Influence Of Deep-Sea Ambient Conditions In The Performance Of Pressure-Compensated Induction Motors

Understanding the influence of low temperature and high hydrostatic pressure in the starting performance of deep-sea pressure-compensated (PC) induction motors is essential for sizing of the motor and upstream power systems. This paper presents the observations from experiments carried out on industry-standard 3000-V rated deep-sea PC induction motors of 30- and 60-kW capacities in a hyperbaric chamber. It is identified that the motors consume about 30% of their rated power when started at a pressure of 600 bar and a temperature of 2 degrees C. The results could be used for sizing of deep sea electric motors taking into consideration the increased starting power requirements due to the viscous drag of the PC fluid and to design PC oil viscosity management systems.