Design of Squirrel cage

rotor
 Design of Squirrel cage rotor
• Rotor diameter Dr
= stator bore - 2 x length of air D= D - 2 lg
• No. of Rotor slots
Harmonic inductiontorque
harmonics synchronous torque
vibration and noise
Voltage ripple
• Rules for selecting rotor slots
• Reduction of Harmonics torque
Chording
Integral slot winding
Skewing
Design of Squirrel cage rotor
 NUMBER OF ROTOR SLOTS
• The selection of number of rotor slots in squirrel cage
motors is very important and a considerable attention
should be paid to select a suitable value.
• This is because with certain numbers of poles and
combinations of stator and rotor slots in squirrel cage
motors,
(i) Peculiar atd deleterious behaviour may be observed.
(ii) The machine may refuse to start or may crawl at
some subsynchronous speed.
(iii) Severe vibrations may be set up generating
excessive noise.
 NUMBER OF ROTOR SLOTS
• These effects are produced by harmonic fields. The
harmonic fields are due to
(i) windings,
(ii) slotting,
(il) saturation and
(iv) irregularities in the air gap.

The harmonic fields are superposed upon the fundamental

sine wave field and induce emf in the rotor winding and
thus circulate harmonic currents. These harmonic currents,
in turn interact with the harmonic fields to produce
harmonic torques.
 NUMBER OF ROTOR SLOTS
In fact the harmonic fields may be thought of as separate low power motors that are direct
coupled to the same shaft as the fundamental. Therefore, the net motor torque is equal to the sum
of the torque due to the fundamental and the torques produced by a myriad of harmonic fields.
•It should be understood that the space harmonic fields have more poles than the fundamental
and therefore have lower synchronous speeds.
•Some of these fields revolve in the forward direction and some in the backward direction. At
motor speeds above their respective values, the forward rotating harmonic fields produce
braking torques while the backward rotating harmonic fields produce braking torque at all
speeds.
•In addition the harmonic fields are responsible for increase in stray load losses and increased
motor heating.
•The essential difference in behaviour of wound rotor and squirrel cage machines is that the cage
rotor, being a multiphase winding, will circulate currents due to any harmonic emf produced by
the gap flux except that which has a wavelength equal to the pitch of the bars, the wound rotor
machines on the other hand tend to reduce the effect of most harmonics.
•The effects of space harmonic fields produced by windings are greatly intensified by
slotting,which not only introduces steps in the mmf wave, and produces further harmonics, but
also modulates the gap flux.
Therefore, the choice of rotor slots is particularly important in the case of squirrel cage
machines. Any bad combination of stator and rotor slots may result in awkward behaviour.
 Harmonic induction torques
3-phase winding carrying sinusoidal currents produces harmonics of the order n = 6N+- 1, where N is an
integer. The movement of the harmonics is with or against the direction of rotation depending upon the sign (+
means with the rotation and - means against the rotation). The number of poles for the nth harmonic is n times
the number of poles of the fundamental and therefore the synchronous speed of n th harmonic is 1/nth of the
synchronous speed of fundamental.
•Now a three phase winding will produce a forward rotating 7 th harmonic and a backward rotating 5th harmonic
(for N = 1). The 5th and the 7th harmonic fluxes may be deemed as produced by sets of additional poles
superimposed the fundamental poles. They generate rotor emfs, currents and torques of the same general
torque/speed shape as that of the fundamental but with synchronous speeds 1/5 (backward) and 1/7 (forward) of
the synchronous speed ot fundamental as shown in Fig.

