THREE PHASE INDUCTION MOTOR

INTRODUCTION:
Three-phase Induction motor is an AC motor. Of all the AC motors available, it is
extensively used because of the following advantages.
1. Its construction is simple, rugged and almost unbreakable.
2. Its cost is low and is highly reliable.
3. Its efficiency is high.
4. Its works with reasonably good power factor at rated load.
5. Its maintenance is less.
6. Induction motors are self starting. Hence motors of small ratings do not require a
starter. The starting arrangements for large motors are simple.
Drawbacks:
The starting torque is inferior to that of a DC motor.
CONSTRUCTION:
A three-phase induction motor mainly consists of two parts
a) Stator
B) Rotor
The rotor which is the rotating part is separated by the stator, which is the stationary
part by a small air gap.
STATOR:
It is the stationary part of an Induction motor. It consists of stator frame, stator core
and windings.
Stator Frame: Encloses a hollow, cylindrical core. It provides only a mechanical
support and is not designed to carry the stator flux.
Stator Core: Stator core is a stack of cylindrical steel laminations which are slotted
along their inner periphery for housing the three-phase windings. The core is
laminated to reduce eddy current loss. The stator core fits closely in the cast- iron
stator frame.
Stator Windings: Stator conductors are placed in these plots, which are insulated
from one another and also from the slots. These conductors are connected as a
balanced three-phase star winding or Delta winding.

ROTOR:
The rotor is the rotating part of the induction motor and is mounted on the shaft of
the motor to which any mechanical load can be connected.
There are 2 types of rotors.
1. Squirrel cage rotor.
2. Slip ring rotor or wound rotor.
According to the type of rotor used, Induction motors are classified as squirrel cage
induction motor and slip ring or wound rotor induction motor.
SQUIRREL CAGE ROTOR:

- Normally 90% of the induction motors are of squirrel cage type.

- Rotor is simple and rugged in construction.
- It consists of a cylindrical laminated core with parallel slots for carrying rotor
conductors.
- The rotor conductors are heavy bars of copper or aluminium. One bar is placed in
each slot. All the bars are brazed or welded at both ends to two copper end rings,
thus short circuiting them at both ends.
- As the rotor bars are short circuited on themselves, it is not possible to add any
external resistance in series with the rotor circuit during starting.
- The rotor slots are slightly skewed which helps in 2 ways.
a) It reduces the noise due to magnetic hum and makes the rotor to run quietly.
b) It reduces the locking tendency between the rotor and the stator that is the
tendency of the rotor teeth to remain under the stator teeth due to direct magnetic
attraction between the two.
The only disadvantage of this type of rotor is that, it has a low starting torque.
Without the rotor core, the rotor bars and end-rings look like the cage of a squirrel
hence the name squirrel cage rotor.
PHASE WOUND ROTOR OR SLIP RING INDUCTION ROTOR
The rotor is laminated, cylindrical core having uniform slots on its outer periphery. A
three-phase winding which is star connected is placed in these slots. The open ends
of the star windings are brought out and connected to 3 insulated slip rings, mounted
on the shaft of the motor, with carbon brushes resting on them.
The 3 brushes are externally connected to a three-phase star connected rheostat,
which is used as a starter during the starting period.
When running under normal conditions, the slip rings are automatically short
circuited by means of a metal collar, which is pushed along the shaft and connects
all the rings together. Next the brushes are automatically lifted from the slip rings, to
reduce the frictional losses, wear and tear.
Advantages of Slip Ring Induction Motor:
1. The facility of having external resistances in the rotor circuit has the following
advantages:
a) They can be used for starting the motor, especially with load, with higher starting
torque, at lower starting current.

b) They can be used to control the speed.

c) They can be used to start the motor with high starting torque and
d) They can be used to improve the p.f
2. The motor is smooth running.
3. The motor can be specifically built for very high capacities as several 100s or
1000s of horse powers and
4. The motor, under normal working conditions, work at high efficiency.
Disadvantages:
1. Slip ring motor requires more space than the squirrel cage motor of the same
capacity.
2. This motor is more expensive, since the construction is complicated.
3. Maintenance and repair costs are quite high.
ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD
When a three-phase supply is given to the three-phase winding of the stator, a
rotating magnetic field of constant magnitude and rotating with synchronous speed is
produced. This fact can be proved as follows.
Figure below shows the three-phase winding of the stator of an induction motor
which is connected to the three-phase (3-) supply. The starting point of the windings
SA , SB , SC are connected to the 3- lines R, Y and B. The other 3 ends F A , FB and
FC are connected to the neutral N.
When the supply is given, the flux is produced. The assumed positive directions of
fluxes are as shown:

