Brake horsepower vs horsepower
Brake horsepower vs
horsepower
Horsepower of a motor is
what the motor is capable of delivering (the work it can do). Brake horsepower is what you are actually
making it deliver. Using belt driven
motors you have the option of increasing the load on a motor. You should really not load the motor more
than its listed horsepower. But can you
get more brake horsepower out from a motor than its listed horse power? Yes, you can—although you should not. It can be done because there is a safety
factor built in. It is called the
Service Factor. A motor listed as 10 HP
is normally capable of delivering 11 HP (assuming a 1.1 or 10% Service Factor). If you are using this motor in a belt-driven
configuration you can load the motor beyond its listed 10 HP rating. As you increase the brake horsepower of a
motor beyond its listed HP, more current will be drawn by the motor and the
motor will start to heat up. If you have
thermal protection on the motor you can safely venture into the service factor
zone. It is not recommended to increase
the brake horsepower of a motor above its listed horsepower, but it can be
done. Obviously, this overloading cannot
be done on direct drive motors--a fan (or a pump) with a direct drive motor
will only operate at the motor rpm.
Tags: brake horsepower exceeds
motor horsepower; brake horsepower exceeding motor horsepower; brake horsepower
more than motor horsepower; Can brake power exceed listed motor horse power?;
Making your motor work harder; thermal overload protection; Service Factor of a
motor; heating up a motor; direct drive motors; belt-driven motors