buttons, and an auxiliary contact on the

Posted APR 22 2012 by JIGUPARMAR contactor is used, across the start

in MAINTENANCE , MOTOR with 52 COMMENTS button, as a hold in contact. I.e. the
contactor is electrically latched closed
while the motor is operating.

Principle of Direct
On Line Starter
(DOL)
To start, the contactor is closed,
Direct Online Motor Starter - Square D applying full line voltage to
Different starting methods are the motor windings. The motor will draw
employed for starting induction a very high inrush current for a very
motors because Induction Motor draws short time, the magnetic field in the
more starting current during starting. To iron, and then the current will be limited
prevent damage to the windings due to to the Locked Rotor Current of the
the high starting current flow, we motor. The motor will develop Locked
employ different types of starters. Rotor Torque and begin to accelerate
towards full speed.
The simplest form of motor starter for
the induction motor is the Direct On As the motor accelerates, the current
Line starter. The Direct On Line Motor will begin to drop, but will not drop
Starter (DOL) consist a MCCB or significantly until the motor is at a high
Circuit Breaker, Contactor and an speed, typically about 85% of
overload relay for protection. synchronous speed. The actual starting
Electromagnetic contactor which can be current curve is a function of the motor
opened by the thermal overload relay design, and the terminal voltage, and is
under fault conditions. totally independent of the motor load.

Typically, the contactor will be The motor load will affect the time
controlled by separate start and stop taken for the motor to accelerate to full
speed and therefore the duration of the a high power one it does not affect
high starting current, but not the much.
magnitude of the starting current.

Provided the torque developed by the

motor exceeds the load torque at all
speeds during the start cycle, the motor
Parts of DOL
will reach full speed. If the torque Starters
delivered by the motor is less than the
torque of the load at any speed during Contactors & Coil
the start cycle, the motor will stops
accelerating. If the starting torque with
a DOL starter is insufficient for the load,
the motor must be replaced with a
motor which can develop a higher
starting torque.

The acceleration torque is the torque

developed by the motor minus the load DOL part -
torque, and will change as the motor Contactor
accelerates due to the motor speed Magnetic contactors are
torque curve and the load speed torque electromagnetically operated switches
curve. The start time is dependent on that provide a safe and convenient
the acceleration torque and the load means for connecting and interrupting
inertia. branch circuits.

DOL starting have a maximum start Magnetic motor controllers use

current and maximum start torque. electromagnetic energy for closing
switches. The electromagnet consists
This may cause an electrical problem
of a coil of wire placed on an iron core.
with the supply, or it may cause a
When a current flow through the coil,
mechanical problem with the driven
the iron of the magnet becomes
load. So this will be inconvenient for the
magnetized, attracting an iron bar
users of the supply line, always
called the armature. An interruption of
experience a voltage drop when
the current flow through the coil of wire
starting a motor. But if this motor is not
causes the armature to drop out due to
the presence of an air gap in the Under any condition of overload, a
magnetic circuit. motor draws excessive current that
causes overheating. Since motor
Line-voltage magnetic motor starters winding insulation deteriorates due to
are electromechanical devices that overheating, there are established
provide a safe, convenient, and limits on motor operating temperatures
economical means of starting and to protect a motor from overheating.
stopping motors, and have the Overload relays are employed on a
advantage of being controlled remotely. motor control to limit the amount of
The great bulk of motor controllers sold current drawn.
are of this type.
The overload relay does not provide
Contactors are mainly used to control short circuit protection. This is the
machinery which uses electric motors. function of over current protective
It consists of a coil which connects to a equipment like fuses and circuit
voltage source. Very often for Single breakers, generally located in the
phase Motors, 230V coils are used and disconnecting switch enclosure.
for three phase motors, 415V coils are
used. The contactor has three main NO The ideal and easiest way for overload
contacts and lesser power rated protection for a motor is an element
contacts named as Auxiliary Contacts with current-sensing properties very
[NO and NC] used for the control similar to the heating curve of the motor
circuit. A contact is conducting metal which would act to open the motor
parts which completes or interrupt an circuit when full-load current is
electrical circuit. exceeded. The operation of the
protective device should be such that
 NO-normally open the motor is allowed to carry harmless
 NC-normally closed over-loads but is quickly removed from

Over Load Relay the line when an overload has persisted

too long.
(Overload protection)
Overload protection for an electric
motor is necessary to prevent burnout
and to ensure maximum operating life.
however, take the place of over current
protection equipment.