•The 7th harmonic torque reaches its maximum just before 1/7th synchronous speed, but beyond this speed the
7th harmonie torque becomes negative, since the slip in the harmonic field is negative.
The resultant torque-speed curve combined with the fundamental shows marked dips and with certain slot
combinations the dip due to 7th harmonic may become very pronounced. Assuming that the mechanical load on
the shaft involves a constant load torque, the torque developed may fall below this load torque and, when this
occurs, the notor cannot accelerate upon its full speed but continues to run at a speed a little lower than the 1/7th
synchronous speed this is called Crawling.
 Harmonic induction torques
Slotting produces harmonics of the order 6Aq ±1 in a 3 phase machine, where A is any integer.
•Considering a 4 pole 36 slot machine, the slots per pole per phase are q = 3.
•Thus n = 18 ± 1 = 19th and 17th harmonics are produced due to slotting.
•The 19th harmonic field rotates forward and 17th harmonic field rotates backward. Thus the
dips in the torque speed characteristic would be produced at + 1/19 and - 1/17 of synchronous
speed (Fig.1)
• Theeffect of production of dips may be augmented by rotor slotting.

• Corresponding to the above 4 pole, 36 slot stator if we choose 76 rotor slots, there would be
one rotor bar corresponding to every 19th harmonic pole. Thus the 19th harmonic torques
would be very large and the rotor would vibrate considerably as shown in Fig.
•Therefore, it is necessary to avoid values of rotor slots exceeding stator slots by about 15 30%.
Harmonic synchronous torques.
Harmonic synchronous torques.
 Harmonic synchronous torques.
Considering a 4 pole stator with 36 slots. It produces a forward rotating 19 th harmonic which revolves at a
speed n/19 with respect to stator.
If the rotor slots are 40, it produces a backward rotating 19 th harmonic.
Its speed with respect to rotor is (ns - nr)/19 where nr is the speed of the rotor.
The rotor itself revolves forward at a speed nr and therefore it revolves its 19th harmonic at a speed :
( ns - nr )/19 + nr
with respect to stator. Therefore, in order that the two fields may resolve synchronously
ns /19 = - ( ns - nr )/19 or
nr = ns /10

Thus the machine would crawl synchronously at 1/10 synchronous speed. Fig. 2 shows the saddle effect
produced by 19th harmonic at 1/10th synchronous speed.
To avoid synchronous cusps the difference of stator and rotor slots should not be t p or a multiple of p.
The difference in harmonic induction and synchronous torques (shown respectively in Figs.1 Fig.2.
 Vibrations and noise.
When the rotor runs its teeth continuously move with respect to the stator teeth. This results in
the rapid variations in flux density in the gap thereby producing rapid changes in forces of
attraction between stator and rotor teeth. The teeth, being cantilevers, respond to varying forces
and are set into vibrations. The vibrations are large in machines with few poles since the
variations in force are more concentrated.

Noise production in squirrel cage induction motor can be strongly supported by unbalanced
magnetic pull. When the rotor runs, the unbalanced magnetic pull moves round the air gap at a
definite speed and causes the rotor to vibrate. At some speed of the rotor these vibrations may
begin to resonate with the natural oscillations of the rotor. If this phenomenon attains further
development, it may make the rotor operation impossible.
The varying forces of low frequency are important because of their ability to transter vibrations
to the structure, while forces in the frequency range 10 Hz-10 kHz cause accoustical effects like
humming and whistling etc.
An analysis shows that the vibration torques are produced if Ss - Sr = ± 1 , ± p. Some of the
investigations show undesirable slot combinations may exist if
S,-S,= ±2 , ± p.
Consider the relationship
Ss -Sr = ±1 , ± p
Now number of stator slots Ss = 3 p qs If g. (i.e. slots per pole per phase of statr) is an integer,
Ss is an even integer. Therefore, examination of the above relationship will reveal that rotor with
an odd number of slots is undersirable from the point of noise and vibrations.
 Voltage ripples.
The harmonic fields produced by the stator current induce harmonic
currents in the rotor which in turn reflects back additional harmonic
fields into the stator. This ripples in the terminal voltage and also
additional iron losses.
The voltage ripples produce high frequency currents in the supply lines
which, in turn, may produce inductive interference with communication
circuits.
 Rules for Selecting Rotor Slots
Squirrel cage machines.
The following general rules should be followed concerning the choice of rotor
slots T Or
As stated earlier, the number of rotor slots should never be equal to stator slots
but must either be large or smaller. Satisfactory results are obtained when the
number of rotor slots is 15 to 30 per cent larger or smaller than the number of
stator slots,

(ii) The difference between stator slots and rotor slots should not be equal to p,
2p or 5p to avoid synchronous cusps.

