IEEE Standard Test Procedure for

Evaluation of Systems of Insulating

Materials for Random-Wound AC
Rotating Electric Machinery
1 Sco!e
This standard specifies a test procedure for the thermal evaluation and classification of
electrical insulation systems (EIS) intended for use in random-wound AC rotating electric
machinery where the thermal factor is the dominating aging factor. In general these
motors are intended for use connected to !ranch circuits rated "## $ nominal and !elow.
This test procedure is comparative in that the performance of a candidate EIS is
compared to that of a reference EIS with either a %nown service life or a %nown
comparative functional evaluation as a !asis.
This procedure is intended to evaluate EIS for use in &usual service conditions' with air
cooling. Evaluation of EIS for use in motors enclosed in gas atmospheres su!(ected to
strong chemicals to metal dusts or su!mersion in li)uids is !eyond the scope of this test
procedure.
11 "vervie#
The information in this standard is presented in three principal sections*
a) Test Specimens. +escri!es the types of test specimens that are suita!le for use in
the thermal evaluation of EIS.
!) Test Procedures. ,ecommends a !asic test cycle that is suita!le for thermally
evaluating EIS. The test cycle consists of a series of e-posures to heat at elevated
temperatures in order to accelerate aging. The test cycle typically includes
e-posure to vi!ration and humidity to represent the cumulative effects of long
service under accelerated conditions. .rocedures for applying periodic dielectric
diagnostic tests to esta!lish the end point of EIS life are also given.
c) Interpretation of data. .rovides guidelines for esta!lishing the criteria of failure
and methods for analy/ing and interpreting test results.
It is all-important that when candidate and reference EIS are compared test specimens of
!oth EIS shall !e of the same construction and tested using the same test procedure. The
thermal class temperature of the two EIS shall not differ !y more than 0# 1.
1$ Pur!ose
The chief purpose of this test procedure is to classify insulation systems in accordance
with their temperature limits !y test rather than !y chemical composition. The intention
is first to classify according to the recogni/ed thermal classification A 2 3 4 and
a!ove 4 categories as referenced in the Appendi-. The motorette procedure is intended to
!e used as an Industry Standard for insulation systems in that data o!tained in accordance
with this standard can !e correlated !etween testing la!oratories.
5EE+ T6 76+I38 96,+I5: T6 2E C65SISTE5T 9IT4 ;00".
This test procedure has !een prepared to outline useful methods for the evaluation of
systems of insulation for random- wound stators of rotating electric machines. It is
e-pected that the several insulating materials or components ma%ing up any insulation
system to !e tested will first !e screened in accordance with specific test procedures for
each type of material. 5ormally materials that have given accepta!le performance in
these separate screening tests would !e included in the system evaluation tests outlined in
this procedure.
This procedure is intended to evaluate insulation systems for use in <usual service
conditions< with air cooling. It has also !een a useful tool for evaluating systems for
special re)uirements where machines are enclosed in gas atmospheres su!(ected to
strong chemicals to metal dusts or su!mersion in li)uids. 4owever these special
re)uirements are !eyond the scope of this test procedure.
$ References
% Test s!ecimens
Test specimens may !e actual motors components thereof or non-functional models
representing the motor EIS. Identical test specimens shall !e used for the reference and
candidate EIS. Consideration shall !e given to the following items when designing and
!uilding the specimens*
a) The materials that are used for the various components of the specimen shall !e
representative of those that ultimately will !e used in actual motors. Everything
possi!le shall !e done to assure that the individual components are uniform and
representative of those used in actual service.
!) Insulation thic%ness and creepage distances shall !e appropriate for the intended
voltage class and industry or e)uipment standards and practices.
c) Components and non-functional models should em!ody all the essential elements
of the EIS used in the actual motors.
d) .rovisions shall !e made for ma%ing electrical tests on the various insulation
components.
%1 &on-functional Models
7otorettes have !een used successfully as non-functional test specimens. The motorette
shall !e made to em!ody the essential elements representative of a complete EIS. The
motorette simulates a random-wound winding of a slotted structure !ut is not capa!le of
simulating the influence of the actual manufacturing processes such as winding
techni)ues. +escription of the construction of motorettes is found in Anne- A.
%$ Motors as Test S!ecimens
The test specimens are complete motors and may !e modified for the test to increase their
mechanical life. In the test of actual motors the dimensions of components and the
manufacturing processes of winding and shaping affect the test results. Therefore the
manufacturing processes should !e those used or contemplated for use in normal
production. 9hen comparing systems of various materials the variations in the
manufacturing processes should !e reduced to an a!solute minimum when manufacturing
the two systems to !e compared. +ue to the construction of the EIS and the affect of the
manufacturing process on the test specimens EIS )ualified !y using actual motors cannot
!e modified and must !e used in the form evaluated.
%% Motor Com!onents as Test S!ecimens
Typically the test specimens are actual windings or parts of actual windings in actual
stators. An actual winding may contain several individual test specimens. The test
specimens shall !e manufactured using the normal or intended manufacturing process.
