EEE3441 Electrical Machines

Department of Electrical Engineering

│ Lecture │

Introduction to Electrical Machines

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 1

 EEE3441 Electrical Machines

In this Lecture ……
Induction motors and synchronous machines are
introduced

Production of rotating magnetic field

Three-phase Induction motors
 Construction & operating principles
 Slip
 Characteristics & starting methods

Three-phase synchronous machines
 Construction & operating principles
 Characteristics

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 2

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Production of Rotating Magnetic Field

Rotating Magnetic Field is very important to the operation of
electrical machines, especially for 3-phase induction motor, and
it is produced by three-phase voltages

Three phase voltages has a phase displacement of 120°, hence
at any instant of time there is a different voltage values in the
three phases

The three phase voltage is sinusoidal in waveform

Let us examine one complete cycle of a very low frequency
three phase voltage (period T = 360 seconds), at an interval of
30° electrical degrees, and we tabulate the three phase voltages
in the following table:

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φ Voltages
Instantaneous Values of 3-φ
3 Phase Voltage (Volts)
Time angle Red Yellow Blue
Phase phase Phase
0 0 0 -86.6 86.6
1 30 50 -100 50
2 60 86.6 -86.6 0
3 90 100 -50 -50
4 120 86.6 0 -86.6
5 150 50 50 -100
6 180 0 86.6 -86.6
7 210 -50 100 -50
8 240 -86.6 86.6 0
9 270 -100 50 50
10 300 -86.6 0 86.6
11 330 -50 -50 100
12 360 0 -86.6 86.6

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Magnetic Field produced by three phase currents when 3

phase voltage is applied to the stator of a 2-pole induction
motor
Finish

Phase Winding

Start Start

Assume current
flows into these
winding ends when
Stator of induction motor
input voltage is
positive
Finish Finish

Start

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (1/13)

Time : t = 0
Red phase = 0 V
Yellow Phase = -86.6 V
Blue Phase = +86.6 V

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (2/13)

Time : t = 30 Sec
Red phase = 50 V
Yellow Phase = - 100 V
Blue Phase = + 50 V

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (3/13)

Time : t = 60 sec
Red phase = +86.6 V
Yellow Phase = -86.6 V
Blue Phase = 0 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 9

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (4/13)

Time : t = 90 sec
Red phase = +100 V
Yellow Phase = - 50 V
Blue Phase = - 50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 10

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (5/13)

Time : t = 120 sec

Red phase = +86.6 V
Yellow Phase = 0 V
Blue Phase = -86.6 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 11

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (6/13)

Time : t = 150 sec

Red phase = +50 V
Yellow Phase = +50 V
Blue Phase = -100 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 12

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (7/13)

Time : t = 180 sec

Red phase = 0 V
Yellow Phase = +86.6 V
Blue Phase = -86.6 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 13

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (8/13)

Time : t = 210 sec

Red phase = -50 V
Yellow Phase = +100 V
Blue Phase = -50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 14

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (9/13)

Time : t = 240 sec

Red phase = -86.6 V
Yellow Phase = +86.6 V
Blue Phase = 0 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 15

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (10/13)

Time : t = 270 sec

Red phase = -100 V
Yellow Phase = +50 V
Blue Phase = +50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 16

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (11/13)

Time : t = 300 sec

Red phase = -86.6 V
Yellow Phase = 0 V
Blue Phase = +86.6 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 17

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (12/13)

Time : t = 330 sec

Red phase = -50 V
Yellow Phase = -50 V
Blue Phase = +100 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 18

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Magnetic Field produced in a 2-pole induction motor (13/13)

Time : t = 360 sec

Red phase = 0 V
Yellow Phase = -86.6 V
Blue Phase = +86.6 V

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3-phase Induction Motor

Constructions and Operating Principles

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Two types of 3-φ Induction Motor

1. Squirrel Cage Induction Motor
2. Slip-ring (wound) Rotor Induction Motor

Stator Construction

Stator construction is the

same for the two types of
induction motors

Stator windings

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Squirrel Cage Induction Motor (cross sectional view)

Iron Core
Finish

Phase Winding

Start Start

Stator of induction motor

Finish Finish
Squirrel Cage

Start

Squirrel cage Rotor

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Squirrel Cage Induction Motor

– its rotor is in form of Squirrel Cage
ING
R T C IRCUIT
SHO G
COR
E
IN IUM RIN
IR O N
TH FOR ALUM
EP A
P R OVID FIELD
TO NET
IC
M A G

