Types of hermetic motors:

Hermetic motors are manufactured in a wide range of sizes from about 1/10 HP (for small
refrigerator compressors) to several hundred HP (for centrifugal chillers). The smaller motors up
to about 3 HP are usually of single phase design, while larger motors are invariably while larger
motors are invariably three phase. Single phase motors are made in the following designs:

Resistance or capacitor start induction run, in which the motor is started by utilising he
startling winding resistance, or an additional capacitor, which is introduced into the motor
circuit by means of a startling relay and subsequently taken off the circuit after the motor
has run up to speed.
Permanent split capacitor.
Capacitor start capacitor run, in which the motor operates essentially as a permanent split
capacitor motor, but an additional short time rated, large microfarad capacitor is
introduced into the motor circuit by means of a relay to provide a large starting torque.

A solid state device, called a PTC (positive temperature coefficient of resistance) thermistor is
also used to provide a hard start in lieu of a starting capacitor, though it provides a lower starting
torque than the latter.
Hermetic motors used in hermetic (i.e. fully welded) compressors are invariably 2 pole and
operate at 2950 rpm (for 50 Hz supply). They are usually started direct-online Larger motors
used in semi-hermetic compressors have 4 or more poles and operate at 1440 rpm or lower
speeds. Theses are usually designed for part winding or star-delta starting in order to limit the
starting in rush current. In part winding motors, the stator is wound with two star-connected
windings which could be either identical to each other or unequal. During starting, one winding
is energised first and the second. The part wound motor has a highest starting torque than a stardelta wound motor, but also a higher starting inrush current.

[top]
Differences between hermetic and standard air-cooled motors:

Though the hermetic motor to apparently similar to any other induction motor, there are some
very crucial differences from a standard air-cooled motor in its design, performance and
construction:

Construction: A hermetic motor comprises only a wound stator and squirrel cage rotor,
without any shaft bearings or motor housing of its own. Because of the space and weight
constraint within a hermetic compressor, a hermetic motor is a relatively tight design.
Cooling: Unlike a standard air-cooled motor, the hermetic motor is cooled very
effectively by refrigerant (usually, cool suction gas) flowing at high velocities in the air
gap, rotor vents and/or passages provided around the back of the stator.
High energy density: Because of the very effective cooling provided by the refrigerant,
the hermetic motor has only about 70% active material (stator / rotor core and copper
winding / rotor cage) of a standard air-cooled motor of the same output. The magnetic
flux and current densities in a hermetic motor are therefore higher than in a standard
motor.
Loading: The loading of a hermetic motor, during its operation, fluctuates widely
between 50 and 140% of its operating torque at rated load. This requirement, coupled
with its need to operate reliably over a wide voltage range, requires that it have a high
breakdown torque equal to 225 to 250% of its torque at rated operating conditions.
Breakdown torque (for pullout torque) is the maximum load torque which can be applied
to an induction motor before it stalls and comes to a halt.
The hermetic motor should be so designed that its breakdown torque, at about 85% of its
rated voltage, is a little high than its maximum design load. Over-design of the motor
may increase discharge gas temperature, apart from reducing the energy efficiency of the
compressor.
Protection system: It is essential to provide a properly selected and matched protection
system to protect the hermetic motor under various fault conditions such as overloading,
locked rotor, single phasing, low voltage high load, high voltage light load and loss of
refrigerant charge.
Electrical insulation: The electrical insulation system for hermetic motors must consist
of carefully selected materials which are compatible with refrigerant and refrigerant-oil
mixtures. Specially formulated and cured hermetic grade winding wire must be used for
the stator winding in order to withstand the scrubbing and cleaning action of refrigerants.

[top]
Major issues in manufacturing hermetic motors

Mechanical dimensions & assembly: In small hermetic compressors, the stator is

usually heat shrunk, while in larger compressors it is bolted in place inside the machined
compressor housing. The rotor is also either heat shrunk on the shaft or keyed and bolted
in place. Therefore it is important to control the mechanical dimensions particularly the
outer diameter and bore dimensions, concentricity and squareness of the stator and rotor

as well as the stack length within close tolerances. The winding overhand too must be
properly shaped and dimensionally controlled to prevent fouling with the compressor
housing.
Cleanliness: The refrigerant and oil present in the refrigeration system are solvents
which scrub the stator and rotor and wash any impurities present on them into the system
and contaminate it. Any suspended impurities are likely to clog the fine clearances and
oil holes in the compressor leading to its failure.
Materials: The laminated stator and rotor cores are made from high permeability, low
core loss cold rolled, non-grain oriented silicon steel or decarburized low carbon steel.
The insulating coating over the laminations is produced by a steam blueing process
instead of conventional varnish coating which might prove incomparable with refrigerant.
The winding wire is usually dual coated with a base coat of modified polyester,
polystermide or polyester-amide-imide with an overcoat of polyamide-imide. Polyster
film, such as Mylar or Melinex is used for the slot insulation. Dacron-Mylar-Dacron and
Acrylic resin coated fiberglass sleeving us used as insulation for the lead wire. Polyester
yarn (Dacron) is used for end turn lacing and tying on the protective devices. The
finished winding is subjected to an over-baked polyurethane or epoxy-base varnish
coating which protects the winding and also maintains the integrity of the end turns or
winding overhang.

Hermetic motor qualification, testing and quality assurance.