Test specimens shall contain features for testing turn insulation coil-to-coil insulation
and coil-to-frame insulation. As in the use of actual motors as test specimens the
construction of the EIS and the affect of the manufacturing process affect the test results
on motor components. Therefore EIS )ualified !y using motor components cannot !e
modified and must !e used in the form evaluated.
%' &um(er of Test S!ecimens
An ade)uate num!er of test specimens to o!tain a good statistical average in no case less
than ten motorettes or motor components or five actual motors shall !e tested at each
aging temperature for each EIS.
' Test Procedures
The num!er of cycles and the total num!er of hours of heat aging to the end of life for
the average of each group of samples and for each of the test temperatures are then
reported as the final results of the tests. The e-trapolated regression line o!tained for a
new insulation system is determined from these data according to the procedure in IEEE
Std ;#;-;=0> :uide for Statistical Analysis of Thermal ?ife Test +ata. (The motorette or
motor life from an accepted standard must !e used as the criterion to determine the new
insulation systems thermal rating from the plot. A control set of test units using an
esta!lished insulation system shall !e used so that a comparison of the new system to the
old system can !e made.) As indicated in Section >. the com!ined effects of the heat
vi!ration moisture and electrical stresses imposed on the insulation during these tests are
intentionally made more severe than those normally found in service at the same
temperature. Therefore the life of any given insulation system in these tests will !e
shorter than that to !e e-pected in actual service at a compara!le temperature.
At present this procedure will permit appro-imate comparisons only and cannot !e relied
upon to determine completely the merits of any particular insulation. Such information
can only !e o!tained from e-tended service e-perience. In the course of time however it
is e-pected that enough data may !e o!tained from tests of this %ind to esta!lish a normal
num!er of hours of heat aging !efore failure that will !e representative of each of the
standard temperature classes of insulation.
All test specimens shall !e su!(ected to initial screening tests followed !y repeated test
cycles consisting of thermal aging e-posures to mechanical stresses and humidity and a
dielectric proof test. The repeated test cycles represent the cumulative deteriorating
effects of service on the EIS on an accelerated !asis.
It is recogni/ed that depending on the test facilities availa!le the type of test specimen
employed and other factors slight variations in the methods of e-posure may !e
necessary. It is all-important that when any two different EIS are compared the test
specimens of each shall !e su!(ected to precisely the same e-posure and other conditions
of test. @nless otherwise specified tests shall !e carried out at standard test conditions
(>A BC C BC A#D relative humidity C ;#D relative humidity).
It is recogni/ed that failures resulting from a!normally high mechanical stresses or
voltages are generally of a different character from those failures which are produced in
long service. 3or this reason the mechanical and electrical e-posures recommended are
only moderately a!ove those normally met with in service. The temperature and moisture
e-posures are intentionally made more severe than usually met with in service in order to
shorten the re)uired time for testing.
Ta!le ; lists the suggested temperatures and corresponding times of e-posure in each
cycle for insulating systems for the different estimated values of the limiting hottest spot
temperature. 3or e-ample the recogni/ed A 2 3 and 4 classes of insulation would
normally !e tested at the times and temperatures shown in columns A 2 3 4 and a!ove
4 of the ta!le respectively. To permit use of availa!le ovens in different la!oratories a
range of e-posure temperatures are given in the ta!le. Either the time or the temperature
or !oth may !e ad(usted to ma%e the !est use of facilities.
The oven used for motorette tests shall !e of the forced air !affle type with ventilation to
o!tain uniform temperatures as is descri!ed in E.>.F.
The selected temperature should !e controlled to C>BC up to ;G#BC and CFBC from
;G#BC to F##BC after heat up for the aging portion cycle. These temperature
tolerances need to !e updated.
'1 Initial Screening Tests
.rior to e-posure to the first test cycle all test specimens shall !e su!(ected to a visual
inspection and initial screening tests in order to eliminate defective test specimens. The
screening tests shall consist of the following steps and !e conducted in the order given*
a) Initial dielectric proof test (see HHHH for details)
!) 7echanical stress (see HHHH for details)
c) 7oisture e-posure (see HHHH for details)
d) +ielectric proof test (see HHHH for details)
'$ Thermal Aging
The thermal aging portion of the test cycle shall !e conducted at a minimum of three
different temperatures in accordance with the following recommended procedure. The
aging temperatures and the duration of e-posures at each temperature shall !e selected so
as to re)uire "-;# test cycles to reach the average time to end-of-life for each group of
test specimens.
'$1 Aging Tem!eratures
The highest aging temperature shall result in an average time to end-of-life of at least ;##
h. The lowest aging temperature shall result in an average time to end-of-life of at least
A### h. The lowest aging temperature should not e-ceed !y more than >A BC the
anticipated thermal class of the EIS. The higher aging temperatures shall !e separated !y
intervals of ;# BC or more. Ta!le I will serve as a guide to selection of test temperatures.