(ii) The difference between the number of stator and rotor slots should not be
equal to 3p for 3 phase machines in order to avoid magnetic locking.

(iii) The difference between number of stator slots and rotor slots should not be
equal to, 1.2, (p ± 1) or (p ± 2) to avoid noise and vibrations.

Summarizing,
Ss -Sr should not be equal to
0, ± p, ± 2p, ± 3p, ±5p
±1, ± 2, ±(p ±1), ±(p ±2).
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
Following are some of the methods used for reduction/elimination of harmonic
torques.
(i) Chording.
(ii) Integral slot windings.
(iii) Skewing.
(iv) Increase in air gap length.
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
Following are some of the methods used for reduction/elimination
of harmonic torques.
(i) Chording. The simplest way to eliminate the harmonic induction
torques is to weaken the stator winding mmf harmonics. In order
to achieve this, chorded windings with integral number of slots per
pole per phase are used.

(ii) Integral slot windings.

Windings with fractional number of slots per pole per phase create
asymmetrical mmf distribution around the air gap and favour the
creation of noise in the motor. Therefore, fractional slot windings
are not used for induction motor stators and only integral slot
windings are used.
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
(iii) Skewing.
The motor noise and vibrations, cogging and synchronous cusps can be reduced or even
entirely eliminated by skewing either the stator or the rotor.
The practice generally followed in India is to skew the rotor
The variations in flux density, magnetic pull, and torque due to the slot openings, D
Displaced in time phase along the core length,
More uniform torque, less noise, and better voltage waveform.
The rotor bars should be skewed through an angle so that the bars lie under alternate
harmonic poles of the same polarity.
Bars must be skewed through two pitches.
It is desired to eliminate a harmonic of the order n in a machine with p poles.
The number of nth order harmonic poles is np.
Angle between two adjacent harmonic poles = 360/np.
For elimination of nth harmonic by skewing,
angle of skew θ = 720/n x p degree mechanical
The electrical angle of skew is: = (720/np) (p/2) = 360/n degree electrical
= 2π/n electrical radian.
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
A skewed rotor bar is, in effect, spread over an angle θsk and its induced emf
is reduced in accordance with the distribution factors.
Kd1 = sin θsk/2 / θsk/2
Kdn = sin nθsk/2 / nθsk/2
for the fundamental and nth harmonic respectively of the gap flux.
It is clear that if θsk = 2π /n
Kdn = sin (2π/2) / (2π /2)
and nth harmonic emf reduces to zero thereby completely eliminating the
harmonic.
This is clear from the phasor diagram for the nth harmonic shown in Fig. 10.25.
The nth harmonic emf is reduced to zero since its phase spread is 2π
Fig. Skewing of rotor bars.
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
The usual practice is to skew the rotor through one stator slot pitch.
Let us examine the effect of skewing the rotor through one stator slot pitch. The angle
of skew is,therefore,
θsk = 2π p /Ss electrical radian.
Order of slot harmonics n = 2(Ss /p) ± 1. Distribution factor for the slot harmonics
Kdn = sin nθsk/2 / nθsk/2
= sin [2(Ss/ p) ± 1] pπ / 2Ss / 2 [(Ss/ p) ± 1] pπ / 2Ss
= sin [π ± pπ / 2Ss ] / π ± pπ / 2Ss
= ± sin pπ / 2Ss / π ± pπ / 2Ss
Let us take the case of a machine with 4 poles and 36 stator Slots,Order of slot
harmonics
n = 2Ss/p ± 1 =2 x 19/4 ± 1 = 19, 17.
The distribution factors for the slot harmonics are
Kd19 = - sin π x 4/(2x 36) / π + π x 4/2(2 x 36)
= - 0.052
Kd17 = + sin π x 4/(2x 36) / π + π x 4/2(2 x 36)
= 0.058.
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
This shows that the emf induced owing to slot harmonics is drastically reduced.
(The magnitude reduces 5- 6%). Thus us it is sufficient to skew the rotor
through one stator slot pitch.
It is clear that the harmonic torques are eliminated by skewing and there are no
dips in the torques-speed.characteristics.

