The smell of burning from an electric motor is an alarming signal that cannot be ignored. This is what overheated varnish and winding insulation smell like. If the smell appears, the engine is already running in emergency mode. Let's look at the reasons and the correct actions.
What actually burns
The characteristic smell is produced by decomposing insulating varnish and the enamel of the winding wire when overheated. This means that the temperature of the winding has exceeded the permissible temperature for its insulation class. Continued operation will lead to an interturn short circuit and complete failure.
The main causes of overheating
- Overload - the motor pulls more than it is designed for.
- Phase failure - operation on two phases instead of three.
- Clogged ventilation - no outlet heat.
- Interturn short circuit - local overheating at the short circuit location.
- Bearing jamming - increase in load and heating.
What to do
- Immediately turn off the engine.
- Let it cool, do not turn it on “for testing.”
- Check the free rotation of the shaft and the presence of all phases.
- Measure the resistance of the insulation and windings.
If a burning smell has already appeared, most often the insulation is partially destroyed and winding rewinding will be required. Sometimes, with early detection, it is possible to get by with drying and impregnation - but this is determined only by diagnostics.
Have you felt a burning smell from the engine? Do not turn it on again - contact Elektromotors engineers in Tashkent for diagnostics and repair - contact us.