Polychlorinated Biphenyls(pcb) implication in Electric motors 4

[f4rk]

I am involved in a decommissioning project involving the removal and disposal of electric motors installed in the 1980s on an offshore oil and gas platform.

We suspect some of these motors might contain PCBs but don't know exactly what rating(s) a motor should be to warrant the use of pcb in its cooling system.

Can any one out there help? The specifications for these motors are not readily handy due to the span of time that has elapsed.

For ever grateful
Environmental professional

 

[DanDel]

PCBs were typically used for liquid insulation in transformers and switches/circuit breakers. Do the motor liquid cooling systems use this type of fluid?

 

[gordonl]

As DanDel pointed out PCB's were generally an oil additive, and were generally out of use by the 80's (in my area anyway). Capacitors and lighting ballasts also used PCB's, but I haven't heard of motors. (I can't think of any reason why oil would be used to cool or insulate a motor, but if it was the only way to know for sure is take a sample and have it tested)

As your probably aware even equipment that wasn't built using PCB's can be contaminated, through cross contamination, and the contamination can be high enough that the equipment is actually classed PCB under the reg's. So manufacturers data isn't the final answer, sample testing needs to be done.

 

[electricpete]

I agree with above comments. If it is a standard air-cooled motor, there is no oil cooling. The only place you might want to look is in the terminal box for surge capacitors, as gord mentioned.

 

[busbar]

Power-factor or surge capacitors can be found close to motors in some industrial settings. My impression is that many platform motors are characteristically hazardous-location rated, and circuit lengths are not that great. These would make it more practical to locate capacitors in a non-hazardous area, like in a room with the associated motor-control center.

I understand that PCB-capacitor production ceased in the late 1970s, and with regulatory pressures likely avoided for new construction.

 

[Farkel]

I concur that capacitors could contain the PCB's, but the motor most likely does not contain them, unless the motors had sleeve bearings, and the filling equipment was contaminated, having filled transformers, lets say.

 

[jbartos]

Suggestion: Visit

http://www.aivc.org/Publications/literature_lists/litlist26.html

for #8442 pertaining to the PCB in transformers and capacitors.
A motor cooled by pcb would have to have some piping and reservoir seen around it.

 

[JeffreySmith]

F4rk,

How did you fare with your research? I am also interested in motor starters - is anyone aware of PCB capacitors in older motor starters?