AC Machines

Lecture 2: Three-Phase Induction Motors

Mr. Melat Khalil

Email: melat.abdullah@uod.ac
 Introduction
• Induction motor is a machine that operates at asynchronous speed and
converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
• Induction motor are also called asynchronous motor because never run at a
synchronous speed.
• Three phase induction motors are the most commonly used AC motors in
the industry
 Introduction
Advantages of the Three phase induction motor:
1. Simple and rugged construction
2. Low cost
3. High efficiency
4. Reasonably good power factor
5. Self-starting
6. Low maintenance cost
Disadvantages of the Three phase induction motor:
1. Three phase induction motors have poor starting torque and high inrush currents
2. Speed control of induction motors are difficult
3. They always operate under lagging power factor and during light loads, they operate at very
worst power factor (about 0.3 to 0.5 lagging).
 Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor
A 3-phase induction motor consists of two main parts (stator and rotor).
• Stator: is the stationary part of the motor. It has three main parts
➢Outer frame
➢Stator core
➢Stator winding
 Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor
• Outer frame: It is the outer body of the motor. Its function is to support the stator core and to
protect the inner parts of the machine.
• Stator core: When AC supply is given to the induction motor, an alternating flux is set -up in the
stator core. This alternating field produces hysteresis and eddy current loss. To minimize these
losses, the core is made of high grade silicon steel stampings. The stampings are assembled under
hydraulic pressure and are keyed to the frame. Each stamping is insulated from the other. The
thickness to the stamping usually varies from 0.3 to 0.5 mm. Slots are punched on the inner
periphery of the stampings.
• Stator winding: The stator core carries a three phase winding which is usually supplied from a
three phase supply system. The six terminals of the winding (two of each phase) are connected in the
terminal box of the machine. The stator of the motor is wound for definite
number of poles, the exact number being determined by the requirement of
speed. It will be seen that greater the number of poles, the lower is the speed
and vice-versa.
 Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor
• Rotor: The rotating part of the motor is called rotor. Two types of rotors are used for
3-phase induction motors (Squirrel cage rotor and Phase wound rotor)
1- Squirrel cage rotor:
• It is simple and rugged construction.
• The most of the induction motors employed in the industry.
• Consists of a laminated cylindrical core having semi-closed circular slots at the outer periphery.
• Copper or aluminum bar conductors are placed in these slots and short circuited at each end by
copper or aluminum rings, called short circuiting rings
• The rotor winding is permanently short-circuited and no external resistance can be added in the rotor
circuit.
 Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor

• the slots are not parallel to the shaft but these are skewed to provides:
1. Humming is reduced, which ensures quiet running.
2. At different positions of the rotor, smooth and sufficient torque is obtained.
3. It reduces the magnetic locking of the stator and rotor.
4. It increases the rotor resistance due to the increased length of the rotor bar
conductors.
 Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor
2- Phase wound rotor (slip ring rotor):
• This rotor is also cylindrical in shape which consists of large number of stampings
• A number of semi-closed slots are punched at its outer periphery. A 3-phase insulated winding is
placed in these slots
• The rotor is wound for the same number of poles as that of stator
• The rotor winding is connected in star and its remaining three terminals are connected to the slip
rings
• The rotor core is keyed to the shaft. Similarly, slip-rings are also keyed to the shaft but these are
insulated from the shaft.
• depending upon the requirement any external resistance can be added in the rotor circuit.
• A mild steel shaft is passed through the center of the rotor and is fixed to it with key. The purpose of
shaft is to transfer mechanical power.
Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor
 Construction of a Three-phase Induction Motor

• Advantages of a squirrel cage motor over phase wound motor:

1. Slightly higher efficiency
2. Cheaper and rugged in construction
3. No slip ring, brush gear, short circuiting devices, rotor terminals for starting rheostat are required.
4. It has better space factor for rotor slots, shorter overhang and consequently a small copper loss.
5. It has smaller rotor overhang leakage which gives a better power factor and a greater pull out
torque and overload capacity
6. It has bare end rings, a large space for fans and thus the cooling conditions are better.
 Rotating Magnetic Field Due to 3-Phase Currents
• When a 3-phase winding is energized from a 3-phase supply, a rotating magnetic field is
produced. This field is such that its poles do no remain in a fixed position on the stator but go on
shifting their positions around the stator.
• For this reason, it is called a rotating Held. It can be shown that magnitude of this rotating field is
constant and is equal to 1.5 𝜙𝑚 where 𝜙𝑚 is the maximum flux due to any phase.
 Speed of rotating magnetic field

