Starting and Speed Control of Three

Phase Induction Motors

 Starting of Induction Motors
• When the supply is connected to the stator of a three phase
IM, a rotating magnetic field is produced and the rotor starts
running. Thus, a 3-ϕ IM is self starting. At the time of
starting the motor slip is unity and the starting current is
very large.

• IM when direct switched, take five to seven times their full

load current and develop only 1.5 to 2.5 times line voltage
drop which will affect the operation of other electrical
equipment connected to the same line.

• The purpose of starter is not to start the motor as the name

implies. The starter of the motor performs two functions:

• To reduce the heavy starting current.

• To provide overload and under voltage protection.
• 3-ϕ IM may be started by applying reduced voltage to
the motor during starting period. The torque of an IM
is proportional to the square of the applied voltage.
Thus, a greater torque is exerted by a motor when it
is started on full voltage than when it is started on
reduced voltage.

• STARTING OF CAGE MOTORS

• The following are the commonly used starters for

squirrel cage motors:

1. Direct on-line starter (DOL starter)

2. Primary resistor starter
3. Auto-transformer starter
4. Star-Delta starter
 T hree phase supply
L1 L2 L3

Direct-on-line Starter
F uses

a A M M M
C

b
N .O .
S tart
S2 S1
N .C . S top

O LC
D1
N .C .

S3

R em ote
stop MOTOR
 L1
L2
L3
S tarter

V1

xV 1
S tator

Primary Resistor
Starter R otor
Auto-transformer Starter A uto
transform er

S tart

3-phase
supply

R un

M O TOR
 L1
L2
L3

Star-Delta Starter

S tator

D elta

S tar

R otor
Starting of Slip-ring Motors:
Rotor Rheostat Starter
 Speed Control of 3-ϕ Induction Motor
• A 3-ϕ IM is practically a constant speed motor like a dc
shunt motor. But the speed of dc shunt motor can be
varied smoothly just by using simple rheostats. This
maintains the speed regulation and efficiency of dc
shunt motor. But in case of 3-ϕ IM it is very difficult to
achieve smooth speed control. And if the speed control
is achieved by some means, the performance of the IM
in terms of its power factor, efficiency etc. gets
adversely affected.

• For the IM N = Ns(1-s)

• It can be seen that speed of the IM can be changed
either by changing its synchronous speed N s or by
changing the slip s.
• Similarly torque produced in case of 3-ϕ IM is given by,
2
sE R2
T 2 2
R2  (sX 2 ) 2
• So as the parameters like R2, E2 are changed then to
keep the torque constant for constant load condition,
motor reacts by change in its slip. Effectively its speed
changes.

• Thus speed of IM can be controlled by two methods:

• 1. From stator side

• 2. From rotor side
• From stator side, it includes following methods:

1. By changing applied frequency (Supply frequency

control)
2. By changing applied voltage (Supply voltage control)
3. By changing no of stator poles

• From rotor side, it includes following methods:

1. Adding external resistance in the rotor circuit (Rotor

Rheostat Control)
2. By operating two motors in cascade (Cascade
control)
3. By injecting an emf in the rotor circuit.
 Supply Frequency Control or V/f Control
• The synchronous speed is given by,
120 f
Ns 
P
• Thus by controlling the supply frequency smoothly, the
synchronous speed can be controlled over a wide range. This
gives smooth speed control of an induction motor.
• But the expression for the air gap flux is given by,
1 V 
g 
4.44 K1 Tph1  f 

• This is, according to the e.m.f. equation of a transformer where,

• Kl = Stator winding constant
• Tph1 = Stator turns per phase
• V = supply voltage
• f = supply frequency
• It can be seen from this expression that if the supply
frequency f is changed, the value of air gap flux also gets
affected. This may result into saturation of stator and rotor
cores. Such a saturation leads to the sharp increase in the
(magnetization) no load current of the motor. Hence it is
necessary to maintain air gap flux constant when supply
frequency f is changed.

• To achieve this, it can be seen from the above expression

that along with f, V also must be changed so as to keep
(V / f) ratio constant. This ensures constant air gap flux
giving speed control without affecting the performance of
the motor. Hence this method is called V/f control.

• Hence in this method, the supply to the induction motor

required is variable voltage variable frequency supply and
can be achieved by an electronic scheme using convener
and inverter circuitry.
 Electronic scheme for V/f control
V ariable V
A .C .
D .C . V ariable f S tator
Input C onverter Inverter
A .C . S upply of
constant V
I.M .
constant f

The normal supply available is constant voltage constant

frequency a.c. supply. The converter converts this supply
into a d.c, supply. This d.c. supply is then given to the
inverter. The inverter is a device which converts d.c.
supply, to variable voltage variable frequency a.c. supply
which is required to keep V/f ratio constant. By selecting
the proper frequency and maintaining V/f constant, smooth
speed control of the induction motor is possible.
Torque-slip characteristics with variable f and
constant (V/f)
• If f is the normal working frequency then fig. shows
the torque-slip characteristics for the frequency f1 > f
and f2 < f1 i.e for frequencies above and below the
normal frequency.

• Another disadvantage of this method is that the

supply obtained can not be used to supply other
devices which require constant voltage. Hence an
individual scheme for a separate motor is required
which makes it costly.
 Supply Voltage Control
sE22 R2
• We know that, T 2
R2  (sX 2 ) 2

• Now E2, the rotor induced e.m.f. at standstill depends on

the supply voltage V.
E2  V

• Also for low slip region, which is operating region of the

induction motor, (sX2)2 << R2 and hence can be neglected.

sV22 R2 for constant R2.

