The Motor That Wouldn’t Start – Unless It Was Empty

Emeritus Professor Akhtar Kalam’s Electrifying Mysteries

This webinar series provides a structured examination of real-world engineering challenges. Each session will address specific, technically focused topics relevant to professional engineers.

Webinar details

Electric motors are expected to start reliably under designed load conditions, but what happens when they don’t? This webinar presents a case where a motor consistently failed to start under load yet operated flawlessly when uncoupled. The investigation reveals a complex interplay between electrical supply limitations, starting torque requirements, protection settings, and mechanical load characteristics.

Through this case study, participants will explore both the electrical and mechanical aspects of motor-starting problems, gaining practical tools for diagnosing and resolving these issues in industrial environments.

• The webinar will be recorded and will be sent out to registered attendees afterwards.
• A certificate of attendance will be provided to attendees who request one near the end of the live webinar session.
• Please note: the time stated on this event is in UTC. You will need to convert this to your own time zone.

Key takeaways from this webinar

• Understand the relationship between starting torque, load inertia, and voltage drop.
• Differentiate between electrical and mechanical causes of starting failure.
• Evaluate the impact of protection settings during motor startup.
• Apply practical troubleshooting techniques to improve motor reliability.

Related courses

This webinar/topic relates to our school of Electrical Engineering and is particularly found in the following courses:

• Professional Certificate of Competency in Circuit Breakers, Switchgear & Power Transformers
• Professional Certificate of Competency in Fundamentals of Electric Vehicles
• 52894WA Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering (Renewable Energy)
• 52888WA Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering (Power Industry)
• 52883WA Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering (Electrical Systems)
• Master of Engineering (Electrical Systems)

To learn more about tuition fees, please click here.

About the presenter

Emeritus Professor Akhtar Kalam

BSc, BScEng, MS, PhD, FIET, CEng, FAIE, FIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), PEV, MCIGRE, Life Senior Member of IEEE.

Professor Akhtar Kalam is a supervisor of EIT’s Doctoral students. He has worked at Victoria University since 1984 and recently associated with the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities. He is the Editor in Chief of Australian Journal of Electrical & Electronics Engineering. Further, he has Distinguished Professorship position in many national and international institutions. He has been recognized internationally and nationally for his research. He is regularly invited to deliver lectures, work on industrial projects, and examine external theses overseas. Professor Kalam is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Victoria (PEV), Fellow of EA, IET, AIE, a life Senior Member of IEEE, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE (Aus) and a member of CIGRE AP B5 Study Committee.