Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

MODULE – VI
6. AC MAChInEs

6.1. Principle and Operation of 3-ΦInduction Motor

Like any electric motor, a 3-phase induction motor has a stator and a rotor. The stator carries
a 3-phase winding (called stator winding) while the rotor carries a short-circuited winding (called
rotor winding).
 Only the stator winding is fed from 3-phase AC supply.
 The rotor winding derives its voltage and power from the externally energized stator winding
through electromagnetic induction.
 The induction motor may be considered to be a transformer with a rotating secondary and it
can, therefore, be described as a “transformer type” AC machine in which electrical energy is
converted into mechanical energy.
Consider a portion of 3-phase induction motor as shown in below. The operation of the motor
can be explained as under:

(i) When 3-phase stator winding is energized from a 3-phase supply, a rotating magnetic field is
set up which rotates round the stator at synchronous speed Ns (= 120 f/P).
(ii) The rotating field passes through the air gap and cuts the rotor conductors, which as yet, are
stationary. Due to the relative speed between the rotating flux and the stationary rotor,
e.m.f.s are induced in the rotor conductors. Since the rotor circuit is short-circuited, currents start
flowing in the rotor conductors.
(iii)The current-carrying rotor conductors are placed in the magnetic field produced by the stator.
Consequently, mechanical force acts on the rotor conductors. The sum of the mechanical forces
on all the rotor conductors produces a torque which tends to move the rotor in the same direction
as the rotating field.
(iv) The fact that rotor is urged to follow the stator field (i.e., rotor moves in the direction of stator
field) can be explained by Lenz’s law. According to this law, the direction of rotor currents will

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

be such that they tend to oppose the cause producing them and therefore the torque is produced in
rotor and starts to rotates.

6.1.1. Slip
The difference between the synchronous speed Ns of the rotating stator field and the actual
rotor speed N is called slip.. It is usually expressed as a percentage of synchronous speed i.e.,
NS - Nr
Percentage Slip = S = *100
NS
6.1.2. Rotor Current Frequency
The frequency of a voltage or current induced due to the relati
relative
ve speed between a winding
and a magnetic field is given by the general formula;
P NS
Frequency = F =
120
Where, N = Relative speed between magnetic field and the winding
P = Number of poles
For a rotor speed N, the relative speed between the rotating flux and the rotor is Ns - Nr.
Consequently,, the rotor current frequency f1 is given by;
(NS - Nr ) P
Rotor Frequency = f1 =
120
Rotor current frequency = f1 = S NS
i.e., Rotor current frequency = Fractional slip * Supply frequency

6.2. Speed-Torque
Torque Characteristics of IM

The torque slip curve for an induction motor gives

ves 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.

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

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 maximum torque is
independent of the rotor resistance. But the exact location of the maximum torque Tmax is dependent
on it.
The greater, the value of the R2, the greater is the value of the slip at which maximum torque
occurs. As the rotor resistance increases, the pull-out speed of the motor decreases. In this condition,
the maximum torque remains constant.

6.3. Applications of 3-ϕ Induction Motor

• Pumps and submersible
• Pressing machine
• Lathe machine
• Grinding machine
• Conveyor
• Flour mills
• Compressor
• Steel mills
• Lift
• Crane Machine
• Hoist
• Line shafts
• and other heavy mechanical workshops etc

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

6.4. 1-Φ Induction Motor

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

6.4.1. Principle and Operation of Split Phase type 1-Φ Induction Motor

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

6.5. Applications 1-Φ Induction Motor

6.6. Principle of Operation an Alternator or AC Generator or Synchrono

ous Generator
An alternator operates on the same fundamental
principle of electro-magnetic induction as a dc generator.
i.e., when the flux cuts the conductor (or) conductor cuts
the flux an emf induced in the conductor.
The magnitude of induced emf is E = Blv sinθ
Where, θ = angle between B and direction of conductor
v = velocity of conductor (m/sec)
B = flux density (wb/m2 of Tesla)
l = length of the conductor (m)

Flemings Right Hand Rule

The direction of induced emf or current can be finding by
applying this rule. If,
Fore finger → indicates direction of flux
Thumb → indicates direction of motio
motion of conductor
Then,
Center finger → indicates direction of induced emf or current.

