ASYNCHRONOUS MOTOR STARTING

SYSTEM
The asynchronous motors are used for a wide range of applications. They are used in
industrial processes, commercial buildings, recreational areas, at home, and other areas.

However, if motor is switched on directly from the mains supply, it draws a very high initial
current. The current at start-up is usually between five and seven times what the motor
normally draws at full load, but only develops a torque of between 1.5 and 2.5 times the
torque at full load.

The large start-up current leads to a huge voltage drops in the supply line, and this may cause
instabilities in the line and affect the equipment connected in the same circuit.

As such, starting motors directly is not recommended and instead, it is advisable to use a
suitable starting circuit or method that minimizes the initial current. This can be achieved by
starting the motor at a lower voltage than normal and then increasing the voltage once the
motor has started and gained adequate speed.

MOTOR STARTING METHODS

1. Using a Direct-on-line starter

The direct on line (DOL) starter combines start-up and motor protection; it consists of a
contactor and a protection device such as a circuit breaker.

The starter circuit has a coil operated contactor. This coil can be controlled by pressing either
the start or the stop push buttons depending on the required operation. Pressing the start
button energizes the contact, causing it to close the three phases and feed the motor with
power.
 Figure 1: Direct-on-line DOL starter | image: moeller.es

Pressing the stop button will de-energize the contactor, disconnecting the supply to the motor
and causing it to stop. However, it suffers from large inrush currents drawn when the full
mains supply voltage is applied to the motor.

The DOL starters are limited to motors of less than 10 KW. Larger motors would cause
excessive voltage drops due to the large start-up current. In addition, the DOL subjects the
motor to excessive heat, hence decreasing its lifespan.

2. Auto transformer starting

The method utilizes an autotransformer and a two position switch which is operated manually
or automatically through a timer. Either operation changes over the switch position from the
start position to the run position.
When the switch is at the start position, a fraction of the mains supply voltage is tapped from
the auto-transformer. The autotransformer supply between 50 and 70 percent normal voltage
value to the motor.

With a reduced start-up voltage, the motor draws less current. For example, at a 50 % tap on
the auto-transformer, the motor draws half its rated current or about 25% what the motor
would draw with the DOL starter.

The autotransformer starter method is bulky and expensive and usually employed for larger
industrial applications.

3. Star-Delta Starter
The motor employs both the star and delta configurations controlled by a changeover switch.
The motor starts in the start configuration after which it is switched to run on delta
configuration.

Figure 2: Star-delta motor starter configuration | image: bhs4.com

The motor is started with its rotor windings connected in a star configuration. The motor
consumes a reduced current than the delta configuration – usually a third that of the delta.
However, the star connection only develops half the torque compared to that of the delta
connected.

The star-delta starter method uses a two-position automatic or manual switch, and a timing
relay. This enables starting the motor in the star configuration which has a low start-up
current, and then switching to the delta configuration after the motor has attained the required
speed.
The method is more complex than the DOL and may not provide enough torque for the full
load at start-up; as such, it is usually used to start motors with an initial light load.

4. Rotor Resistance Starter

The method uses external resistors, initially connected in series with the rotor winding for
each phase. The resistors, which are usually the wire wound type, drops some amount of
voltage while limiting the current flowing into the rotor winding. Once the motor starts, the
resistors are gradually removed from the circuit and power connected directly to the mains
supply.

ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED MOTOR STARTING

5. Soft start
Soft start, the method uses active switching devices such as thyristors to control the way the
power is supplied to the motor. In three-phase motors, the method is applicable in both the in-
line and in-delta configuration modes.

The method provides a means of controlling the motor voltage and the start-up current, hence
enabling a smooth, surge-free increase in the motor torque. This reduces the voltage dips, the
stress, and wear and tear on the mechanical parts.

6. Frequency Inverter
This is an electronically controlled method that allows smooth starting of asynchronous
motors. It uses electronics inverter circuits to manage the frequency and current for the motor
supply, hence preventing high start-up currents. The smooth start-up prevents abrupt of the
system’s mechanical parts. This is the best method, but also the most expensive.
 Figure 3: Frequency inverter motor starting | image: moeller.es

The acquisition and installation costs are higher due to the additional requirements, such as
RFI filters, EMC, shielded motor cables, compatibility issues, etc.

