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Finite Element Analysis of Multi-Phase Squirrel Cage Induction Motor to

Develop the Optimum Torque

Conference Paper · February 2020

DOI: 10.1109/CPERE45374.2019.8980242

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 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)
Finite Element Analysis of Multi-Phase Squirrel
Cage Induction Motor to Develop the Optimum
Torque
Mahmoud Y.Mohamed, M.Fawzi, Salah A. Abdel Maksoud, Ahmed E. kalas
Dept. of Electrical Power Engineering
Port-Said University, Port-said, 42523, Egypt
mahmoudyehia92@gmail.com, mah_fawzi@eng.psu.edu.eg, salahahmed03@yahoo.com, Okalas_14@yahoo.com
Abstract—Based on 2D finite element analysis (FEA), This
paper presents an optimization strategy to get maximum induced
torque of squirrel cage three phase induction motor of a constant
outer stator diameter. The optimization study includes two main
steps. The first step is to obtain the optimum air gap flux density
while the second step is to obtain the optimum split ratio(inner
to outer stator diameter) of the motor. The stator design of
the three phase motor is modified and optimized to operate as
a six phase asymmetrical induction motor and average values
of full load torque of both motors are compared. For three
phase motor, effect of changing design parameters such rotor
bars, poles and stack length on the optimum design values is
investigated. A real class A three phase squirrel cage four pole
induction motor is considered to apply the optimization study.
The motor is designed using ANSYS MAXWELL 2D software.
All numerical results are analyzed using MATLAB software.
Index Terms—Design optimization, Induction motor, Multi-
phase machines, finite element analysis.
I. I NTRODUCTION
ESIGN optimization of squirrel cage induction motor is a
D complicated multi-variable problem which leads to large
number of statistics and constraints. Several Objective func-
tions are investigated in research according to the applications
area and recent research advance [1]. Design of three phase
squirrel cage induction motor is well studied in [2] and [3].
New challenges are recorded related to Modifying of the
structure of induction motors such as multiphase machines,
where the number of phases increases to be more than three.
Multiphase machines have noticeable advantages over conven-
tional three phase machines such as higher torque density,
fault tolerance and the possibility of splitting motor power
(current) across a higher number of phases and thus reducing
the per-phase (per switch) converter rating [4], [5]. Moreover,
multiphase induction machines are still obtained by rewinding
or modifying stator of conventional three phase machines,
which means that the resulting machine design is not optimal.
For example, in [6] six phase asymmetrical induction motor
prototype is obtained by rewinding a conventional three phase
motor.
FEA is extensively applied,in literature, to three phase
squirrel cage induction motor [7]. However similar studies on
multiphase machines are few. The analysis of the magnetic
flux density distribution of six phase induction machine has
978-1-7281-0910-7/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE 504
been presented in [8] and [9]. Based on FEA, optimization
strategy has been applied in [10] on an interior permanent
magnet synchronous machine to get optimum air gap length
with maximum induced torque while the outer diameter is
assumed to be constant. FEA is also applied in [11] to optimize
the design of two five phase machines used for electric vehicles
applications. Genetic algorithm with harmonic injection has
been applied to get optimum flux distribution for multiphase
induction machines such as in [12]. In [13], a mathematical
model is derived to optimize the design of squirrel cage
induction motor and obtain optimum air gap field density and
optimum split ratio of squirrel cage induction motor. Effect of
changing number of poles, stator slots, rotor bars, stack length
and number of phases on the optimum points of design has
been analyzed.
This paper verifies the work of the latter paper by applying
the same optimization strategy steps on a real squirrel cage
induction motor which is designed using FEA software tool.
The paper is organized as follows; Section II presents the
model of a real squirrel cage induction motor used to apply
the optimization study on it and explains the optimization
strategy steps. It includes also modeling and optimization of
the design of six phase asymmetrical induction motor of the
same volume of three phase motor, the only modifications are
in phase number, winding layout and number of stator slots.
Section III explains the effect of changing number of rotor
bars on optimum design. Effect of increasing stack length on
optimum design is explained in section IV. Finally, effect of
varying number of poles on optimum designed is studied in
section V.
II. FEA MODEL OF THE THREE PHASE SQUIRREL CAGE
INDUCTION MOTOR
Three phase four pole single layer distributed winding
induction motor is designed using FEA software and is shown
in Fig.1. Oval shape of stator slots and rotor bars is considered.
All stator and rotor design equations are given in [13]. The
machine rated parameters are given in table I. Where Dis (mm)
and Dos (mm) are stator inner and outer diameter, V is the
machine rated voltage, Dor (mm) is the rotor outer diameter, lg
(mm) is the air gap length,hos (mm) is the stator slot opening
length, hor (mm) is the rotor bar opening length, Le (mm) is
 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)

