Wound-rotor induction motors have several

advantages over squirrel cage type motors.

• Wound-rotor induction motors develop the

highest starting torque per ampere of starting
current of any three-phase motor.

• The amount of starting current can be controlled.

•The motor speed can be controlled.

The stator windings of
wound rotor induction
motors are the same as
those used in squirrel
cage motors. The
rotors, however contain
wound poles instead of
squirrel cage bars. The
rotor will contain the
same number of poles
per phase as the stator
winding.
One end of each phase winding on the rotor is
connected to form a wye connection. The other
end of each phase winding is connected to a slip
ring mounted on the rotor shaft. Brushes in contact
with the slip rings are connected to an external
bank of resistors.
The stator winding leads are labeled T1, T2,
and T3 just like those of a squirrel cage motor.
The rotor leads that are connected to the
brushes are labeled M1, M2, and M3. The
rotor leads are connected to external resistors.
The resistors permit control of the rotor
current.
When power is applied to the stator winding, the rotating magnetic
field induces a voltage into the windings of the rotor. The external
resistors limits rotor current and stator current. The torque
developed is proportional to the magnetic field strength of the stator
and rotor fields. The starting torque is strong for the amount of
starting current because the resistance of the rotor circuit causes the
rotor flux and stator flux to be almost in-phase with each other. The
rotor speed is determined by the load connected to the motor and
the motor torque.
If resistance is shunted out of the circuit, more
rotor current can flow which causes a
corresponding increase in stator current. The
current increase in both rotor and stator magnetic
fields produces more torque causing the motor
speed to increase.
If all the resistance is shunted out of the rotor
circuit, the motor operates like a squirrel cage
motor. When the rotor winding is shorted,
maximum rotor and stator current flows producing
the maximum torque and maximum speed.
Synchronous motors are different than any other type of three-phase
motor. Some of the different characteristics are:

• Synchronous motors are not induction motors.

• Synchronous motors will operate at synchronous speed (speed of
the rotating magnetic field.
• Synchronous motors maintain a constant speed from no load to full
load.
• Synchronous motors must have direct current supplied to the rotor.
• Synchronous motors can have a lead power factor.
• Synchronous motors can be used to correct power factor. When
used in this capacity they are called synchronous condensers.
• Synchronous motors contain a special winding called the
amortisseur winding used to start the motor.
Synchronous motors contain the same stator winding as squirrel
cage and wound-rotor induction motors. The rotor of the
synchronous motor is constructed differently. The rotor of a
synchronous motor contains wound pole pieces similar to the
wound-rotor induction motor. The wound poles of the synchronous
motor, however, become electromagnets when direct current is
applied to them. The rotor also
contains a special squirrel cage
winding similar to a type A winding
that is used to start the motor. The
special squirrel cage winding is
called the amortisseur winding.
Some synchronous motors rely on two slip rings
and brushes to supply direct current to the rotor
circuit. This DC current is called excitation current.
When applied, it causes the pole pieces in the
rotor to become electromagnets.
Large synchronous motors generally rely on a brushless
exciter instead of slip rings and brushes. The brushless exciter
contains a separate three-phase winding mounted on the
rotor shaft. Also mounted on the shaft are fuses and
rectifiers to convert the three-phase alternating current
induced in the brushless exciter winding into direct current.

Photo Courtesy of Electric Machinery Corp.

The windings of the brushless exciter is located between the poles
pieces of electromagnets. A source of variable direct current
determines the strength of the electromagnets. A three-phase
voltage is induced into the windings of the brushless exciter when
they spin through the magnetic field produced by the pole pieces.
The amount of induced voltage is controlled by the amount of
excitation current applied to the electromagnets.
The voltage induced in the brushless exciter winding
is converted into direct current by a three-phase
rectifier. The rectifier supplies the excitation current
to the rotor field winding. The brushless exciter
winding, rectifier, fuse, and rotor field winding are
on the same shaft and turn together.
When power is
applied to the stator
of the motor, a
rotating magnetic
field is developed
inside the motor. The
rotating field cuts
through the bars of
the amortisseur
winding.
The voltage induced into the
amortisseur winding produces a
magnetic field that is attracted to
the rotating magnetic field causing
the rotor to turn in the same
direction. At this point in time,
the synchronous motor is
operating as an induction motor.
The rotor cannot reach the speed
of the rotating magnetic field.
Since the amortisseur winding is
very similar to a type A squirrel
cage winding, it produces a strong
starting torque per ampere of
starting current and a relatively
low starting current.
After the rotor has
accelerated to a speed that
is close to the rotating
magnetic field speed,
excitation current is applied
to the rotor. The magnetic
field produced in the rotor
pole pieces locks to the
rotating magnetic field and
the rotor turns at the same
speed as the rotating field.
The motor now operates at
synchronous speed.
When load is added to the motor,
it will cause the rotor and stator
magnetic fields to become
stressed. The action is much like
connecting two bar magnets
together and then pulling them
apart. The greater the pulling
force the greater the stress on
the magnetic fields. As long as
the two fields remain locked
together, the rotor will continue
to turn at the same speed. It
generally requires a force greater
than about 250% of full load
torque to pull the rotor field out
of synchronization with the stator
field.
The power factor of synchronous motors can
be lagging, unity, or leading depending on the
amount of excitation current supplied to the
rotor. Alternating current motors are
inductive loads due to the necessity of having
to magnetize the iron in the stator and rotor.
Inductive loads produce a lagging power
factor which means that the current will lag
behind the applied voltage.
If the rotor is under excited, part of the
alternating current supplied by the three-
phase power source must be used to help
magnetize the iron in the stator and rotor,
causing the current to lag the applied voltage
by some amount.
If the DC excitation current is increase to the point
that it supplies all the force necessary to magnetize
the iron in the stator and rotor, the three-phase AC
current supplied to the motor does not have to
supply any magnetizing force. At this point, the
voltage and current are in-phase with each other
and the power factor is 100% or unity.
If the DC excitation is increased beyond the amount
necessary to magnetize the iron in the rotor and stator, the
three-phase AC power must de-magnetizing the excessive
magnetic force supplied by the excitation current. This
causes the current to lead the applied voltage in the same
manner as a capacitive circuit. The synchronous motor
how has a leading power factor.
Synchronous motors are sometimes operated at no load and used
to correct the power factor of inductive loads connected to the
same line. When this is the case, the synchronous motor is referred
to as a synchronous condenser. Using a synchronous condenser for
power factor correction has an advantage over correcting power
factor by adding capacitance to the line in that the amount of
correction can be controlled by the amount of excitation current
applied to the rotor of the motor.