Fig. Torque-speed characteristics with and without skewing.

Skewing decreases the winding factor for the fundamental and increases the
leakage flux in the motor.
Therefore, it lowers the power factor and overload capacity of the machine.
 Methods used for elimination of harmonic
torques.
iv) Increase in air gap length.

An increase in air gap length, decreases the harmonic torques. But an

increased gap length leads to an increase in no load current and thus makes
the motor power factor poor. Therefore, only in motors of high reliability, for
mechanical reasons, the air gap made larger than the normal size.
 DESIGN OF ROTOR BARS AND SLOTS
Rotor Bar Current
current in each bar
Ib= 2 msKws Ts Is cosφ / Sr
For a three phase machine ms = 3.
Ib= 6 Ts Is Kws cos / Sr

= 0.85 x 6 IsTs / Sr
The above relation may be interpreted as
that rotor mmf is about 85 % of stator mmf.

Ir = msKws Ts I'r / mrKwr Tr

I'r = current in sttaor ms, Phase equivalent to the rotor current in mr Phases
mr = Sr/Pr , Tr= p/2 and Kwr = 1
Ib = 2 msKws Ts I'r cos / Sr = ms Kws Ts I'r / (Sr/p ) x p/2 x 1

= 2 m K T I' / S I' = I cosφ

 Area of Rotor Bars
The performance of an induction motor is greatly influenced by the resistance
of rotor. A motor designed with high rotor resistance has the advantage that it
has a high starting torque.However, a rotor with a high resistance has the
disadvantage that its I2R loss is greater and therefore its efticiency is lower
under running conditions.
The value of rotor resistance depends upon the current density used for rotor
conductors,the higher the current density, the lower is the conductor area and
greater the resistance.
A rotor designed with a high value of current density results in high starting
torque and a lower efficiency for the machine.The rotor resistance is the sum of
the resistance of the bars and the end rings. The cross-section of the bars and
the end rings must be so selected that a proper value of rotor resistance is
obtained i.e.
A value of rotor resistance which meets both the requirements of starting
torque as well as the efficiency.
Current density in the rotor bars may be taken between 4 to 7 A/mm2.
Area of each bar ab 4/8 mm2 where o, is the current density in rotor bars
A/mm2.
Shape and Size of Rotors Slots
 Rotor Slot Insulation

No insulation is used between bars and rotor core.

A clearance of 0.15 to 0.4 mm between rotor bars and the core depending

upon whether slots are skewed or not.

Higher clearances have to be left for the skewed slots.