Figure 1: Three phase four pole squirrel cage induction motor

Table I: Class A three-phase machine rated parameters

Figure 2: Average torque speed characteristics of the machine.
parameter value parameter value
Rated power P (W) 5500 Dis (mm) 111.6
Rated voltage V (V) 265 Dor (mm) 109.6
Phase current (A) 9.1 lg (mm) 2
Rated speed (rpm) 1756 hos (mm) 2
Efficiency η 88.8 hor (mm) 2
Rated torque (N.m) 30 Le (mm) 132
Number of phases n 3 Nph 180
Supply frequency fs (Hz) 50 p 4
Power factor cosφ 0.86 Sr 30
Dos (mm) 190 Ss 36 (a)

the stack length, Nph is the number of turns per phase, p is

the number of poles, Ss and Sr are number of stator slots and
rotor bars respectively.

A. Design Optimization strategy

Now the machine rated electrical and design parameters
are known, a geometrical optimization is carried out aiming
for maximum induced torque, optimum air gap flux density
∗ ∗ (b)
Bg(opt) and optimum split ratio Dis(opt) where Dis(opt) =
Dis(opt) /Dos . The optimization strategy can be executed fol- Figure 3: (a)Flux density distribution on stator and rotor
lowing two main steps. In the first step, the stator winding surfaces of four pole machine. (b) Flux lines distribution on
is injected with full load current and the rotor is allowed stator and rotor surfaces of four pole machine.
to rotate at different speed values, average induced torque
is calculated in each simulation as shown in Fig. 2. It is Table II: Maximum Flux densities on teeth and core of
shown that maximum average torque value is equal to 29.2790 machine with 4 poles
N.m and occurs at speed 1756 rpm. Flux density distribution
and flux lines distribution in the motor structure can be Bcs Bcr Bts Btr Bg(opt)
obtained by computations on FEA as shown in Fig. 3a and 1.22 1.696 1.895 2.23 0.89
Fig.3b. The optimum value of air gap flux density is equal
to 0.89 T (Tesla). Maximum values of flux density stator
and rotor structure are given in table II. Where Bcs and Bcr are varied together in a very small steps, keeping up constant
∗
are maximum values of magnetic field density in stator and air gap length, so that split ratio Dis is varied between 0.55
rotor cores respectively. Bts and Btr are maximum values of and 0.61 as shown in Fig.4 until reaching the optimum value
∗
magnetic field density in stator and rotor teeth respectively. It of Dis(opt) around 0.58. The average value of induced torque
should be noted that the simulation time is 1.5s with time step is increased to 29.3571 N.m.
0.0002s in all simulations. The motor is injected with three phase rated currents as
In the second step, the rotor is rotated at speed 1756 rpm (at follows; ia = Im sin(ωt), ib =Im sin(ωt - 120◦ ), ic =Im
which maximum induced torque occurs and optimum air gap sin(ωt - 240◦ ); where ia ,ib and ic are phase currents,Im is
flux density is obtained) and both Dis (mm) and Dor (mm) the peak value of phase currents and ω= 2πf where f is

505
 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)
Figure 4: Varying split ratio to find Maximum torque for
machine with four poles.
Figure 5: Phase currents of three induction motor.
Figure 6: Induced BEMF of three phase induction motor.
the fundamental supply frequency in Hz. The motor phase
currents waveform in steady state is shown in Fig.5. The
motor induced back electromotive force BEMF waveform in
steady state is shown in Fig. 6.Fast Fourier transform (FFT)
of BEMF waveform of phase A is shown in Fig. 7. The
dominant harmonic components in BEMF are 3rd (3.35%), 5th
(0.714%) and 7th (0.187%), all percentages are of fundamental
component.
B. Modeling and optimization of six phase asymmetrical in-
duction motor
Number of phases is increased to six phases and the ma-
chine is tested under asymmetrical winding type configuration.
In asymmetrical winding there are two sets of three phase
winding shifted by 30◦ and two isolated neutrals [4]. Number
of stator slots is increased to 48 with same copper volume
506
Figure 7: FFT analysis of phase A BEMF.
Figure 8: Six phase asymmetrical induction motor with 48
stator slots.
while the squirrel cage rotor is kept with 30 bars. Number of
poles is kept to 4 poles and the number of slots per pole per
phase is also 2. The stator winding type is distributed. Rated
voltage of the machine is reduced to one half by reducing the
number of turns per phase to one half Nph =90. The motor
rated current is kept with the same value by maintaining the
same volume of copper used. The motor model is shown in
Fig. 8. The same optimization process is applied to the new
motor and it is found that maximum induced torque occurs at
1756 rpm, optimum air gap field density is equal to 0.9 T and
the optimum split ratio is equal to 0.586. Torque waveform
at speed 1756 is shown in Fig. 9 and it is compared to the
induced torque of the three phase induction motor. The average
value of induced torque of six phase asymmetrical induction
motor is equal to 30.4565 (3.74% higher than average torque
of 36 slots four pole three phase induction motor of the same
volume).
The motor is injected with six phase rated currents as
follows;ia = Im sin(ωt), ib =Im sin(ωt - 120◦ ), ic =Im sin(ωt
- 240◦ );ix = Im sin(ωt-30◦ ), iy =Im sin(ωt - 150◦ ), iz =Im
sin(ωt - 270◦ ); where ia ,ib ,ic ,ix ,iy and iz are phase currents.
The motor phase currents waveform in steady state is shown in
Fig. 10. The motor induced BEMF waveform in steady state
is shown in Fig. 11. The FFT analysis of BEMF waveform
 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)

