Student name: Group:

Date of lab:

Cardiff School of Engineering, Year 2 EN2712 - Electrical Machines Laboratory

Lab sheet v3.1, DJR Nov 2012, rev MA 2024

Experiment 2: Induction machines

Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Prerequisites ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Experimental setup ............................................................................................................................ 3
2 Induction machine experiments .................................................................................................................. 6
2.1 Induction machine: No-load test ....................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Induction machine: Full-voltage load test ......................................................................................... 8
2.3 Induction machine: Low-voltage torque-speed test ........................................................................ 10
3 Analysis, discussion and questions ............................................................................................................ 12
3.1 Induction machine ........................................................................................................................... 12
3.1.1 Finding parameters for the equivalent circuit model .................................................................. 12
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

Important safety information: This experiment involves rotating machinery and

potentially hazardous voltages.

All machines are guarded but there remains a low risk of entanglement with the
machine shafts. Do not touch the machines when they are running and ensure
they are fully de-energised when an experiment is not being conducted. Remove
neckties and secure long hair.

Shielded connectors are used throughout in order to minimise the risk of exposure
to hazardous voltages. Do not use any damaged leads and report them
immediately to a laboratory demonstrator.

Note the position of the on-off switches of the power supply and DC motor drive.
These can be used to disable the machines if required.

The laboratory demonstrators are here to help. If you are unsure about anything
just ask.

Page 2 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

1 Introduction
Once you have completed this experiment you should be able to:

1. For the induction machine

a. Describe the torque-speed characteristics over the full speed range at low voltages
b. Describe the behaviour of the machine around synchronous speed at full voltage
c. Extract parameter values for the induction machine equivalent circuit model using locked
rotor and no-load tests
d. Give reasons for the industrial popularity of this machine and discuss machine efficiency
characteristics

Questions are posed throughout this worksheet and normally followed by a box for an answer. Make
every effort to answer these, and ask a demonstrator for help if you are unsure. You may find it helpful to
draft an answer on separate paper first and then fill in the boxes once you have a concise result.

In several places in this worksheet you are asked to graph your results using Excel. Note that the standard
Excel graph format is not appropriate for engineering or scientific display of data because it lacks x-axis
divisions and grid lines! Make sure you correctly label your axes, give appropriate units and ensure your
graphs are large and clear. Use curve fitting tools very carefully: Draw your own line of best fit if in doubt!

1.1 Prerequisites
You should already have completed a laboratory session on the DC machines in Year 1:

1. A single graph plotting speed against torque for the separately excited, shunt and series machines
(i.e. three lines on one graph)
2. A single graph plotting machine efficiency against shaft power characteristics of the separately
excited, shunt and series machines (i.e. three lines on one graph)

Please revise it. If you have not completed this, please ensure that you do so before you begin this lab
sheet.

1.2 Experimental setup

There are two AC machine types to be investigated in the machine laboratory sessions. These experiments
use the same four-quadrant drive, load/drive machine and power supply as you used in the DC motor test.
The only difference is that the machine under test has been changed to either an induction machine or a
synchronous machine.

The large power supply unit on the bottom right contains a variable autotransformer which will be used to
vary the AC supply voltage for the induction machine. It also has variable DC supply which will be used to
separately excite the rotor of the synchronous machine. An AC measurement unit provides a variety of
measurements, including voltage, current, frequency, power factor, real and reactive power read outs for a
single circuit. You can cycle through the measurement pages using the ↵ key. A large three-phase variable
resistor is used with in the synchronous machine experiment. This is located to the right of the bench.

Functional diagram of the experimental setup is given in Figure 2. The diagram shows the split between the
drive/load machine and the machine under test. The wiring for the drive/load machine and DC drive will
have already been completed for you but you will need to complete the wiring for the machine under test.
You must wire up the machine under test with reference to the diagrams for each of the experiments in

Page 3 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

turn. Double check your wiring and polarity of the connections! If you are unsure, please ask a
demonstrator.

This experiment uses three-phase machines which have all six stator terminals available. The machines may
be connected in ‘star’ or (Y) ‘delta’ (Δ) as shown in Figure 1. Ensure you understand which connection
method has been specified and that you understand what this means for the relationship between your
measured voltages and currents and the resulting currents and voltages applied to each stator winding!

U1

U1 V1 W1 U U1, W2

U2, V2, W2
U W
U V W V
U2, V1
W V2, W1
V1 W1
V
U2 V2 W2
Stator connected in star (Y) Stator connected in delta (Δ)
Six stator terminals
configuration configuration
Figure 1 - Different ways of connecting a three phase machine

Assume the line-to-line voltage is 1V and the line current is 1A as measured by the power network parameter
analyser. What is the voltage across and current through each phase of the machine winding when
connected in star and when connected in delta?

