Centrifugal pump academy: Motor trip! Predicting the unforeseen disaster

Abstract

Every time a motor trips, it seems to happen suddenly, because nobody predicted it. When the motor driving a centrifugal pump trips, the effect is sudden in more ways than one: flow stops completely; the process is often interrupted, at least temporarily; and a loss of confidence strikes — “will it trip again, or will the spare pump trip when started?” Often what is not so sudden is the sequence of events that lead to the trip. Stan Shiels explains the most common cause of motor trip and how to recognise it.