

MARQUETTE,
Hagerstown, Maryland

1970

500

Fluid

LEHIGH,
Union Bridge, Pennsylvnnia

1970

300

Inlet Damper

GIFFORD-HILL
Midlothian, Texos

1970

400

Inlet Damper

MAULE INDUSTRIES,
Pennsuco, Florida

1970

200

Inlet Damper

MARTIN MARIETTA,
Lyons, Colorado

1969

1-800
1. 1250

Fluid Drive

LONE STAR,
Greencastle, Indiana

1969

500

E-C Coupling Water-Cooled

Closed Circuit

MEDUSA,
York, Pennsylvonio

1969

200

Inlet Damper

MEDUSA,
Wampum, Pennsylvonia

1969

250

Inlet Damper

RIVER CEMENT,
Selma, Missouri

1968

400

Fluid Drive

MARTIN MARIETTA,
Atlanta, Georgia

1968

300

E-C Coupling Air-Cooled

IDEAL CEMENT,
Seattle, Washington

1967

600

Inlet Damper

DUNDEE CEMENT,

1967

1250

Inlet Damper

COMPANY & PLANT

Charlevoix,

Michigan

Clorkesville,

Missouri

Drive

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971

2) the types of other utilized equipment presently

connected to the system or envisioned for future
connection;
3) the voltage spread that can be tolerated for each
type of equipment in the plant and along the utility
power company's line;
4) the effect of fan motor starting on voltage levels in
other parts of the system- the frequency of fan
motor starting and the accelerating period;
5) limitations placed on starting current by the power
company or local generation equipment;
6) the effect of motor PF and efficiency on system
losses and operation and the advisability of a synchronous motor for system PF correction;
7) the magnitude and duration of the fault current
contribution of the motor during system fault
conditions;
8) provisions for proper protective relay and their
coordination with motor operation;
9) surge protection to the motor at starter or motor.
Voltage-Drop Determination
Voltage-drop determination for motor applications
can be divided into the normal-running and motorstarting categories. For practical purposes the following
approximate formula is of sufficient accuracy for calculation on normal-running voltage drop:
E = I(R cos 4 + X sin 4)
where
E
I
R
X
4

line to neutral voltage drop (V)

circuit current (A)
resistance of circuit (Q)
reactance of circuit (Q) (by convention, inductive
reactance is positive, and capacitive reactance is
negative)
phase angle between sending voltage E and current
I.

Voltage Dip due to Motor Starting

Calculations of voltage dip are important and necessary
to determine if sufficient net torque is developed for
accelerating the high-inertia loads. This level also determines the degree of light flicker in the whole system and
the power company's requirement on the voltage limita-

tion.
There are four commonly used methods of calculating
the voltage dip due to motor starting-:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DESIGN
1) the exact or R + jX method, including circuit
General Considerations
resistance and starting-current phase angle;
The factors to be considered for proper application of a
2) the approximate X method, neglecting circuit
fan motor to a system can be summarized as follows:
resistance and starting current phase angle;
utiliza1) the compatibility of the system voltages and
3) the short-circuit kVA method;
tion voltages with standard commercial motor
4) the graphical method, using short-circuit kVA and
design;
starting kVA.

619

RAJAN AND HO: FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS

cr

a
I-

I1

CL

FAN TORQUE
VANES CLOSED

l0

20

30

50
60
40
PERCENT SYNCHRONOUS SPEED

70

80

90

100

Fig. 19. Fan and induction motor speed-torque curve-NEMA B motor characteristics.

where
effective WR12 fan inertia at motor shaft (lb/ft2)
M
100 X
X MkVA
WR22 fan inertia at fan shaft (lb/ft2)
kVA
voltage dip in percent = M
S2 speed of fan shaft (r/min)
M kVA + S kVA
Si speed of motor shaft (r/min).
where M kVA is the starting kVA of the motor and S kVA
is the short-circuit kVA of the source system at the motor The acceleration time is then calculated step by step,
illustrated in Fig. 20.
terminal.

For simplicity, method 3) should provide sufficiently

accurate values and is given by the following formula:

Calculation of Acceleration Time

Accurate calculation of acceleration time requires a
tested speed-torque curve of the motor and of the fan.
Such information is usually not available before the
motor is tested; however, a reasonable approximation
may be made for the standard NEMIA design motor for
its locked-rotor, pull-up, and breakdown torques. The
first step is to plot such a motor speed-torque, as shown in
Fig. 19. Note that the torque varies as the voltage squared.
The second step is to plot the fan speed-torque curve on
the same sheet using the following criteria: a) damper
open-maximum torque based on load requirement, with
subsequent points proportional to square of speed;
b) damper closed-torque value about 40 percent of vane
open condition. The third step is to obtain the WR2
of all rotating masses, including that of the rotor. In
some instances, the fan speed (r/min) is not the same as
the motor speed (r/min) because of the use of reduction

in which case the effective load WR2 of the fan at

motor speed must be used, as given by the following
formula:

gear,

effective WR12

_WR22 X S22
Si2

as

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Preventive maintenance encompasses all planning and
action necessary to identify and rectify deteriorating
conditions. Experience clearly indicates that preventive
maintenance reduces downtime. It has been achieved by
the following methods.
Responsibility and Authority: It is necessary to know the
responsibility and authority that management assigns to a
given level of supervision and the allocation of costs and
budgets. The preventive maintenance and production
should be closely coordinated and at the same levels of
supervision.

