Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

Three-Phase A.C. Motor Starters

AIM

Understand the principle of operation of motor starters

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Explain the working principle of operation of direct-on-line starter, star-delta

starter and the auto-transformer starter and reasons for their use.
• Read and interpret electrical drawings of the above starters.
• Explain the effect of starting large motors with direct-on-line starters on generator
terminal voltage.
• Explain why a motor designed for delta-connected windings must not be
connected so that the motor runs star-connected.
• Detect and rectify faults implanted in motor starters.

OVERVIEW

This lesson provides students with an understanding of the principle of operation of

three different types 3-phase a.c. motor starter circuits.

Direct-on-line Starter - Principle of Operation

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 25 SP /
SMA
 Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________
With reference to the circuit diagram of Figure 1, the operation of the direct-on-line
starter is explained below :

1) When the circuit breaker 52 is switched on, electrical power is supplied to

the transformer and the lamp WL will light up.

2) When start push button S1 is pressed, contactor coil 88 is energised. Main

contact 88 closes and the motor runs. Holding contact 88a1 is also closed to
keep the motor running continuously. Auxiliary contact 88a2 closes and this
lights up indicator lamp GL.

3) To stop the motor, press push button S2. This will de-energize contractor
coil 88 which causes main contact 88 to open thus stopping the motor. Also
holding contact 88a1 will open and lamp GL goes off as contact 88a2
opens.

4) S5 and S4 are remote start / stop buttons.

5) Thermal overload relay 51 protects the motor from overloading.

Direct-on-line starters is the most commonly used, the most usual consideration
being whether the generator and the distribution system can withstand the starting
current.

In the case of loads with high inertia (eg. oil separators) the starting time may also
be a factor. 88 51
R
The starting current is 5 - 8 times the full load current and the heating of windings
S is 25 - 64 times
52
normal due to I2R effect. Furthermore, at the instant of starting,
there is not windage and radiation. M
T A long starting period may result in overheating. Representative starting periods
may be 15 seconds for a 1.5 kW motor and 25 seconds for a 30 kW motor with an
initial starting current of not more than 6 times full load current.
10 A
For these reasons, it is desirable not to make repeated successive starts without
intervening periods of cooling.

440 / 220 V , 15 V

3A
3A
WL

51b
X 88a1 88a2
G
L

S1

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 26 SP /
SMA
88
S2 S4 S5
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 1

Star-Delta Starter

Both ends of each phase of the stator windings are brought out and connected to
the starter, which on the first step connects them in delta and then in star.

In the starting position, the voltage across each phase windings is 58% of the line
VL
voltage, i.e. with consequent reduction in starting current. It is 1/3 the starting
3
current had it been in delta.

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 27 SP /
SMA
 Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________
Thermal Overload
Protection
L1
U X
R
V Y
S
T W Z

Circuit Breaker

88
U X
R L3
V L2 Y
S 52

T W Z
U

Z U
51

X
Z 88-1
W X
Y
Y V
W V

6
Figure 2
10 A 10 A
Operation of Star-Delta Starter

1) At starting contactor L 2 closes and time delay (not shown) is energised. 6

2) 4X contactor L closes next.

Line 19T 88-1
1 88
6

3) Motor starts on reduced voltage due to star connection of motor windings.

88
19T
4) At the end of time delay period, star contactor L2 opens.
88-1 6

5) Immediately afterwards, contactor L3 closes. 88-1

6) Motor now runs on full voltage and on delta connections.

440 / 220 - 15 V

3A
WL
4X
X 3A 88-1

51b GL

3-O
___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 28 SP /
SMA 4X
3C
4X
19T
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 3

Principle of Operation

With reference to the circuit of Figure 3, the operation of the star-delta starter is
explained below :
___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 29 SP /
SMA
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

a) When the circuit breaker 52 is switched on, electrical power will be supplied to
the transformer and the WL lamp will be lighted up.

b) To start the motor, push-button 3C is depressed and contactor coil 4X is

energised. This will close normally-open contact 4X in the transformer primary
circuit and energising contactor coil 6. In the mean time normally-open contact
4X in the transformer secondary circuit will also close thus energising time-
delay contactor coil 19T.

c) When contactor coil 6 is energised:

i) Main contacts 6 in the main motor circuit will close to form the star
connection.
ii) Normally-open auxiliary contact 6 will also close thus energising contactor
coil 88.
iii) Normally-closed contact 6 will open to act as an electrical interlock
preventing contactor coil 88-1 from being energised.

d) When contactor coil 88 is energised:

i) Main contacts 88 in the main motor circuit will close and the motor begins to
run in star connection.
ii) Normally-open auxiliary contact 88 will also close acting as a holding
contact.

e) After the pre-set time delay :

i) Normally-closed contact 19T will open thus de-energising contactor coil 6.

