ELECTRICITY

Very few operators do electrical repairs or trouble shooting because this is a highly specialized field and unqualified operators can seriously injure themselves or damage costly equipment. For these reasons the operator must be familiar with electricity, know the hazards, and recognize his/her own limitations when working with electrical equipment.

Most municipalities employ electricians or contract with a “commercial electrical company” that they call when major problems occur. However, the operator should be able to explain how the equipment is supposed to work and what it is doing or not doing when it fails.

The need for safety should be apparent. If proper safe procedures are not followed in operating and maintaining electrical equipment, accidents can happen that cause injuries, permanent disability, or loss of life. Serious accidents that could have been avoided have happened because machinery was not shut off, locked out, and tagged properly.

ELECTRIC MOTORS

Electric motors are commonly used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. A motor generally consists of a stator, rotor, end bells, and windings. The rotor has an extending shaft, which allows a machine to be coupled to it. Most large motors will be three phase motors rated from 220 or 4160 volts.

PHASES

The term “phase” applies to alternating current (AC) systems and describes how many external winding connections are available from a generator, transformer, or motor for actual load connections. Motors are either single-phase or three-phase.
Single Phase Motors Single-phase motors are normally operated on 110-220 volt A.C. single-phase systems. A straight single-phase winding has no starting torque so it must incorporate some other means of spinning the shaft. A single-phase motor requires a special start circuit within the motor to make sure it runs in the right direction. Several different types of starter windings are available in these motors. Single-phase power leads will have three wires, like a three-prong extension cord.

Three-phase systems refer to the fact that there are three sets of windings in the motor and three legs of power coming in from the distribution system. This type of motor is used where loads become larger than single-phase circuits can handle. With three legs to carry power, more amps can be delivered to the motor. Three phase motors are the most common types used in water and wastewater systems. Three major types of three phase motors are the squirrel cage induction motor, synchronous motors, and wound rotor induction motors.

Squirrel cage induction motors are widely used because of its simple construction and relative low maintenance requirements. The windings are stationary and are built into the frame of the motor. The power supply is connected to the windings in the stator, which creates a rotating magnetic field. The rotor is made up of bars arranged in the shape of a cylinder and joined to form a “squirrel cage.” Squirrel cage induction motors make up approximately 90% of all motors used in industry today.

Three-phase motors do not use a start circuit. The direction of rotation is determined by how the three leads are wired to the motor. If any two of the leads are switched, the motor rotation will be reversed.

Anytime a lead becomes grounded, a dead short develops, or one of the contacts opens in a three-phase motor, single phasing will result. When this occurs, the speed of the motor will drop and it will begin to overheat. The single phase will draw too many amps and it will quickly burn up. When single phasing occurs while the motor is not running, it simply will not start up again. Special circuit protection is available that will shut the motor off if single phasing occurs.

CIRCUIT PROTECTION

Motors need to be protected from power surges and overloads. Fuses and circuit breakers are designed to open the circuit when the current load threatens to damage the motor. Fuses are generally sized at 120-150% of motor capacity. Circuit breakers can be reset when they trip, instead of being replaced like a fuse. Circuit breakers can react faster than fuses and are usually sized closer to the current rating of the motor.