Let A = m sin wt, B = m sin (wt 1200) , C = m sin (wt 2400) (Refer the power
point 3-d pictures )

Inference:
1. The resultant flux is of constant value = 1.5 m
2. The resultant flux rotates round the stator at synchronous speed given by N s =

PRINCIPLE OF WORKING
When the 3- stator windings are fed by a 3- supply, magnetic flux of constant
magnitude, but rotating at synchronous speed, is set up. The flux passes through the
air gap, sweeps past the rotor surface and so cuts the rotor conductors, which as yet
are stationary.
Due to the relative speed between the rotating flux and the stationary rotor
conductor, an emf is induced in the stationary rotor conductor in accordance with
Faradays Law of electromagnetic Induction.
The frequency of the induced emf is same as that of the supply frequency. Its
magnitude is proportional to the relative velocity between the stator revolving flux
and the rotor conductors and its direction is given by Flemings Right hand rule.
Since the rotor bars form a closed circuit, rotor current is produced whose direction
as given by Lenzs law, is such as to oppose the very cause producing it. In this case
the cause which produces the rotor current is the relative velocity between the
revolving flux of the stator and the stationary rotor conductors. Hence to reduce the
relative speed, the rotor starts running in the same direction as that of the flux and
tries to catch up with the rotating flux.
Or Refer the figure below (Apply Flemings Right hand and left hand rules, you can
easily understand)

SLIP:
In practice, the rotor never succeeds in catching up with the stator field. If it really
did so, then there would be no relative speed between the two, hence no rotor emf,
no rotor current and so no torque to maintain the rotation. That is why, rotor runs at a
speed which is always less than the speed of the stator field. The difference in speed
depends upon the load on the motor.

% Slip =
Definition: The difference between the synchronous speed N S and the actual speed
N of the rotor is known as slip.

NS N = Slip speed
Motor (rotor) speed =Shaft sped=N = NS( 1- S)
Note :
1. The term slip is descriptive of the way in which the rotor slips back.
2. It may be kept in mind that revolving flux is rotating synchronously, relative to the
stator but at slip relative to the rotor.
FREQUENCY OF THE ROTOR CURRENT:
When the rotor is stationary, the frequency of the rotor induced emf is the same as
that of supply frequency.

NS =

or (NS 0) =

--------------------> 1

f = Supply frequency in Hz
but when the rotor starts rotating at N rpm,, then the frequency depends upon the
relative speed (NS N).
Let at any slip speed, the frequency of rotor current be f 1
(NS N) =

-------------------------> 2

Equation 2 / Equation 1

f1 = sf = slip frequency
SPEED OF ROTOR FIELD (OR MMF)
-The rotating field set up by stator currents rotates at synchronous speed N S relative
to the stator surface.
- the currents having a frequency f 1 = (sf) when flowing through the rotor winding set
up the rotor magnetic field which rotates at a speed of sN S rpm relative to the rotor
surface, in the direction of rotation of the rotor.
= sNS
- However, the rotor itself is running at a speed of N rpm w.r.t. stator surface.
- So the speed of the rotor magnetic field w,r,t stator surface or space is equal to the
sum of
= N + sNS = NS (1 s) + sNS = NS
Thus the rotor magnetic field also rotates, in space, at the same speed and in the
same direction as that of the stator field.
This concludes that, both the stator and rotor fields rotate synchronously, which
means that they are stationary w.r.t each other at all possible rotor speeds.

These two synchronously rotating magnetic fields, super impose on each other and
give rise to the actually existing rotating field, which corresponds to the magnetising
current of the stator winding.
Since the two fields set up by stator (primary) and rotor (secondary) currents are
stationary relative to each other, so the polyphase I.M can be considered as being
equivalent to a transformer.
Problems
1. In case of an 8 pole I.M, the supply frequency is 50 Hz and the shaft speed is 735
rpm. Calculate,
a) Synchronous speed
b) Slip speed
c) Per unit slip
d) % slip
2. A 6 pole, 50 Hz, squirrel cage I.M runs on load at a shaft speed of 970 rpm.
Calculate
a) % slip
b) Frequency of the induced current in the rotor.
3. A 8 pole alternator runs at 750 rpm and supplies power to a 6 pole I.M which has
at a full load a slip of 3%. Find the full load speed of the I.M and the frequency of its
rotor emf.
4. A 4 pole 3 I.M operates from a supply whose frequency = 50 Hz. Calculate
a) The speed at which the magnetic field of the stator is rotating.
b) The speed of the rotor when the slip is 0.04.
c) The frequency of the rotor currents when the slip is 0.03.
d) The frequency of the rotor currents at standstill.
5. A 3 I.M runs at almost 1000 rpm at no load and 950 rpm at full load when
supplied with power from a 50 Hz, 3 line.
a) How many poles has the motor?
b) What is the percentage slip at full load?
c) What is the corresponding frequency of rotor voltage?