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

In dc generator, the field poles are stationary and the armature conductor’s rotate. The
alternating induced emf in armature conductors are converted to a dc voltage at the brushes by means
of the commutator.
In alternators, there is no commutator required to supply electrical energy with an alternating
voltage. Therefore, it is not necessary that armature be the rotating one. The alternator also has an
armature winding and a field winding. But the important difference between the two is,
For an alternator, armature winding is placed or housed in a stator instead of rotor in a dc
generator. The field winding is housed in a rotor poles. It is more usually convenient, advantageous
to place the field winding on rotating part (rotor) and armature winding on stationary part (stator).

Differences between DC & AC Generators

DC GENERATOR ALTERNATOR
 Faradays law of electromagnetic induction.  Faradays law of electromagnetic induction.
 Fleming’s right hand rule.  Fleming’s right hand rule.
 Stationary field.  Rotating field.
 Rotating armature.  Stationary armature.
 Conductors cut the flux.  Flux cuts the conductor.
 Large size of brushes and brush gear required  Small size of brushes and brush gear
for rotor because armature current is high equal arrangement required for rotor because field
to the load. current is small.
 Prime mover as IC engine or fly wheels.  Prime mover as Turbines.

The rotor winding is energized from the dc exciter and alternate ‘N’ and ‘S’ poles are
developed on the rotor. When the rotor is rotated in anti-clockwise direction by a prime mover, the
stator (or) armature conductors are cut by the magnetic flux of rotor poles.
Consequently, emf is induced in the armature conductors due to electromagnetic
induction. The induced emf is alternating since ‘N’ and ‘S’ poles of rotor alternately pass the
armature conductors.
The direction of induced emf can be found by Fleming’s right hand rule and frequency is given by,

N*P
F=
120
Where, N = speed of rotor (rpm)
P = number of rotor poles.

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

 The above figure shows star

star-connected
connected armature winding and dc field winding. When the
rotor is rotated, a 3- voltage is induced in the armature winding. The magnitude of the
induced depends upon the speed of rotation and the dc exiting current.
 The magnitude of emf in each phase of the armature winding is the same. However, they
differ in phase by 1200 electrica
electrical as shown in the phasor diagram.

Supply Frequency
The frequency of induced emf in the armature conductors depends upon speed and number of
the poles.
Let,
N = rotor speed (rpm)
P = number of rotor poles
F = Frequency of emf (Hz)
Consider a stator conductor that is successively swept by ‘N’ and ‘S’ poles of the rotor. If a
positive voltage is induced when a N
N-pole
pole sweeps across the conductor, a similar negative voltage is
induced when a ‘S’ – pole sweeps by.
 This means that one complete cy
cycle
cle of emf is generated in the conductor as a pair of poles passes it.
i.e., one N-pole
pole and the adjacent following S
S-pole.
pole. The same is true for every other armature
conductor.
 We know that from graphical representation of graphical plot, the rotating field travels a distance
covered by 2-poles.
P
 Number of cycles for one revolution = for ‘P’ pole machine.
machine
2
N
Number of revolution /second = (sec)
60

no. of cycles No. of revolution

No. of cycles per second = ×
revolutions second

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

P N
= *
2 60
But number of cycles / second is its emf’s frequency.

PN
 F = Frequency =
120

It may be noted that ‘N’ is the synchronous speed. For a given alternator, the number of rotor
poles is fixed and therefore, the alternator must be run at synchronous speed to give an output of
desired frequency. For this reason, an alternator is sometimes called synchronous generator.

6.7. Load Characteristics of an Alternator

Already we know that if the exciting current and speed remain constant, the terminal voltage
of an alternator changes with the change in the load (or) armature current.
The relation-ship between the terminal voltage (V) and load current (I) of an alternator is known as
its “Load characteristics.”
The curves showing the variation of terminal voltage ‘V’ with load current ‘I’ for constant
excitation for different power factor loads are given. The curves are plotted in terms of percentage
values general operating conditions can be marked better in this way.

0.8 Leading PF

1
Terminal

Unity PF

0.8 Lagging PF
(Percent

Vt

0 2
Isc
(Percent Load Current)

 Normally the terminal voltage falls with increase in load current, but when the power factor is
leading one, the load characteristic may rise at first due to armature reaction effect (i.e.,

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Basic Electrical Engineering AC Machines

magnetization). Each curve is nearly straight line at the beginning but trends to droop because,
with the increase in load current, the angle of lag between current and emf, owing to the original
field increases.
 The highest current is obtained when the alternator terminals are short-circuited, the value being
given as
E0
Isc = (A)
Zs
where, E0 is non-load terminal voltage and Zs is the synchronous impedance.

6.8. Applications of an Alternator

 Automobiles, where they are known as alternators
 Power Generation from windmills
 Power Generation from hydro-electric dams

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