T 2
 sV2
2

R2
• Now if supply voltage is reduced below rated value, as
per above equation torque produced also decreases.

• But to supply the same load it is necessary to develop

same torque hence value of slip increases so that
torque produced remains same.

• Slip increases means motor reacts by running at

lower speed, to decrease in supply voltage. So motor
produces the required load torque at a lower speed.

• The speed-torque characteristics for the motor using

supply voltage control are shown in Fig.
Supply Voltage Control
• But in this method, due to reduction in voltage,
current drawn by the motor increases.

• Large change in voltage is required for small change

in speed which is the biggest disadvantage.

• Due to increased current, the motor may get

overheated. Additional voltage changing equipment is
necessary. Hence this method is rarely used in
practice.

• Motors driving fan type of loads use this method of

speed control. Due to reduced voltage, E2 decreases,
decreasing the value of maximum torque too.
 Controlling Number of Poles

• The method is called pole changing method of

controlling the speed. In this method it is possible to
have one or two speeds, one double of other by
changing the number of poles.

• This is possible by changing the connections of the

stator winding with the help of simple switching, to
change the number of poles in the ratio 2 : 1.

• In other method, two separate stator windings wound

for different number of poles and with pole changing
facility, are provided. With this, four different speeds
are possible.
• The method is very much suitable for squirrel cage type of
induction motors as squirrel cage rotor automatically
adjusts it self to any number of stator poles.
• In slip ring the same arrangement is required on the rotor
side to match the stator and rotor poles.
• The disadvantage of this method is step changes in
speed. Smooth speed control can not be achieved in this
method.
 Adding External Resistance in Rotor Circuit

sE22 R2
• We know, T 2
R2  (sX 2 ) 2

• For low slip region (sX22) << R2 and can be neglected

and for constant supply voltage E2 is also constant.

sR2 s
T 2 
R2 R2

• Thus if the rotor resistance is increased, the torque

produced decreases.
• But when the load on the motor is same, motor has to
supply same torque as load demands.

• So motor reacts by increasing its slip to compensate

decrease in T due to R2 and maintains the load
torque constant.

• So due to additional rotor resistance R2 , motor slip

increases i.e. the speed of the motor decreases.

• Thus by increasing the rotor resistance R2' speeds

below normal value can be achieved.

• Another advantage of this method is that the starting

torque of the motor increases proportional to rotor
resistance.
Adding External Resistance in Rotor Circuit
• Disadvantages of this method:

• The large speed changes are not possible. This is

because for large speed change, large resistance is
required to be introduced in rotor which causes large rotor
copper loss to reduce the efficiency.

• The method cannot be used for the squirrel cage induction

motors.

• The speeds above the rated values cannot be obtained.

• Large power losses occur due to large I 2R loss.

• Sufficient cooling arrangements are required which make

the external rheostats bulky and expensive.

• Due to large power losses, efficiency is low.

Cascade control
• The stator winding of main motor A is connected to the
mains, while that of motor B is fed from the rotor circuit of
motor A.

• There are three ways in which the combination may be

run.

1. Main motor A may be run separately from the supply.

Synchronous speed Nsa = 120f/Pa

2. Auxiliary motor B may be run separately from the mains

(with motor A being disconnected).
Synchronous speed Nsb = 120f/Pb

3. The combination may be connected in cumulative

cascade i.e. in such a way that phase rotation of the
stator fields of both motors is in the same direction.
Synchronous speed of cascade set Nsc = (120×f)/(Pa + Pb)
• Proof:

• Let N = actual speed of concatenated set

• Nsa = synchronous speed of motor A, being independent of N.

• The relative speed of rotor A w.r.t. its stator field is (Nsa – N).
• Hence, frequency f’ of the induced emf in rotor A is
N sa  N
f 
'
f
N sa

• This is also frequency of the emf applies to the stator of motor B.

• Hence, synchronous speed of motor B with this input frequency is

f 120( N sa  N ) f
'
N  120 
'

Pb Pb N sa
• This will induce an emf of frequency f ’’ in the rotor B.

N'  N
f 
''
'
f
N
• Now, on no load, the speed of rotor B is almost equal to its
synchronous speed, so that the frequency of induced emf is zero.
N'  N
f 0
''
'
f  0  N '
N
N
120 f ( N sa  N ) 120 f  N 
N 
'
 1  
Pb N sa Pb  N sa 
120 f  N  120 f  1 120 f 
1  N  N 1   
Pb  N sa  Pb  N sa Pb 
120 f  P 120 f   Pa 
 N 1  a    N 1  
Pb  120 f Pb   Pb 
120 f
N
Pa  Pb
 How the set starts?

• When the cascaded set is started, the voltage at

frequency f is applied to the stator winding of motor
A. An induced emf of the same frequency is
produced in rotor A which is supplied to auxiliary
motor B.

• Both the motors develop a forward torque. As the

shaft speed rises, the rotor frequency of motor A falls
and so does the synchronous speed of motor B. The
set settles down to a stable speed when the shaft
speed becomes equal to the speed of rotating field of
motor B.
• Considering load conditions, the electrical power
taken in by stator A is partly used to meet its I2R and
core losses and the rest is given to its rotor.

• The power given to rotor is further divided into two

parts: one part, proportional to the speed of set is
converted into mechanical power and the other part
proportional to (Nsa – N) is developed as electrical
power at the slip frequency, and is passed on to the
auxiliary motor B, which uses it for producing
mechanical power and losses.

• Hence, approximately, the mechanical outputs of the

two motors are in the ratio of N:(Nsa – N)
Injecting an emf in the rotor circuit
Crawling