June 03, 2008
More on MotorMaster Plus
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN
http://www.motordoc.com
Comments:
Prior to 1995, the US Department of energy had provided a GUI interface program called MotorMaster which could be used to compare two motors to each other to determine simple payback based upon energy efficiency. Starting in 1993, the US Department of Energy, through the Washington State Energy Office (now the Washington State University Energy Extension Center), worked with industry leaders, including Dr. Penrose, to develop a Windows-Based version which was released in 1995 at the Motor Challenge ’95 conference held in Chicago, Illinois. The industry leaders identified such things as the ability to develop a batch analysis of machines, the ability to relate to the individual operation of each machine, the ability to run difference scenarios, a maintenance tracking ability, a financial calculator, and a database of existing motors. By 2000, the database had grown to over 27,000 catalog motors.
In 1998-1999, while Dr Penrose was the Senior Research Engineer at the University of Illinois Energy Resources Center, he began a project collaborating with Flowcare Engineering of Ontario, Canada, and Pacific Gas and Electric on the concept he presented in 1994 on retro-fitting existing motors based upon condition. The concept used a series of electrical and mechanical tests, following a review of the capabilities of technologies, for the field evaluation, including electrical datalogging. The tools selected were the Summit Power Analyzer (Model 3000), the ALL-TEST IV PRO, and Pruftechnic hand-held vibration analyzer. As soon as it became knowledge that the project budget would be cut, Dr. Penrose joined ALL-TEST Pro in order to perform MCA/MCSA/ESA research and development and to continue the work.
In 2000, he coordinated between Dreisilker Electric Motors, Inc., ALL-TEST Pro, Pruftechnic, the Washington State University Energy Extension Center, and the US Department of Energy to perform modifications to MotorMaster Plus Version 3.0 to allow for motor circuit analysis and vibration data to be entered. This allowed the user to sort motors by condition and make repair versus replace decisions which have a far better payback than retrofits of good motors.
Instructions on the use of MotorMaster Plus and the new features can be found at http://www.motordiagnostics.com/presentations.htm.
MotorMaster Plus FREE software can be downloaded from the US Department of Energy from: http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/software.html.
There is also an International Version of MotorMaster Plus available, but without the advanced features.
An article with details of the PG&E project co-authored by Dr. Penrose, the Department of Energy, WSU, Pruftechnic and others can be downloaded from http://www.motordiagnostics.com/presentations.htm.