'$$ Aging Periods
JThe a!ove schedule is !ased upon an appro-imate &ten degree' rule for insulation
deterioration which states that the life of the insulation is reduced one-half for each ten
degrees Celsius rise in temperature.
JJIn order to o!tain an ade)uate num!er of heat cycles* (;) If no samples fail !y the end
of the Eth cycle and !y visual o!servation the are not showing signs of significant aging
the heat aging period of the test cycle may need to !e increasedK (>) If F or more samples
fail !y the end of the Eth cycle the heat aging period of the test cycle should !e halved.
'$% Means of )eating
It is recogni/ed that ovens provide the most convenient means of o!taining high
temperatures. This method of aging su!(ects all the parts of the insulation system to the
full temperature while in actual service a large proportion of the insulation may operate
at considera!ly lower temperatures than the hottest spot temperature. 3or this reason the
life in oven aging at a given hot-spot temperature should !e e-pected to !e shorter than in
actual service.
5eed to specify type of oven. If details are needed it should go into an Anne-.
'$' Thermal Aging Procedures for Motorettes
7otorettes are su!(ected to the nearest temperature corresponding to the F> day e-posure
period that is necessary to provide a minimum A### hour mean life and to at least two of
the other temperatures. At least ten samples are carried through successive cycles of
e-posure at each of the test temperatures until failure occurs.
It is intended that these temperature e-posures !e o!tained !y placing the specimen in
enclosed ovens with (ust sufficient ventilation or forced convection to maintain
temperatures uniform over the specimens. The cold specimens are placed directly in
preheated ovens so as to su!(ect them to a uniform degree of thermal shoc% in each
cycle.
?i%ewise the hot specimens are removed from the ovens directly into room air so as to
su!(ect them to uniform thermal shoc% on cooling as well as on heating.
In certain cases materials age more rapidly when the products of decomposition remain in
contact with the insulation surface whereas other materials age more rapidly when the
decomposition products are continually removed. It is therefore desira!le that the
conditions of ventilation and temperature !e precisely maintained for tests on other
specimens with which the test materials are to !e compared. If the insulation in actual
service is so arranged that the products of decomposition remain in contact with it the
test specimens should then !e designed in the same wayK so that the oven ventilation will
not remove these decomposition products.
'% Mechanical Stress E*!osure When Testing Motorettes
3ollowing each cycle of temperature e-posure after cooling to room temperature each
specimen shall !e su!(ected for a period of one hour to mechanical stress.
The following is the preferred method of applying mechanical stress to motorettes* after
each cycle of high temperature e-posure each motorette is mounted on a sha%e ta!le and
operated for a period of one hour with a "# 4/ oscillating motion with a dou!le
amplitude (pea% to pea%) of appro-imately G mils (#.># mm).
The motorettes are so mounted that the motion occurs at right angles to the plane of the
coils so that the coil ends will !e free to vi!rate as they would under radial end winding
forces in an actual motor. This vi!ration test is made at room temperature and without
any applied voltage.
E.E +ielectric .roof Test for 7otorettes
$%1 Recommended Check Voltages
Each motorette is carried through repeated cycles of the thermal aging mechanical stress
and moisture e-posure in se)uence until failure occurs. In order to chec% the condition of
the samples and determine when the end of their useful life has !een reached a current of
fre)uency "# 4/ is applied after each successive e-posure to moisture as follows*
Chec+ ,oltage for Testing -rms ,olts at ./ )01
Expected Line-to-
Line
,oltage in Service
rms ,olts
To 2round 3et#een
Winding
3et#een
Conductors
;;#-AA# "## "## ;>#
The voltage !etween conductors is chosen to !e well a!ove the ma-imum service voltage
across a single turn of the winding and to !e ade)uate to !rea% down the air space
!etween wires in the presence of moisture.
3ollowing each e-posure to moisture the voltages are applied for a period of ten minutes
while the specimens are still in the condensation cham!er and are wet from e-posure at
appro-imately room temperature. The applied voltage is held successively for ten
minutes using the circuit arrangement shown in 3ig "K first !etween the parallel- wound
conductors then from phase to phase and finally from all coils to ground or all of these
voltages may !e applied simultaneously !y the circuit arrangement shown in Anne- E.
4owever if these voltages are applied simultaneously the voltages from winding to
winding and winding to ground may not !e e-actly e)ual. Therefore care should !e ta%en
to ad(ust the voltages to ma%e the lowest one e)ual to the re)uired test value. It is
suggested that surge protectors !e included in the test circuit to eliminate high-voltage
spi%es.
E-perience has shown that this prolonged time of voltage application in the wet condition
is necessary to detect failures. 7any of the failures are found along wet surfaces with
gradual !uilding up of the lea%age current which could not occur in the usual one-minute
test. Any such failure in any component of the insulation system constitutes failure of the
entire sample and fi-es the end point of the life.
It is recogni/ed that !y applying the voltages as a!ove recommended which are fi-ed !y
the intended voltages in actual service mar%edly different periods of life may !e o!tained
for the same insulating materials depending on the insulation !arriers and lengths of the
creepage paths employed.