However, there are more economical advantages when in operation. This includes a soft start,
energy efficiency, reduced tear and wear of the mechanical parts, process optimization, etc.
Other advantages include speed stability during load variations and an overall longer life of
the motor.

COMMON MOTOR STARTING METHODS COMPARISON

 Figure 4: Comparison of some of the common motor starting methods | image: moeller.es

There are different methods that can be used to start the motors at lower currents and then
increased the supply to the normal value once the motor has started. The choice of the method
is influenced by the size and application of the motor.

Conclusion

Due to their construction of asynchronous motors, the windings appear as a short circuit
during start-up and the motor may draw a lot of current from the mains, accompanied by
large voltage drops. This may result to instabilities and affect other equipment supplied from
the same line.

http://engineering.electrical-equipment.org/energy-efficiency-motors/asynchronous-motor-starting-
system.html

Current motor starting methods: Advantages and

disadvantages
Inside Machines: In low- and medium-voltages, three-phase induction motors are the most
widely used, due to availability, simplicity, robustness, and low cost. Starting and stopping
“industrial-standard motors” and other operations present great challenges for many
companies. Companies can handle these challenges depending on specific conditions.
 During
direction line (DOL) starting and stopping, low- and medium-voltage motors
experience starting currents of up to eight times the nominal current and
high acceleration rate or torque. These characteristics cause voltage dips
in the network as well as mechanical wear and in some cases destruction
of equipment, such as gearing, couplings, shafts, belts, or fragile parts or
products.

One of the most common problems during motor starting and stopping is
the so-called water hammer in pipelines, caused by sudden reduction of
flow rate when the pump abruptly stops. Although the motor-pump
combination is hardly under any mechanical stress, this is not the case for
the valves and the pipeline. A repair of such equipment is very time-
consuming and costly.

Utilities raise regulatory requirements

Utilities and regulatory bodies are also steadily raising the requirements for
three-phase induction motors. Various EU-regulations aim at reducing
energy consumption and CO2-emissions. The "Amendment 04/2014,"
following the IEC 60034-30:2008, deals with the energy consumption,
energy efficiency, and energy classes (IE) of three-phase induction motors.
The classifications are:

 IE1 (Standard Efficiency)

 IE2 (High Efficiency)

  IE3 (Premium Efficiency)

 IE4 (Super Premium Efficiency).

The certification according to the ISO 14001 plays an increasing role for
companies as the demand for efficient and low-loss drive-solutions is
continuously growing. The higher the efficiency category rating is, the more
competitive one's products become.

Power grid regulations

Additionally, the instability of power grids has considerably increased since

adding renewable energy providers. This is why network operators have
introduced more restrictive rules for adding new consumers, especially with
electrical drives, that use soft starters and frequency converters for motors
with voltage ratings higher than 1 kV. Most technical instructions and
addition requirements already include these regulations.

Starter recommendations

To start and stop motors in a way that is technically sound and energy
efficient, several starters and starting methods are advisable: The
commonly used star-delta-starter is often given the preference, due to its
low space requirement, low cost, and reduced starting current.

However, there are also great disadvantages: It offers no adjustable

starting characteristics and a soft stop is not possible at all. As the motor
requires six wires, the cable costs are not to be underestimated. Also, high
torque and current peaks during the switchover are possible. Altogether, an
optimal motor protection is only possible with further components and
further associated costs.

Starting with autotransformers

 Just like the star-delta-starter, the
autotransformer starter offers a reduced starting current, but requires a lot
of space on the switchboard and is comparatively expensive. The limited
allowable number of starts per hour limits the suitability of this option for
more demanding applications. For this reason, and because the switchover
of the starting characteristic is only possible using electro-mechanical
devices, use of autotransformer starters has decreased.

Frequency converters

Frequency converters are continuously adjustable, but expensive. Many

companies use frequency converters for their drives. Strong arguments in
its favor are that the continuously adjustable motor start keeps nominal
torque, as well as continuously adjustable and precise speed control. This
way, the frequency converter enables a direct regulation of the needed
torque by permanently adjusting the voltage and frequency. This leads to
an improvement of the mechanical efficiency in the drive train.

