As we all know, the operation of an electric motor is essentially a process of converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, and some losses are inevitably generated during this process. Most of these losses are converted into heat, which causes the operating temperature of the motor windings, core, and other components to rise.
Since the insulation materials used in electric motors have temperature limitations, the task of motor cooling is to dissipate the heat generated by internal losses, keep the temperature rise of various parts of the motor within the standard range, and strive to achieve uniform internal temperature.
Motors typically use gas or liquid as the cooling medium, with air and water being the most common, referred to as air cooling or water cooling respectively. Common types of air cooling include fully enclosed air cooling and open air cooling; common types of water cooling include water jacket cooling and heat exchanger cooling.
The AC motor standard IEC60034-6 specifies and explains the cooling methods for motors, using IC codes for representation:
Cooling method code = IC + circuit layout code + cooling medium code + driving method code
Common cooling methods
1. IC01 natural cooling (surface cooling)
For example, the Siemens compact 1FK7/1FT7 servo motor. Note: These motors operate at high surface temperatures, which may affect surrounding equipment and materials. Therefore, in certain industry applications, the negative impact of motor temperature should be mitigated by adjusting the motor's installation and appropriately derating its capacity.
2. IC411 self-fan cooled (self-cooling)
The IC411 achieves cooling by moving air through the rotation of the motor itself; the air movement speed is related to the motor speed.
3. IC416 forced fan cooling (powered cooling or independent fan cooling)
The IC416 contains an independently driven fan, ensuring a constant airflow regardless of the motor speed.
IC411 and IC416 are commonly used cooling methods for low-voltage AC asynchronous motors, which achieve heat dissipation by blowing heat through the heat sinks on the motor surface using a fan.
Type of cooling fan for motor
Axial flow (propeller)
The design of fans is based on the principle of achieving the maximum cooling effect with the minimum loss. They often adopt a streamlined curved surface design to maximize the ventilation efficiency of the fan while reducing ventilation noise.