A hermetic motor is subjected to the following qualification tests before it can be cleared for use
in a hermetic compressor:

Load test on Dynamometer: The motor is subjected to the following qualification tests
before it can be cleared for use in a hermetic compressor.
Plug reversal test: This is an accelerated life test to evaluate the integrity of the
construction, materials and insulation system of the hermetic motor. "Plugging" is rapid
braking of the motor brought about by suddenly reversing two of the three phases of the
supply voltage while it is rotating in any direction. This "plugging" action subjects the
motor winding to severe electromagnetic forces and consequent mechanical stresses.
The test consists of subjecting the hermetic motor to 50,000 or more plugging and
reversal cycles in refrigerant-oil mixture in a specially prepared compressor assembly. At
the end of the test, the motor must be operable and successfully pass the standard
inspection requirements.
Performance in compressor: The motor is assembled in the compressor and subjected
to a complete performance text at various load conditions and voltages in a Compressor
Calorimeter. The compatibility of the motor protection system and its effectiveness in
protecting the hermetic motor under various fault conditions is also validated during this
test.

Routine production tests on a hermetic motor are similar to those for a standard air-cooled
motor, viz. High Potential (usually, twice the rated voltage + 1000 volts) and Insulation
Resistance check, Broken or faulty Rotor Bar check and No Load (or Load) Tests.

Quality Assurance tests by the compressor manufacturer include the Plug Reversal and
Compressor Calorimeter tests as described above.
Further, since the hermetic motor is directly assembled into the compressor without any further
attention, it must be clean and free of moisture, processing oils and chemicals, rust, uncured
varnish, etc. which could contaminate the refrigeration system. The wound stator and rotor are
therefore individually subjected to a Cleanliness test, in which the residual impurities, after
extraction in a solvent such as xylene or toluol, shall not exceed 3 milligrams per kg of motor
weight.
[top]
Hermetic motor protection

Small hermetic compressor motors of less than 1 hp are usually protected by an external overcurrent cum thermal protector which consists of a bimetal switch housed inside a bakelite
enclosure (photo 2). The protector is mounted on the compressor shell and is connected in series
with the motor supply. The bimetal thus senses and responds to both the shell temperature and
the motor current and disconnects the motor winding before it can reach dangerous temperatures.

Hermetic compressor motors above 1 hp are usually protected against overheating (caused by
overload, failure to start or excessive operating current) by an internal protector, which is a
finger shaped hermetically sealed bimetal device (photo 2) embedded in the winding overhang
of the hermetic motor and connected in series with it. The internal protector offers better
protection than the external protector since it directly senses the motor winding temperature as

well as the motor current. It can thus protect the hermetic motor against overheating due to loss
of refrigerant charge from the system, which is not possible with the external protector.
Hermetic motors (usually above 20 hp) used in semi-hermetic compressors have PTC thermistors
(photo 2 ) embedded in different hot spot areas of the stator winding. These thermistors are
connected to an electronic module which senses the quantum increase in resistance in the event
of the winding exceeding its safe temperature limit and de-energises the motor contactor.
[top]
Hermetic motor burnout

Ignoring or neglecting the use of the specified hermetic grade winding wire, varnish and other
materials or the correct processing and other quality assurance requirements of the hermetic
motor will result in disaster. The word 'disaster' is not an overstatement, for a hermetic motor
burnout can be very expensive and time consuming. The short circuit inside the compressor
decomposes the refrigerant into fluorides and chlorides which are extremely corrosive and
contaminate the entire refrigeration system.
Therefore, apart from rewinding the hermetic motor, the entire refrigeration system will have to
be thoroughly flushed and cleaned of all traces of the contaminants before recuperating it. The
compressor oil, filter-drier and capillary tubes have to be replaced. Failure to clean the system
thoroughly will result in a repeat burnout caused by corrosives attack on the motor winding
insulation by the residual contaminants.

Rewinding a hermetic motor requires the same care in processing and use of the approved
winding wire and other insulation materials, varnish and the motor protector as in the case of a
new motor. In addition, the stator must be thoroughly cleaned of all contamination and products
of burnout before it is rewound. Before assembling the motor into the compressor, it should be
put through the High Potential, Insulation Resistance checks. If the motor is re-assembled into
the compressor in the field, it is advisable to apply a low dc voltage (about 24 volts) to the
winding while evacuating the compressor or the refrigeration system. This helps in gently
heating the winding and aids the removal of all traces of moisture from it. To conclude, it is
important to recognize that the hermetic motor is quite different from a standard air-cooled motor
in its design, materials, construction and quality assurance requirements and it manufactured and
applied properly, will give years of trouble free operation in a hermetic compressor.

Advantages of Open Recip Compressors

By Krishna V. Jog
Technical Advisor
Kirloskar Pneumatic Co. Ltd., Pune
Krishna V. Jog is a first batch IIT Bombay graduate in mechanical engineering and also has an
M.Tech from the same institute. He has a total of 42 years experience of which 8 years are in
teaching and research and 34 years in the ACR industry. He retired as MD of Kirloskar
McQuay. He is a presidential member of ISHRAE, Pune chapter as well as an ASHRAE member.
Can be reached at kvjog@vsnl.net
The world of refrigeration was born with the use of reciprocating compressors. This was the only
type of compressor available in the earliest days of HVACR for any application.
Open Compressor

The word 'open' means which is open to atmosphere or surrounding ambient. There is no such
compressor, which is really open. To that extent, it is a misnomer to call it an 'open' compressor.
ASHRAE defines an open-type compressor as a refrigerant compressor with a shaft or other
moving part extending through its casing to be driven by an outside source of power, thus,
requiring a shaft seal or equivalent rubbing contact between a fixed and a moving part.
A reciprocating compressor is a positive displacement compressor that changes the internal
volume of the compression chambers by the reciprocating (to and fro) motion of one or more
pistons. Recips are single acting, using trunk type pistons, driven directly through a pin and
connecting rod from the crankshaft. In the very old days, double acting recips were used which
had piston rods, cross heads, stuffing boxes and oil injection. These looked very similar to huge
steam engines and used to run at very low speeds. They are obsolete now, since they were very
heavy, occupying large space and large flywheels.

