CHAPTER 4: THREE PHASE

INDUCTION MOTOR
Induction motor- the self starting motor

Also known as the Asynchronous motor.

• The induction motor operates on
Alternating current
• It consists of 2 main parts
1. The stator
2. The rotor
• The power supply is connected
to the stator.
• Rotation of the rotor comes
about as a result of
electromagnetic induction.
Advantages of the 3phase induction motor

1. It has self –starting properties compared to the single-phase induction

motor that doesn’t (No additional expenditure on auxiliary equipment)
2. Low cost and maintanance-compared to the DC motor that has brushes
adding to the motor cost as well as needing maintanance regularly
3. Explosion proof- Because it doesnt have brushes which sometimes
produce sparks during commutation.
4. Ease of operation- It does not need very skilled labourers to opearte
5. High starting torque
6. Robust structure
The rotating magnetic field
• When a 3 phase supply is connected to symetrical 3 phase
windings, the currents flowing in the windings produce a
magnetic field.
• The magnetic field is constant in magnitude and rotates at a
constant speed known as the synchronous speed 𝑛𝑠 .
• The magnitude of the resultant flux is constant but it rotates at
constant speed making one revolution for each cycle of the
supply voltage
Construction of the induction motor

The stator The rotor

• The stator- the stationary part of the machine that is wound to
produce a 2pole, 4 pole, 6pole….rotating magnetic field depending on
the desired speed.
• The rotor- the rotating part of the motor that is built up of laminated
iron to reduce eddy currents.
Types of induction motors
1. The squirrel cage induction motor

• Copper or aluminium bars are placed in slots cut

in the laminated iron, the ends of the bars being
welded or brazed into a heavy conducting ring.
• This type of rotor has no external connections
therefor slip rings and brushes are not necessary.
2. The wound rotor motor

• This rotor contains phase windings in slots similar to those on

the stator.
• Windings may be connected in star or delta and the
connections made to 3 slip rings.
• Slip rings- used to add external resistance to the rotor circuit
particularly when starting the motor.
• For normal running, the slip rings are short circuited.
Cutaway diagram of wound rotor induction motor
Principle of operation
• A 3 phase power supply is connected to the stator windings.
• A rotating magnetic field is produced in the stator.
• As the magnetic flux cuts the rotor bars, an emf is induced in the
rotor.
• Current flowing in the rotor produces a magnetic field around the
rotor.
• As this magnetic field interacts with the stator rotating magnetic field,
a torque is produced causing the rotor to rotate.
• The rotor rotates in the same direction as the rotating magnetic field
but at a speed lower than the synchronous speed.
The induction motor can never run at synchronous speed
𝒇
Synchronous speed 𝒏𝒔 = (rev/s)
𝒑
Where f- frequency of the currents in stator windings (Hertz)
p- number of pole pairs
Slip
• As long as the induction motor runs, it’s speed of rotation is less than
the synchronous speed.
• Slip speed =𝑛𝑠 − 𝑛𝑟 (rev/s)
• 𝑛𝑟 is the motor’s speed of rotation
𝑛𝑠 −𝑛𝑟
• Slip 𝑠 = *100%
𝑛𝑠
• Typical values of slip between no load and full load are between 4 and
5 % for small motors and 1 to 2 % for large motors.
Practice question 1
Practice Question 2
Simplified equivalent circuit of induction
motor
Rotor emf (at standstill)
𝑵
𝑬𝟐 = (𝑵𝟐)𝑬𝟏
𝟏
𝐸1 is the supply voltage per phase to the stator
Rotor emf(motor running)
𝐸𝑟 = 𝑠𝐸2
𝑁
𝐸𝑟 = 𝑠 𝑁2 𝐸1
1

Rotor Frequency

𝑓𝑟 = 𝑠𝑓
The rotor resistance 𝑅2 is unaffected by slip or
frequency hence it remains constant at standstill and
at rotation.
Reactance per phase (at standstill)
𝑋2 = 2𝜋𝑓𝐿
Reactance(motor running)
𝑋𝑟 = 𝑠𝑋2 = 2𝜋𝑓𝑟 𝐿
Rotor current
Rotor copper loss
𝑃
• 𝑃 = 2𝜋𝑛𝑇 therefore 𝑇 =
2𝜋𝑛
• 𝑃2 is the power input to the rotor from rotating field
• 𝑃𝑚 is mechanical power output (including friction losses)
𝑃2 𝑃𝑚 𝑃𝑚 𝑛𝑟
• 𝑇= = hence =
2𝜋𝑛𝑠 2𝜋𝑛𝑟 𝑃2 𝑛𝑠
𝑃𝑚 𝑛𝑟
• 1− =1−
𝑃2 𝑛𝑠
𝑃2 −𝑃𝑚 𝑛𝑠 −𝑛𝑟
• = =s
𝑃2 𝑛𝑠
• 𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑚 = electrical or copper loss
• i.e 𝑃2 − 𝑃𝑚 = 𝐼𝑟 2 𝑅2
𝐼𝑟 2 𝑅2 𝐼𝑟 2 𝑅2
• Slip 𝑠 = therefore 𝑃2 =
𝑃2 𝑠
Power losses and efficiency

𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
ɳ= *100%
𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
Practice question 3
Torque of an induction motor
where

Hence Torque per phase:

If there are m phases:

