geesamand
Mechanical
- Jun 2, 2006
- 688
Hello,
First be forewarned I'm a mechanical with limited electrical knowledge.
My company is manufacturer of gear-reduced equipment driven by an electric motor. We buy commercial electric motors, typically ranging .25hp to 150hp 4 pole TEFC. We and many of our customers are in the habit of using current measurements and comparing against the FLA to assess the power being drawn by the machine. This is a simplified view of things and can be affected by the actual machine power draw, electrical power factor, line resistance, etc. (I'm sure an EE will know it better than I do.) The wiring and power sources are handled by our customers or their representative - our scope is purely mechanical in design except for choosing an appropriate motor size.
We are trying to solve the problem of how to know when excess current is due to mechanical issues (our problem) vs. electrical support system errors (their problem). Where might I go to begin to learn the parameters that should be concerned, how to measure them, etc to confirm the motor is operating in an acceptable environment from an electrical point of view. FWIW we have a couple of Fluke 345's here to assist.
Ideally this could be a short list that we can run down when things aren't working as expected - but if necessary we could line up a consultant with appropriate experience. (You'd think our motor vendors are the ideal source for this but so far the support we've received is puzzlingly poor).
Thanks in advance,
David
First be forewarned I'm a mechanical with limited electrical knowledge.
My company is manufacturer of gear-reduced equipment driven by an electric motor. We buy commercial electric motors, typically ranging .25hp to 150hp 4 pole TEFC. We and many of our customers are in the habit of using current measurements and comparing against the FLA to assess the power being drawn by the machine. This is a simplified view of things and can be affected by the actual machine power draw, electrical power factor, line resistance, etc. (I'm sure an EE will know it better than I do.) The wiring and power sources are handled by our customers or their representative - our scope is purely mechanical in design except for choosing an appropriate motor size.
We are trying to solve the problem of how to know when excess current is due to mechanical issues (our problem) vs. electrical support system errors (their problem). Where might I go to begin to learn the parameters that should be concerned, how to measure them, etc to confirm the motor is operating in an acceptable environment from an electrical point of view. FWIW we have a couple of Fluke 345's here to assist.
Ideally this could be a short list that we can run down when things aren't working as expected - but if necessary we could line up a consultant with appropriate experience. (You'd think our motor vendors are the ideal source for this but so far the support we've received is puzzlingly poor).
Thanks in advance,
David