SELECTION OF MOTORS

Many motors are required in a thermal generating plant and range in size from fractional horsepower to several thousand horsepower. These motors may be supplied with the equipment they drive or they may be specified by the electrical engineer and purchased separately. The small motors are usually supplied by the equipment supplier and the large motors specified by the electrical engineer. How this will be handled must be resolved very early in the project. The horsepower cut-off point for each voltage level must be decided. The maximum plant voltage level must be established. A voltage of 13.8 kV may be required if very large horsepower motors are to be used. This must be established very early in the plant design so that a preliminary one-line diagram may be developed.