Evaluation of radiation thermal resistances in industrial motors

This paper deals with the role of the radiation thermal resistances in industrial motors and describes a test set useful for the resistance evaluation. The test set is based on a vacuum chamber and on a numerical acquisition system, and the resistances are obtained by monitoring motor temperatures during a heating test. An analytical model that describes how the radiation resistance depends on the motor temperature is also provided. Experimental results obtained on a totally enclosed fan-cooled 150-W induction motor are shown and discussed.