𝑉𝑌 =

𝐼𝑌 =

𝑉Δ =

𝐼Δ =

Page 4 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

Induction machine

← Drive/load machine Machine under test →

DC machine (MV1028-225) Torque and Induction machine (MV1007-405)

speed sensor
(MV1054)

Armature Field Stator Rotor

A1 A2 F1 F2 U2 V2 W2 U1 V1 W1 K L M

+ – Torque
Tacho- measuring
generator
(MV1024) unit
Out: N L1 L2 L3
(MV1054) Voltage (V)
Power network Current (A)
Frequency (Hz)
S1: Run
parameter analyser
A- A+ F- F+ Real power (W)
Tacho
(MV1939) Reactive power (VA)
S2: Enable Speed (rpm) Power factor
0V In: N L1 L2 L3
Torque (Nm) ...
P1: Coarse Power (W)
4Q DC motor drive
speed demand
(MV4207-3)
P2: Fine speed
demand

P3: Armature F8 - F10 0 L1 L2 L3

current limit L1 L2 L3 N
(torque limit)

Variable
415V auto-
3-phase transformer
supply
Isolation
Bi-directional
transformer
power flow

L1 415V
L2
L3 3-phase
N supply
Power pack (MV1300) Bi-directional
power flow

Figure 2 – Functional diagram of the experimental setup using the induction machine

Page 5 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

2 Induction machine experiments

One of the great advantages of the standard induction machine is that it requires no electrical connection to
the rotor (i.e. it has no brushes) unlike DC machines and externally excited synchronous machines. This
removes a major source of maintenance problems and makes the machine construction very cheap for a
given power output. This is one of the reasons induction motors are the most commonly used motor type in
industry.

A standard ‘squirrel cage’ induction machine does not have external rotor connections (the term ‘squirrel
cage’ is used because the rotor bars look like a cage!) However, the machine you are using is actually a slip-
ring induction machine which has a wound rotor rather than a squirrel cage rotor. Slip ring connections are
useful because they give additional ways to control the machine, e.g. by adding rotor resistance or by
actively controlling the rotor currents with power electronics (often used in large DFIG wind turbines). These
control methods will not be investigated here: When you are setting up the experiment you will short the
rotor connections, effectively causing the machine to behave like a simple squirrel cage type.

Make sure all switches on the power pack are set to off (rotary switches all turned to ‘0’). Connect the
machine under test as shown in Figure 2. Double check your wiring and polarity of the connections! If you
are unsure, please ask a demonstrator.

Is the machine connected in ‘star’ (Y) or ‘delta’ (Δ) configuration? Why does it not matter that the neutral (‘0’
or ‘N’) connections on the supply and power network parameter analyser are left unconnected?

Answer:

Page 6 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

2.1 Induction machine: No-load test

The first experiment will investigate the speed of the induction motor with changing supply voltage with no
load applied. The DC drive will not be used and should be left in the stop position. Note that the power
network parameter analyser can report both line-line and line-neutral voltages. Ensure you know which
reading you are recording! Cycle through the measurement pages using the ↵ key.

1. Make sure the autotransformer is set to zero

2. Turn the induction machine supply switch on the power pack on (turn to ‘1’)
3. Slowly increase the supply voltage by changing the autotransformer setting from 0 to 100%. Take
approximately 10 measurements of all displayed quantities and record these in Table 1. Make sure
that the speed has stabilised before taking a measurment.
4. Slowly return the autotransformer to zero and switch the machine supply on the power pack to off
(turn to ‘0’)

Table 1 - No-load test results for the induction machine

Speed (rpm) Torque (Nm) Shaft power Supply Supply Real power Reactive
(W) voltage (V) current (A) (W) power (VAr)

Use Excel on the PC on your bench to plot a graph of machine speed (y-axis) against supply voltage (x-axis).
What do you notice about the dependence of speed on voltage? Did the speed vary much as you changed the
supply voltage? What happened at low voltages?

Answer:

Page 7 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

2.2 Induction machine: Full-voltage load test

An induction machine is almost always operated close to synchronous speed. Operating too far away from
this point will cause very high torques and currents to be generated which can damage the machine and
supply. You must therefore make sure you know what speed range the induction machine can be safely
operated at by performing some calculations based on nameplate data.