Modern open recips have 1 to 16 cylinders in various designs such as, inline,V-shape and Wshape. The capacities vary from a fractional ton to as high as 400 ton in a single machine. The
speeds can vary from about 250 rpm to 3,600 rpm or more. They are available for various
refrigerants like halocarbons, CFC's, and ammonia. The compressors for ammonia application
cannot use copper, brass or bronze materials in construction. They can only use steel / SS or
aluminiumAmmonia reacts with non-ferrous materials. Recips are used in single stage or two-

stage versions. The single stage units are generally designed for compression ratios of about 8 to
9.5. Some heavy-duty industrial units are designed compression ratios of upto 12, but they suffer
from lower volumetric efficiencies.
The single stage machines used for ammonia can go down to about 10C to 15C evaporating
temperatures with +40C condensing temperature. The same compressor can go down to about
25C to 30C evaporating temperatures with +40C condensing for typical R-22 or equivalent
HFC refrigerants.
For temperatures lower than these, say in the range of 40C and below, two-stage internally
compounded compressors are available. They can go down to 60C evaporating with +40C
condensing temperature. These are normally used for water-cooled condenser applications. For
air-cooled applications, there are other types of open recips which can withstand high condensing
temperatures of +60C or above but these are restricted to evaporating temperatures of no lower
than 5C. For transport applications of refrigeration and/or air conditioning, lightweight, high
speed relatively lower capacity machines are available.
[top]
Open vs Hermetic

The other types of compressors are hermetic and semihermetic or accessible hermetic. Many a
time, the word 'hermetic' is loosely used to include semi-hermetics as well. In case of hermetic
and semi-hermetics, the compressor and the motor are enclosed in one shell either by welding or
by bolting. There is no shaft seal between the compressor and the motor shaft. In the olden days,
shaft seals were not well developed and hence not reliable, tight and leak-proof. Hermetic
compressor manufacturers took advantage to highlight the seal leakage. Over the years, dramatic
improvements have taken place and excellent, leak proof, very reliable seals are now available.
Hermetics were introduced keeping low first cost in mind open machines demand a premium.
Every system has some merits and demerits, and it depends upon the boundary operating
conditions to find out which type is best for a particular type of application. For ammonia and for
many critical applications of industrial nature, open compressors are the only natural choice.
Open systems have a tremendous number of advantages over hermetic / semi-hermetic systems.
Some of the main factors where open systems score over hermetics are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Comparison between Open and Semi-hermetic / Hermetic Systems
Open

Semi-hermetic / Hermetic

Open systems have motor separately connected to Any problem in motor affects refrigerant charge
compressor. Not connected with refrigerant and oil and oil charge.
charge in the system.
Compressor being open design, can be inspected /
opened by just closing the isolation valves. No

Motor and compressor are in the same casing.

Maintenance at site in case of hermetic is

botheration of removal / loss of refrigerant gas.

impossible and very difficult for semihermetic

machines. Some of the internationally well
known brands recommend opening of semihermetic also only at the factory / service centre
and not at site.

Since these can be attended to at site, down time is If the compressor has to be taken to factory, long
unavoidable delays will result and disrupt
very minimal.
complete cooling.
Since motors are outside the refrigerant
environment, wide choice of makes and type
possible. Indian made motors are easily available
and can be replaced without complete shut down of
the plant.

Hermetic / semi-hermetic motors are imported.

These are generally not manufactured in India
and not readily available for replacement. If
motors are rewound in India, the quality of
windings is doubtful and may not be as good as
original. (This comment applies only to imported
compressors).

Motor windings are cooled by ambient air.

Motor windings are in the refrigerant vapour

surroundings.

Open machines are costlier compared to hermetic. Hermetic machines were basically introduced to
reduce manufacturer's first cost. Motor is
smaller and cheaper as it is cooled by the
refrigerant. Copper and iron content are about
half that of an open design.
Open motors do not require any refrigeration effect Hermetic motors consume cooling energy
and thus do not reduce the capacity of the system produced by the refrigerant. These vapours are
to be compressed by the same compressor,
hence, effectively some cooling capacity is lost in
motor cooling itself.
Open system is about 10% more efficient
considering loss in cooling motor and penalty in
power for compressing vapour.

Net effectiveness of cooling capacity and power

consumption is about 10% poorer due to
hermetic / semi-hermetic design.

Open motors are more efficient as they are cooled / Hermetic motors are less efficient as they are
cooled by refrigerant and are loaded beyond
ventilated by ambient air.
peak efficiency point. These motors are rotating
in a much denser refrigerant atmosphere and
have higher windage loss.

Power fluctuations are not highly detrimental to

open motors.