However, as the frequency converters need a control system, companies

are faced with considerable costs. To prevent storage damage, motors,
which operate with a frequency converter, need isolated storage space,
which increases the cost of the motor. Also, the efficiency of the frequency
converter, especially in the lower-end application, leaves a lot to be
desired. Electrical losses can be as high as 5%. Furthermore, the converter
can be a high electromagnetic-interference (EMI)-load for the network. The
high heat generated alongside reduced torque also can be critical.

Soft starter, an alternative

 A more
economical alternative to the mentioned starting methods is the soft starter.
Due to the used semiconductor technology, the soft starter does not need
much maintenance and offers different starting and stopping performance.

The starting phase lasts for a maximum period in the range of 30 seconds,
after which the soft starter is switched to the bypass mode. Accordingly,
EMI-loads to the network only occur while starting and stopping. In the
meantime, heat dissipation is only generated during the short period of
starting and stopping phases. This is how the soft starter altogether
reduces mechanical stress.

In comparison to the frequency converter, the soft starter is a much smaller

build and can boast efficiency above 99%. The settings of starting- and
stopping-parameters are easy to handle. By this feature voltage control and
voltage ramp can be individually defined. Due to these characteristics, soft
starters are used in almost all industrial applications, especially for drives
that require a soft torque process or reduction of starting current as well as
weak networks.

Compared to the frequency converter, the soft starter can claim a much
lower failure rate, lower than that of the converter. The reason behind this is
the built-in thrusters, which are more reliable, and soft starters are not
equipped with insulated-gate bipolar transistors.

Analog and digital

For simple applications with small to medium power below 250 kW, analog
soft starter units with two-phase control are available; these generally are
without integrated bypass-contactors. Analog units are easier to handle and
are promoted as an alternative to the star-delta starter. An added
advantage is that only in-line connection is required, eliminating the need of
six-wire connection dictated by star-delta configuration.

In low- and medium-voltage installations, digital soft starter units with three-
phase control are used for demanding industrial applications. The units
offer adjustable current-limits and complete motor protection, such as
electronic overload protection, under current protection, phase
failure/phase sequences protection, and under/over voltage protection.
Operators can establish communication links with the digital soft starter
units using installed fieldbus communication ports. In the low-voltage range
the units can be configured either as in-line connection or as in-delta
connection, and bypass-contactors can be added.

Disadvantages of soft starters

Since soft starting and soft stopping minimize the water hammer effect, a
typical application of soft starters is pump starting/stopping. Furthermore,
soft starter units are used to soft start/soft stop fans, compressors, milling
machines, screw conveyors, blowers, agitators, mixers, and, in some
cases, belt conveyors.

The disadvantage of the soft starter technology compared to the frequency

converter is that it is unable to control the speed and is unsuitable for
applications requiring speed control. When starting loads with high inertial
torque, for example in ball mills, it is easily applicable and has to be
selected at a higher power level.

If speed control is not required, and it is only desirable to have a soft

starting performance in aim of minimizing electric network disturbance as
well as mechanical wear, the soft starter is the obvious choice.

- Andreas Fornwald is the managing director, chief executive officer (CEO)

at Igel Electric GmbH in Germany. Edited by Eric R. Eissler, editor-in-
chief, Oil & Gas Engineering, eeissler@cfemedia.com.

Key concepts

 Low- and medium-voltage motors experience starting currents of up

to eight times the nominal current and high acceleration rate or
torque.

 Autotransformer starters offer a reduced starting current but require a

lot of space on the switchboard.
  Soft starting and soft stopping minimizes the water-hammer effect.

Consider this

Starting methods are not a one-size-fits-all technology. Take in all aspects

of a system before selecting a starting method.

https://www.controleng.com/single-article/current-motor-starting-methods-advantages-and-
disadvantages/e3007f202edffa406fe402dc39fd86e1.html
Starting Methods for Polyphase Induction Machine
In this article we are going to discuss various methods of starting three
phase induction motor. Before we discuss this, it is very essential here to
recall the torque slip characteristic of the three phase induction motor which
is given below.