Fill in the information below using the nameplate on the machine:

Answer:

1. Rated line-line voltage for Δ connection (take the midpoint of the range):

2. Rated stator line current for Δ connection:

3. Rated speed :

4. Rated output power:

5. Power factor at rated load:

Slip is a measure of the difference in speed between the rotation of the stator flux, 𝜔𝑆 and the physical
rotation of the rotor, 𝜔𝑅 . The difference is normalised by dividing by 𝜔𝑆 .
𝜔𝑆 − 𝜔𝑅
𝑠=
𝜔𝑆

Using the above information and the slip equation, derive or calculate the following:

Answer:

1. 𝜔𝑆 =

2. Synchronous speed:

3. Number of pole-pairs:

4. Slip at rated speed:

5. Rated torque:

Page 8 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

Conduct the following load test:

1. Make sure the autotransformer is set to zero

2. Set the torque limit control on the DC drive to roughly two thirds maximum setting
3. Set the coarse speed demand control on the DC drive to zero (knob in far left position)
4. Set the fine speed demand control to the half-way position
5. Set the drive run switch (S1 & S2) to on (up)
6. Increase the speed of the DC drive to exactly 1500rpm using the coarse speed demand control (to
within +/- 10rpm: this will need careful adjustment of the speed setting)
7. Turn the supply to the machine under test on
8. Slowly set the machine voltage to the rated value
9. Slowly adjust the fine speed demand control to vary speed between 1430 and 1560rpm only,
taking approximately 10 measurements of all displayed quantities and record these in Table 1.
10. Set the autotransformer to zero and switch the supply to the machine off
11. Set the speed demand and torque limit on the DC drive to zero
12. Set the drive run switch (S1&S2) to off (down)

Table 2 - Full voltage load test result for the induction machine

Speed Torque Shaft Supply Supply Real Reactive Slip

(rpm) (Nm) power (W) voltage (V) current (A) power (W) power (VAr)

Use Excel on the PC on your bench to plot a graph of machine speed (y-axis) against torque (x-axis). Can you
extract a simple gradient from your plot? Remember to provide the units of the gradient.

Answer:

Page 9 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

How does slip vary with speed? Does it have units? What do you notice when you compare your results at
speeds below and above synchronous speed? What does this mean in terms of power flow in the experiment?
Answer:

2.3 Induction machine: Low-voltage torque-speed test

The induction machine may be operated further away from synchronous speed as long as the supply voltage
is kept low. This limits the maximum current that the machine can draw to a safe level, however at low
speeds you will be temporarily overloading the machine, take these measurements quickly and do not
leave the machine in this state longer than necessary.

1. Make sure the autotransformer is set to zero

2. Set the torque limit control on the DC drive to roughly two thirds maximum setting
3. Set the speed demand controls on the DC drive to zero
4. Set the drive run switch (S1&S2) to on (up)
5. Turn the supply to the machine under test on
6. Slowly set the machine voltage to 60V line-line
7. Slowly increase the speed demand to 100% taking approximately 15 measurements of all displayed
quantities and record these in Table 3. Ensure you record a measurement at zero speed and at
exactly synchronous speed.
8. Set the autotransformer to zero and switch the supply to the machine off
9. Set the speed demand and torque limit on the DC drive to zero
10. Set the drive run switch (S1&S2) to off (down)

Page 10 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

Table 3 - Reduced voltage load test results for the induction machine

Speed Torque Shaft Supply Supply Real Reactive Slip

(rpm) (Nm) power (W) voltage (V) current (A) power (W) power (VAr)

Use Excel on the PC on your bench to plot a graph of machine speed (y-axis) against torque (x-axis). Plot your
results for the full-voltage load test (Section 2.3) on the same axis. Comment on and explain the differences
between curves near synchronous speed.

Answer:

Page 11 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

3 Analysis, discussion and questions

You have now seen the first of the two AC machine types: The induction machine and the synchronous
machine. In this section you will extract parameters for the equivalent circuit models which can be used to
predict machine behaviour. You will also examine the efficiency of the each machine.

3.1 Induction machines

In Section 2.3 you produced a torque-speed graph across a broad range of speeds. This test was conducted
at a low voltage in order to avoid damaging the equipment. Compare your plot to that of the classic
induction machine curve presented in your lectures and/or in the literature. Do the curves show a similar
shape? Explain any differences you observe, particular, what effect does operating at a lower voltage cause?

Answer:

3.1.1 Finding parameters for the equivalent circuit model

The equivalent circuit model of the induction machine is given in Figure 3. This is a model of one phase of
the machine. Each of the electrical components in this equivalent circuit represents a particular
characteristic of the real induction machine, as listed below.

1. 𝑅𝑆 is the resistance of the stator windings

2. 𝑋𝑆 is the leakage reactance of the stator windings
3. 𝑅𝑀 is used to represent the energy losses that occur in the steel of the induction machine, due to
eddy currents and hysteresis
4. 𝑋𝑀 is the magnetising reactance of the induction machine. The current that flows in 𝑋𝑀 is the
current necessary to set up the flux in the machine.