As this indicates the test procedures recommended are adapted to prove the relia!ility of
the insulation proposed for a given temperature for high humidity and for a given
voltage.
6ther tests !esides the test where a current of fre)uency "# 4/ is applied may !e
employed to chec% deterioration of the specimens. These may !e provided for in future
revisions of this test procedure. They are not considered sufficiently positive or uniform
in their indications to warrant their inclusion at this time.
It is desira!le to ta%e periodic (relatively nondestructive) measurements of insulation
)uality during the course of the tests on a part of the samples such as insulation
resistance power factor or corona intensity or all three at some over-voltage. 2y noting
changes in such )ualities and correlating them with the time !efore final failure occurs
much can !e learned a!out the nature and the rate of deterioration of the insulation and
greater confidence in the relia!ility of the final results can !e esta!lished.
6ne of the most significant factors in the e-perience of testing motorettes is that of the
!ehavior variations of the circuit !rea%ers used to detect failure. It is strongly
recommended that failure !e determined !y pre-cali!rated electromechanical overcurrent
!rea%ers set at #.A and #.0A A rather than neon light protectors.
'41 5ailure Criteria for Motorettes
6ne of the most significant factors in the e-perience of testing motorettes is that of the
!ehavior variations of the circuit !rea%ers used to detect failure. It is strongly
recommended that failure !e determined !y pre-cali!rated electromechanical overcurrent
!rea%ers set at #.A and #.0A A rather than neon light protectors.
This section needs to (e re#ritten6Renum(ered7 etc
7otor Section L a lot of duplication (oven detail etc.) needs to focus on where
procedures are different than for motorettes.
4 Motor Testing
This Section lists the procedure for testing of insulation of complete motors. It utili/es the
analysis of IEEE Std ;#;- ;=0> in order to arrive at a rating of the insulation system into
the Classes A 2 3 and 4 as defined in the Appendi-.
The insulation systems tested under this Clause A procedure consist of complete systems
assem!led in actual motors. The motorette tests in accordance with Clause E involve
such a simple and highly standardi/ed winding that the effects of normal manufacturing
processes do not constitute a varia!le in the tests. 6n the tests of Clause A. The
dimensions of components and the manufacturing processes of winding and shaping do
affect the test results. 9hen comparing systems of various materials the variations in
manufacturing processes should !e reduced to an a!solute minimum when manufacturing
the two systems to !e compared. These tests are also of value to a manufacturer in the
development of his design processing methods.
+ue to a wider variation in manufacturing processes and methods of testing motors it is
e-ceedingly difficult to compare motor tests of one facility to those of another. It is the
intent of this procedure to compare motor insulating systems within one manufacturing
and testing facility.
41 Models
The models will consist of complete motors. A motor may !e modified to increase its
mechanical life restrict ventilation or increase its temperature rise provided no changes
are made in the insulation system and its immediate environment.
4$ &um(er of Sam!les
At least five motors are carried through each test as a group for each temperature !eing
tested.
4% Screening Tests
To eliminate defective units the motors shall !e screened Mrst !y visual inspection and
then !y su!(ecting them to a high potential test (5E7A 7otors and :enerators ;-;>.#F)
and a repetitive surge test (Surge Comparison Test).
Any of the following tests may !e used as additional screening tests*
;) Corona starting voltage
>) +issipation factor and capacitance measurements
F) Insulation resistance measurements
E) .hase !alance
A) Current lea%age to ground
The voltage in the a!ove tests are applied in such manner as not to reduce the insulation
life of the accepta!le motors. If in any one of these tests the values o!tained for
individual motors varies widely from the mean the reason for the variation should !e
investigated to !e sure that the motors are ade)uately uniform.
4' Test E*!osures
This section specifies appropriate e-posures to heat mechanical stress moisture and
electrical stress concurrently or in repeated cycles which will represent the cumulative
deteriorating effects of service on insulation materials and systems on an accelerated
!asis.
The most meaningful results are o!tained when the sample is thermally aged e-posed to
mechanical stress and finally e-posed to moisture followed !y voltage (thus applying
electrical stress over wea%ened insulation).
It must !e reali/ed that greater mechanical stress and higher concentration of the products
of decomposition occur during tests at higher than normal temperature. Also it is
recogni/ed that failures from a!normally high mechanical stress or voltages are generally
of a different character from those failures which are produced in long service.
3urthermore the temperature and moisture e-posures are intentionally made more severe
than usually met with in service. 4ence the life predicted at the system temperature
rating (see Section ;.A IEEE Std ;-;="=) will !e much lower than for normal operation
at that rating. Also !ecause of variations in control of these e-traneous factors
comparison !etween la!oratories is difficult.
44 Thermal Aging
Ta!le ; lists the suggested temperatures and corresponding times of e-posure in each
cycle for insulating systems of different classes. This ta!le is !ased on a constant num!er
of cycles to failure regardless of test temperatures.
