278

Principles of Basic Electrical Engineering

POIy-phase andsingle-phase induction motors have been developed. lnduction motors are
DOUS motors as they run at a
speed other than the synchronous speed of their fux. This chanalso calt
also called asyn.
ne
construction features, principle of
operation, and operating characteristics
Single phase ac motors, in the fractional kilowatt range, find applicationsofinthree-phase inducti
homes, offices, ando
discusses
ndividual load
requirements due to their low cost and simple construction. offices, and shops
to
7.2
A
CONSTRUCTION FEATURES OF THREE-PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS
threc-phase induction motor primarily consists of two
called rotor. In the parts: an outer part, called stator, and an inna.
induction motor a rotating magnetic flux is
to the produced by connecting a three-phasener p
three-phase winding housed in the stator. The rotor is called the armature, and
WIndings in which the current is induced, because of which carries shortc suply
the starting torque is
produced. rcuited
7.2.1 Stator
The stator of an
induction motor is practically identical with the stator of an alternator. It is
a
uniformly distributed three-phase winding, called stator or designed to e.

star delta across the main source

or primary winding, which can be connected carmy
of supply. In such a case, all six terminals are ed in
terminal box to
provide flexibility to change the connection from star to delta usually brought out to t
The stator
winding draws a current, from the three-phase ac voltage source, ifwhichever there is a need to daethe
gap. Since the stator is sets up a flux
subjected in the air
such as silicon
to an
alternating flux, it is made of laminations of high
In small
steel, so as to minimize
hysteresis and eddy-current losses. permeability steel
motors, where low core loss is not so
are
provided along the length of the core by important, thicker laminations are used.
providing spacers between batches of laminations. Ventilating ducts
windings, which are suitable for the stator of alternators, can also be used for the stator of
In general
double-layer winding is always used because of its greater ease of induction
stator windings are almost manufacture, assembly, and repair. motors, A
always short-pitched as this reduces the copper Moreover,
also reduces the
leakage reactance and harmonic torque disturbances. Stator weight and winding
resistance and
insulated corresponding to the winding is always
voltage rating of the induction motor. A perspective view of completely
three-phase induction motor is shown in Fig. 7.1. the stator ofa

7.2.2 Rotor
The rotor of an induction motor is
cylindrical and is
assembled by using sheet steel laminations of the Stator
same
material as the stator. However, because of the
lower
frequencies of the rotor flux, thicker laminations can
be used without excessive loss. In Core
small rotors, the Terminal
lamination is of one piece; in large motors,
laminations are used, which are held segmented box
together with the
help of a central spider. Ventilating ducts are often
Winding
provided in the rotor core. Fan blades are generally
used at the ends of the rotor core to force
air through the machine. circulating
The rotor surface is slotted, and rotor
conductors are
placed in these slots. Usually semi-closed slots are used
in rotors as the open slots increase the
effective length Fig.7.1 Stator of a three-phase induction motor
 of the air
Induction Motors 279
gap considerably
and the
maximum torque of the motor. The closed slots increase the leakage reactance, which in turn
number of tecth in the rotor is decreases the
stator teeth in such a always made different from the number of
way 1hat a magnetic
often used to hold coils in these locking of the rotor at starting does not occur.
slots. An induction Magnetic wedges are
issupported on both sides
by two end shields whichmotor is provided with a narrow air gap. Hence, the rotor
induction motors as this makes house the bearings. Ball-and-roller
centering of the bearings are used in
to avoid the danger of the rotor rotor simpler and accurate. The rotor must be properly balanced
Based on the type of rotor striking
the stator.

Iv,(i) the squirrel cage rotor and (ii)

