Check Temperature When Specifying Motors By John Mazurkiewicz Baldor Electric

Life of a motor in an application depends on operating temperature. To prolong it, the best course of action is to determine the thermal profile and then specify the motor accordingly. How hot will the motor operate in your application? There are two ways this can be checked. You can either, run a lab test and measure temperature, or you can calculate it. A lab test can be time consuming. It can take hours for temperature to stabilize, to obtain one data point. With the correct parameters from the motor manufacturer, the second approach proves quite accurate. To get a handle on temperature, two values are needed. The first is power dissipation required for the application, and the second is the motors thermal resistance.

Thermal resistance
A motors thermal resistance is a measure of how effectively the motor dissipates the generated heat Thermal resistance is indicated in degrees C per watt. That is, for each watt dissipated the motor will see a specific temperature rise. Therefore, take power dissipation times thermal resistance and add ambient, and you have the sum total temperature at which the motor will be operating. Expressed mathematically, this is:
(1) Total TempC + (P Diss x R TH) ) Ambient C

In this equation, power dissipation should consider all losses. However, we can use I2 RHOT which adequately works for servos. Note that I is current, and RHOT is the motors hot resistance. As an example, using a typical motor shown in Figure 1, in an application pulling 4.1 amps in a 30 C ambient, we have:
(2) Power Dissipated + (I 2 x R HOT) + (4.1 2 x 3.33) + 55.9 Watts (1) Total TempC + (P Diss x R TH) ) Ambient C + (55.9 x 1.4) ) 30 + 108.3 C

Under these conditions, the motor winding temperature reaches 108.3 C, which is well within the design limit (Maximum Winding Temperature) of 155 C, resulting in a cool operating motor.

Figure 1 Motor and typical motor parameters

Typical motor parameters Continuous Stall Current = 38 lbin Continuous Current = 5.2 amps Terminal Resistance (Cold) = 2.22 ohms (Hot) = 3.33 ohms Thermal Resistance = 1.4 C Maximum Winding Temperature = 155 C

Duty cycle
In the example, the motor is under continuous use, and current into the motor is constant. How do you determine the value when the application has a duty cycle associate with it? The answer lies in looking at the application current for each section of the duty cycle. To illustrate this, refer to Figure 2, which shows an applications speed versus time profile. The motor accelerates and runs for a specified time, before decelerating to a stop, and then remains idle for a time period while some secondary operation may be taking place. The greatest amount of current and majority of heating takes place during the acceleration and deceleration time periods, where the motor must overcome inertia and friction. During the run time, the applications friction is the only opposing force, resulting in lower current levels. Lets use the following numbers as an example of how to determine the RMS current over the duty cycle: starting or acceleration current = 10 amps for 0.2 seconds, operational or running current = 1.5 amps for 0.2 seconds, deceleration current = 8.5 amps for 0.2 seconds, the applications idle time = 0.8 seconds. Using the formula shown in Figure 2, the RMS current over the specified duty cycle is:
(3) I + 10 2 x 0.2 ) 1.5 2 x 0.1 ) 8.5 2 x 0.2 0.2 ) 0.1 ) 0.2 + 0.8 + 5.16 Amps

Figure 2 Determining RMS current for a given duty cycle

RPM

Speed Profile

Time

tAcc IAcc IRMS

tRun
On Time

tDec

tIdle
Off Time

I RMS +

I Acc x t Acc ) I Run x t Run ) I Dec x t Dec t Acc ) t Run ) t Dec ) t Idle

IRun
Current Profile 0

IDec

This RMS value is the number to use to determine temperature rise, along with Equations (2) and (1):
Power Dissipated + (I 2 x R HOT) + (5.16 2 x 3.33) + 88.6 Watts Total TempC + (P Diss x R TH) ) Ambient C + (88.6 x 1.4) ) 30 + 154 C

This is operating at the design level of the motor winding. Some conclusions to draw. 1. 2. 3. 4. If the On time is shorter (trying to produce more parts per hour), the motor would be operating above its designed winding temperature. If the Off time is lengthened, the motor would operate cooler. If a slightly larger motor were selected, the operating temperature would be cooler (due to reduced thermal resistance of larger motors). Of course a blower may be added to reduce the rise.

Temperature rise equation

In the previous examples, power is essentially applied constantly, and the motor achieves thermal stability. However there are other operating modes in which stability is not achieved. Analysis of these calls for a variation in the procedure. To understand the analysis procedure for the other operating modes, lets look at the basic equation from which temperature rise is calculated:
(4) T + (T Start * (P Diss x R TH) ) T AMB) e *t
tTH

) ((P Diss x R TH) ) T AMB)

Where t = the motors on or operating time, and tTH = motors thermal time constant. Note that when time t is large, the motor attains thermal stability and the equation reduces to the case of constant applied power as related by Equation (1). A new term thermal time constant is used in Equation (4). Thermal time constant is a measure of how long it takes a motor to reach thermal stability. The engineering definition of time constant is the amount of time required for a motor winding to reach 63.2% of continuous (steady state) temperature. This assumes constant power is dissipated over the entire time. To illustrate the definition, and to simplify Equation (4), shown in Figure 3 is a plot of Equation (4), which is temperature versus time. Power is applied (time=0), and temperature begins to rise exponentially, until a steady state value is attained. Final steady state temperature is expressed as 100%.