E
Either the time or the temperature or
!oth may !e ad(usted to ma%e the !est use of facilities. Test temperatures shall !e
measured !y the resistance method. Thermocouples may !e installed for purposes of
control. Temperature should !e controlled to C>BC up to ;G#BC and CFBC from ;G#BC to
F##BC after heat up for the heat-aging portion cycle. If the average temperature of any
one motor deviates from the group !eing run at a common temperature !y more than >BC
it should !e so recorded and analy/ed.
The mode of heat generation is dictated !y the type of motor !eing used and the
la!oratory e)uipment availa!le.
4igher-than-normal winding temperatures may !e o!tained !y increasing motor losses
such as larger than normal air gaps superimposing a dc current on the ac current starting
and reversing each motor restricting ventilation or increasing temperature of air
surrounding the motor. +uring the heat-aging portion of the cycle the motors are run
continuously at normal voltage and fre)uency with an electrical control which
automatically starts and stops or reverses the rotation of the motors at intervals as
outlined in Section F.F.>. 6ther accepta!le means of temperature control include
automatic voltage variation ad(ustment of the surrounding air temperature
superimposition of a dc current on a normal ac current or com!inations thereof. The
heating-up time is to !e considered as part of the thermal aging period while the cooling-
down time is not.
3or any system !eing evaluated tests are made for at least three different temperatures.
The lowest test temperature should !e no more than >ABC a!ove the system temperature
rating. The highest temperature test should !e at least E#BC a!ove lowest temperature
test and temperature points should !e selected to give appro-imately e)ual temperature
intervals. The average life at the highest temperature shall !e no less than ;## hours.
4. Mechanical Stress
7echanical stress is o!tained in Section F. tests !y the normal vi!ration of the motor
running with additional starts or reversals or !oth. There is a mechanical shoc% from
starting or reversingK vi!ration at twice line fre)uency is increased !y reducing the rotor
diameterK and large forces are present in the windings as a result of the high currents
during starting and reversing of the motors. These mechanical forces occur during the test
at elevated temperatures.
The test motors should either !e solidly mounted or mounted on shoc% pads that will give
a uniform amount of shoc% to all motors. The mounting method shall !e reported and
comparison of systems should !e made only on a constant method of mounting. Single
phase motors shall have at least >A# start-stop operations each day of the heat aging
portion of the cycle.
A
.olyphase motors shall have at least ;### starts or reversals each
day of the heat-aging portion of the cycle.
"
E Since e-perience has shown that the life of a system may !e affected !y the num!er of
aging cycles the average num!er of cycles should not !e less than G nor more than >#. To
assure that this average falls within this range the procedure e-plained in the footnote of
Ta!le ; is followed. 4owever when only five or si- motors are tested at one temperature
the cycle length is halved if two (in place of three) samples fail !y the end of the fourth
cycle.
A The starting winding of a single-phase motor normally operates at a much higher
current density than the main winding during starting. At each start it may reach a
temperature of ;#BC to F#BC higher than the main winding and the magnet wire which is
normally smaller than the main winding wire is su!(ected to high currents. In order to
insure that the correct emphasis is placed on the main winding portion of the insulation
system e-cessive num!ers of starts should not !e employed.
" 6ften the electrical loss during reversal is used to maintain the elevated temperatures in
which case the num!er of reversals may greatly e-ceed ;### per day. At the highest
temperature test the total time of e-posure is relatively short which results in a low num!er
of reversals during the life of the test. At the lowest temperature the time of e-posure may
!e ;" to ># times as long as that of the highest level. This wide variation in total num!er of
starts may affect the slope of the time-temperature curve. It is recommended that the
num!er of reversals at the low temperature !e no greater than twice those at the high
temperature. 6ther means as listed in Section F.F.E may !e used to supplement the heating
caused !y reversal.
48 Moisture
7oisture is used to ma%e dielectric tests more discerning of physical and thermal damage
to electrical insulation systems. The presence of condensed moisture on windings results
in an easy electrical path !y filling crac%s and porosities in the insulation with water. The
resultant current flow then causes the !rea%er to trip indicating failure.
,esistance to ground may !e plotted against time in humidity to determine length of time
until moisture is effective.
In place of such a plot a humidification of EG hours shall !e used.
A visi!le condensation must !e present on the winding during the humidification portion
of the cycle. In order to insure visi!le condensation the insulation system must !e at a
lower temperature than the dew point of the surrounding moisture-laden atmosphere at
all times. The prefera!le method of meeting this re)uirement is !y use of a condensation
cham!er descri!ed in Section F.>.E of this procedure.
4owever larger motors may !e difficult to move and difficult to support in a
condensation cham!er or the cham!er may not !e availa!le. 6ther methods of applying
moisture are to apply an enclosing hood around the motor or !y using a conventional
humidity ca!inet. 6ne method of o!taining an atmosphere of ;## percent relative
humidity with condensation is !y covering the floor under the hood or in the cham!er
with a shallow layer of water heated five to ten degrees a!ove the cham!er temperature.