 Rotor Slot Insulation
Bxample 10.8. A 3 phase, 4 pole 50 Hz induction motor has 21 stator and 28 rotor ol
rove that it has a tendency to run as a synchronous motor at 214.3 r.p.m.
Solution. Synchronous speed n, = 2 x 50/4 = 25 r.p.s.
Order of forward rotating field produced by stator slotting n = 2 x 24/4 + 1 = 13
and this revolves at a speed n/15 with respect,to stator.
Order of backward rotating field produced by rotor slotting
10.28
slots.
lts speed with respect to rotor is - (n, - n /13 where n, is the speed of the rotor. The roton
revolves forward at a speed n. and therefore it revolves its 13th harmonic at a speed
n' = 2 x 28/14 1 = 13.
- (n,-n/13 + n,
with respect to stator.
Hence in order that the two fields may revolve synchronously with respect to each order
we havee
1, 13
13
13
Speed of rotor
Therefore, the motor has a tendency to crawl at 214.3 r.p.m. (fixed) due to harmonie
n = n/7 = 25/7 r.p.s. = 214.3 r.p.m.
synchronous torque.
 Rotor Slot Insulation
Example 10.7. A 3 phase 4 pole, 50 Hz motor has 24 stator and 41 rotor slots and has a
crawling speed of 11.5 r.p.m. What are the precise causes for this abnormal performance ? Explain
that the machine has large vibrations.
Solution. Synchronous speed = 120 x 50/4 = 1500 r.p.m.
) Let us first consider harmonic fields produced by windings. A 3 phase winding produces
harmonic fields of order
n = 6Nt 1 where N is an integer.
For
N 1,
n = 6 x 11 = 7, 5.
Thus the winding produces a forward rotating 7th harmonic and backward rotating 5th
harmonic field.
It the 7th harmonic is strong, it will make the motor run at approximately 1/7th of
synchronous speed.
1/7th synchronous speed = 1500/7 = 214.3 r.p.m.
But the crawling speed is 155 r.p.m. and therefore 7th harmonic produced by winding is
not responsible for abnormal behaviour.
N = 2, n = 6 x 2 +1 = 13.
For
Synchronous speed corresponding to 13th harmonic = 1500/13 = 115.4 r.p.m.
Therefore, the machine will run at about 115 r.p.m. if 13th harmonic has sufficient strength.
 Rotor Slot Insulation
ii) Let us consider the harmonic fields due to slotting.
n = 2S 1 2x24 = 13, 11.
P
Thus there is a forward rotating 13th harmonic, the synchronous speed corresponding to
which is 115.4 r.p.m. Therefore, the machine crawls at about 115 rp.m.
Hence the 13th harmonic fields produced by stator winding and slotting are responsible for
crawling of machine at 115 r.p.m.
The machine produces 11th harmonic field. The number of 11th harmonic poles is
11 x 4 = 44. Thus there is a rotor bar corresponding to every 11th harmonic pole and therefore
there will be very large 11th harmonic current flowing in the machine which will cause it to
vibrate violently.
 Rotor Slot Insulation
Example 10.9. A 3 phase, 4 pole induction motor has 24 slots. Calculate the order of slot
harmonics produced. It is desired to completely eliminate the higher order slot harmonic, find
the angle through uwhich the bars must be skewed. Find the effect of skewing on the lower order
harmonic.
Solution.
Order of slot harmonics n = 2(S /p) 1 = 2(24/4) 1 = 13, 11.
It is desired to completely eliminate the 13th harmonic.
Angle of skew
Electrical angle of skew 0., = (4/2) x 13.85 = 27.70° = 0.483 radian.
0, 720/(n x p) = 720/(13 x 4) = 13.85° mech.
Distribution factor for 11th harmonic
sin ne/22
Ka1
sin 11 x 0.483/2
11x 0.483/2 0.176.
Therefore, the 11th harmonic emf with skewing is reduced to 17.6% of value obtaineu
n0s/2
without skewing.
 DESIGN OF END RINGS
End Ring Current
The distribution of current in the bars and end rings of a squirrel cage motor is complicated shows a
developed cage winding under two pole pitches
The stator winding is a 3 phase distributed winding and thus produces a revolving field
may be considered as sinusoidally distributed in space as the harmonics in most case are small
and produce only secondary effects. This revolving field produces emts of fundamental frequency in
the bars. Fig. 10.28 (b) shows the magnitude of emfs in the bars and if the bars a assumed to be
infinitely distributed, the distribution of emfs can be considered as Sinusoidal in bars over a pole
pitch. These emfs produced in the bars would circulate currents as shown in 10.28 (c). If the
resistance of end rings is negligible as compared with that of the bars, the resistance coming in
each current path is the resistance of two bars. Thus the current which the bars carry would be
proportional to their instantaneous emfs which in turn depend upon the the bars in the magnetic
field. Thus the wave which represents the emf would represent fhe bar currènt also. Fig. 10.28 (d)
shows the wave representing currents in bars.
It is observed from Fig. 10.28 (c) that at points where the current is maximum in the bars,
eurrent is zero in the end rings but the end ring current is maximum where the current in the bars is
zero. The current in the end rings is also sinusoidal, its nature being as indicated in Figs. 10.28 (c)
and (d).
It should be understood that the end ring resistance, if not negligible, will tend to distort the bar
current distribution from being sinusoidal.
 DESIGN OF END RINGS
The distribution of current in the bars and end rings
of a squirrel cage motor is complicated shows a
developed cage winding under two pole pitches
This revolving field produces emts of fundamental
frequency in the bars. Fig.(b) shows the magnitude
of emfs in the bars and if the bars a assumed to be
infinitely distributed, the distribution of emfs can be
considered as Sinusoidal in bars over a pole pitch.
These emfs produced in the bars would circulate
currents as shown in (c)
Resistance of end rings is negligible as
compared with that of the bars, the resistance
coming in each current path is the resistance
of two bars.The current which the bars carry
would be proportional to their instantaneous
emfs which in turn depend upon the the bars
in the magnetic field. Thus the wave which
represents the emf would represent fhe bar
currènt also.
Fig.(d) shows the wave representing currents in bars.It is observed from Fig (c) that
at points where the current is maximum in the bars,eurrent is zero in the end rings
but the end ring current is maximum where the current in the bars is zero. The
current in the end rings is also sinusoidal.
 DESIGN OF END RING
Considering a group of rotor bars under one pole pitch, one half would send current to an
end ring in one direction and the other half in the other direction. If the maximum value of
thecurrent in each bar is Ib(max)and if the current is maximum in all the bars at the same
time,
Maximum value of the current in the end ring
= bars per pole /2 x current per bar = Sr/2 ( Ib(max))

