UNIT-1

THREE PHASE INDUCTION MOTOR

THREE PHASE INDUCTION MOTOR

•An electric motor is a device, which converts electrical energy into

mechanical energy. Motors can operate on ac supply, single phase as
well as three phase, called as ac motors.
•Ac motors are further classified as synchronous motors, single phase
& three phase induction motors and some special purpose motors.
•Out of all these types, three phase induction motors are commonly
used for various applications in industries. The principle of operation of
three phase induction motors is based on the production of rotating
magnetic field.
Construction of Induction Motor:

•Conversion of electrical power into mechanical power takes place in the rotating part
of an electric motor. In dc motors, electrical power is conducted directly to the
armature (rotating part) through brushes and commutator. Hence a dc motor can be
called as a conduction motor.

•However, in ac motors the rotor does not receive electric power by conduction but by
induction in exactly the same way as the secondary of a 2-winding transformer
receives its power from the primary. That is why such motors are known as Induction
motors.

•An induction motor can be treated as a rotating transformer i.e., one in which
primary winding is stationary but the secondary is free to rotate.
Advantages
1. It has very simple and almost unbreakable construction
2. Its cost is low and it is very reliable
3. It has high efficiency
4. It requires minimum maintenance
5. It needs no extra starting motor for starting
Disadvantages

1. Its speed cannot be varied without sacrificing some of its efficiency

2. Just like a dc shunt motor, its speed decreases with increase in load
3. Its starting torque is inferior to that of dc shunt motor
• Construction:
An induction motor consists essentially of two main parts.
1. Stator
2. Rotor
Stator is the stationary part and rotor is the rotating part
•Stator:
•Stator is made up of a number of stampings which are slotted to receive the
windings. The stator carries a 3- phase winding and is fed from a 3-phase supply.
It is wound for a definite number of poles, the exact number of poles being
determined by the requirements of speed. Greater the number of poles, lesser
the speed and vice versa. The stator windings when supplied with 3- currents
produce a magnetic flux which is of constant magnitude but which revolves at
synchronous- speed given by Ns=120f/p. This revolving magnetic flux induces an
emf in the rotor by mutual induction.

•Rotor:
a.Squirrel-Cage rotor: Motors employing this type of rotor are known as
squirrel cage induction motors.
b.Phase-wound or wound rotor: Motors employing this type of rotor are
known as phase- wound motors or wound motors or slip-ring motors.
Squirrel-Cage Rotor

•90% of induction motors are squirrel-cage type, because this type of rotor has the simplest and most
rugged construction. The rotor consists of a cylindrical laminated core with parallel slots for carrying the
rotor conductors and these slots are not wires but consists of heavy bars of copper, aluminium or alloys.
•The rotor bars are permanently short-circuited on themselves. Hence, it is not possible to add any
external resistance in series with rotor circuit for staring purposes. One bar is placed in each slot.
•The rotor bars are brazed or electrically welded or bolted to two heavy and stout short circuiting end
rings thus giving a squirrel-cage construction.
•The rotor slots are usually not quite parallel to the shaft but are purposely given a slight skew. This
is useful as:
a) it helps to make the motor run quietly by reducing the magnetic hum
b)it helps in reducing the locking tendency of the rotor i.e., the tendency of the rotor teeth to
remain under the stator teeth due to direct magnetic attraction between the two.
Phase-wound Rotor:
•This type of rotor is provided with 3-, double-layer, distributed winding consisting of coils.
•The rotor is wound for as many poles as the number of stator poles and is always wound 3-phase even when
the stator is wound two-phase.
•The three-phases are starred internally and the construction is complicated.
•The slip rings are mounted on the shaft. One end of each phase winding, after connecting the winding in
star or delta is connected to the slip ring.
•Thus, there are three slip rings mounted on the shaft with brushes resting on them. These three brushes are
further externally connected to three phase star connected rheostat.
•This makes possible the introduction of additional resistance in the rotor circuit during the starting period for
increasing the starting torque of the motor.
•When running under normal conditions, the slip-rings are automatically short-circuited by means of a metal collar
which is pushed along the shaft and connects all the rings together.
• Next, the brushes are automatically lifted from the slip rings to reduce the frictional losses & the wear & tear &
hence under normal running conditions, the wound rotor is short-circuited on itself just like the squirrel cage rotor.
• The main parts of a slip-ring motor are:

1. Frame-made of cast-iron

2. Stator and Rotor core made of high-quality low loss silicon steel laminations and with enhanced
insulation.
3. Stator and rotor windings- More moisture proof insulation embodying mica and high-quality varnish.