Figure 3 Temperature rise vs time for constant applied power

Temperature 100% 90% 95% 98% 99.9% Final Temperature

60% 50%

63.2% 48%

Thermal time constant = time required to reach 63.2% of final temperature.

t=0

tTH

3tTH

5tTH

7tTH

Time

As shown, the thermal time constant is the time it takes to reach 63.2% of final temperature.

(5) t TH + 48%, t TH + 63.2%, 3t TH + 95%, 7t TH + 99.99%,

The final point 7tTH = 99.99% is essentially the final temperature! We will work through an example shortly, so you will know how to use this.

Short term power case

Now lets look at the case in which power is applied for a short term. In these applications, power is applied for such short intervals that the motor never attains thermal equilibrium. If power is applied for time periods of 1/2tTH or less then:
(6) 1 * e *t
tTH

^ t t TH t t TH

and temperature change can be approximated by:

(7) D Temp + P Diss x R TH x

As an example, if PDiss x RTH = 115 watts, and thermal time constant tTH =30 minutes, then temperature rise will be:
t = Minutes 2 4 10 15 (=1/2tTH) D Temp Rise 7.6 15 38 57

Keep in mind that this is temperature rise only, and ambient must be added to this, to obtain the total motor winding temperature.

On/Off power cases

More often the situation would be, that power is applied for a longer time period, then shut off. This is considered an on/off power case. In on/off power applications, during the on time, temperature rises according to Equation (4) and the motor may even attain thermal stability. When power is removed temperature falls according to:
(8) D Temp + T HOT e *t
tTH

Where THOT is the hot temperature, which the motor has attained. The following example will show how to plot this. Lets look at an application, and use the equations to plot the heating and cooling cycles. Consider the motor operating for 1 hour dissipating 200 watts, then turned off for 3.5 hours. The motor has a thermal resistance of 0.57 C/watt and thermal time constant of 30 minutes. Using Equations (1) and (5), the table labeled On time calculations in Figure 4 is developed. These points are then plotted (see curve Figure 4). When power is on the motor winding heats up, attaining 63.2% of final temperature in one thermal time constant. Note that the final temperature attained would be 144 C if power were to be continually applied. However after 1 hour, power is shut off. At this time, the curve indicates the temperature has reached 125 C. With power removed, the motor begins to cool down. The second table with off time calculations shows how to determine the temperature decline. Note that after one thermal time constant, the change in temperature represents a 63.2% drop. The plot reveals that power is off for a long enough time period to allow the motor to cool down to approximately ambient temperature. A general rule is that once power is removed, allow 5+ thermal time constants for the motor to cool down.

Figure 4 Solve the equations and plot the curves

Power On Power Off Power On

Temperature 150 125 C 138 C 141 C 144 C

100

102 C 84 C 80 C 65 C

50 30 Ambient

35 C

32 C

Time, Minutes
10 30 60 100 150 200

1/2tTH tTH ON" Time Calculations Minutes 1/tTH = 15 tTH = 30 3tTH = 90 5tTH = 150 7tTH = 210 Tx% = Temp Rise 48% = 54 63.2%= 72 95% = 108 98% = 111 99.9%= 113.8

3tTH +Ambient = Temp +30 = 84 +30 = 102 +30 = 138 +30 = 141 +30 = 143.8

5tTH OFF" Time Calculations Minutes 1/tTH = 15 tTH = 30 3tTH = 90 5tTH = 150 7tTH = 210

7tTH
DT + 125C * 30C (Ambient) + 95C

DTemp + 200 Watts x 0.57 C Watt + 114C

Tx% = Temp Decline 48% = 45 63.2%= 60 95% = 90 98% = 93 99.9%= 94.9

125-Temp Decline= Temp 125-45 = 80 125-60 = 65 125-90 = 35 125-93 = 32 125-94.9 = 30.1

Shorter Off time

Now lets investigate what would happen if the off time were shorter. Well use 30 minutes, with the same motor and power dissipation. The resultant plot is shown in Figure 5. In the first cycle, after 1 hour the temperature reaches 125 C (same as previous). Power is then removed and the motor begins to cool, however the off time is only 30 minutes, so the cool down temperature is 65 C. This is the temperature the motor starts at for second on time. Thus after the second on time of 1 hour, now the temperature reaches 160 C. This cycling of temperature will eventually stabilize, but will it take several cycles. As can be viewed from the plot, if the motors design limit is 155 C, this limit would be exceeded. Some solutions for these applications may involve the use of gearing, or use of the next larger motor (with its additional heat dissipation capability), or it may be as easy as adding a blower as an effective heat removal device. As shown, the work, or torque which the motor delivers, requires current to flow thru the windings. And current results in power dissipation in the motor thus temperature rise. Armed with the correct data, it becomes easy to determine if the motor youre looking at will survive the temperature ratings.

Figure 5 Power On/Off curves

Power On Temperature 200 172 C 160 C 150 125 C 137 C 119 C 100 102 C 84 C 80 C 65 C 50 30 Ambient 35 C 98 C 78 C 150 C 132 C 104 C 83 C 180 C 155 C 137 C Power Off Power On Power Off Power On Power Off Power On Power Off Time

Time, Minutes
10 30 60 100 150 200