However, current is not maximum in all the bars under one pole at the same time but
varies according to sine law ; hence, the maximum value of the current in the end ring is
the average of the current of half the bars under one pole.
Maximum value of end ring current= Ie(max) = 2/π x Sr/ 2p x Ib(max)
But the bar current varies sinusoidally
Ib(max) = √2Ib

Ie(max) = 2/π..x Sr/ 2p x √2Ib

End ring current also varies sinusoidally
R.m.s. value of end ring current

Ie(max)= Ie(max) / √2 = 1/√2 x 2/π x Sr/ 2p x √2Ib

 Area of End Rings
The value of current density chosen for the end rings should be such that the desired value of
rotor resistance is obtained.
The ventilation is generally better for end rings and therefore a slightly higher value of current
density than that obtaining in rotor bars can be taken.

Area of each end ring

ae = le/δe = Sr Ib/πp δe mm2

where δe= current density in end rings, A/mm2.

Area of ring ae
= depth of end ring x thickness of end ring
= de x t e

Fig. 10.29. Dimensions of end rin

 FULL LOAD SLIP
• The value of slip at full load is determined by the rotor resistance. A
reasonable rotor resIstance to be incorporated in the rotor can be
obtained by the knowledge of reas ofdes of full load slip. The value of slip,
s, is derived from the following relationship
• Rotor copper loss / rotor output = s /1- s
• where s is the per unit slip.
• Table: Gives the usual values of per cent slip at full load for various ratings

Output Per cent slip

0.75 5.0
3.70 4.2
7.50 4.0
18.50 3.7
37.00 3.5
75.00 3.2
150.00 3.0