Thermal Performances of Induction Motors for Applications in Washdown Environment

Some specific application fields of electric motors, such as food and beverage applications, require highly demanding hygiene procedures that involve a highly aggressive environment for the motor, including frequent high pressure and high temperature washing with water or more aggressive detergents. Specific materials and protection features are used in motors to better withstand such environment; however, these have an impact on performance and lead to oversized machines. This paper describes some solutions and their impact on performance, with specific focus on the thermal properties of the analyzed machine.