Power fluctuations and electrical transients can

produce a flash in the refrigerant atmosphere,
which can break down into carbon, fluorine,
chlorine etc. and will be carried into the system.
When combined with moisture, hydrochloric and
hydrofluoric acids are formed which can cause
large scale contamination.

Insurance premia charged for open systems is much Hermetics will take very long before they are put
less as the damages are not catastrophic and not for back into operation, hence the insurance
companies charge much higher premium as the
long.
refrigerant and oil invariably need to be
replaced.
Overall maintenance is very fast, quick and without Heavy maintenance in case of burnouts such as
cleaning, flushing, vacuumising, pressure testing
any problem on refrigerant side.
and recharging fresh refrigerant and oil.
The refrigerant, if ammonia used, is totally safe,
environmentally acceptable and free from Montreal
Protocol or phase-out problems. The refrigerant
NH3 (R 717) has zero ODP and zero GWP. It has a
low TEWI factor. If the refrigerant leaks into
atmosphere, it returns back to soil as fertilizer, since
it mixes with water in any proportion.

The refrigerant used is either HFC or HCFC,

having a lot of limitations of ODP, GWP, phaseout and TEWI values. If HCFC is used, fast phaseout is imminent. If HFC is used, high GWP values
make them unacceptable even in Europe and
many other countries.

The refrigerant NH3 is very cheap (economical) and HFC refrigerants used are not manufactured in
manufactured locally in India in plenty and available India. They are very costly and cannot return to
soil if leaked. ODP and/or GWP problems are
freely.
plenty.
Oil being heavier than refrigerant, can be drained
easily even during running. Oil available and
manufactured locally in India.

Oil is partially miscible and oil recovery and

maintaining the oil level is a big problem.
Invariably oil has to be imported and very costly.

[top]
Efficiency of a Refrigeration System

This is identified in three different ways: 1) EER 2) COP 3) kW / TR or bhp / TR. For open
recips, it is the bhp / TR that is most commonly used. For open compressors, there is nothing like
"input kW" as there are no electrical terminals fitted to the compressor motor, as is the case with
hermetic or semi-hermetic compressors. In case of hermetics, (which will also include

semihermetics throughout this paper) there is no way to measure brake horse power or brake kW
since the compressor shaft is inside the common shell for compressor and motor. The motor
efficiency thus comes into the picture for such hermetics. If high efficiency motors (97% to 98%)
are used, a lower ikW figure would be obtained and higher ikW would result in lower
efficiencies. Typically, for small compressors and small motors, motor efficiency can be as low
as 60% or so. For open compressors, brake horse power is measurable and, therefore, for open
systems only bhp / TR can be defined.
The efficiency or effectiveness of a refrigeration system depends on several factors. The ratings
published must give the datum or the basis for such data. Many-a- times, these factors are not
given and then a true and fair comparison of various systems cannot be made. Some of the main
factors on which the capacity and power consumption depend are: 1) Speed, 2) Degree of subcooling, 3) Degree of superheating, 4) Pressure drops allowed in suction and discharge. Let us
consider these briefly:
1. Speed. Synchronous speeds for 50 Hz and 60 Hz motors are 1,500 rpm and 1,800 rpm for
commonly used 4-pole motors. The data may be published at 1,450 rpm and 1,750 rpm or
sometimes at 1,460, 1,480 rpm for 50 Hz drives and 1,760 rpm for 60 Hz drives. The actual
speed obtainable while in operation has to be correctly estimated and real performance to be
calculated at true speed.
2. Degree of Sub-cooling. This is one of the most important factors for determining the
performance. Sometimes, no datum is given at all. Normally, all manufacturers around the
world, for air conditioning compressors, consider 15F (8.33C) as the degree of sub-cooling,
whereas normally all refrigeration compressors take 0F (0C) as the degree of subcooling. For
each degree of F sub-cooling, percent capacity improvement takes place with no change in
power consumption. This means that for 15F sub-cooling, a 7 % increase in cooling capacity
occurs without any increase or decrease in power consumption. Thus, kW / TR or bhp / TR will
improve substantially as TR increases, bhp or kW remaining unchanged. If different competitors'
bids are compared having different degrees of sub-cooling, then the figures are not strictly
comparable at all.
3. Degree of Superheating. High degrees of superheat will reduce the performance. Actual
penalties for different values are available with manufacturers and if the suction lines are long
or if the superheats are excessively large, proper corrections must be applied. Many-a-times,
this factor is totally forgotten.
4. Pressure Drops. The capacity tables published may or may not take these into consideration.
Sometimes 1F (0.5C) in suction and 2F (1C) in discharge are taken as datum and is published
as a foot note. Some manufacturers may not take into account any pressure drops when
publishing the tables. When comparing different manufacture's data, these have to be carefully
looked into.
Energy Efficiency at Design Conditions

ARI (Air conditioning & Refrigeration Institute, USA) has developed a rating system and given
basic parameters at which these can be compared. Most of the time, these ARI set of parameters
are non-existent in India, but it is often used as a common basis for comparison. Parameters like
cooling capacity TR, power consumption, kW or bhp, COP etc. can be compared, if they are
brought on the same basis and if a comparison is made, apple to apple. In actual practice, the

plant never works at design conditions and the performance has to be judged at off-peak or offdesign conditions. ARI provides this by comparing the Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) for
various offers. The IPLV uses weighted national weather averages, weighted averages of
building operation and a blending of the kW/TR at four rating points: 100%, 75%, 50% and
25%.
Efficiency of Recips vs Screws