The overload relay consists of a

current-sensing unit connected in the
line to the motor, plus a mechanism,
DOL part - actuated by the sensing unit, which
Termal Overload Relay serves, directly or indirectly, to break
Normally fuses are not designed to the circuit.
provide overload protection. Fuse is
Overload relays can be classified as
protecting against short circuits (over
being thermal, magnetic, or electronic:
current protection). Motors draw a high
1. Thermal Relay: As the name
inrush current when starting and
implies, thermal overload relays
conventional fuses have no way of
rely on the rising temperatures
distinguishing between this temporary
caused by the overload current to
and harmless inrush current and a
trip the overload mechanism.
damaging overload. Selection of Fuse
Thermal overload relays can be
is depend on motor full-load current,
further subdivided into two types:
would “blow” every time the motor is
melting alloy and bimetallic.
started. On the other hand, if a fuse
2. Magnetic Relay: Magnetic
were chosen large enough to pass the
overload relays react only to
starting or inrush current, it would not
current excesses and are not
protect the motor against small, harmful
affected by temperature.
overloads that might occur later.
3. Electronic Relay: Electronic or
The overload relay is the heart of motor solid-state overload relays,
protection. It has inverse-trip-time provide the combination of high-
characteristics, permitting it to hold in speed trip, adjustability, and ease
during the accelerating period (when of installation. They can be ideal
inrush current is drawn), yet providing in many precise applications.
protection on small overloads above the
full-load current when the motor is
running. Overload relays are renewable
and can withstand repeated trip and Wiring of DOL
reset cycles without need of Starter
replacement. Overload relays cannot,
1. Main Contact 3. Thermal Overload
Relay Connection:
 Contactor is connecting among
Supply Voltage, Relay Coil and
 T1,T2,T3 are connect to Thermal
Thermal Overload Relay.
Overload Relay
 L1 of Contactor Connect (NO) to
 Overload Relay is Connecting
R Phase through MCCB
between Main Contactor and
 L2 of Contactor Connect (NO) to
Motor
Y Phase through MCCB
 NC Connection (95-96) of
 L3 of Contactor Connect (NO) to
Thermal Overload Relay is
B Phase through MCCB.
connecting to Stop Button and
NO Contact (-||-): Common Connection of Start/Stop
Button.
 (13-14 or 53-54) is a normally
Open NO contact (closes when
the relay energizes)
 Contactor Point 53 is connecting Wiring Diagram of
to Start Button Point (94) and 54
Point of Contactor is connected to
DOL Starter
Common wire of Start/Stop
Button.
NC Contact (-|/|-):
 (95-96) is a normally closed NC
contact (opens when the thermal
overloads trip if associated with
the overload block)
2. Relay Coil
Connection
 A1 of Relay Coil is connecting to
any one Supply Phase and A2 is
connecting to Thermal over Load
Relay’s NC Connection (95).
When We Push the start Button Relay
Coil will get second phase from Supply
Phase-Main contactor(5)-Auxiliary
Contact(53)-Start button-Stop button-
96-95-To Relay Coil (A2).Now Coil
energizes and Magnetic field produce
by Magnet and Plunger of Contactor
move. Main Contactor closes and Motor
gets supply at the same time Auxiliary
contact become (53-54) from NO to NC
.
Release Start Button
Relay coil gets supply even though we
release Start button. When We release
Start Push Button Relay Coil gets
Direct On Line Starter - Wiring Diagram Supply phase from Main contactor (5)-

Working principle of Auxiliary contactor (53) – Auxiliary

contactor (54)-Stop Button-96-95-Relay
DOL Starter coil (shown Red / Blue Lines in
Diagram).
The main heart of DOL starter is Relay
Coil. Normally it gets one phase In Overload Condition of Motor will be
constant from incoming supply Voltage stopped by intermission of Control
(A1).when Coil gets second Phase circuit at Point 96-95.
relay coil energizes and Magnet of
Contactor produce electromagnetic field Pushing Stop Button
and due to this Plunger of Contactor
will move and Main Contactor of starter When we push Stop Button Control
will closed and Auxiliary will change its circuit of Starter will be break at stop
position NO become NC and NC button and Supply of Relay coil is
become (shown Red Line in Diagram) . broken, Plunger moves and close
contact of Main Contactor becomes
Pushing Start Button Open, Supply of Motor is disconnected.
2. Simple to establish, operate and
maintain
3. Simple Control Circuitry
4. Easy to understand and trouble‐
shoot.
5. It provides 100% torque at the
time of starting.
6. Only one set of cable is required
from starter to motor.
7. Motor is connected in delta at
motor terminals.

Disadvantages of
DOL - Wiring scheme DOL Starter
Motor Starting 1. It does not reduce the starting
current of the motor.
Characteristics on 2. High Starting Current: Very

DOL Starter High Starting Current (Typically 6

to 8 times the FLC of the motor).
3. Mechanically Harsh: Thermal
 Available starting
Stress on the motor, thereby
current: 100%.
reducing its life.
 Peak starting current: 6 to 8
4. Voltage Dip: There is a big
Full Load Current.
voltage dip in the electrical
 Peak starting torque: 100%
installation because of high in-
rush current affecting other
customers connected to the
Advantages of DOL same lines and therefore not

Starter suitable for higher size squirrel

cage motors
5. High starting
1. Most Economical and Cheapest
Torque: Unnecessary high
Starter
starting torque, even when not of a motor allowed on a direct on
required by the load, thereby line starter may be limited by the
increased mechanical stress on supply utility for this reason. For
the mechanical systems such as example, a utility may require
rotor shaft, bearings, gearbox, rural customers to use reduced-
coupling, chain drive, connected voltage starters for motors larger
equipments, etc. leading to than 10 kW.
premature failure and plant  DOL starting is sometimes used
downtimes. to start small water pumps,
compressors, fans and conveyor
belts.

Features of DOL
starting Direct On Line Motor
 For low- and medium-power
Starter (DOL) is NOT
three-phase motors suitable for:
 Three connection lines (circuit
layout: star or delta)  The peak starting current would
 High starting torque result in a serious voltage drop on
 Very high mechanical load the supply system
 High current peaks  The equipment being driven
 Voltage dips cannot tolerate the effects of very
 Simple switching devices high peak torque loadings
 The safety or comfort of those
using the equipment may be

Direct On Line Motor compromised by sudden starting

as, for example, with escalators
Starter (DOL) is and lifts.
suitable for:
 A direct on line starter can be
used if the high inrush current of
the motor does not cause
excessive voltage drop in the
supply circuit. The maximum size