AST R
DIE C NIUM BA
MI
ALU

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Squirrel Cage Rotor

Die Cast Copper Rotor used in Energy-efficient Motors

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3-phase Slip-ring (Wound rotor) Induction Motor

Running Position

Brush
Three
Phase
Supply

Rotor Windings External Resistors

Stator Windings Slip Rings Starting Position

(Also called Wound Rotor Induction Motor)

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3-phase Slip-ring (Wound rotor) Induction Motor

Slip-rings

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3-phase Slip-ring (Wound rotor) Induction Motor

A slip ring rotor is wound with star connected three phase
windings, the winding ends are brought out and connected
to the exterior through three slip rings.

The cage rotor is easy to manufacture, hence it is cheap
and robust. However, we cannot do anything with the
rotor circuit, in other words we cannot control the speed
or starting torque of a cage rotor.

A slip ring rotor is expensive to manufacture and it is
vunerable to overheat, but we can connect suitable
external resistance through the slip rings to the rotor
circuit. As a result, we can control the starting torque
and running characteristic of the slip ring motor.

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Operating Principles of 3-phase induction motor

A rotating magnetic field is produced when a three
phase voltage is fed to the stator of a three phase
induction motor

This rotating field will traverse the aluminium conductors
of the squirrel cage rotor

According to Fleming‘s Right hand rule for generator,
e.m.f. is induced in the aluminium bars of the squirrel
cage

According to Fleming‘s Left hand rule for motor, a
torque is produced which will drive the rotor rotating in
the same direction as the magnetic field

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• Rotor Conductor ”cutting” by the Rotating Magnetic Field

Rotating Finish conductor of the

direction of aluminium cage
magnetic field

Start Start

Finish Finish

Start

At standstill
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• Induced current is produced and flowing in the closed

rotor conductor circuit
• The direction of the induced current is determined by
Fleming Right Hand rule (Generation)
Rotating
direction of Finish
S
magnetic
field
Start Start

Relative
direction of
motion of the
Finish Finish aluminium
cage
conductor
N Start

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• An electromagnetic force is produced by the interaction

between the induced current and the rotating magnetic field
• Thus an electromagnetic torque turns the rotor to rotate.
• The direction of the electromagnetic torque is determined by
Fleming Left Hand rule (Motor)

Rotating
direction of Finish

magnetic field

Start Start
S

Direction of
electromagnetic
Finish Finish torque
N
Start

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Speed of Rotating Field

Synchronous Speed [NS (rpm) or nS (rps)]

We noticed that a complete sinusoidal cycle will cause
the magnetic field produced to rotate a complete 360°
in a two pole 3-phase induction motor.

Since there are 60 seconds in one minute, the speed of
the rotating field is equal to : 60 x frequency

A basic 2-pole induction motor has a set of three
winding groups installed in the stator (Red start &
finish, Yellow start & finish and Blue start & finish)

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Speed of Rotating Field

For an induction motor with 4 poles, there are two
sets of three winding groups installed in the stator,
as a result, the magnetic field only rotates 180° for
every complete cycle of the sinusoidal waveform.
Therefore, for an induction motor with p pole-pairs,
the speed of the rotating field is given by:

f 60 f
( rps ) OR ( r pm )
p p

f = supply frequency and p = No. of pole-pairs

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Slip

The magnetic field of an induction motor rotates at a
synchronous speed (Ns) which is equal to 60 f
p

This magnetic field will induce current in the rotor circuit,
causing the rotor to run in the same direction as the field

However, the speed of the rotor (Nr) is always slower
than the speed of the field. Since if the speed of the rotor
is equal to that of the field there will be no induced e.m.f.
and there will be no driving torque to keep the rotor
running
Ns − Nr

Slip (s) is defined as
Ns

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Example of Slip Calculation

Calculate the slip of an 8-pole, 3-phase induction motor
running at 846 rpm. The frequency of the three phase supply
is 60 Hz.

