Mechanical Equipment Technologies Inc.

Bearing life! Bearings are the most critical electric motor component, and are the number one reason electric motors fail. Electric motors are machines, and like any machine are application specific. This is a really great blog by Aegis that talks about what happens inside an induction motor during a variable frequency drive application (VFD). My side note: - grease bearings with care - too little, over heating, scoring, vibration. - too much, break the seals Bearing grease acts as an insulation to shaft voltage arcing between the ball bearings and the raceway of the bearing assembly....preventative maintenance. (Please youtube electric motor bearings) Electric motor bearings are application specific - time, load, temperature dependent which dictates how frequently bearing grease needs to be added. Add a VFD, review ground shafting and/or bearing insulation. Electric motor, verify with the motor manufacturer and get it in writing as the specific application requires. Adding a VFD to a fan or pump application, complete a technical review of wiring, motors and controls. #borp #equipmentdesign #systemknowledge #designpower #projectscope #mepcoordination #ownerdriven #projectdriven #teamwork

Sensorless pump control vs. differential pressure transmitter, which configuration uses less power (wattage) over the entire load profile? For this discussion, they are equal. It comes down to having a conversation with the mechanical designer, mechanical installer, TAB contractor, controls contractor, pump/vfd rep, and commissioning agent. Design Head = Design Flow on design day (max). Control Head = Design Flow delivered to the equipment furthest from the pump when the rest of the system is satisfied (min). In both examples, the testing and balancing contractor will provide the 25-ft control head (min) value to either the controls contractor or the sensorless pump factory technician. Step one: know the mechanical design Step two: build a commissioning and warranty plan at the proposal stage Now we’re ready to evaluate the two proposals sitting on our desk, and control the conversation around project scope, scheduling, service life. ….cost becomes a function of understanding step one and two. #borp #equipmentdesign #systemknowledge #designpower #projectscope #mepcoordination #ownerdriven #projectdriven #teamwork