Figure 9: Comparison between induced torque of six phase

asymmetrical induction motor and three phase motor.
Figure 12: FFT analysis of phase A BEMF of six phase
asymmetrical induction motorV .

Table III: Effect of increasing number of rotor bars on opti-

∗
mum design Bg(opt) , Dis(opt) and τm .
Sr Vm (rpm) Bg(opt) ∗
Dis(opt) τm (N.m)
25 1757 0.742 0.580 29.0530
28 1756 0.795 0.579 29.3873
30 1756 0.890 0.580 29.2790
32 1756 1.110 0.582 29.8380
34 1756 1.115 0.579 29.9329
Figure 10: Phase currents of six phase asymmetrical induction 45 1755 1.131 0.583 30.2333
motor. 48 1754 1.254 0.583 30.7235

Table IV: Effect of increasing stack length on optimum design

∗
Bg(opt) , Dis(opt) and τm .
le Vm (rpm) Bg(opt) ∗
Dis(opt) τm (N.m)
132 1756 29.0530 0.580 0.890
150 1756 33.2716 0.580 0.890
160 1756 35.4897 0.580 0.890

induced torque τm are calculated as shown in Table VII. The

Figure 11: Induced BEMF of six phase asymmetrical induction
motor .
for phase A is shown in Fig. 12. The dominant harmonic
components in BEMF are 3rd (5.705%), 5th (2.406 %) and
7th (0.543%), all percentages are of fundamental component.
III. E FFECT OF VARYING NUMBER OF ROTOR BARS ON
OPTIMUM DESIGN
For the same three phase motor with four pole, Number
of rotor bars is varied to 28, 32, 34, 45 and 48, most
adequate number of 36 stator slots and rotor bars combinations
[2], with keeping same bar height and skewing angle and
optimization steps are repeated in each case to study the
effect of varying number of rotor bars on optimum design.
∗
Each time Bg(opt) ,Dis(opt) and average value of maximum
distribution of flux densities with different number of rotor
bars is shown in Figs. 13a-13f. It is shown that increasing
number of rotor bars results in increasing in Bg(opt) while
∗
Dis(opt) is practically unchanged. Increasing number of rotor
bars from 25 to 48 results in 5.74% increasing in average
torque value.
IV. E FFECT OF VARYING STACK LENGTH ON OPTIMUM
DESIGN
For the same three phase motor with four pole 36 stator
slots and 30 rotor bars, stack length le is increased from 132
mm to 150 mm and to 160 mm and the effect of this variation
on optimum design is studied. All results are summarized in
∗
Table IV. Bg(opt) ,Dis(opt) are not affected by increasing motor
stack length, only τm is increased. Increasing stack length by
21.2% result in increasing in τm by 22.12%.