60 × frequency 60 × 60
Synchronous speed Ns = = = 900 rpm
pole − pairs 4

Rotor speed Nr = 846 rpm

Ns − Nr 900 − 846 54
Therefore Slip = = =
Ns 900 900
= 0.06

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Slip Equation Revisit

Ns − Nr
s= Ns

s Ns = Ns − Nr
Rotor Speed
Slip Speed (Speed of the rotor)
(Speed of the rotating
magnetic field cutting Synchronous Speed
across the rotor (Speed of the rotating magnetic field)
conductors)
sf frequency

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Typical Torque / Slip Curve of Induction Motor

Torque

Maximum Normal
Torque Working
(Breakdown Region
Torque)

Starting
Torque

S=0
S=1 Slip
( Synchronous )
( Standstill ) speed speed

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Starting Method of Induction Motors

A squirrel cage motor is at stationary before it is started, there is no
back e.m.f. to oppose the current. Therefore, if this motor is
connected directly to the supply, will take an initial starting current
which is about 5 to 6 times of the full load value.
Though this current decreases rapidly as the motor accelerates, it
will cause harm to the motor and will affect the voltage regulation
of the power supply

1. Direct on Line (DOL)

Three Motor
Small motors up to the size of phase
5 hp are allowed to be started supply

with direct on line (DOL)

starter
contactor

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2. Star-Delta Starter

When the rating of the motor exceed 5 hp Some starting means
must be used to start the motor. A star/delta starter is normally
used because it is the simpliest and cheapest type of starter.

During starting, the stator winding is temporarily connected in
star, therefore only phase voltage is applied to the stator. The
starting current is reduced to 1/3 of the Direct on line starting
current. The starting torque, which is proportional to the starting
current, reduces also to 1/3 of the value at direct on line starting.

After a period of about 5 seconds, the motor have accelerated to
nearly full load speed. The stator winding is now reconnected as
delta, and full line voltage is applied each phase of the stator.

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Schematic Diagram of a Star-Delta Starter

Stator

Supply Rotor

Delta
Star
Switch

Running Starting

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3. Auto-transformer Starter

Some loads are very heavy and it will take a few minutes
before it can run to full speed, these motors have to be started
by means of transformer starter.

The reduced voltage during starting is obtained from the
different tappings (40% , 60% , 75%) of an auto-transformer.

In the running condition, full voltage is applied to the stator
and the transformer is cut out of the circuit.
Starting
Auto-transformer Starter

Rotor
Supply

Stator
Winding
Running
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4. Starting of Wound Rotor Induction Motor

The wound rotor (slip ring) induction motor can be started by
inserting additional resistance in series with the rotor winding
through the slip rings.

In this way, maximun torque is obtained during starting. The
additional resistance is cut off from the circuit as soon as the motor
is started to avoid excessive power loss in the resistance.
Running Position

Brush

Three
Phase
Supply

Stator Windings Rotor Windings Slip Rings External Resistors Starting Position

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 42

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Synchronous machines
Basic construction

A 3-phase synchronous machine is essentially composed of
a stationary stator and a rotating rotor

The stator is made of soft iron to provide the magnetic
field a path with low permeability, the iron is laminated
to reduce eddy current and hysteresis iron loss. The stator
had a similar construction as that of a 3-phase induction
motor. Three phase windings installed in the stator slots
which are placed at 120 electrical degree apart

The rotor is an electromagnet placed inside the stator, the
rotor has the same number of poles as that of the stator.
There are two types of rotor construction; the salient pole
and the cylindrical rotor.
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Three phase synchronous generator

The salient pole generator has a salient pole rotor structure,

this machine is ideal for slow running power generation at
50 - 60 Hz. The salient pole is wound with D.C. winding and
current is fed to the rotor via slip rings. The salient pole has
a nearly sinusoidal air gap so that the machine will produce
sinusoidal output.

The cylindrical rotor generator has a cylindrical rotor, the
rotor is wound with windings fed with D.C. currents. The
number of windings in each slot is so selected that the
magnetic flux is close to sinusoidal distribution. However,
the output waveform is still polygonal in shape and there is
a high harmonic contents in the generated voltage.
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Salient pole three phase synchronous generator

Finish

Phase Winding
N
Start Start

Stator of synchronous
Generator
Finish Finish

Start

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Salient pole synchronous generator

Advantages:
 The air gap between the stator and the rotor can be
adjusted so that the magnetic flux is sinusoidal in
distribution. As a result the output waveform will also be
sinusoidal in nature

Disadvantages:
 The salient pole has a weak structure so that this
machine is not suitable for high speed application such as
the turbo-generator on air-plane.
 The salient pole generator is expensive

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 46

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Cylindrical rotor synchronous generator

Stator Winding
Finish

Rotor winding
Start Start fed with D.C.
current

Stator of synchronous
Generator
Finish Finish

Start
Rotor

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Cylindrical rotor synchronous generator

Advantages:
 The cylindrical rotor is cheaper than the salient pole rotor
 The cylindrical rotor is robotic in design, because it is
symmetrical in shape, dynamically balance can be easily
obtained. Hence it can be used for high speed application, say,
coupled to turbo-engine such as the generator in an air-craft.