Screw compressors are excellent rotary machines, which are also positive displacement
machines. They are of two designs mono screw or dual screw. The screws are basically capable
of high compression ratios in a single stage even upto 20 to 25. They can also be used for
multistage operations. Screws are fully balanced rotary machines with high precision required
for manufacturing of screws. A large quantity of lubricating oil is used and they require a special
oil tank separator.
The actual screw compressor is a very compact of equipment, but with the motor, control panel,
(Oil Tank Separator) etc. it looks very bulky.
From a typical screw compressor performance table with economiser, it can be seen that at a
moderate temperature of 35F evaporating and 115F condensing, it consumes 1.2bhp / TR
whereas, a typical open recip compressor consumes less than 1 bhp / TR. These figures are for
R-22 refrigerant and for Ammonia the recips consume even lower power than that of R-22. Thus,
in many instances, the power consumption of screws at full load is higher than that of recips. The
difference in power consumption at lower temperatures of around 3 0 C / 3 5 C
evaporating with +40C condensing and for Ammonia is much more and recips become clearly
the winner. Screws consume much more power, apart from oil management system
complications.
The same story is true for part load operation as well. A typical IPLV comparison at ARI
conditions is shown in Figure 1 for screws and recip chillers6.
Another comparison of part load performance of piston (recip) compressor and screw
compressor is shown in Figure 25.
Also, at high ambient conditions with typical heat pump applications the design EER for recips,
is much better than screws as shown in Figure 36.

There is a general belief that screws are better than recips but this is a myth as shown, both at full
load as well as part load operations. Recips cost much less than screws and are real work-horses
if proper, minimum preventive maintenance is carried out.
[top]
Refrigerants

The most common refrigerant for open recips for industrial applications is, without any iota of
doubt, inexpensive Ammonia. It has very high latent heat and low specific volume, hence gives
the maximum capacity per cfm (m3/hr) of compressor swept volume. To give you an idea, it is
about 20% more than R-22 and 100% more than R-134a. Ammonia has zero ODP (Ozone

Depletion Potential) and zero GWP (Global Warming Potential). It has no environmental
problems. If leaked, it returns back to soil as fertiliser since it mixes with water in air / rain in
any proportion. It is very economical since it costs very little in comparison to R-22 or R-134a. It
is manufactured in India and available in plenty.
It cannot be readily used if the charge in the system is large, in public or residential areas
because of its odour and toxicity. However, Ammonia is now becoming more popular with open
recips because of the impending ban on R-22, an HCFC, as per Montreal Protocol and the
dependence on imports of R-134a, together with a drastic reduction in capacity, use of synthetic
oils (once again, imported) and global warming potential.
With the emergence of tighter systems, better good quality cap steel valves, negligible or very
emissions and leakages, very good alarm monitoring detection systems, Ammonia is the obvious
choice all industrial applications.
Reliability of Published Data and Performance Testing

Recip compressors have been around since the inception of this industry. They were introduced
even before the power costs zoomed around 1974 and energy became very costly with the
formation of OPEC. The published performance tables and charts for various refrigerants for
various types of recip compressors have been in use for over 100 years and there has been no
manipulation in this rating information.
Screws and centrifugal compressors are relatively recent entrants and so are many new
refrigerants with which these compressors are used. Keeping in mind high energy costs, some
manufacturers try to claim lower kW/TR figures. These figures are based on various unrealistic
assumptions and implicit parameters not known to many. Almost no installations or systems
using recips have been found to give less capacity or consume more power than the published
ratings as they were conservative figures and there was no reason to unnecessarily hike the
performance. For later entrants with so many variations in assumptions and datums, it has been
proved, even in the international market that many systems have failed to achieve the guaranteed
figures even with the ARI tolerance.
Basic Precautions in Use of Recip Compressors

Recip compressors are often blamed for poor performance and quality simply because they break
down due to poor system design, wrong installation and bad commissioning practises.
All recip compressors are supplied with a detailed manual, which explains various guidelines for
system design as well as the precautions to be taken during installation, start-up and
commissioning. Sometimes, the P&ID are not correct and if they are correct, the actual
installation is faulty and not in line with the P&ID. Many compressor failures take place because,
proper care in cleanliness inside the refrigeration piping is not taken. Compressors can
breakdown, fail and serious accidents can take place, if even simple precautions and
recommendations are not strictly followed. Some examples are enumerated below:

