Split-phase motors for medium-duty applications

http://electrical- engineering- portal.com/split- phase- motors- for- medium- duty- applications June 13, 2013

Edvard

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Sp lit-p has e mo to rs fo r me d ium-d uty ap p lic atio ns (p ho to b y Mike C5 at p rac tic almac hinis t.c o m)

Starting winding in series with a centrif ugal switch

The split-phase (SP), o r mo re accurately, the resistance-start, split-phase, inductio n run mo to r,is reco mmended fo r
medium-duty applicatio ns.

It can run at co nstant speed even under varying lo ad co nditio ns where mo derate to rque is acceptable. Split-phase mo to rs
have squirrel-cage ro to rs and bo th a main o r running winding and a starting o r auxiliary winding.

The schematic diagram fo r an SP mo to r, Figure 1, sho ws the starting winding in series with a centrifugal switch and the
main winding in parallel across the AC line. The starting winding is wo und with fewer turns o f smaller-diameter, higher-
resistance wire than the main winding.

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When energized, current flo wing in the starting winding is
essentially in phase with the line vo ltage, but current
flo wing in the parallel main winding lags behind line
vo ltage because it has lo wer resistance and higher
reactance. This lag “splits” the single phase o f the AC line
by intro ducing abo ut a 30° electrical phase difference
between the currents in the two windings.

Although it is small, this phase difference is enough to

provide a weak rotating magnetic field which interacts
with the rotor, causing it to rotate.

The typical to rque-speed curves fo r an SP mo to r, Figure

2, sho w that starting current is high and running to rque is Fig ure 1 - Sing le -p has e mo to r - Re s is tanc e s tart s p lit-p has e mo to r
mo derate When ro to r speed reaches abo ut 80 percent o f
its rated full-lo ad synchro no us speed, its built-in
auto matic centrifugal switch disco nnects the starting winding, pro tecting it fro m destructive o verlo ad.

The SP mo to r then co ntinues to run o n the single

o scillating AC field established by its main winding. SP
mo to rs are rated fro m 1/20 to 1/3 hp when o perating fro m a
120/240-V AC line, and full-lo ad speed is fro m 865 to 3450
rpm.

These mo to rs are reco mmended fo r applicatio ns where

mo to r sto ps and starts are frequent. SP mo to rs are used to
drive fans, blo wers, pumps, o ffice machines, and po wer
to o ls where the lo ad is applied after the mo to r has reached
its o perating speed.

Reference: Handbook of electrical design details – Neil

Sclater, J. E. Traister
(Get this book from Amazon)

EEP recommends

Fig ure 2 - Sp e e d -to rq ue c urve s fo r a typ ic al s p lit-p has e mo to r

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