UNIT 4.

ASYNCHRONOUS (OR
INDUCTION) MACHINES
Electrical Technology
Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering

Prof. Alejandro Rolán, Ph.D.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Introduction
• 1888. Nikola Tesla: three-phase induction motor, based on the
Faraday’s induction law (1831).
• Induction machine: the current through a winding (rotor) is caused
by the e.m.f which is induced by the variation of the flux in the other
winding (stator).
• Asynchronous machine: the rotor speed is not the same as the
synchronous speed of the rotating magnetic field.
• > 80% of the industrial motors are asynchronous machines.
• Simple constitution and hardiness.
• Early times: complexity in the speed control vs. simplicity in speed
control of DC motors (V/f control).
• Nowadays: great development of power electronics → OK to control
easily the speed by means of the grid frequency. 2
 Unit 4. Asynchronous (or
induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
3

1. Constitutive aspects
• Stator (field or excitation):
– Ferromagnetic plates (eg. steel) + silicon.
– Slots on the periphery in order to place
the 3-phase winding. 120º (geometrical
shift) between them.
– This windings are fed by 3-phase
balanced currents.
– Ferraris’ theorem: rotating magnetic
field with constant amplitued and
angular frequency.

4
 1. Constitutive aspects
• Rotor (induced or armature):
– The cylinder is made of ferromagnetic plates.
– Slots on the periphery:
• Squirrel cage: the cage is short-circuited by rings which are
placed on the two sides of the cylinder.
• No acessibility to the rotor.

1. Constitutive aspects
• Rotor (induced or armature):
– Slots on the periphery:
• Wound rotor: 3-phase winding (star-connected in one side
and in the other side the winding terminals are connected to
three rings which are isolated between them).
• The rings in the rotor make it possible to introduce external
resistors in order to limit the starting currents, improve the
torque and control the machine speed.

6
 1. Constitutive aspects
• Other elements:
– Fan coupled to the shaft in order to reduce the high
temperatures inside the machine.
– Terminal box:
• Access to the winding terminals.
• UNE-EN 60034-8 regulation:
– Initial terminals of the windings: U1, V1, W1.
– Final terminals of the windings: U2, V2, W2.

1. Constitutive aspects
• Other elements:
– Terminal box:
• Star connection: for the highest voltage (400 V).
• Delta connection: for the lowest voltage (230 V).

8
 1. Constitutive aspects
• Other elements:
– Terminal box:
• Change in the speed direction (2 phases swapping).

Unit 4. Asynchronous (or

induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
10
 2. Principle of operation
• Operation as a motor:
– Stator winding:
• Three windings shifted 120º (in the space) and p pole pairs.
• The windings are fed by a three-phase grid with frequency f1,
which produces three-phase balanced sinusoidal currents.
• A rotating m.m.f. is produced (Ferraris’ theorem), which is
sinusoidally distributed in the airgap.
• The speed of the rotating flux is constant:

Synchronous speed
11

2. Principle of operation
• Operation as a motor:
– Rotor winding:
• The rotating flux created by the stator induces an e.m.f. in the rotor
winding (Faraday’s law):
d
e  N
dt
• As the circuit is closed (short-circuited windings), there will appear
currents circulating through it.

12
 2. Principle of operation
• Operation as a motor:
– Rotor winding:
• A current that flows through a conductor which is placed inside a
magnetic field is subjected to a force (Laplace’s law):

(Left hand rule)

13

2. Principle of operation
• Operation as a motor:
– Rotor winding:
• Physical idea: the force on the rotor winding is caused by the deformation in
the magnetic field, due to the current that flows through the conductor.
• Force direction: it follows the rotating magnetic field of the stator.
• Total torque on the machine = force in the conductor x rotor radius (applied
for all the conductors in the rotor winding, i.e., integrating it) → The rotor
moves following the stator’s rotating magnetic field.