• The speed at which the rotating magnetic field revolves is called the synchronous speed (𝑁𝑠 ).
• Referring to Figure in the previous slide, for one complete cycle of current 𝐼𝐴 from the origin,
the field has completed one revolution. Therefore, for a 2-pole stator winding, the field makes
one revolution in one cycle of current.
• In a 4-pole stator winding, it can be shown that the rotating field makes one revolution in two
cycles of current.
• In general, for P poles, the rotating field makes one revolution in P/2 cycles of current.
𝑃
∴ Cycles of current = × revolutions of field
2
𝑃
or Cycles of current per second = × revolutions of field per second
2
 Speed of rotating magnetic field

• The number of cycles per second is the frequency 𝑓, then

𝑃 𝑁𝑠 𝑁𝑠 𝑃
𝑓= × =
2 60 120
So,
120𝑓
𝑁𝑠 =
𝑃
• Thus, the speed of the magnetic field rotating is the same as the speed of the alternator that is
supplying power to the motor if the two have the same number of poles. Hence the magnetic
flux is said to rotate at synchronous speed.
 Direction of rotating magnetic field
• The phase sequence of the three-phase voltage applied to the stator winding is X-Y-
Z. If this sequence is changed to X-Z-Y, the direction of rotation of the field is
reversed i.e., the field rotates counterclockwise rather than clockwise.
• Thus it is only need to change the phase sequence in order to change the direction
of rotation of the magnetic field.
• For a three-phase supply, this can be done by interchanging any two of the three
motor supply lines.
 Principle of Operation

• Consider a portion of 3-phase induction motor as shown in Figure below. The operation of the
motor can be explained as under:
1. When 3-phase stator winding is energized from a 3-phase supply, a rotating magnetic
120𝑓
field is set up which rotates round the stator at synchronous speed 𝑁𝑠 = .
𝑃

2. 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, emfs are induced in the rotor conductors. Since the rotor circuit is short-circuited,
currents start flowing in the rotor conductors.
 Principle of Operation
3. 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.
4. 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 be such that they tend to oppose the cause producing them. Now, the cause
producing the rotor currents is the relative speed between the rotating field and the
stationary rotor conductors. Hence to reduce this relative speed, the rotor starts running
in the same direction as that of stator field and tries to catch it.
 Slip
• The rotor can never reach the speed of stator flux. If it did, there would be no relative speed
between the stator field and rotor conductors, no induced rotor currents and, therefore, no torque
to drive the rotor.
• The friction and windage would immediately cause the rotor to slow down. Hence, the rotor
speed (𝑁) is always less than the stator field speed (𝑁𝑠 ). This difference in speed depends upon
load on the motor.
• 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, represented
by symbol 𝑆.
𝑁𝑠 −𝑁
% slip, %𝑠 = × 100
𝑁𝑠
𝑁𝑠 −𝑁
Or fractional slip, 𝑠 =
𝑁𝑠
 Slip

• The difference between synchronous speed and rotor speed is called slip speed
i.e., Slip speed = 𝑁𝑠 − 𝑁
• When the rotor is stationary (i.e., 𝑁 = 0), slip, 𝑠 = 1 or 100 %.
• The value of slip at full load varies from about 6% for small motors to about 2%
for large motors.
• In an induction motor, the change in slip from no-load to full-load is hardly 0.1%
to 3% so that it is essentially a constant-speed motor.
 Rotor Current Frequency
• At standstill (i.e. the rotor is stationary), the frequency of the rotor current is the same as the
supply frequency 𝑓.
• When the rotor starts revolving, then the frequency depends upon the relative speed or slip speed
(𝑁𝑠 − 𝑁).
• If the rotor current frequency is 𝑓 ′ then;
(𝑁𝑠 −𝑁)𝑃 𝑁𝑠 −𝑁
𝑓′ = ∵𝑠=
120 𝑁𝑠
𝑆𝑁𝑠 𝑃
=
120
∴ 𝑓 ′ = 𝑠𝑓
i.e., Rotor current frequency = Fractional slip x Supply frequency
• As the rotor picks up speed, the relative speed between the rotating flux and the rotor
decreases. Consequently, the slip s and hence rotor current frequency decreases.
 Example
A 3-phase, 460 V, 100 hp, 60 Hz four-pole induction machine delivers rated output power at a slip
of 0.05 (this can be stated as a slip of 5%). Determine the
(a) synchronous speed.
(b) motor speed.
(c) frequency of the rotor circuit.
(d) slip speed.
Solution:
120𝑓 120×60
a) .𝑁𝑠 =
𝑃
=
4
= 1800 rpm
𝑁𝑠 −𝑁
b) .𝑠 =
𝑁𝑠
⇒ 𝑁 = 𝑁𝑠 (1 − 𝑠) ∴ 𝑁 = 1800 1 − 0.05 = 1710 prm