This causes the star-connection to open and the normally-closed contact 6
to close back.

f) When contactor coil 88-1 is energised :

i) It will close the main motor circuit contacts 88-1; thus the motor now runs in
the delta connection.
ii) Holding contact 88-1 will also close.
iii) Normally-open auxiliary contact 88-1 closes to light up the GL lamp.
iv) Normally-closed contact 88-1 will open to prevent contactor coil 6 from
energising thus acting as an electrical interlock.

g) To stop the motor, depress push-button 3-0.

h) Protective devices installed in the circuit are thermal overload relay 51 and
fuses.

Effect of Full Voltage Starting and Reduced Voltage Starting

1) With full voltage starting, as used in direct-on-line starters, very large

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 30 SP /
SMA
 Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________
current surges of 6 - 8 times full load current occurs.

2) With starting of large motors using direct-on-line starters, large voltage dip
takes place. This voltage disturbance may result in malfunction of other
electrical equipment connected to the supply.

3) Reduced-voltage starters, such as the star-delta starter or the

autotransformer starter, are used to start large motors, eg cargo pumps and
bow thrusters.

1
4) With star-delta starters, the applied voltage is reduced to of the line
3
voltage at start. If this is done, both starting torque and starting current are
reduced to 1/3 of what the would have been had the motor been switched
direct-oline from the main.

1
5) Torque is proportional to V2, so if the voltage is reduced to of its normal
3
1 1
value it follows that the starting torque will be reduced to ( )2 , ie of
3 3
its normal starting value. 51
88-2
R 6) For example, suppose a squirrel cage motor is such that if switched on to
the mains it develops 90% of its normal full load torque and takes 6 times
S its normal full load current from the mains. On star-delta starting, it would MOTOR
89
develop 90/3 ie. 30% of its normal full load torque and takes 6/3 times its
T normal full load current.
65
%

6
10 A 88-1

19T
6
4X
88-1 6
88-2
88-1
19T

88-2X
6
88-2
Auto-Transformer Starter
88-2

440 / 220 - 15 V

3A
WL

4X
X GL
51b
88-2X
3-C
___________________________________________________________________
19T
PTM / Jul 2002 31 SP /
SMA P
3-O Q

4X
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 4

Principle of Operation

With reference to the circuit diagram of figure 4, the operation of the autotransformer
starter is explained below :

a) When the circuit breaker 89 is switched on, the transformer will be energised
and the lamp WL will be lighted up. To start the motor push button 3C is
depressed and coil 4X is energised.

This causes:

i) the holding contact 4X for 3C to be closed,

ii) the time-delay contactor coil 19T to be energised,
iii) contact 4X in the transformer primary circuit to be closed.

b) When the contact 4X in the transformer primary circuit is closed contactor coil
6 will be energised causing:
___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 32 SP /
SMA
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

i) the auto-transformer main contacts 6 to close,

ii) normally-closed interlocking contact 6 to open thus preventing coil 88-2 to
be energised,
iii) normally-open contact 6 to close thus energising coil 88-1, which in turn
closes the main auto-transformer contacts 88-1, and the motor runs with
the auto-transformer connected.

c) After the set time delay, contactor 19T will:

i) open the normally-closed contact 19T thus de-energising contactor coil 6

and this causes contactor coil 88-1 to be de-energised as well, and
therefore disconnecting the auto-transformer from the motor
main supply lines.
ii) return normally-closed contact 6 to the closed position,
iii) close normally-open contact 19T thus energising contactor coil 88-2 and
88-2X

d) When contactor coil 88-2 is energised;

i) main contacts 88-2 will close and the motor runs direct-on-line,
ii) normally-closed contact 88-2 will open acting as an interlock to prevent coil
6 from being energised.

e) When contactor coil 88-2 is energised, its normally-open contact 88-2 will be
closed and this lights up indicator lamp GL.

f) To stop the motor, depress stop-button 3-0.

g) Push-buttons P & Q are remote start/stop buttons.

A simplified Auto-transformer motor starter

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 33 SP /
SMA
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________

Opened to
start
Closed to
Transformer run
Closed to
start
Opened to
run

Squirrel cage induction

motor

Figure 5

Limitation of direct-on-line starting

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 34 SP /
SMA
Module : Electrical Engineering MT 3011

Topic : A.C. Motor Starters

_________________________________________________________________________________
When very large motors are started direct-on-line, they cause a disturbance of
voltage (voltage dip) on the supply lines due to the large starting current surge. The
ability of the alternators to recover from voltage dip determine the size of large,
direct-on-line starting induction motors.

A motor design for delta connected windings must not be connected so that
the motor runs star connected.

If the motor is designed to run in delta but is star-connected, then on full load each
stator winding will be carrying an overload of 1.73 X rated line current.

This will cause overheating because of the I2R effect. The motor will run 3 times
hotter since the line current will be normal. Thermal overload protection will not
operate to protect the motor from overheating and eventual burnt out.

___________________________________________________________________
PTM / Jul 2002 35 SP /
SMA