Large Electric Motors Lifecycle: Management of Assets

Experience and lessons learned in the development and implementation of a motors condition assessment methodology is shared for all to consider within their facilities. Having a huge fleet of new and aging assets, the management of these assets becomes ever more critical. Accordingly, to ensure operational reliability and continuity, and to assure the continued cost-effectiveness of existing assets, a methodology had to be developed to manage the assets, extend their life, and timely plan for their replacement prior to failure. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Accordingly, a criterion was developed to initially prioritize the large number of critical motors for assessment and identify their applicability. Afterward, the motor assessment relied on the use of existing motor operational data, complemented with offline testing data identified from international procedures and best practices. Based on the identified data results, a scoring system was established to determine the motor condition. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">The electric motor management program is contributing to minimizing motor failures, while deferring capital expenditures in replacements, by relying on cost-effective testing and overhauling practices as opposed to equipment failures and unplanned operational interruptions. Relating to the circular economy concept, such practices will extend the economic life of the electrical motors, while maintaining the required operational safety and availability.