14
Note: the force acts actually on the slots, not on the conductors.
 2. Principle of operation
• Operation as a motor:
– For a given induction (B), the closer to the synchronism
speed (n1) the rotor speed (n) is, the lower the induced
e.m.f. is, because:

e = e.m.f.; v = conductor speed; B = induction; L = conductor’s lenght

– It causes a decrease in the internal torque of the machine

(electromagnetic torque).
– Boundary: if n = n1 → there exists no movement of the
stator’s rotating magnetic field with respect to the rotor →
e.m.f. = 0 → There are no currents → There is no torque.
15

2. Principle of operation
• Operation as a motor:
– Conclusion: the following relation must be satisfied:
n < n1 (i.e., the rotor must rotate asynchronously with
respect to stator’s magnetic field).
– Slip:

• Values between 3% (s = 0.03) and 8% (s = 0.08) at full load.

• As:

• It results:
16
 Unit 4. Asynchronous (or
induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
17

3. Equivalent circuit
• Initial idea:
– In asynchronous motors the energy transfer is given from the
stator to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction →
The same as in transformers → Electrical analogy →
Homonyms: stator-primary (1) and rotor-secondary (2).
• Aim:
– To obtain an equivalent circuit where there is no transformer
action between stator and rotor circuits (as in transformers)
→ The magnitudes from one winding must be reduced to
their equivalent magnitudes to the other winding.
– Added complexity in asynchronous machines: the frequency
in the stator magnitudes are different to the frequency in the
rotor magnitudes (in transformers they are the same). 18
 3. Equivalent circuit
• Equivalent per-phase circuit:

• KVL (Kirchoff’s Voltage Law):

19

3. Equivalent circuit
• Rotor current:

• Where:
– = rotor winding reactance to the rotor frequency (f2).
– E2s = RMS value of the e.m.f. in the rotor winding:

E2 f 1
 1   E2 s  s E2
E2 s f2 s

20
 3. Equivalent circuit
• Resulting in:

• We can rewrite the previous equation in order not to make

the rotor resistance depend on the slip s:

Load resistance
(Mechanical power on the shaft) 21

3. Equivalent circuit

We still need to remove the

magnetic coupling (to reduce
the secondary (rotor) to the
primary (stator))

22
Development of the equivalent circuit
 3. Equivalent circuit
• Reduction of the secondary (rotor) magnitudes to the
primary (stator):
– Number of turns of the secondary:
– Secondary (rotor) magnitudes reduced to the primary (stator):

In motors (unlike transformers) the winding factors (K1 and K2) are not the
same, neither the number of phases are the same (m1 and m2).
23

3. Equivalent circuit
• Reduction of the secondary (rotor) magnitudes to the
primary (stator):
– Then, it is required that:

– Induced e.m.f. in the rotor:

• The “new” rotor has an e.m.f. which is the same as the one in the stator → both
electrical circuits can be connected together:
• Moreover:

(Voltage ratio) 24
 3. Equivalent circuit
• Reduction of the secondary (rotor) magnitudes to the
primary (stator):
– Rotor current:
• Rotor power:

(Current ratio)
– Rotor impedances:
• Rotor losses in the copper:

25
(Impedance ratio)

3. Equivalent circuit
• Reduction of the secondary magnitudes to the primary:
– Coupled stator and rotor circuits:

26
(Branch where the no-load current flows. Analogy with transformers)
 3. Equivalent circuit
• Exact and approximate equivalent circuits:

Exact equivalent circuit

- The no-load branch is moved to

the input terminals of the
machine.
- Calculation errors are small (no-
load current ≈ 35 % of the rated
current).
- Easy to work with it. 27
Approximate equivalent circuit

3. Equivalent circuit
• Exercise 1:

Consider a 3-phase wound rotor induction machine with the following features:
4 poles, 380 V, stator and rotor are star-connected, voltage and current ratio = 2.5,
per-phase parameters of its equivalent circuit:
R1 = 0.5 Ω ; X1 = 1.5 Ω ; R2 = 0.1 Ω ; X2 = 0.2 Ω ; RFe = 360 Ω ; Xμ = 40 Ω
If the slip at full-load operation is 5%, obtain:
a) Using the exact equivalent circuit: stator current, rotor current, no-load current, iron
losses, active and reactive power absorbed from the grid, starting current.
b) Repeat the exercise considering the approximate equivalent circuit.