507
 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

Figure 13: Rotor with (a)25 bars (b) 28 bars (c) 30 bars (d) 32 bars (e) 34 bars (f) 45 bars (g) 48 bars

V. E FFECT OF VARYING NUMBER OF POLES ON OPTIMUM Table V: Maximum Flux densities on teeth and core of
DESIGN machine with 8 poles
Bcs Bcr Bts Btr Bg(opt)
To study the effect of varying number of poles on the
0.6316 0.4169 1.504 1.872 0.74
maximum induced torque of the machine, the machine is tested
two times. The first one, with eight poles while the second the
machine has only two poles in the stator winding. The rotor is
In the second step, the rotor is rotated at speed 857 rpm (at
kept with 30 bars and stack length is kept at rated value 132
which maximum induced torque occurs and optimum air gap
mm.
flux density is obtained) and both Dis (mm) and Dor (mm)
are varied together in a very small steps, keeping up constant
A. Machine with eight poles air gap length, so that split ratio Dis ∗
is varied between 0.5
By similarly, the stator winding is injected with full load and 0.8 as shown in Fig.16 until reaching the optimum value
∗
current and the rotor is allowed to rotate at different speed of Dis(opt) around 0.62. The average value of induced torque
values, average induced torque is calculated in each simulation is increased to 17.55 N.m.
as shown in Fig. 14. It is shown that maximum average torque
value is equal to 17 N.m and occurs at speed 857 rpm. Flux B. Machine with two poles
density distribution and flux lines distribution in the motor By similarly, the stator winding is injected with full load
structure can be obtained by computations on FEA as shown current and the rotor is allowed to rotate at different speed
in Fig. 15a and Fig.15b. The optimum value of air gap flux values, average induced torque is calculated in each simulation
density can be computed and equal to 0.74 T . Maximum as shown in Fig. 17. It is shown that maximum average torque
values of flux density stator and rotor structure are given in value is equal to 20.45 N.m and occurs at speed 3526 rpm.
table V. Flux density distribution and flux lines distribution in the

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 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)
Figure 14: Average torque speed characteristics of the machine
with eight poles.
(a)
(b)
Figure 15: (a) Flux density distribution on stator and rotor
surfaces of eight pole machine. (b) Flux lines distribution on
stator and rotor surface of eight pole machine .
motor structure can be obtained by computations on FEA as
shown in Fig. 18a and Fig.18b. The optimum value of air gap
flux density can be computed and equal to 0.67 T . Maximum
values of flux density stator and rotor structure are given in
table VI.
In the second step, the rotor is rotated at speed 3526 rpm (at
509
Figure 16: Varying split ratio to find Maximum torque for
machine with eight poles
Figure 17: Average torque speed characteristics of the machine
with two poles.
Table VI: Maximum Flux densities on teeth and core of
machine with two poles.
Bcs Bcr Bts Btr Bg(opt)
1.592 1.683 1.535 2.169 0.67
which maximum induced torque occurs and optimum air gap
flux density is obtained) and both Dis (mm) and Dor (mm)
are varied together in a very small steps, keeping up constant
∗
air gap length, so that split ratio Dis is varied between 0.46
and 0.66 as shown in Fig.19 until reaching the optimum value
∗
of Dis(opt) around 0.55. The average value of induced torque
is increased to 22.169 N.m.
As shown in Table VII, by increasing number of poles p
, firstly the optimum value of air gap flux increases from
0.67 to 0.89, after that it decreases to 0.74 for motor with
eight poles. The optimum split ratio increases with increasing
number of poles from two to eight, resulting in decreasing
in maximum induced torque for motor with number of poles
higher than four. This means that maximum torque increasing
rate with increasing number of pair poles decreases resulting
in decreasing in the net induced torque for the same volume
of the motor.
VI. C ONCLUSION
This paper presents FEA based optimization strategy aims
to optimize the design of squirrel cage induction motor and
obtain, for a constant motor volume, maximum induced torque,
 2019 IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (CPERE)
(a)
(b)
Figure 18: (a)Flux density distribution on stator and rotor
surfaces of two pole machine. (b) Flux lines distribution on
stator and rotor surfaces of two pole machine.
Figure 19: Varying split ratio to find Maximum torque for
machine with two poles
optimum air gap flux density and optimum motor split ratio.
Effect of modifying three phase motor structure to operate as
six phase asymmetrical induction motor is investigated. It is
shown that the average torque value of six phase induction
motor is increased by 3.74% over its three phase motor
counterpart. Increasing number of rotor bars from 25 to 48
View publication stats
510
Table VII: Effect of increasing number of poles on Bg(opt) ,
∗
Dis(opt) and τm .
p Bg(opt) ∗
Dis(opt) τm
2 0.67 0.55 22.169
4 0.89 0.58 29.3571
8 0.74 0.62 17.55
results in slightly increasing optimum value of air gap flux
and in the average induced torque value by 5.74% while the
optimum split ratio is not affected practically. Increasing stack
length of the motor from by 21.2% does not affect optimum
air gap field density or optimum split ratio. However, the
result is increasing the induced torque by 22.12%. Increasing
number of poles to be higher than four results in decreasing
in the motor induced torque, optimum air gap flux density and
increasing in the motor split ratio.
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