Practice question 4
Maximum Torque

• The supply voltage is usually constant hence:

𝑠𝑅2 𝑅2
• 𝑇∝ ∝𝑅 2
𝑅2 2 +𝑠𝑋2 2 2 +𝑠𝑋2 2
𝑠
• Torque is maximum when the denominator is a minimum, this occurs when:
𝑅2 2 𝑅2 2 𝑅2
• =𝑠𝑋2 2 ie when 𝑠2 = 𝑠= or 𝑅2 = 𝑠𝑋2 = 𝑋𝑟
𝑠 𝑋2 2 𝑋2
• Thus maximum torque occurs when rotor resistance and rotor reactance are
equal.
 Induction motor torque-speed characteristics
• Normal starting torque may be
less than full load torque.
• At synchronous speed,s=0 and
Torque=0.
• Curve P-typical curve for squirrel
cage induction motor and wound
rotor motor when slip rings are
shortcircuited.
• At full load the slip is about 4-5%
• 0-X normal operating
condition(full load)
• At normal operation, the speed
variation with load is quite small
• For max torque at starting, a high
resistance rotor is necessary
𝑛𝑠 − 𝑛𝑟 (curve Q)
𝑠= • Full load torque is about 30%
𝑛𝑠
Therefore slip s is maximum when motor speed 𝑛𝑟 is a minimum=0 though therefore motor
Speed torque characteristic
For curve P:
• For normal operation the speed
variation with load is quite small.
• The induction motor is an almost
constant-speed machine just like the DC
shunt-wound motor.
• Redrawing the speed-torque
characteristic between 0 and x gives the
characteristic shown.
Induction motor testing
1. The no load test
• This test gives us the core losses of a transformer and its shunt parameters𝑅𝑐 and 𝑋𝑚
• Friction and windage losses are included in the measurements.
• These losses are negligible and the machine will run at speeds close to the synchronous speed.
• Machine is supplied with normal (rated) voltage V.
• No load current𝐼0 and 𝑃0 are measured
• The power factor can be determined from the wattmeter readings
• Parameters calculated per phase:
𝑃0 𝑉0
• cos 𝜑0 = 𝐼𝑐 = 𝐼0 cos 𝜑0 𝑅𝑐 =
𝑉0 𝐼0 𝐼𝑐
𝑉0
• 𝐼𝑚 = 𝐼0 sin 𝜑0 𝑋𝑚=
𝐼𝑚
Two watt method for no load test
The blocked rotor/locked rotor test
• This test helps to measure total resistance and total reactance of the motor
referred to the stator as well as the copper losses.
• The rotor is restrained from moving and the stator voltage increased until rated
current flows.
• The lines L1, L2 and L3 are supplied through a 3 phase variable ratio transfomer
(called a VARIAC)
• With a wound-rotor motor the external resistance is shorted out. This is a case of
s=1 and the motor behaves like a short-circuited transformer.
• On a per-phase basis:
𝑉𝑠𝑐 (𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒)
• 𝑍01 =
𝐼𝑠𝑐
𝑃𝑠𝑐
• 𝑅01 =
𝐼𝑠𝑐 2
Locked rotor test(continued)
• Since the 2 wattmeters are measuring the total power
𝑃𝑠𝑐
• 𝑅01 =
3𝐼𝑠𝑐 2
• Core losses 𝑃𝑖 are usually insignificant since on short-circuit there is
hardly any flux in the core(corresponding to the low value of 𝑉𝑠𝑐 )
• If the core losses are significant they can be accounted for by taking
them out of 𝑃𝑠𝑐 as measured by the wattmeter readings:
𝑃𝑠𝑐 −𝑃𝑖
• 𝑅01 =
3𝐼𝑠𝑐 2

• 𝑋01 = 𝑍01 2 − 𝑅01 2

Locked rotor test setup
Induction motor starting methods
1. Direct on-line method
With this method, starting current is high and may cause interference with
supplies to other consumers.
2. Auto-transformer method
𝑁
𝐸2 (𝑁2 )𝐸1 𝑠𝐸1 2 𝑅2
1
𝐼2 = = 𝑇∝ [ 2 ]
𝑍2 𝑅2 + 𝑠𝑋2 2
(𝑅2 2 +𝑋2 2 )
• From the above equations, it can be seen that reducing the stator voltage
𝐸1 results in a reduction in the starting current 𝐼2 as well as the starting
torque T. An autotransformer is used to reduce the stator voltage to get the
required starting current but care must be taken to not seriously reduce
the starting torque in the process
Auto-transformer diagram
• A double-throw switch
connects the
autotransformer in circuit
for starting.
• When the motor is up to
speed the switch is moved
to the run position which
connects the supply directly
to the rotor.
3. Star-delta method
• With this method for starting, the
connections to the stator phase
winding are star-connected so that
the voltage across each phase
winding is (1/√3) of the line
1
voltage. [𝑉𝑝ℎ = √3 𝑉𝐿 .
• By reducing the stator voltage 𝐸1 ,
the starting current is reduced as
explained above.
• For running the motor, the
windings are switched to delta
connections.
• This method is less expensive than
by autotransformer.
4. External resistance method
• When starting on load is necessary, a wound rotor
induction motor is used.
• This is because maximum torque at starting can be
obtained by adding external resistance to the rotor
circuit via slip rings