Solution:
a) 17.63 A, 39.87 A, 5.03 A, 334.1 W, 10295.4 W, 5352.6 VAr, 74.93 A
b) 18.96 A, 41.25 A, 5.51 A, 401.5 W, 11022 W, 5851 VAr, 79.16 A

28
 Unit 4. Asynchronous (or
induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
29

4. Tests
• They make it possible to obtain the parameters of
the equivalent circuit.

• No-load (or free-rotor) test: parameters of the

parallel branch (RFe and Xµ).

• Short-circuit (or blocked-rotor) test: parameters of

the series branch (Rcc and Xcc).

30
 4. Tests
• No-load (or free-rotor) test:
– Motor without mechanical load in the axis (free rotor).
– Stator: nominal (or rated) voltage (V1n).
– n ≈ n1 → s ≈ 0 → very high Rc’ → I2’ ≈ 0 → There are no losses in
R2’ (PCu2 ≈ 0) → There are losses in Rc’ (Pm).
– Measurements:
• Absorbed power (P0).

• No-load current(I0).

31

4. Tests
• Short-circuit (or blocked-rotor) test:
– The rotor is prevented from moving (blocked rotor).
– n = 0 → s = 1 → Rc’ = 0 (short circuit).
– Stator: voltage from 0 until the absorbed power equals the nominal
(or rated) current (I1cc = I1n).
– Measurements:
• Stator voltage (V1cc).
• Absorbed power (Pcc).

32
 4. Tests
• Exercise 2:

Consider a 3-phase squirrel cage induction motor with the following features:
8 poles, 3000 V, 50 Hz, 150 kW useful power (shaft power), star connection.
- No-load test (at 3000 V): I0 = 20 A ; P0 = 25 kW
- Short-circuit test (at 800 V): Icc = 108 A ; Pcc = 50 kW
The mechanical losses are assumed to be 12 kW. If we know that R1 = R2’ and
X1 = X2’, obtain the parameters of the per-phase approximate equivalent circuit of
the machine.

Solution:
RFe = 692.3 Ω ; Xμ = 87.3 Ω ; R1 = R2’ = 0.715 Ω ; X1 = X2’ = 2.01 Ω

33

Unit 4. Asynchronous (or

induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
34
 5. Power balance

35

5. Power balance
• Analytical expressions:
– Absorbed power:
– Copper losses (Joule’s effect) in the stator:
– Iron losses:
• Note: PFe2 ≈ 0 because s is very small → f2 = sf1 = very small value.
– Airgap power (from the stator to the rotor):

– Copper losses (Joule’s effect) in the rotor:

– Inner mechanical power (from the rotor to the mechanical shaft). It
is the power absorbed by Rc’:

– Useful power (in the shaft):

36
 5. Power balance
• Other useful expressions:

• Efficiency: delivered power (useful, mechanical) with

respect to the input power (absorbed, electrical):

37

5. Power balance
• Exercise 3:

A 3-phase induction motor with 3 pole pairs and 50 Hz absorbs 20 kW when it

rotates at 960 rpm. The overall stator losses are 0.5 kW and the mechanical
losses are 1 kW. Obtain:
a) The mechanical slip.
b) The copper losses in the rotor.
c) The efficiency.

Solution:
a) 4 %
b) 0.78 kW
c) 88.6 %

38
 5. Power balance
• Exercise 4:

A 3-phase induction motor has the following parameters on its rating plate:
11 kW ; 400 V ; 50 Hz ; 21.5 A ; 1460 rpm ; cos φ = 0.84
The no-load losses are neglected and the magnetizing reactance of the equivalent
circuit is 22.75 Ω. The mechanical losses can be neglected.
Obtain:
a) The parameters of the equivalent circuit: R1, R2’ and Xcc.
b) The starting current, comparing it with the rated current.