The !ase of the motor should !e mounted to a !ody that is colder than its surrounding
atmosphere to insure the insulation system is at a lower temperature than the dew point of
the atmosphere. The roof of the hood or cham!er should !e sloped so as to drain any
condensed water to the !ac% or sides of the ca!inet to prevent drip on the test samples.
3or totally enclosed motors end !ells should !e removed or openings provided in the
enclosure. 5o voltage is applied during the e-posure.
49 Electrical Stresses and Tests
The test motors are to !e run during the heat e-posure periods at their highest rated name-
plate voltage. A grounded power source should !e used and the motor frame should !e
grounded so that normal voltage stresses are present during the entire heat aging portion
of the cycle. Start up should !e made within Mfteen minutes after the moisture portion of
the cycle to insure that voltage is applied with moisture present. +uring the heat-aging
portion of the cycle motors are su!(ected to line surges such as normally o!tained in
service !y starts and reversals. The motors may !e given a voltage test prior to starting
each thermal-aging cycle !y applying a repeated surge impulse test to each winding or
phase of the motor in turn. The test voltage if used measured from crest to ground shall
!e no greater than >> times the line voltage.
4: 5ailure Criteria
The end point of the motor life in these tests is fi-ed !y its electrical failure under rated
applied voltage. E-cessive currents during any portion of the heat cycle constitute a
failure. Indiscriminate starting in either direction of rotation of a single phase motor may
indicate failure of the starting winding. 5ondestructive tests such as measurements of
insulation resistance and dissipation factor may !e employed to chec% deterioration of
insulation )uality of the specimen or approaching failure.
41/ "!erating Cycle Se;uence
A preliminary estimate is made of the total life e-pectancy of the insulation at the chosen
test temperature and the period of heat e-posure is then chosen to !e a!out #.; of this
time as indicated in Ta!le ;. After completion of each cycle of heat e-posure the motor is
su!(ected to EG hours of moisture. Impulse-surge voltage tests and other tests may !e
made immediately following the moisture portion of the cycle.
?ine voltage of the heat-aging portion of the cycle should !e applied in less than fifteen
minutes after the moisture portion of the cycle. If this is impractical then voltage chec%s
of Section F.F.E should !e applied immediately on completion of humidity portion of the
cycle and heating portion of the cycle started as soon as practical. If valid comparisons
are to !e made with data from previous tests drying-out time must !e %ept the same.
411 )eat Aging
.lace the motor on reversals or start-stop se)uence to heat to the aging temperature. This
heat-up time is considered as part of the heat-aging time. 2oth the power supply and the
motor housing should !e grounded. After four hours of operation at this time it is
permissi!le to stop the motor for standardi/ation measurements if desired. This may !e
one on the initial heat-aging run only. All su!se)uent measurements are then ta%en at the
conclusion of the a!ove steps.
41$ Moisture
4umidification of each motor shall !e for EG hours unless a variation is permitted as a
result of an investigation as in
Section F.F.F
. Inter!retation of <ata
9or% needs to !e done for this section L loo% to IEC ";GA0-; or other IEEE documents
for this section.
.1 End of =ife
.$ Average =ife
.% E*tra!olation of <ata
8 Re!ort of Results
3i(liogra!hy
?oo% which are still valid. A short list is li%ely still appropriate.
Anne*es
A Motorette Construction <etails
A1 Sco!e
This section suggests appropriate test specimens for evaluating insulating systems which
may !e usefully su!(ected to the e-posures outlined in Section >.> to simulate their
!ehavior in service. It is considered that one type of motorette as defined in the
following will ade)uately represent random-wound machines !oth fractional and
integral of "## $ rating or less. 6ther types of specimens will !e re)uired to represent
machines with more than "## $ and with other than random-wound insulation systems.
.rocedures for evaluating such other types of insulation not covered elsewhere N>; >>O
are under study and will !e included in future revisions of this procedure.
A$ Motorettes
The model shall !e made to em!ody all of the elements and should !e as nearly as
possi!le representative of a complete winding insulation system.
Specifically it is recommended that for the purposes of testing random-wound motor
insulation a motorette !e employed as shown in 3igs ; > and F. At least ten motorettes
shall !e su!(ected to each of a series of test e-posures as outlined in the following*
3ig ; shows typical components of a motorette !efore final assem!ly. Each of these
components should !e su!(ected to separate screening tests to esta!lish uniformity and
normality !efore they are assem!led. 3or e-ample a num!er of representative samples of
the wire slot cells phase insulation and so forth may !e !ro%en down !y "# 4/ high-
potential tests or other means. It should !e recogni/ed that the num!er of tests re)uired
to esta!lish the accepta!le temperature limit in service will increase greatly if the
performance of individual components varies over a wide range. Therefore everything
possi!le should !e done to assure that the individual components are uniform and
representative of the materials used in actual service.