d) What is the corresponding speed of the rotor field?

e) What is the corresponding speed of the rotor w.r.t the stator?
f) What is the corresponding speed of the rotor field w.r.t stator field?
g) what is the rotor frequency at the slip of 10%?
ROTOR EMF AND REACTANCE UNDER RUNNING CONDITIONS
Let E2 be the standstill rotor induced emf per phase.
X2 be the standstill rotor reactance per phase =
where, f is the supply frequency.
When the rotor is stationary (s=1), the frequency of the rotor induced emf is same as
that of the supply frequency. The value of the rotor induced emf at standstill is
maximum because the relative speed is maximum.
When the rotor starts rotating at N rpm, the relative speed between the stator
revolving flux and the rotor is reduced. Hence, the rotor induced emf which is
proportional to the relative speed is also decreased.

The frequency of the rotor induced emf under running condition=

Due to decrease in the rotor frequency, the rotor reactance under running condition
will also decrease.

Rotor winding impedance per phase under running condition=

Where, R2 is the rotor winding resistance per phase.

Rotor current per phase =

Rotor power factor=

=
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT

The induction motor equivalent circuit is similar to transformer equivalent circuit. The
only difference is on account of the fact that the secondary winding (Rotor winding)
of an Induction motor rotates and therefore, involves the development of mechanical
power. The derivation of equivalent circuit proceeds in the same manner as in the
case of transformer. All the equivalent circuit parameters have per phase values.
STATOR EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT:
Let

ROTOR EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT:

Let

Equivalent circuit referred to Stator side:

POWER STAGES
Rotor Core loss is negligible and hence neglected.

Electrical
Power Input
to Stator
OR
STATOR
INPUT

Pin

Stator
Coppe
r Loss
&
core

Power
transferred
across the
air-gap to
rotor
Rotor
Input
Or

Rotor
Coppe
r Loss

Mechanica
l Power
Developed
by the
rotor

PMech

Air-gap
Power

Pg
EXPRESSION FOR TORQUE

Friction
&
Windag
e loss
or
Mechani
cal Loss

Shaft
Power
Output
Or
Output
Power
Or
Output

POut

INFERENCE:
1. Maximum torque is independent of rotor circuit resistance.
2. The slip at which the maximum torque occurs depends upon the rotor resistance
and therefore by varying the rotor circuit resistance, the maximum torque can be
made to occur at any desired slip or motor speed.
3. Maximum torque varies directly as the square of supply voltage.
4. It is clear that maximum torque varies inversely as standstill reactance of the rotor,
hence to have maximum torque, standstill rotor reactance should be kept as small as
possible. This is achieved by placing the rotor conductors very close to the surface of
the rotor and reducing the airgap between stator and rotor to the smallest possible
value.
TORQUE SLIP AND TORQUE SPEED CURVES:

T=

---------------------> 1

T=
1. When s = 0, T = 0, (i.e when the speed is synchronous)
T=0
2. When the speed is very near to synchronous speed, (N is close to N S) i.e when
the slip is S very low,
From equation 1

is very large compared to RS, Xs, and Xr1

TS

if the rotor resistance is constant.

At speeds near to synchronous speeds, the torque-speed or torque-slip curves are

approximately straight line.
3. As slip increases ie as the speed drops with the increase in the load, torque
increases, reaches its maximum value when

. The maximum torque is also

known as breakdown or pullout torque. The slip corresponding to breakdown torque

is called breakdown slip Sb or Smt.
4. With further increase in slip or drop in speed due to increase in load beyond the
point of maximum torque, the torque begins to decrease. The result is that motor
slows down and eventually stops. The motor operates for the value of slip between
zero and that corresponding to breakdown or pullout torque.

T=

With higher slip, Rr1 < < (S Xr1)

T

if Xr1 is constant.

i.e speed torque or slip torque curves are rectangular hyberbola with the speed or
slip beyond that corresponding to maximum torque.