Solution:
a) 1.229 Ω, 0.306 Ω, 1.065 Ω
b) 129.66 A (rated current = 21.5 A)

39

Unit 4. Asynchronous (or

induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
40
 6. Rotating torque
• Useful torque = useful power / rotating speed:

(Neglecting the mechanical losses)

• Taking into account:

• It results in:

41

6. Rotating torque
• Useful torque:

42
 6. Rotating torque
• Maximum useful torque:

43

6. Rotating torque
• Torque-speed characteristic:

44
 6. Rotating torque
• Exercise 5:

A 3-phase squirrel cage induction motor with 220/380 V, 50 Hz, 10 poles, has the
following parameters of its equivalent circuit: R1 = 0.5 Ω, X1 = 3 Ω, R2‘ = 0.8 Ω,
X2‘ = 3.5 Ω. Assumption: both parallel branch and mechanical losses can be
neglected. If the machine is connected to a grid of 380 V (phase-to-phase voltage):
a) How must the stator be connected?
b) Obtain the motor starting current.
c) If the slip at full load is 4%, obtain the absorbed current, the developed mechanical
power, the electromagnetic torque, the active power absorbed from the grid and the
efficiency.
d) Obtain the speed that corresponds to the maximum torque and the value of torque.

Solution:
a) Star connection
b) 33.1 A
c) 10.2 A, 5992.7 W, 99.35 Nm, 6399.2 W, 93.65 % 45
d) 526.37 rpm, 163.7 Nm

6. Rotating torque
• Exercise 6:

A 4-pole 3-phase wound rotor induction motor is star connected. The machine
operates at 50 Hz and 380 V (phase-to-phase voltage). The parameters of its
equivalent circuit are: R1 = 0.5 Ω, R2‘ = 0.51 Ω, Xcc = 2.7 Ω. Assumption: both
parallel branch and mechanical losses can be neglected. Obtain:
a) Electromagnetic torque given by the motor considering a mechanical slip = 4 %.
b) Starting torque.
c) Speed that corresponds to the maximum torque and value of the maximum torque.
d) Resistance to be connected (per-phase value) in series with the rotor in order to
obtain the maximum torque in the starting. Note: the turns ratio for voltages and
currents is 2.

Solution:
a) 64.45 Nm
b) 56.73 Nm
c) 1221 rpm, 142.4 Nm 46
d) 0.56 Ω
 Unit 4. Asynchronous (or
induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
47

7. Starting
• Requirement: starting torque > resisting torque.
• Speed must be increased until electromagnetic torque =
resisting torque.
• If there were not any resisting torque → The motor would speed
up dangerously!
• n = 0 → s = 1 → Rc’ = 0 (short circuit) → High current.
• Starting current must be limited:
• Spain: REBT (2002) → ITC-BT-47: starting overcurrents.

Rated power Istarting/Ifull load

From 0.75 kW to 1.5 kW 4.5
From 1.5 kW to 5.0 kW 3.0
From 5.0 kW to 15.0 kW 2.0
More than 15.0 kW 1.5 48
 7. Starting

• Squirrel cage motors:

– Direct starter.
– Starting by means of an autotransformer.
– Star-delta starter.

49

7. Starting
• Direct starter:
– Only for low-power motors (< 5 kW).

50
 7. Starting
• Starting by means of an autotransformer:
– Idea: applied voltage in the starting < rated voltage of the machine.
– In 2 or 3 steps → At steady-state, autotransformer is disconnected.

51

7. Starting
• Star-delta starter:
– Only for motors that work at delta connection at Vgrid.
– First: star connection.
– Second: delta connection.
– Contactors (relays) + timer. Power and control circuits.

52
 7. Starting

• Wound rotor machine:

– Resistors connected to the rotor (starting
rheostat). Resistors are connected to the
rings on the mechanical shaft.

53

7. Starting
• Starting rehostat (variable resistance):
- We can introduce an additional
resitor in the rotor in order to make a
progressive starting in the induction
machine:
- 1st: highest resistance.
- Final: null resistance.
- Advantages:
- Easy to implement.
- Disadvantages:
- Non-continuous mode of operation.
- Power losses (Joule losses).
- Slip for the maximum torque in the
starting:

54
 7. Starting
• Starting rehostat (variable resistance):

55

7. Starting
• Exercise 7:

Consider a 4-pole induction motor connected to a 3-phase grid of 380 V (phase-to-

phase voltage) and 50 Hz. The machine’s turns ratio is 2. This machine has the
following parameters (equivalent circuit): R1 = R2’ = 1 Ω, Xcc = 6 Ω, nN = 1425 rpm
(at full load). The parallel branch and the mechanical losses can be neglected.
Obtain:
a) Current and torque at full load.
b) Current and torque at the starting point.
c) Slip and speed when the torque is maximum.
d) Resistor that has to be added to the rotor to make the machine develop the rated
torque in the starting with the lowest stator current, and obtain this current.
Solution:
a) 10.07 A, 38.76 Nm
b) 34.79 A, 23.11 Nm
c) 16.4 %, 1253.4 rpm 56
d) 4.75 Ω, 10.07 A
 Unit 4. Asynchronous (or
induction) machines
1. Constitutive aspects
2. Principle of operation
3. Equivalent circuit
4. Tests
5. Power balance
6. Rotating torque
7. Starting
8. Speed regulation
57