Disadvantages:
 The air gap is uniform for the rotor, the generated voltage will
have a polygonal waveform depending on the number of
windings on each of the rotor slots. Though the shape of the
polygon is adjusted to be nearly sinusoidal, the output
waveform still defers from the sine wave and therefore the
harmonic content of the cylindrical rotor generator is high
compared with that of the salient pole design
© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 48
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Reasons for need of synchronous generator

Dual voltages can be obtained from three phase supply; for
example, 380 V three phase line voltage for heavy power
applications and 220 V single phase voltage for domestic and light
current applications.

It is more economic to use three phase power. Only three
conductors are required to transmit three-phase currents for
balanced three-phase load compared with six conductors for three
single phase loads.

A rotating magnetic field will be produced when three phase
currents are fed to the stator of a 3-phase induction motor, thus
providing cheap and convenient mechanical power for industry

The synchronous generator can generate leading power factor kVA
which can compensate the lagging power factor of the power
transmission system

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Fleming’s Right Hand Rule for generator

or)
(of co ION
nduct
MO T
FIE
LD

R R ENT
CU

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

N
S

Time : t = 0
Red phase = 0 V
Yellow Phase = -86.6 V
Blue Phase = +86.6 V

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

N
S

Time : t = 30 Sec
Red phase = 50 V
Yellow Phase = - 100 V
Blue Phase = + 50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 52

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

Time : t = 60 sec
S
Red phase = +86.6 V
Yellow Phase = -86.6 V
Blue Phase = 0 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 53

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

Time : t = 90 sec
S Red phase = +100 V
Yellow Phase = - 50 V
Blue Phase = - 50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 54

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

Time : t = 120 sec

S
Red phase = +86.6 V
Yellow Phase = 0 V
Blue Phase = -86.6 V

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

S Time : t = 150 sec

Red phase = +50 V
Yellow Phase = +50 V
Blue Phase = -100 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 56

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

S
Time : t = 180 sec
Red phase = 0 V
Yellow Phase = +86.6 V
Blue Phase = -86.6 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 57

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

S
N

Time : t = 210 sec

Red phase = -50 V
Yellow Phase = +100 V
Blue Phase = -50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 58

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

N Time : t = 240 sec

Red phase = -86.6 V
Yellow Phase = +86.6 V
Blue Phase = 0 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 59

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

Time : t = 270 sec

N
Red phase = -100 V
Yellow Phase = +50 V
Blue Phase = +50 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 60

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

N Time : t = 300 sec

Red phase = -86.6 V
Yellow Phase = 0 V
Blue Phase = +86.6 V

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 61

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

N Time : t = 330 sec

Red phase = -50 V
Yellow Phase = -50 V
Blue Phase = +100 V

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Three phase voltages produced by the salient pole generator

N
S

Time : t = 360 sec

Red phase = 0 V
Yellow Phase = -86.6 V
Blue Phase = +86.6 V

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Voltage Regulation for a synchronous generator

Voltage regulation for a synchronous generator is defined

as the change in terminal voltage when full load in kVA at
a given power factor is removed, the field excitation
remains constant
VNL − VFL

Per Cent Regulation = × 100 %
VFL

VNL is the no-load terminal voltage produced by rotor

excitation
VFL is the rated full load terminal voltage, which is usually
the voltage at the infinite busbar
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Variation of terminal voltage with load

(synchronous generator)

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Advantages of the synchronous motor:

1. The ease of which the power factor can be controlled.
2. The speed is constant and independent of the load.

Disadvantages of the synchronous motor:

1. The cost per kilowatt is generally higher than that of

an induction motor.
2. A d.c. supply is necessary for the rotor excitation.
3. Some arrangements must be provided for starting and
synchronizing the motor.

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Methods to start a Synchronous Motor

1. Use a variable – frequency supply or

2. Start the machine as an induction motor.

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Department of Electrical Engineering

│ END of Lecture │

Introduction to Electrical Machines

© Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong. Week 1