From the torque slip characteristic, it is clear that at the slip equals to one
we have some positive starting torque hence we can say that the three
phase induction motor is self-starting machine, then why there is a need of
starters for three phase induction motor? The answer is very simple.
If we look at the equivalent circuit of the three phase induction motor at the
time of starting, we can see the motor behaves like an electrical
transformer with short circuited secondary winding, because at the time of
starting, the rotor is stationary and the back EMF due to the rotation is not
developed yet hence the motor draws the high starting current. So the
reason of using the starter is clear here. We use starters in order to limit the
high starting current. We use different starters for both the type of three
phase induction motors. Let us consider first squirrel cage type of induction
motor. In order to choose a particular type of starting method for the
squirrel cage type of induction motor, we have three main considerations
and these are,
(a) A particular type of starter is selected on the basis of power capacity of
the power lines.
(b) The type of starter selected on the basis of the size and the design
parameters of the motor.
(c) The third consideration is the type of load on the motor (i.e. the load
may be heavy or light). We classify starting methods for squirrel cage
induction motor into two types on the basis of voltage. The two types are (i)
Full voltage starting method and (ii) reduced voltage method for starting
squirrel cage induction motor. Now let us discuss each of these methods in
detail.
Full Voltage Starting Method for Squirrel Cage Induction Motor
In this type we have only one method of starting.
Direct on Line Starting Method
This method is also known as the DOL method for starting the three
phase squirrel cage induction motor. In this method we directly switch
the stator of the three phase squirrel cage induction motor on to the supply
mains. The motor at the time of starting draws very high starting current
(about 5 to 7 times the full load current) for the very short duration. The
amount of current drawn by the motor depends upon its design and size.
But such a high value of current does not harm the motor because of
rugged construction of the squirrel cage induction motor.
Such a high value of current causes sudden undesirable voltage drop in the
supply voltage. A live example of this sudden drop of voltage is the
dimming of the tube lights and bulbs in our homes at the instant of starting
of refrigerator motor. Now let us derive the expression for starting torque in
terms of full load torque for the direct online starter. We have various
quantities that involved in the expression for the starting torque are written
below: We define Ts as starting torque Tf as full load torque If as per phase
rotor current at full load Is as per phase rotor current at the time of starting
sf as full load slip ss as starting slip R2 as rotor resistance Ws as
synchronous speed of the motor Now we can directly write the expression
for torque of induction motor as

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque
to full load torque as

Here we have assumed that the rotor resistance is constant and it does not
vary with the frequency of the rotor current.
Reduced voltage method for starting squirrel cage induction motor
In reduced voltage method we have three different type of starting method
and these are written below:
1. Stator resistor starting method
2. Auto transformer staring method
3. Star delta starting method
Now let us discuss each of these methods in detail.
Stator Resistor Starting Method
Given below is the figure for the starting resistor method:

I
n this method we add resistor or a reactor in each phase as shown in the
diagram (between the motor terminal and the supply mains).Thus by
adding resistor we can control the supply voltage. Only a fraction of the
voltage (x) of the supply voltage is applied at the time of starting of the
induction motor. The value of x is always less than one. Due to the drop in
the voltage the starting torque also decreases. We will derive the
expression for the starting torque in terms of the voltage fraction x in order
to show the variation of the starting torque with the value of x. As the motor
speeds up the reactor or resistor is cut out from the circuit and finally the
resistors are short circuited when the motor reaches to its operating speed.
Now let us derive the expression for starting torque in terms of full load
torque for the stator resistor starting method. We have various quantities
that involved in the expression for the starting torque are written below: we
define Ts as starting torque Tf as full load torque If as per phase rotor
current at full load Is as per phase rotor current at the time of starting sf as
full load slip ss as starting slip R2 as rotor resistance Ws as synchronous
speed of the motor Now we can directly write the expression for torque of
the induction motor as
From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque
to full load torque as

Here we have assumed that the rotor resistance is constant and it does not
vary with the frequency of the rotor current. From the above equation we
can have the expression for the starting torque in terms of the full load
torque. Now at the time of starting the per phase voltage is reduced to xV1,
the per phase starting current is also reduced to xIs. On substituting the
value of Is as xIs in equation 1.