8. Speed regulation
• Mechanical speed:

• Note: the machine’s speed can be controlled by varying:

– The number of pole pairs (p) → Dahlander connection. Problem:
the speed increase/decrease is not continuous, but discrete (step
by step, by changing the winding connection).
– The stator frequency (f).
– The mechanical slip (s) (directly
The most usual controls.
or indirectly, by means of changing
the stator voltage).
58
 8. Speed regulation
• Changing the number of pole pairs (Dahlander connection):

59

8. Speed regulation
• Changing the number of pole pairs (Dahlander connection):

60
 8. Speed regulation
• Usual control strategies for induction machines:
– Stator voltage control:
• Constant stator frequency (grid frequency).
• The stator voltage is changed by means of:
– Autotransformers.
– Series impedances.
– Voltage regulator.
– Stator voltage-frequency control (scalar control):
• The stator voltage is varied proportionally to the stator frequency (E1/f1 ≈ V1/f1 =
constant). In this case, the machine’s magnetic flux does not vary.
• Control by means of:
– Cycloconverters (AC/AC).
– Rectifier + DC bus + Inverter (AC/DC/AC).
– Rotor frequency control:
• Power electronics between the rotor and the grid: only valid for wound rotors
(not for squirrel cage rotors), because they have rings in the rotor. 61

8. Speed regulation
• Stator voltage control:
– Voltage regulators: connected between the grid and the induction
motor to change the stator voltage → The machine’s speed changes!

- Thyristors in anti-parallel (triacs).

- Or cycloconverters.

62
 8. Speed regulation
• Stator voltage control:
– Torque-speed curves for different values of stator voltages:

63

8. Speed regulation
• Exercise 8:
An induction motor is used to run a crane. The system has a reduction gearbox
with transmission relation 1:17. The output shaft runs a 18-cm-diameter pulley
which is used to lift up a 75-kg load. Assume that there are no power losses
neither in the gearbox nor in the pulley. The stator of the induction motor is star-
connected and the machine has the following nominal parameters:
2.2 kW , 400 V , 50 Hz , 4.55 A , 2880 rpm, cos φ = 0,85
The resistances and reactances of the induction motor are:
R1 = 0.3 Ω , R2’ = 2.55 Ω , X1 = X2’ = 4 Ω
Obtain:
a) The starting current of the machine when lifting up the load, considering that the
induction motor is directly connected to the grid.
b) The starting current of the machine when lifting up the load, considering that the
induction motor is connected to the grid by means of a voltage regulator, which is
able to set a starting torque = resisting torque.
Solution:
Note: neglect both mechanical and iron losses. a) 27.2 A 64
b) 12.64 A
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– If we change the stator frequency → The speed of the magnetic
field (synchronous speed) changes → The speed of the induction
machine changes.
– However, the e.m.f. E1 (stator) also changes:

• Then, when f1 is reduced, the magnetic flux Φm increases.

• In order to avoid the magnetic saturation in the magnetic core, we have to
increase proportionally the e.m.f. E1, i.e., we have to keep constant the relation
E1/f1 (voltage-frequency control).
– With this regulation we can only control the modulus of the
magnetic flux (its angle is not controlled), so it is named “scalar”
control (which differs from “vectorial” control).
65

8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Idea:

– Note: If E1/f1 = constant → The magnetizing current does not vary

→ The magnetic flux (Φm) does not vary.

66
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Electromagnetic torque:

Note: If E1/f1 = constant,

then the electromagnetic
torque = constant.