5igure 1 Com!onents of Motorette 3efore 5inal Assem(ly
The finished motorette consists of a rigid supporting metal stand with four suita!le stand-
off porcelain insulators !olted to one end and with a slot portion made from an inner and
outer plate !olted to the other end. The supporting stand has holes for mounting the
fi-ture during vi!ration testing. The slot sections are fa!ricated from @ S Standard no ;"
gauge (#.#"# in N;.A> mmO) steel sheets such as AISI ;#;# cold rolled steel. The
assem!led slot portion contains two coils insulated from ground !y slot cells insulated
from each other !y phase insulation and held in place with slot wedges. These
components are typical parts used in actual motors. The coils are each wound with two
parallel wires so that conductor-to-conductor electrical tests may !e made. They can !e
machine wound on pins or forms as in ordinary shop practice. In special cases the
construction and processing procedures may !e modified to simulate the intended use.
A% Pre!aration of Motorettes
The following is a detailed description of the preparation of the motorettes for the
industry wide round ro!in and is presented as a guide to those who have need to !uild
them. As noted a!ove modifications may !e made to simulate more clearly the intended
use.
A%1 Com!onents >sed
;) 9ire A9: no ;G magnet wire. heavy film coated
>) Slot ?iner ;# mil (#.>A mm) sheet insulation slit into rolls of > FPE in (0# mm) width.
The material was cuffed Nfrac;GO in (F.> mm) on each side ma%ing a final width of > ;P>
in ("E mm). This allowed FP;" in (E.G mm) to pro(ect from each end of the slot
F) .hase Insulation mil (#.>A mm) sheet insulation cut into pieces two pieces for each
motorette ;P> in (;F mm) !y F in (0" mm) strips and one circular piece > ;P> in ("E mm)
diameter with a hole ; ;P> in (FG mm) in diameter in center. This allowed ;PE in (".E mm)
overlap on the rectangular pieces. The circular pieces were cut in half and the two halves
placed in the end turns
E) Slot 9edges the wedges were cut from preformed @-shaped stoc%. The wedges were
FPG in (=.A mm) wide at the !ase and F in (0" mm) long. 6ne end of the wedge is rounded
to insure easy passage through the slot
5igure $ Com!letely Assem(led and ,arnished Motorette
A) Tu!ing insulated tu!ing of sufficient si/e to go over lead and sufficient length to cover
lead from the center of slot portion of coil to terminal
") Tie Cord this was of sufficient length to tie coil and leads together
0) 2inding Tape ;P> in (;F mm) electrical tape
G) Insulating $arnish electrical grade
A%$ Assem(ly
The motorette assem!ly was as follows*
;) 9inding Coils - Coils were wound with two parallel wires on forms as in ordinary
shop practice. Each coil was composed of ># turns of wire wound > in hand or E#
wires. Since there were two coils in each slot this means each slot had G# wires. The
coils were tightly wound in the form of an oval with parallel sides e-tending the
length of the slot portion appro-imately > ;P> in ("E mm). The parallel sides were
separated !y ; FPE in (EE mm). The round end of the oval was a ; FPE in (EE mm)
diameter semicircle. The dead ends of each coil were !rought out and separated !y
FP;" in (E.G mm). The active ends of the coil were separated and taped with one layer
of !inding tape !rought a!ove and !elow each lead. The leads left the coil in the
center of one of the semicircles
>) 2efore assem!ly each metal component of the motorette was immersed in a solvent
composed of e)ual parts of toluol and denatured alcohol for at least F# minutes. Each
part was removed from the solvent rinsed with fresh solvent and wiped with a lint-
free cloth. The motorette metal parts were carefully assem!led insuring that the slot
portions were e)ual in width and the sides parallel. A simple device for this is to cut
two wooden !loc%s e)ual in width to the slot portion and center the slot !y placing
the !loc%s in the slot portion prior to tightening slot hold down !olts
F) The slot insulation was cut from the strip in the form of a > ;P> in ("E mm) s)uare and
!ent to fit the slot. This allowed the sheet insulation to !e folded under the wedge and
it pro(ected FP;"K in (E.G mm) from each end of the slot. The slot insulation was
inserted in the slot portion with e-treme care so that e)ual amounts e-tended !eyond
each end of the slot
E) The slot insulation was folded !ac% at the top of the slot to act as a feeder to insure that
the magnet wire was not a!raided when it was placed in the slot. The !ottom coil was
inserted in the slot with the dead coil ends down and the lead e-tensions at the top of the
coil. After the !ottom coil was in place the phase insulation was inserted and care was
ta%en to insure that the sides of the phase insulation within the slot completely covered
the !ottom coil. If the phase insulation within the slot was too large the edges were
folded upward toward the top of the slot. The phase insulation was ad(usted to provide an
e)ual !order over the !ottom coil. The !ottom coil ends were not !ent since the edges of
the slot insulation would !e ruptured. The top coil was inserted in the same manner as the
!ottom coil !ut with the dead coil end up and lead e-tension down. The top coil was
ad(usted to maintain the same !order as the !ottom coil insuring that the wires of the top
coil did not slip around the phase insulation