System design. No sight glass in the liquid line, no strainer in the suction, no suction to liquid
heat exchanger etc.
These are all very simple accessories, but very important for healthy working of a compressor. If
a sight glass is not correctly installed at the right place or not installed at all, we will never know
if full liquid is going to the evaporator or not. Flash gas to the evaporator will yield lower
cooling capacity and higher kW/TR and poorer COP.
Strainer in the suction line removes the dirt in the system. The inside bags must be replaced as
per the recommendations or serious pressure drops in suction and heavy wire drawing will occur.
Inclusion of suction and liquid heat exchanger ensures superheated vapours to the compressor
without liquid slop-overs. Many systems are installed without such a heat exchanger.
Wrong size suction / delivery stop valves on compressor. Using smaller sizes than
recommended sizes will lead to breakage of pistons, liners, connecting rods and valves due to
high velocities, high pressure drops and wire-drawing effects.
System piping not thoroughly cleaned. All dirt, welding slag etc. can enter the filter and
compressor and cause pump failure, lube oil failure, pump shaft breakages and then bearing
failure.
Incorrect oil for lubrication. Recommended oil grades are of refrigeration quality. Sometimes,
nonrefrigeration oils having same reference number only, are used which destroys the complete
compressor. Our recommendations are Hindustan Petroleum Seetul -68, Indian Oil Servofriz-68,
Bharat Petroleum Bharat Freezol-68. Instead of these, use of Servo system brand having same
viscosity number, to be used for air compressors and not for refrigeration compressors can give
rise to complete damage of the compressor.
Incorrect operation of two-stage internally compounded compressors. All two-stage
compressors must be operated with caution. They should operate only as single stage (HP)
cylinders till the pull-down conditions from high ambient are achieved. Until the evaporating
temperature comes down in the vicinity of 15 C to 20C, it should not be operated as a twostage compressor. It is also necessary to check that the system is designed for pull-down
conditions with both the motor kW and the condenser being capable of taking the load at the
suitably low part-load operation. If not operated properly, the intermediate pressure and
temperature can rise abnormally high and damage big-end bearings of high-pressure connecting
rod and also crank pin and even a crankshaft.
[top]
Log Book

After commissioning of the system, whether it is for chilled water or for air conditioning with
DX coil, whether the system is water-cooled or air-cooled, proper log data must be maintained.
The readings must be taken, initially at an interval of 1 or 2 hours and later on as the system

stabilises, the readings must be taken at least once every 3 or 4 hours. The log data readings will
be useful for analysing faults and corrective actions. A typical log sheet for reciprocating
compressors with chiller or DX coil for air-cooled air conditioning plants is shown in Table 2.
Proper variations in this format can be made for a particular type of system if it is different than
the one given in the log sheet.
Table 2: Recommended Log Format for Air-cooled Air Conditioning plant Chiller or
DX coil
Date Compressor Model
of Log

Refrigerant

Compressor run hours (Time )

Hrs.

Unit capacity (Loading)

Entering evaporator liquid temperature (CHW in) C

Leaving evaporator liquid temperature (CHW

out)

Difference of Sr 3 & 4 ( t )

Evaporator water flow

LPM

Cooling Capacity, (Sr.6/60) x 4.186 x Sr.5)

kW

Cooling Capacity, ( Sr.7/3.516)

TR

Saturated suction pressure

kg/cm2g

10 Saturated suction temperature

11 Suction line temperature

12 Suction superheat, (difference of Sr.11 &10)

13 Ambient temperature

14 Average face velocity of air over the coil (aircooled units)

m /s

15 Number of fans ON at the time of log (air-cooled #

units)
16 Condenser air cfm

m3/hr

17 Saturated discharge pressure

kg /cm2g

18 Saturated discharge temperature

19 Discharge line temperature

20 Liquid refrigerant temperature leaving

condenser

21 Liquid sub-cooling (difference of Sr. 18 & 20)

22 Diff. Oil pressure

kg/cm2

23 Current in phases R/Y/B

Amps

24 Average current

Amps

25 Supply voltage

26 Power \/3 VI cos

kW

27 Air Flow across cooling coil cfm

m3/hr

28 Return Air (entering to DX coil)

Dbt Wbt Enthalpy

29 Supply Air (from the DX coil)

Dbt Wbt Enthalpy

30 Cooling capacity of coil 4.5 x cfm x ( h28-h29 )

TR

31 Fan motor amps (AHU Fan)

Amps

32 COP (TR / Power input) in same units

33 Sight glass status (clear /bubbles)

Notes :
1. This is a sample recommended log sheet format given only for guidance. Customer may have
a detailed log than the sample shown here.
2. Operational data of the unit shall be recorded at minimum interval of two hours of operation.
3. If unit is having more than one refrigeration circuit, it is mandatory to log the suction, liquid
and discharge pressure and temperature readings for all the circuits separately.
4. The data for AHU should be filled up at least once a day.

[top]

Future of Recips

There are some groups of people who advocate only screws. They go to the extent of saying that,
recips are fast going out of the scene and they will soon be forgotten and dead. The answer to
these is an emphatic No. We have seen in this article how ammonia is increasingly popular for
all applications and how open recips have high COPs or EERs and how recips can automatically
adjust to different discharge pressures, depending on different ambients not only in different
seasons, but also during the day cycle itself. They are also lower in power consumption on full
load and part load conditions.
For many applications, recip compressors will remain the compressor of choice.

CLEAN-UP AFTER A BURNOUT ON COMPRESSOR

1. How do you clean up a refrigerant system after a compressor motor burnout?
If you ask ten mechanics, youll probably get ten different answers. Every mechanic has his own way.
One thing is for sure, unless the system is cleaned properly and you correct the problem which caused
the burnout, youll have another compressor failure.
2. In this training lesson, well answer the following questions about a burnout:
What is it?
What are the different types?
What contaminants are created?
What causes them? And,
What is the proper procedure for cleaning a system?
3. What is a Burnout?
A burnout is the breakdown of the motor winding insulation, which causes the motor to short out and
fail.
There are two types of burnouts mild and severe.
What is important to you is that each type required its own special procedure for clean-up.