– Maximum electromagnetic torque:

67

8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Considering that: .
– The electromagnetic torque results in:

– Note:
• If E1/f1 = constant → Tmax = constant.
• If the machine operates at s < smax, and considering that :

• Note: at low slips, the torque is proportional to the slip (linear region of
the torque-speed curve) and the rotor frequency does not change.
68
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Torque-speed curves with E1/f1 = constant:

69

8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Torque-speed curves with E1/f1 = constant:
• Note:
– Tmax does not change.
– f2 does not change → The “slip speed” does not change. It will be the
same for all the operating points:
• In practice, the easiest way to control the e.m.f. E1 and its frequency f1
is by means of controling the stator voltage (V1) because:

<< 70
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Then:

Approximate equivalent circuit

– Note:
• If we change both stator voltage (V1)
and stator frequency (f1) proportionally,
the magnetic flux will not vary.
• However, this suposition is not valid at
low frequencies, because the resistive
term (R1I1/f1) will increase. Then,
in order to keep the same magnetic flux
in the air gap, we will have to increase
the ratio V1/f1 at low frequencies.
71

8. Speed regulation
• Exercise 9:

Consider the same system as the one described in Exercise 8.

Now assume that the induction motor is fed by a variable-frequency drive

(VFD), instead of a voltage regulator. In this case, obtain:
a) The lifting speed of a 100-kg load withouth connecting the VFD.
b) The frequency that the VFD has to supply the induction machine in order
to lift up the 100-kg load at 1 m/s.

Solution:
a) 27.2 A
b) 12.64 A

72
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– By means of force-commutated inverters:

73

8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– By means of force-commutated inverters:
• Controlled rectifier:
– It changes the 3-phase AC voltages of the grid into DC voltage.
• Inverter:
– It changes the DC voltage provided by the rectifier into 3-phase AC
voltages by means of a proper switching pattern.
– Then, the induction motor receives an AC voltage variable in modulus and
frequency → The induction motor’s speed is controlled.
• LC filter:
– It is used to reduce the ripple in the DC current at the rectifier’s output.
• Regenerative unit:
– If the motor is working at the regenerative mode of operation (e.g. breaking
mode), it injects current to the grid (the power flow is reversed).

74
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– By means of force-commutated inverters:
• Constant torque region and constant power region:

If f < fnom:
- f1 is varied according to V1/f1.
- Until reaching: V1 = Vnom.

If f > fnom (field weakening region):

- f1 cannot be varied according to V1/f1,
because V1 will be > Vnom.
- Then, V1 is fixed at Vnom.
- And f1 is increased.
- Then, the magnetic flux in the air gap is
reduced (field weakening region).
Remember:

f < fnom f > fnom - Then, Tmax is reduced. 75

(V1/f1 control region) (Field weakening region)

8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Closed-loop control:

76
 8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Closed-loop control:
• It improves the machine stability when an electrical or a mechanical perturbation
occurs.
• The control is done almost instantaneously (PI controller).
• The reference speed is compared to the real speed (enconder’s lecture).
• Its error is sent to a PI controller.
• The output of the PI controller is the rotor’s reference frequency (f2*), which is
limitated at its maximum value: a saturator block is used to limit the frequency to
the corresponding frequency of the maximum torque. Thus, the inverter’s
current is also limitated to an acceptable value.
• The factor np/60 is added to the rotor’s reference frequency (f2*) in order to
obtain the stator’s reference frequency (f1*) that has to be produced by the
inverter, which is connected to the stator of the induction machine.
• The rectifier is controlled to vary the DC voltage according to the machine’s
requirements. Then, the input of this power converter is the stator voltage
reference (V1*). 77

8. Speed regulation
• Voltage-frequency control:
– Closed-loop control:
• The stator voltage reference (V1*) is obtained is such a way that the relation
V1*/f1* does not vary (voltage-frequency control):

– V0 = stator voltage in order to make the motor work at its nominal flux at null speed.
– k = chosen to make the motor operate at its nominal value when the frequency is the
nominal (base) value.
• Idea:
– If f1* < fb: V1*/f1* control. V1* is used to control the rectifier and f1* is used to control
the inverter.
– If f1* > fb: V1* is set to the stator nominal value (saturation), and the control is done by
varying the stator’s frequency f1* only. This is the field weakening region: the stator
frequency is increased → The magnetic flux decreases → The torque developed by
the machine decreases.

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 8. Speed regulation
• Vectorial control:

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