50Hz VS 60Hz

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Sean_Carb

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Hello Everyone,

My company is working in a manufacturing plant that has shipped in a piece of equipment from Europe. The equipment is specified to operate at 380V 50Hz. We plan to install a transformer for 480V to 380V, but that leaves the frequency unaddressed. Will the 50Hz motors properly operate at 60Hz? Do we run the risk of burning out the equipment? If so, what would be our best course of action?

Your suggestions are appreciated! Thanks all
 
Hello Everyone,

My company is working in a manufacturing plant that has shipped in a piece of equipment from Europe. The equipment is specified to operate at 380V 50Hz. We plan to install a transformer for 480V to 380V, but that leaves the frequency unaddressed. Will the 50Hz motors properly operate at 60Hz? Do we run the risk of burning out the equipment? If so, what would be our best course of action?

Your suggestions are appreciated! Thanks all

Many European motors are dual rated for 50/60 Hz. This is not always found on the motor nameplate.

I would not be running such a motor at 380V/60Hz. I think it will probably not hurt the motor to run at 480V/60Hz, but might well harm it to be run at 380V/60Hz.

If it is just about motors, it might well be cheaper to just replace the motors, but it is hard to know how the faster motors will affect the machine operation. It might also be possible to install some VFDs to take the 480V/60Hz power down to 380V/50Hz on a motor by motor basis, especially if the motors are relatively small.

Without knowing a lot more about the actual equipment it is very hard to point you in the right direction.
 
The nominal voltage in Europe is 400 volts...

Anyway, the voltage frequency ratio for 50Hz 400 volt motors is the same for 480 volts 60 hz. So a 400 volt 50 cycle motor will be happy, but will spin faster. 1450 vs 1750 rpm.
 
Motors provide torque, that's their primary job. The power rating (HP or kW) is just a shorthand notation of "so much torque at such and such a speed". The speed at which they provide it matters only in the application with regard to what is used to make it spin at the RIGHT speed for the task, while providing that designated torque.

AC induction motors produce their rated torque based upon the ratio of voltage and frequency applied to them, then industry design specs say +-10%. So a 380V 50Hz designed motor is based on 380/50 = 7.6 V/Hz, but because of EU harmonization programs for the various countries, they are usually designed to accommodate up to 415V 50Hz, so up to 8.3V/Hz.

If you provide it with 480V 60Hz, the V/Hz ratio is 480/60 = 8.0V/Hz. right in the bread basket for what that motor is going to expect. So do NOT go and buy that transformer! You will starve the motor for voltage; you end up with 380V 60Hz, and 380/60 = 6.33V/Hz, well under the 10% range of acceptability. The motor will produce about 50% of it's rated peak torque, slip will increase under the same load, the motor will pull more current and over heat (unless perchance it was designed at 120% of needed power capacity).

But as petersonra said, it's just not as simple as that either, because it depends on the load and the machine. We have no idea what kind of machine it is and whether or not it NEEDS to operate at the speeds associated with a 50Hz supply. But it MIGHT be a serious problem. If for example the load is a centrifugal pump, the added 20% speed will result in the pump demanding 173% motor power from that motor, so it will overload (unless you can adjust the flow in some other way). Also if it involves a cutting tool of some sort, many of those are highly engineered now so changing the speed can seriously damage the cutting surfaces.

Bottom line, I would ask the machine mfr if in any way possible.
 
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