Figure 48–14.
Large amounts of electrical power must be furnished to
the motor through a leak-free connection. This power is of-
ten furnished through a nonconducting terminal block made
of some form of phenolic or plastic with the motor terminals
protruding through both sides. The motor terminals are fas-
tened on one side and the field connections on the other with
O rings used for the seal on the terminals,
Figure 48–71.
The
terminal board has a gasket to seal it to the compressor hous-
ing. This terminal block is normally checked periodically for
tightness of the field connections.
A loose connection may
melt the board and cause a leak to develop.
The motors used in all types of chillers are expensive and
the manufacturer goes to great lengths to protect the motor
by designing it to operate in a protective atmosphere. Part of
getting long motor life is to use a good start-up procedure for
the motor.
A large motor is usually started with a group of components
called a
starter.
There are several types of starters. A motor
draws about five times as much amperage at locked rotor on
start-up as at full-load amperage. If a motor draws 200 A at full
load, it would draw approximately 1000 A at start-up. This in-
rush of current can cause problems in the electrical service so
manufacturers use several different methods to start motors to
minimize the inrush of current and power-line fluctuations.
The common ones are part-winding, autotransformer, wye-
delta (often called star-delta), and electronic start.
48.36
PART-WINDING START
When compressor motors reach about 25 hp, manufacturers
often use part-winding start motors. These motors are versatile
and normally have nine leads. The same motor can be used for
two different voltages. The compressor manufacturer can use
the same compressor for 208
230-V and 460-V applications
by changing the motor terminal arrangement,
Figure 48–72.
This motor is actually two motors in one. For example, a
100-hp
compressor has two motors inside that are 50 hp each.
When connected for 208
230-V application, the motors are
wired in parallel and each motor is started separately, first one
then the other. This is done with two motor starters and a time
delay of up to about one second between them,
Figure 48–73.
When the first motor is started, the motor shaft starts turning.
The second motor then starts to bring the compressor up to full
speed, about 1800 or 3600 rpm depending on the motor’s rated
speed.
This only imposes the inrush current of a 50-hp motor
on the line because when the second motor is energized, the
shaft is turning, and the inrush current is less.
When the motor is used for 460-V application, the motors
are wired in series and are started as one motor across the
line,
Figure 48–74.
The higher voltage has much less inrush
amperage on start-up. These motors are found on compres-
sors of up to about 150 hp.
48.37
AUTOTRANSFORMER START
An autotransformer start installation is actually a reduced
voltage start. A transformer-like coil is placed between the
motor and the starter contacts, and the voltage to the motor is
supplied through the transformer during start-up. This
reduces the voltage to the motor until the motor is up to
speed,
Figure 48–75.
When the motor is up to speed, a set of
contacts close that short around the transformer to run the