c) . 𝑓 ′ = 𝑠𝑓 = 0.05 × 60 = 3 Hz
d) . 𝑁𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑝 = 𝑁𝑠 − 𝑁 = 1800 − 1710 = 90 rpm
 Effect of Slip on The Rotor Circuit
• The circuit of a 3-phase induction motor at any slip s, is shown below.
• At any slip s, the relative speed between stator field and the rotor is decreased.
• Consequently, the rotor emf and frequency are reduced proportionally to 𝑠𝐸2 and 𝑠𝑓
respectively. At the same time, per phase rotor reactance 𝑋2 , being frequency dependent,
is reduced to 𝑠𝑋2 .
• The rotor resistance/phase is 𝑅2
and is independent of frequency
and, therefore, does not depend
upon slip.
 Effect of Slip on The Rotor Circuit
• Thus at any slip s,
Rotor emf/phase = 𝑠𝐸2
Rotor reactance/phase = 𝑠𝑋2
Rotor frequency = 𝑠𝑓
where 𝐸2 , 𝑋2 and 𝑓 are the
corresponding values at standstill
i.e. (at 𝑠 = 1)
 Rotor Current
• Since the motor represents a balanced 3-phase load as shown in the previous slide, we need
consider one phase only as shown below.
• At standstill:
𝐸2 𝐸2
Rotor current/phase, 𝐼2 = =
𝑍2
𝑅2 2 +𝑋2 2
𝑅2 𝑅2
Rotor p.f., cos 𝜙2 = =
𝑍2
𝑅2 2 +𝑋2 2

• When running at slip s:

𝑠𝐸2 𝑠𝐸2
Rotor current/phase, 𝐼2 ′ = =
𝑍2 ′
𝑅2 2 +(𝑠𝑋2 )2
𝑅2 𝑅2
Rotor p.f., cos 𝜙2 ′ = =
𝑍2 ′
𝑅2 2 +(𝑠𝑋2 )2
 Example

A 4-pole, 3-phase, 50 Hz induction motor has a star-connected rotor. The rotor has a
resistance of 0.1 Ω per phase and standstill reactance of 2 Ω per phase. The induced
emf between the slip rings is 100 V. if the full-load speed is 1460 rpm, calculate
1. The slip,
2.The emf induced in the rotor in each phase,
3. The rotor reactance per phase,
4.The rotor current,
5. The rotor power factor.
Assume slip rings are short-circuited.
Solution:
120𝑓 120×50
1) .𝑁𝑠 =
𝑃
=
4
= 1500 rpm
𝑁𝑠 −𝑁 1500−1460
%𝑠 = × 100 = × 100 = 2.66%
𝑁𝑠 1500

2) Rotor emf/phase 𝐸2 ′ = 𝑠𝐸2 = 0.0266 × 1003 = 1.54 V

3) Rotor reactance/phase 𝑋2 ′ = 𝑠𝑋2 = 0.0266 × 2 = 0.0532 Ω
′ 𝐸2 ′ 1.54
4) Rotor current/phase, 𝐼2 =
𝑍2 ′
=
0.12 +0.05322
= 13.6 A

5) Rotor p.f., cos 𝜙2′ = 𝑍𝑅22′ = 0.1

0.12 +0.05322
= 0.8833 lagging