A) The leads were carefully measured to terminate at the insulators. The last ;P> in (;F
mm) of the lead was stripped of enamel and tinned at the end with solder !efore
connection to the insulated terminals. The leads of the !ottom coils were connected to the
inside insulators and the top coils to the outside insulators. The slot insulation was cut
even with the top of the slot. The ends of the slot insulation were lapped over the coil and
the wedge was inserted on the top of the slot insulation
") The coils were chec%ed for insulation resistance as desired and given a voltage chec%
as recommended under Section >.;.F.E. If found to pass this test the motorette was then
treated with electrical insulating varnish
A%' Treatment Cycle
The treating cycle was as follows*
;) The units were preheated to anneal the wire enamel and remove moisture
>) The viscosity of the varnish was measured and the varnish ad(usted to give the
viscosity recommended !y the manufacturer. The unit was placed in varnish with the slot
section in a vertical position with the connections up. It was allowed to remain
su!merged for ;A minutes. The varnish was !rought into the la!oratory at least three
hours !efore use and ad(usted to a temperature of 0FB3 C >B3 (>FBC C ;.;BC)
F) The units were removed from the varnish !y mechanical means at the rate of E in (;#>
mm) per minute to assure an even coating
E) The units were allowed to drain with the slot section in a vertical position connections
up and away from the dip tan% so as to prevent washing !y solvent fumes. The unit was
drained for ;A minutes or longer
A) The motorettes were placed in an oven with the slot section in a vertical position and
connections up and the varnish cured as in the manufacturerQs recommendation
") The motorettes were removed from the oven and allowed to cool
0) This was repeated as a!ove for the re)uired num!er of dips and !a%es
A%4 Electrical Proof Test
Electrical chec%. After assem!ly and after varnish curing a screening test was performed
on the motorettes using a E## $ conductor-to-conductor ac potential with a A# mA circuit
!rea%er to denote failure. In addition a >### $ phase and ground screening test was used.
A%. Assem(ly
The motorette mounting was as follows* Ten motorettes were !olted to a rac% ( ;P> in N;F
mmO thic% rigid aluminum proved )uite successful). This rac% had metal removed
!etween motorettes so that air circulation was not impeded. The rac% was si/ed to fit the
ovens and condensation cham!er drawers and was capa!le of !eing !olted to the
vi!ration ta!le.
! Construction of Condensation Cham!er

31 Condensation Cham(er
After each cycle of mechanical stress e-posure each specimen is e-posed for at least EG
hours to an atmosphere of ;## percent relative humidity with uniform and visi!le
condensation on the winding. 5o voltage is applied to the specimen during this period.
The following test cham!er ; N;0O or e)uivalent is recommended for moisture e-posure.
3ig E is a schematic !loc% diagram illustrating the !asic principle employed. The
specimen rac% in its drawer as shown in 3ig A is refrigerated !y means of a circulating
coolant (water) which is thermostatically controlled to maintain a specified temperature
differential !etween the specimens and the surrounding cham!er air. This differential is
independent of normal room am!ient variations. Since !oth the heated water !ath and the
coolant are thermostatically controlled this independence is limited only !y the capacity
of the system. Temperature control is not lost in the event of the room am!ient should rise
to a temperature a!ove that of the water !ath. The heat lost to the refrigerated rac% %eeps
the water within the control of the heater thus allowing the !alance of temperatures to !e
maintained. In case the room temperature should fall !elow that of the cooling rac% again
the control is preserved !y the heat supply of the water !ath heater. In contrast to a
conventional plus-dew cham!er this !alancing effect !etween the heating and cooling
systems eliminates the necessity for the cham!er to !e in a temperature-controlled room.
The interior of the cham!er should !e so designed that all motorette specimens would !e
located in the same position with respect to the distance a!ove the water !ath and !elow
the roof of the cham!er. This is done so that each specimen is e)ually influenced !y such
factors as radiating surfaces air temperature and degree of relative humidity.
5igure ' 3loc+ <iagram Illustrating 3asic Princi!le of Condensation Cham(er
3ig A shows the rac% of ten motorette specimens placed in the drawer of the condensation
cham!er. After the desired moisture e-posure the specimens are connected to a test stand
!y ca!les which lead to the receptacles on the face of the cham!er drawers.
9hen the test cham!er is maintained at the following temperatures uniform condensation
will occur*
9ater 2ath Temperature F#.#BC
7otorette Coil
Temperature
>E.#BC
Cham!er Air Temperature
(; inch a!ove motorettes)
>A.#BC
Center. @nderside
Cham!er ,oof
>GBC - >=BC
5igure 4 Artist?s Cut-A#ay ,ie# of Condensation Cham(er
C Electric Test E;ui!ment
5igure . Test Circuit for Successive Proof Testing
5igure 8 Test Circuit for Simultaneous Proof Testing
< IEEE 11/8 Information
+6ES A5865E 4A$E T4IS +6C@7E5T 5EE+ T6 +ECI+E 94AT IS 5EE+E+
4E,ER