4. A mild burnout is when the motor stops before the contaminants created by the burnout leave the
compressor.
5. Here is a compressor motor. Notice that when a mild burnout occurs, only one spot on the windings is
burned.
6. A severe burnout is when the contaminants are pumped through the refrigerant system before the
motor stops.
7. This type of burnout is not confined to one small spot on the windings, as you can see here.
8. What contaminants are created by a burnout?
The contaminants can include moisture, acid, soot, varnish and hard carbon, and copper plating.
9. Moisture in a refrigerant system can cause oil sludge, which reduces the lubrication properties of the
oil and plugs oil passages and screens.
The screen on the left is from a compressor thats operating normally. On the right is an oil pump
suction screen that is plugged with sludge.

10. Moisture can also react with the refrigerant to form hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid.
These acids will cause corrosion of metals and breakdown of the insulation on the motor windings. And,
in this case, the acid ate through the insulation on the terminal wires in the compressor, which caused
the motor to short out.
11. Hydrofluoric acid can also damage a sight glass. Thats what this used to be.
If acid is strong enough to eat through metal and glass, think of what it can do to your skin. So, if you
have to go into a system where a burnout has occurred, DONT FORGET to wear safety glasses and acidresistant gloves.
12. Soot, another contaminant, is generally a soft carbon caused by charring of the insulation and oil. It
is usually confined to the compressor unless the burnout has been going on for a period of time while
the compressor continued to run. Soot is easily loosened and filtered out.
13. Varnish and hard carbon are caused by excessive heat and are the toughest of all contaminants to
remove. Because the compressor is the warmest spot in the system at the time of the burnout, most of
the varnish and carbon deposits occur in the compressor.

14. Heres an example of copper plating. It is the result of a combination of factors: the contaminants,
the type of oil used, and the high temperature.
The gradual buildup of copper plating on bearing surfaces reduces the clearances and results in
increased friction and wear.
15. To prevent a repeat failure, the contaminants created by a burnout must be removed from the
system before putting it back into operation. Before we see how to this, lets see what problems in a
system can cause a burnout.
16. A mild burnout is usually caused by defects or damage in the winding insulation; winding insulation
is actually a thin layer of varnish. Too thin a spot in the varnish can cause a short, especially in the end
turns. Each time the motor starts, the locked rotor inrush current actually flexes the winding end turns.
Flexing will wear off the varnish and eventually cause a short. This will happen quicker if the compressor
is allowed to short cycle.
Scratches or nicks in the varnish can also cause a mild burnout. Even with extreme care a motor winding
can be nicked slightly at the time the motor is installed in the compressor. This damage may not be
serious enough to prevent the motor from passing the factory start-up test, but when put into actual
operation, it may fail.
17. Severe burnouts are caused by a combination of two things:
1. High motor winding temperature, and,
2. The motor protection system fails to shut down the motor before it overheats.
18. Check to see why the protection system failed.
This system includes all the safety devices in the electrical circuit, such as overcurrent protection; and
switches that sense high and low pressure, oil pressure, and temperature.
19. To check the safeties, youll have to wait until the unit is back in operation. Then, check the current,
pressures, and temperatures to make sure they dont exceed the trip limits of the safety devices.
For example, with the unit operating, check the high and low side pressures. If the high side pressure
exceeds the trip limit of high pressure switch, this switch is bad and must be replaced.
Also, make sure that a safety device hasnt been jumped or that a contactor isnt welded shut.
20. Once youve determined why the protection system failed and have corrected the problem, the next
step is to determine why the motor windings overheated. To do this, youll have to wait until the system

is back in operation; just like you had to do when checking out the protection system.
21. The reason for overheating can be grouped into two categories refrigeration and electrical.
22. On the refrigeration side, overheating can be caused by the following:
Poor installation procedures, which will result in moisture and air in the system and cause the insulation
to break down. And,
High head or low suction pressure or a combination of the two, which will increase the compression
ratio and the current draw of the compressor.
23. On the electrical side, overheating can be caused by the following:
High or low voltage.
Bad starting gear for single-phase compressors, which includes the start or run capacitor or the start
relay. And,
Short cycling on controls or safety devices which causes a buildup of heat because the heat from the
previous start has not been removed.
24. Another problem which can cause overheating in an R-22 system falls under both the refrigeration
and electrical categories; its called a flooded start. This is when the compressor starts with liquid
refrigerant in the crankcase.
If theres enough liquid, it will reach the compressor motor. This liquid will reduce the resistance
between the motor windings and the compressor shell or casting. And, if a winding is leaking current
through a nick or thin spot in the varnish, the refrigerant may allow the current to arc to the shell and
cause a direct short to ground. It can also cause a short between windings or a turn-to-turn short.
25. Flooding can be caused if a crankcase heater isnt working or the compressor isnt equipped with
one.
26. Now that we know what a burnout is, what the two types are, the contaminants they create, and
what causes them, lets see how to clean up a system.
Before you start, there are two things that you should do:
1. Make sure there is a burnout, and
2. If there is, determine the type mild or severe.

