JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY
BSC. ELECTRONIC AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING.
UNIT CODE: EEE 2306.
UNIT TITLE: ELECTRICAL MACHINES II.
DATE: 15/08/2021.
LABORATORY REPORT.

TITLE: DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF ROTOR

RESISTANCE ON THE TORQUE SPEED CURVE.
GROUP MEMBERS.

N0 Registration number Name

1 ENE212-0065/2018 MUYA RHODA NJERI.

2 ENE212-0086/2018 BURALE BOWEN SITATI

3 ENE212-0218/2018 LAARIA CHRIS MUTHARIMI

4. ENE212-0071/2018 KARIMI PATRICK KINYUA

5. ENE212-0062/2018 RUCHA COLLINS

OBJECTIVE.

 To determine how the starting torque and torque slip curve change with change in rotor
resistance of slip ring type induction motor.
THEORY.
The torque slip curve for an induction motor gives us the information about the variation of
torque with the slip. The slip is defined as the ratio of difference of synchronous speed and
actual rotor speed to the synchronous speed of the machine. The variation of slip can be
obtained with the variation of speed that is when speed varies the slip will also vary and the
torque corresponding to that speed will also vary. The curve on the graph that will be obtained
by plotting torque against slip from s=1 at start to s=o at synchronous speed is called torque-
slip characteristics of the induction motor.
The torque equation is;
� ∝ ��/ �2 + ��o2
We now find out the nature of torque-slip characteristics, let us divide the slip range (s = 0
to s = 1) into two parts and analyze them independently.

i. Low slip region.

Here the value of s is so much small. The value of ��o2 is thus so small as compared to
�2 therefore it can be neglected. Therefore, in low slip region, the torque is directly
proportional to slip. As load increases, speed decreases, increasing the slip. This
increases the torque which satisfies the load demand. Hence the graph is a linear
straight line in nature. At N = Ns, s = 0 hence T = 0. As no torque is generated at N = Ns,
motor stops if it tries to achieve the synchronous speed. Torque increases linearly in
this region, of low slip values.
T

S=0 slip
 ii. High slip region.
For the high slip region, the slip is very high i.e. slip value is approaching to 1. Here it can be
assumed that the term R2 is very small as compared to (sX2)2.
Hence neglecting from the denominator, we get;

T∝ SR2 ∝ 1 where R2 and X2 are constants.

(SX2)2 S
Therefore, in this region the torque is inversely proportional to the increasing slip and it forms
like a hyperbola. When load increases, load demand increases but speed decreases. As speed
decreases, slip increases. In high slip region as T α1/s, torque decreases as slip increases. But
torque must increase to satisfy the load demand. As torque decreases, due to extra loading
effect, speed further decreases and slip further increases. Again torque decreases as T α1/s
hence same load acts as an extra load due to reduction in torque produced. Hence speed
further drops. Eventually motor comes to standstill condition. The motor cannot continue to
rotate at any point in this high slip region. Hence this region is called unstable region of
operation.

S=0 S=1
The torque – slip characteristics has two parts,
1. Straight line called stable region of operation
2. Rectangular hyperbola called unstable region of operation.
In low slip region, as load increases, slip increases and torque also increases linearly. Every
motor has its own limit to produce a torque. The maximum torque, the motor can produces as
load increases is Tm which occurs at s = sm. linear behavior continues till s = sm. If load is increased
beyond this limit, motor slip acts dominantly pushing motor into high slip region. Due to
unstable conditions, motor comes to standstill condition at such a load. Hence the maximum
torque which motor can produce is also called breakdown torque or pull out torque. So range s
= 0 to s = sm is called low slip region, known as stable region of operation. Motor always
operates at a point in this region. And range s = sm to s = 1 is called high slip region which is
rectangular hyperbola, called unstable region of operation. Motor cannot continue to rotate at
any point in this region.
APPARATUS
1. Variable autotransformer. (3 phase with 415 line voltage)
2. AC Induction motor. (output power=2.2 kw, voltage 415v, current 4.1 A, rpm 1400,
frequency 50 hz, 4 poles.
3. Spring balance.
4. Ammeter.
5. Voltmeter.
6. Wattmeter.
7. Shorted rotor circuit.
PROCEDURE.
1. We connected the circuit as shown below;
 2. After making the above connection in the circuit diagram above, we fixed the split
block on the pulley and tightened it hard. Then we switched the supply to see the
direction the motor would exert tension on the spring balance. We then took the
readings on the spring balance, the wattmer, ammeter and also the speed of the
rotor in the induction motor. Whenever the stator or the rotor current exceeded the
rated value we reduced the voltage to avoid overloading. We measured the rotor
resistance from the voltmeter and ammeter readings on the rotor circuit.
Starting torque= spring balance tension x length of lever.
Torque T at normal voltage is calculated from the observed readings of torque T1
and applied voltage V1 as
T=T1/(V2/V1)
3. To obtain the torque-slip characteristics, we loosened the belt on the pulley and
adjusted the voltage of the motor to full load voltage. We then tightened the belt
gradually in steps of current up to full load current. The experiment was performed
as load test and the slip for various values of torque was measured and the graph
plotted. We used the accurate method of measuring slip by observing the swing of
the pointer of an ammeter in the rotor circuit.
The frequency of the currents is slip frequency.
Slip= frequency of the rotor
Frequency of the supply

RESULTS
1. Rotor resistance 1.

Speed(rpm) power(W) Tension(kg) current(A)

1473 4 0 1.6
1426 22 2.1 2.1
1424 25 2.8 2.6
1397 38 3.8 3.1
1374 44 4.8 3.6
628.4 54 6.7 4.1
2.Rotor resistance 2.

Speed(rpm) power(W) Tension(kg) current(A)

1475 4 0 1.6

1415 19 1.7 2.1

1389 25 2.5 2.6

1372 36 4.2 3.1

1328 42 5 3.6

1315 50 6.4 4.1

2.Rotor resistance 3.

Speed(rpm) power(W) Tension(kg) current(A)

1480 4 0 1.6

1375 18 1.8 2.1

1333 26 2.6 2.6

1282 38 4.4 3.1

1227 43 5.3 3.6

1204 54 6.8 4.1

The graph of speed vs torque for different values of rotor resistance is as follows;

DISCUSSION
The rotor circuit had an effect on the staring torque, the speed at which the value of the
breakdown voltage occurs and also the slip during the normal operation.
Since R2>R3>R1, the higher the rotor resistance the higher the starting torque. Hence the
acceleration of the mechanical system increased with an increase in the rotor resistance.
The maximum torque is independent of the rotor resistance hence whatever may be the rotor
resistance maximum torque produced never changes but the slip at which it occurs depends on
the rotor resistance applied in the rotor circuit. Therefore, for R1, the curve will start to curve
earlier since the Sm is lower than the others. For R2, it will curve much later.
CONCLUSION.
We concluded that the rotor resistance had an effect on the starting torque and also the torque
slip curve of the circuit. An increase in the rotor resistance led to a higher starting torque and
vice versa. Moreover, an increased rotor resistance led to a higher slip. The curve with a higher
rotor resistance tends to curve earlier.
CHALLENGES FACED.
1. Lack of a proper device to measure the speed of the rotor. The one available was
producing varying values at any particular time.
2. We were not able to obtain the rotor losses in the system.
REFERENCES
1. A textbook of electrical technology volume 2, ac and dc machines by B.l. Theraja and A.k
Theraja.
2.https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/rotor-circuit/
3. https://slideplayer.com/slide/4186154/