We have This shows the variation of the starting torque with the value of x.
Now there are some considerations regarding this method. If we add series
resistor, then the energy losses are increased so it’s better to use series
reactor in place of resistor because it is more effective in reducing the
voltage however series reactor is costlier than the series resistance.
Auto Transformer Starting Method
As the name suggests in this method we connect auto transformer in
between the three phase power supply and the induction motor as shown
in the given diagram:
The auto transformer is a step down transformer hence it reduces the per
phase supply voltage from V1 to xV1.The reduction in voltage reduces
current from Is to xIs. After the motor reaches to its normal operating
speed, the auto transformer is disconnected and then full line voltage is
applied. Now let us derive the expression for starting torque in terms of full
load torque for the auto transformer starting method. We have various
quantities that involved in the expression for the starting torque are written
below: We define Ts as starting torque Tf as full load torque If as per phase
rotor current at full load Is as per phase rotor current at the time of starting
sf as full load slip ss as starting slip R2 as rotor resistance Ws as
synchronous speed of the motor Now we can directly write the expression
for torque of the induction motor as

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque
to full load torque as

Here we have assumed that the rotor resistance is constant and it does not
vary with the frequency of the rotor current. From the above equation we
can have the expression for the starting torque in terms of the full load
torque. Now at the time of starting the per phase voltage is reduced to xV1,
the per phase starting current is also reduced to xIs. On substituting the
value of Is as xIs in equation 1. We have
This shows the variation of the starting torque with the value of x.
Star-Delta Starting Method
Connection diagram is shown below for star delta method,

Th
is method is used for the motors designed to operate in delta connected
winding. The terminals are marked for the phases of the stator are shown
above. Now let us see this method works. The stator phases are first
connected to the star by the help of triple pole double throw switch (TPDT
switch) in the diagram the position is marked as 1 then after this when the
steady state speed is reached the switch is thrown to position 2 as shown
in the above diagram. Now let analyse the working of the above circuit. In
the first position the terminals of the motor are short circuited and in the
second position from the diagram the terminal a, b and c are respectively
connected to B, C and A. Now let us derive the expression for starting
torque in terms of full load torque for the star delta starting method. We
have various quantities that involved in the expression for the starting
torque are written below Tf as full load torque Ts as starting torque If as per
phase rotor current at full load Is as per phase rotor current at the time of
starting sf as full load slip ss as starting slip R2 as rotor resistance Ws as
synchronous speed of the motor Now we can directly write the expression
for torque of the induction motor as

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque
to full load torque as

Here we have assumed that the rotor resistance is constant and it does not
vary with the frequency of the rotor current. Let us assume the line voltage
to be Vl then the per phase starting current when connected in star position
is Iss which is given by

When stator is in delta connected position we have starting current

From the above equation we have

This shows that the reduced voltage method has an advantage of reducing
the starting current but the disadvantage is that all these methods of
reduced voltage causes the objectionable reduction in the starting torque.
Starting Methods of Wound Rotor Motors
We can employ all the methods that we have discussed for starting of the
squirrel cage induction motor in order to start the wound rotor motors. We
will discuss the cheapest method of starting the wound rotors motor here.
Addition of External Resistances in Rotor Circuit
This will decrease the starting current, increases the starting torque and
also improves the power factor. The circuit diagram is shown below: In the
circuit diagram, the three slip rings shown are connected to the rotor
terminals of the wound rotor motor. At the time of starting of the motor, the
entire external resistance is added in the rotor circuit. Then the external
rotor resistance is decreased in steps as the rotor speeds up, however the
motor torque remains maximum during the acceleration period of the motor.
Under normal condition when the motor develops load torque the external
resistance is removed. After completing this article, we are able to
compare induction motor with synchronous motor. Point wise
comparison between the induction motor and synchronous motor is
written below, (a) Induction motor always operates at lagging power factor
while the synchronous motor can operate at both lagging and leading
power factor. (b) In an induction motor the value of maximum torque is
directly proportional to the square of the supply voltage while in case of
synchronous machine the maximum torque is directly proportional to the
supply voltage. (c) In an induction motor we can easily control speed while
with synchronous motor, in normal condition we cannot control speed of the
motor. (d) Induction motor has inherent self-starting torque while the
synchronous motor has no inherent self-starting torque. (e) We cannot use
induction motor to improve the power factor of the supply system while with
the use of synchronous motor we can improve the power factor of the
supply system. (f) It is a singly excited machine means there is no
requirement of dc excitation while the synchronous motor is doubly excited
motor means there is requirement of separate dc excitation. (g) In case of
induction motor on increasing the load the speed of the motor decreases
while with the speed of the synchronous motor remains constant.