27. When checking out a system, there are safety rules that you should follow:
Make sure the electrical disconnect is off and properly tagged or locked.
Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. The refrigerant oil mixture is acidic and can cause severe burns.
Before opening the system, make sure the refrigerant has been removed.
And, cut the refrigerant piping with a tube cutter. Do not unsweat it because oil in the piping may ignite.
28. To check for a burnout, measure the resistance of the compressor motor windings and the
resistance to ground. Do this at the control box.
DO NOT measure the resistance at the terminal on the compressor. If there has been a burnout, the
terminals could be loose; and if you remove the wires from them, the refrigerant pressure could cause a
terminal to blow out. This will cause the refrigerant and oil to be discharged, which can cause severe
burns if it gets on your skin or in your eyes.
To determine where to disconnect the wires and place the meter probes, refer to the unit-wiring
diagram. Also, dont forget to check the condition of the wires back to the compressor. If you dont, and
you have a broken wire, for example, the meter will show an open and you may think that the winding is
bad.
29. When checking a single-phase compressor, the resistance of the start winding should be greater
than that of the run winding.
On three-phase compressors, the resistance of each winding should be the same.
To determine what the exact resistances should be, refer to the manufacturers specifications.
And when youre checking the resistance from a winding to ground on a single-phase compressor, it
should not be less than 1,000 ohms per volt. For example, on a 230-volt motor, the resistance should
not be less than 230,000 ohms, thats 230 times 1,000.
Also when checking a compressor with an internal line break thermostat, make sure that the
compressor is cold when checking the resistances. If you check a compressor when its hot, this
thermostat may be open, giving you a false indication that the windings are bad.
30. Once youve determined that the compressor motor is bad, the next step is to determine the type of
burnout.
To do this on hermetic compressors or semi-hermetics without service valves, first remove the

refrigerant charge from the system.

If its a semi-hermetic with service valves, you can valve off and bleed the refrigerant from the
compressor.
31. On a semi-hermetic the simplest way to tell the type of burnout is to remove a cylinder head.
If there is carbon, its a good indication that the contaminants have left the compressor, which means
its a severe burnout. In this case, youll have to remove the entire refrigerant charge before cleaning
the system.
If there isnt any carbon in the head, and the motor checked out bad, it could be either a mild or a
severe burnout.
32. To determine which type of burnout it is, youll have to check the acid level in the system. Use
Totaltest to check the system. With this instrument, you dont have to bother with the mess of taking an
oil sample. Complete instructions are provided in the kit. Your distributor can also provide additional
training on Totaltest.
33. To check out the type of burnout in a hermetic compressor, cut the discharge line and check for
carbon. Also, like a semi-hermetic, the lack of carbon doesnt necessarily mean its a mild burnout. Youll
still have to check for acid with Totaltest before you bleed off the charge.
34. Whether its a mild or severe burnout, the refrigerant can be reused. However, whether or not you
save and reuse it or vent it to the atmosphere is a matter of economics. If its going to cost more for the
man-hours to save the refrigerant than its worth, vent it.
35. Now, were ready to do the clean-up procedures for a mild and a severe burnout. Lets start with a
mild one.
We will only cover in detail the steps that are actually used to clean-up or check the condition of the
system.
36. For a mild burnout in a system with a hermetic or semi-hermetic, heres what you should do:
After removing the charge and the compressor, add a liquid line filter-drier or, if there was one already
in the system, replace it. In must be one size larger in capacity than the unit being worked on. If its a
heat pump, use a bi-flow type.
If youre working on a semi-hermetic and you can valve off filter-drier, you wont have to remove the
charge.

37. Next, before installing the new compressor, check the windings to make sure they are OK.
On systems with semi-hermetics, transfer the necessary components from the old compressor to the
new one. For example, the crankcase heater and the unloaders.
38. Also, if its a semi-hermetic, add an angle valve to the crankcase. This will allow you to easily change
the compressor oil.
39. Now, triple evacuate the system. To reduce the amount of time for evacuation, the hoses should be
as short and as large in diameter as possible.
The first two times the system is evacuated, it should be pulled down to 5,000 microns or 29.72 inches
of mercury. Then, each vacuum should be broken with the same type of refrigerant thats used in the
system.
The third evacuation should be a deep vacuum of 500 microns or 29.90 inches. We recommend using a
vacuum gauge because its more accurate than a suction pressure gauge. Break the deep vacuum by
recharging the system.
40. If youre working on a unit with a semi-hermetic compressor, operate the system for two hours.
Then, check the acid level with Totaltest. We recommend this test as an added precaution to make sure
that there werent any contaminants pumped out of the compressor during the burnout. If the system
still contains acid, change the compressor oil and the liquid line filter-drier.
On a hermetic system, also use Totaltest. If the system still contains acid, change the liquid line filterdrier. If you have a hermetic system that has contamination thats on the borderline between mild and
severe, treat as if it were severe.
41. Now, lets check out the clean-up procedure for a severe burnout. Part of the procedure includes the
steps weve just covered for a mild burnout. So, well only go into detail for the steps that are different.
42. After removing the refrigerant charge, the compressor, and the liquid line filter-drier (if there is one)
flush the piping with clean refrigerant. Flush it in the direction opposite the normal refrigerant flow. The
refrigerant should be the same type thats used in the system.
Depending on the carbon buildup in the piping, the refrigerant components may need to be removed
and cleaned separately or replaced. These components include metering devices, accumulators, and
reversing valves.
43. Next, add or replace the liquid line filter-drier. Dont forget, it must be one size larger in capacity
than the unit and if its a heat pump, use a bi-flow type. If its a replaceable core filter-drier, then just
replace the core with the same size that you remove.

Also, add a suction line filter-drier. It must be installed vertically to prevent oil entrapment and it should
have pressure taps on the inlet and outlet.
Both filter-driers should be the acid core type for a severe burnout.
44. Now, replace the compressor, triple evacuate and recharge the system. If its a semi-hermetic, add
an angle valve to the crankcase so you can change the oil.
Posted by C S Gan at 6:54 PM
Labels: REPAIR AND SERVICING