Today I am going to explain some of the terminalogy used in AC motors.
The rage today is green so let's start with electric motor efficiency. Efficiency is the percentage of input power that is converted to work. The higher the efiiciency, the more money you save.
FLA: Full load amps: The amount of current the motor will draw when fully loaded.
Design: A,B,C,D: This references the shape curve. Design B is the standard industrial duty motor. Design C is used for hard to start loads. Design D is designed for high starting torque and are best for low speed apllications like presses, elevator and hoist applications. Design A are not very common.
Poles: Number of magnetic poles that appear within when the motor is energized.
Service Factor: Is a multiplier that indicates the amount of overload a motor will handle. Motors with 1.15 service factor can be expected to handle intermittent loads of 15% more than its nameplate horsepower.
Types of Motor Enclosures:
These are just some of the terms you need to be familiar with when selecting an electric motor for your application.