Page 12 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

5. 𝑅𝑅′ is the resistance of the rotor windings, referred to the stator side of the machine
6. 𝑋𝑅′ is the leakage reactance of the rotor windings, referred to the stator side of the machine

There is another term used in the equivalent circuit that is extremely important. This is the term 𝑠 that is
combined with the 𝑅𝑅′ term. It is known as the slip. Slip is a measure of the difference in speed between the
rotation of the stator flux, 𝜔𝑆 and the physical rotation of the rotor, 𝜔𝑅 . The difference is normalised by
dividing by 𝜔𝑆 . Slip is calculated as
𝜔𝑆 − 𝜔𝑅
𝑠=
𝜔𝑆

The 𝑅𝑅′ term in the equivalent circuit model represents the referred resistance of the rotor. As current flows
through this resistance heat will be generated and an energy loss will occur through the rotor, at the rate of
3𝐼𝑅′2 𝑅𝑅′ (remember that the model represents only one phase so the power in the whole machine includes a
factor of 3). The equivalent circuit, however, has a resistance of 𝑅𝑅′ /𝑠. It dissipates more energy than the
physical resistance of 𝑅𝑅′ , by converting electrical energy to mechanical energy. This energy conversion
constitutes the mechanical output power of the machine plus any losses due to friction.
IS RS XS I’R X’R

IM

VS RM XM R’R/s

Figure 3 – Equivalent circuit model for the induction machine (single phase)

To verify that the equivalent circuit is a good representation of an induction machine it is necessary to do a
comparison between model and system. To allow us to model the system accurately it is necessary to obtain
values for the equivalent circuit model parameters. In other words, values for 𝑅𝑆 , 𝑋𝑆 , 𝑅𝑀 , 𝑋𝑀 , 𝑅𝑅′ , 𝑋𝑅′ need to
be found. To find values for these parameters various tests can be done on the induction machine.

Finding RS
To obtain 𝑅𝑆 we need to find the resistance of a stator phase winding. This can be done by connecting a DC
voltage across a stator phase winding and measuring the current flow. 𝑅𝑆 is then determined simply from
Ohm's law. The determination of 𝑅𝑆 has already been done for you and is found to be 2.55Ω per phase.

Finding R'R, X'R and XS

To establish the parameter values for 𝑋𝑆 , 𝑅𝑅′ , 𝑋𝑅′ a standstill test is conducted. The standstill test, as its name
implies, is conducted with a rotor speed of zero. With a stationary rotor, the slip for the induction machine is
one, hence the 𝑅𝑅′ /𝑠 term in the equivalent circuit reduces to just 𝑅𝑅′ . If it is assumed that the values of 𝑅𝑀
and 𝑋𝑀 are large compared to 𝑅𝑅′ + 𝑗𝑋𝑅′ , then 𝑅𝑀 and 𝑋𝑀 can be ignored. This results in the simplified
equivalent circuit shown in Figure 4.

Page 13 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

IS RS XS X’R

VS R’R

Figure 4 – Simplified equivalent circuit model for the standstill test

Two equations can be written to describe the circuit of Figure 2. Ohm's law:

𝑉𝑆 = 𝐼𝑆 𝑍
(1)
= 𝐼𝑆 [(𝑅𝑆 + 𝑅𝑅′ ) + 𝑗(𝑋𝑆 + 𝑋𝑅′ )]

and an equation relating input power to circuit parameters:

𝑃 = 𝐼𝑅2 (𝑅𝑆 + 𝑅𝑅′ ) (2)

If readings of 𝑃, 𝐼𝑆 and 𝑉𝑆 are taken when the rotor is stationary, the terms 𝑅𝑅′ and 𝑋𝑆 + 𝑋𝑅′ may be
determined by manipulation of the above equations. Using your results from Section 2.3 and by combining
the above equations, find values for 𝑅𝑅′ and 𝑋𝑆 + 𝑋𝑅′ .

Answer:

Page 14 of 15
 Experiment 2: Induction machines

Unfortunately it is difficult to split the terms 𝑋𝑆 and 𝑋𝑅′ . It is possible by applying a voltage to the rotor with
the stator left open-circuit. However, this is not practical with the experimental set-up used here. As an
approximation it is often assumed 𝑋𝑆 = 𝑋𝑅′ .

Finding RM and XM
To discover the parameter values for 𝑅𝑀 and 𝑋𝑀 a synchronous test is conducted. The synchronous test
involves running the motor to synchronous speed, when this happens the slip is zero. Hence the 𝑅𝑅′ /𝑠 term
in the equivalent circuit is infinite. If it is now assumed that 𝑅𝑆 + 𝑗𝑋𝑆 is much smaller than 𝑅𝑀 ||𝑗𝑋𝑀 the
equivalent circuit may be reduced to that of Figure 5.

IS

VS RM XM

Figure 5 – Simplified equivalent circuit model for the synchronous test

By using your measurements of real power in, current and voltage for the induction machine under
synchronous conditions, calculate 𝑋𝑀 and 𝑅𝑀 (hint: derive and solve similar equations to equations (1) and
(2)).

Answer:

Page 15 of 15