Planning: The preventive maintenance supervisor

must know the anticipated schedules of the machine
shutdown and plan to make thorough inspections. By
careful planning, much preventive maintenance work can
also be done while the machine is running.
Records: Any effective preventive maintenance system
must deal with records and measurements under certain
conditions. The questioning attitude is most helpful in

preventive maintenance, provided information is recorded.

Load capabilities or original specifications should be on
the machine card. Inspection schedules vary greatly between different machines. By comparing inspection

620

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY AND GENERAL APPLICATIONS,

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971

2.0

uJ
0

1.5

-Jx
-J

Cy

1.0

I-

a-

0.5

0.1

0.2

03

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

.0

0.9

PER UNIT SYNCHRONOUS SPEED (N)

MOTOR, FAN IMPELLER AND GEARS TOTAL WR2 = 2900 lb-ft2
MOTOR RATED TORQUE = 1500 HP x 5250/1770 RPM = 4450 lb-ft.
ACCELERATION

INTERVAL

AN= N2-N1

WR2

TIME
=At=

x (N2N1)

308 x T
T

0.62
0 - 0.1
0.70
.1 - 0.2
0.68
.2 - 0.3
0.64
.3 - 0.4
0.62
.4 - 0.5
0.58
.5 - 0.6
0.58
.6 - 0.7
0.60
.7 - 0.8
0.60
.8 - 0.9
0.20
.9 - 1.0
TOTAL ACCELERATING TIME = 7.3 S

2900

1700 x

308 x 4450 x

P.U.

(N2-N1)

(p.u.T)

3.75

(N2-N1)

At
0.605
0.535
0.550
0.585
0.605
0.648
0.648
0.628
0.628
1.86

0.605
1.140
1.690
2.275
2.880
3.528
4.176
4.804
5.432
7.292

Fig. 20. Calculation of acceleration time.

results with previous inspections, the schedules may be

revised either upward or downward.
Spares and Renewal Parts: Renewal parts are those
parts which have a short life with respect to motor windings. Spare parts are those parts which must be replaced
as a result of some accident or unusual operation. Renewal
parts are usually stocked to keep the machine running
while spare parts may be stocked to reduce downtime in
case of some premature or accidental failure.
Inspection: In a preventive maintenance program, two
functions must be considered: 1) identify and correct the

deteriorating condition; and 2) plan repair or replacement

of the parts before actual failure occurs.
The life of a fan motor is determined by the condition
of the insulation of the windings and the bearings. Insulation as applied to a machine consists of ground
insulation and turn-to-turn insulation. An insulation
failure to ground produces grounded winding, and insulation failure between turns produces a shorted winding.
Hence preventive maintenance operators should have a
general idea of insulation systems, particularly elements
that produce premature failure.

RAJAN AND HO0' FAN DRIVES IN CEMENT PLANTS

Vibration Reduction: Excessive motor vibrations will

produce structural insulation failure: the insulation is
weakened; banding, blocking, wedging, and tying become
loose; and coils are allowed to vibrate. The movement
causes insulation to flake and wear, and eventual failures
will occur. In early stages, dipping and baking will tighten
all insulation, but in final stages complete rewinding may
be necessary. Vibrations also cause premature bearing
failure. Vibrations may be produced by an electrical
unbalance in the motor a mechanical misalignment between the motor and load, or by the load itself as well as
by poor foundations that vibrate or amplify a small
unbalance into a greater unbalance.
The electrical unbalance may have several causes.
If a field coil of a synchronous machine is shorted, the

coil will produce less than normal flux, and shaft deflection
may take place. An open rotor or stator winding will also
cause shaft deflection as will open bars in a squirrelcage motor. If the air gap of the motor varies greatly, as a
result of worn bearings or improper centering, the rotor
may be deflected to the nearest air gap.
Bumping will be produced due to end play caused by
nonlevel conditions or nonalignment of magnetic and
load centers. Also, worn sleeve bearings may allow the
shaft to climb the bearings resulting in the shaft falling
into the bearing seat. Vibrations will also result from
damaged ball or roller bearings but they can usually be
detected by the noise they produce. Other areas which
merit consideration are current collecting devices, bearing
lubricants, motor controllers, and protective devices.

Sundar Rajan (M'63) was born in Trivandum, India, on January 28, 1933. He received the
B.Sc. degree in physics and the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the University of
Travancore, Travancore, India, in 1952 and 1956, respectively.
Prior to joining Kaiser Engineers, Oakland, Calif., in 1969, he had been involved in the
design, construction, and maintenance fields in India, Australia, and Canada, working on a
variety of assignments in power plants, transmission and distribution systems, and heavy
industries. Throughout this period, his major field of interest was in rotating machines. In
his present position he is responsible for the design of electrical systems for cement plants
and other mineral projects.
Mr. Rajan is a member of the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers and the Institution
of Electrical Engineers (London) and is a Chartered Engineer and a Registered Professional
Engineer in the State of California.

Timothy T. Ho (M'53'SM'71) was born on October 5, 1921. He received the B.S. degree from
National Wu-Han University, China, in 1945 and the M.S.E.E. degree from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., in 1949.
He has been with Kaiser Engineers, Oakland, Calif., since 1950 and has worked on many
heavy industrial and utility power projects. His main interest has been in power system
analysis and system protection. At present, he is the Chief Electrical Engineer of Kaiser
Engineers, Oakland.
Mr. Ho is a Registered Electrical Engineer in the States of California, Arizona, and Washington.