windings,
rotors of induction motors
may be classified into two
the wound rotor. The types, name-
and cheaper than the coil wound rotors. squirrel cage rotors are simple, more
the induction motors employed in
Because of the robust structure of this rugged,
of rotor, about 90% of
type
industry of this type. However, the main
rotor is the flexibility to vary the rotor
are
resistance by inserting suitable external advantage of the coil wound
rings. which is normally used to provide a resistances between the slip
high starting torque.
7.2.2.1 Squirrel Cage Rotor
The windings of squirrel cage rotors consist
of solid,
bare conductors of aluminium, Short-circuiting
copper, brass, which
or
are in the form of bars Ting
placed in the rotor slots close
to the rotor surface and almost
parallel to the shaft.
Un-insulated conductors are used since they do not
short-circuit the core; the latter has a high resistance
compared to the conductors, and the current takes a
path of low resistance through the conductors. The Shaft
conductor bars are welded, brazed, or bolted to
two
end rings, thus short-circuiting Core
them; thereby providing Conductor
a complete
path for the flow of current in the rotor. Fig. 7.2 Squirel cage rotor
Many squirrel cage rotors are built with aluminium bars
and end rings cast
squirrel cage induction motors have directly
rotor is
shown in Fig. 7.2. Some in the rotor. A
squirrel cage
rotor slots which
shaft but are skewed at a desired are not
parallel to the
angle, as shown in Fig. 7.2, which result in
humming noise during running, and avoid magnetic locking. a more uniform torque, reduce
7.2.2.2 Wound Rotor
The windings of wound rotors are similar to stator
windings. The coil wound rotor must be wound for Rotor winding
the same number of
poles as that of the stator. The
Conductors used are bar type or strap type when
fewer turns per
phase are required, or wire type when
more turns
per phase are to be used. Either a delta or
OO Shaft
slar connection
may be used, but the star connection
15
generally preferred. The terminals of the winding
are brought out to three slip rings, which are tapped
by brushes. Skewed
During starting, external resistances rotor slots
aTe connected in the rotor circuit, which are cut out Slip rings
Shorting of slip rings during running. Figure 7,.3 Fig.7.3 Aslip-ring or wound rotor of an induction motor
OwS a wound rotor with slip rings.
 280 Principles of Basic Electrical Engineering

7.3 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF THREE-PHASE INDUCTION MOTOR

When the stator of an induction motor is connected across Rotation of stator flux
a balanced three-phase ac supply, it draws a balanced three- Stator
phase current, which sets up a rotating magnetic field of Stator
constant magnitude (already discussed in Section 7.5). The
conductor
magnetic flux rotating at the synchronous speed sweeps
past the rotor conductors, which are stationary at the start, Rotor
and induces emfs in them. The frequency of the induced conductor
emfs in the rotor conductors is same as the supply frequen-
cy. As the rotor conductors are short-circuited the induced Rotor
emfs produce three-phase rotor currents, which in turn
produce a magnetic field that revolves at the same speed (a)
asthe stator field. A starting torque is produced due to the Stator Stator
interaction of these two fields and tends to turn the rotor in Stator
s
the direction of rotation of the stator field. Now, according
to Lenz's law, the developed torque must oppose the cause
to which it is due, that is, cutting of flux lines by rotor con-
ductors. Therefore, the developed torque makes the
rotor Rotor Rotor
move in the direction of the flux waves so as to reduce the Rotor
relative speed between the stator flux wave and the rotor (b)
conductors, thereby reducing the cutting of flux lines by
the rotor conductors. If the starting torque is sufficient to Fig. 7.4 (a) Induction motor with cage rotor;
overcome the load torque on the motor shaft, the
motor will (b) force on rotor
startrotatingand reach its operating speed. However, the
as at that speed the rotor conductors would
operating speed can never be equal to the synchronous speed Ns
be stationary with respect to the stator field. As a result, there will be no fiux cutting by the rotor conductors
the rotor speed, N, of an induction motor
and, hence, the developed torque will be zero. As a matter of fact,
is always slightly less than the synchronous speed.
Figure 7.4(a) shows the distribution offlux, at a particular instant in a two-pole stator, of an induction motor
whenthe former is connected across a balanced three-phase ac supply of frequencyfhertz. Ifthe stator rotating
fux rotates anticlockwise at an angular velocity a =21f, the direction ofthe induced emf generated in the
stationary rotor conductors can be determined by Fleming's right hand rule. The emf generated in one rotor
conductor is shown separately in Fig. 7.4(b). In Fig. 7.4(b), the first part shows the stator flux rotating at an
angular speed w and links the rotor conductor; the second part shows that the induced current circulating n
the rotor conductor produces a flux around it in the clockwise direction, determined by Maxwell's corkscre
nule, and the third part shows the effect of this flux, which strengthens the flux density on the right hand side
and weakens that on the left hand side of the conductor. This causes the conductor to be pushed toward the

left. Thus the rotor also begins to rotate in

direction, that is, in the direction of the rotating
the anticlockwise
magnetic field. Thus, induction motors are self-starting.
Just before the rotor starts
rotating, the frequency of the induced emf in the rotor is equal to hat
of the supply frequency since the relative
is the synchronous
speed between the rotor and the rotating magncthe
speed. As the rotor picks up speed, the relative speed between the the

synchronously rotating magnetic field reduces, thereby rotorn

In other words, closer is the reducing the frequency of the inuall
speed of the rotor to the synchronous speed of rotating magnee smal
is the frequency and
magnitude of the induced emf in the rotor. the