4. Shafts and bearings: Ball and roller bearings are used to suit heavy-duty trouble-free running.

5. Fans: Light aluminum fans are used for adequate circulation of cooling air.

6. Slip-rings and Slip ring enclosures: Slip-rings are made of high-quality phosphor-bronze and are of molded
construction.
•Principle of operation:
•When the 3- stator windings are fed by 3- supply then a rotating magnetic field of constant
magnitude is produced. This field rotates at synchronous speed Ns. This rotating flux cuts the
rotor conductors which are stationary and due to relative speed between the rotating flux
and the stationary conductors, an emf is induced in the latter according to Faraday’s law of
Electro-magnetic induction.
•The frequency of the induced emf is the same as the supply frequency. Its magnitude is
proportional to the relative velocity between the flux and the conductors and its direction is
given by Fleming’s right hand rule.
•Since the rotor bars or conductors form a closed circuit, rotor current is produced in the rotor
bars in case of squirrel cage or in the rotor phases in the case of slip ring whose direction as
given by Lenz’s law is such as to oppose the very cause producing it.
•The rotor currents and the stator magnetic field interact with each other to produce a torque
and hence the rotor rotates.
•Hence, the very cause of producing the current is the relative speed between the rotating field
and the stationary rotor and to reduce this relative speed, the motor starts running in the same
direction as that of the flux and tries to catch up
Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF):
• It is defined as the field or flux having constant amplitude but whose axis rotates in a plane at a certain speed eg. permanent
magnet rotating in a space produces a rotating magnetic field. If an arrangement is made to rotate the poles, with constant
excitation supplied, the resulting field is rotating magnetic field. Such a rotating magnetic field can also be produced by
exciting a set of stationary coils or windings with the help of ac supply. The resultant flux produced in such a case has constant
magnitude and its axis rotates in space without physically rotating the windings. The rotating flux or rotating magnetic field
also bears a fixed relationship between number of poles, frequency of ac supply and speed of rotation.
• Ns= 120f/p
• Hence rotating magnetic field always rotates with a speed equal to synchronous speed. When three phase supply is given to the
stationary three phase winding, the resultant flux produced is rotating in space having constant amplitude and with synchronous
speed Ns which depends on frequency of three phase supply and the number of poles for which the three-phase stationary winding
is wound. This flux is rotating magnetic field.
• Production of Rotating Field:
• When the stationary coils, wound for two or three phases, are supplied by two or three-phase supply respectively, a uniformly-
rotating (revolving) magnetic flux of constant value is produced.
• Two-phase supply:
• The principle of a 2-Phase, 2-pole stator having two identical windings 90 space degrees apart is shown:
• The flux due to the current flowing in each phase winding is assumed sinusoidal and is shown below. The assigned positive
directions of fluxes are shown below.
•Hence, we can conclude that:
1)the magnitude of the resultant flux is constant and is equal to the maximum flux due to either
phase.
2)that the resultant flux rotates at synchronous speed given by Ns = 120 f/P rpm
•Three-phase Supply:
•When three-phase windings are displaced in time by 1200, then they produce a resultant magnetic
flux, which rotates in space as if actual magnetic poles were being rotated mechanically. The
principle of a 3-phase two-pole stator having three identical windings placed 1200 space degrees
apart is shown.
Slip:
•The rotor never succeeds in catching up with the stator field because
if it really did so, then there would be no relative speed, no emf, no
rotor current and hence no torque. The rotor falls back behind the
magnetic field by a certain speed which is necessary for the
operation of an induction motor and the difference in speed depends
upon the load on the motor.
•The difference between the synchronous speed Ns and the actual
speed N of the rotor is known as slip speed.
Equivalent Circuit of Induction Motor

We have already seen that the induction motor can be treated as generalized transformer. Transformer works on the
principle of electromagnetic induction. The induction motor also works on the same principle. The energy transfer from
stator to rotor of the induction motor takes place entirely with the help of a flux mutually linking the two. Thus stator
acts as a primary while the rotor acts as a rotating secondary when induction motor is treated as a tranformer.
• If E1 = Induced voltage in stator per phase
• E2 = Rotor induced e.m.f. per phase on standstill k =
• Rotor turns / Stator turns
• then k = E2/ E1
• Thus if V1 is the supply voltage per phase to stator, it produces the flux which links with both stator and rotor. Due
to self induction E1, is the induced

• e.m.f. in stator per phase while E2 is the induced e.m.f. in rotor due to mutual induction, at standstill. In running
condition the induced e.m.f. in rotor becomes E2r which is s E2.
•
• Now E2r = Rotor induced e.m.f. in running condition per phase R2 = Rotor resistance
per phase
• X2r = Rotor reactance per phase in running condition R1 = Stator resistance per phase
• X1 = Stator reactance per phase
• So induction motor can be represented as a transformer as shown in the Fig.
 •When induction motor is on no load, it draws a current from the supply to produce the flux in air
gap and to supply iron losses.
1. Ic = Active component which supplies no load losses
2. Im = Magnetizing component which sets up flux in core and air gap These two currents give us the
elements of an exciting branch as,
•Ro = Representing no load losses = V1 /Ic and Xo = Representing flux set
up = V1/Im Thus, Īo = Īc + Īm

Fig. 3.25 Induction motor as a transformer

The stator and rotor sides are shown separated by an air gap.
I2r= Rotor current in running condition
= E2r /Z2r = (s E2)/√(R 2 +(s X )2)
It is important to note that as load on the motor changes, the motor speed changes. Thus slip
changes. As slip changes the reactance X2r changes. Hence X2r = sX2 is shown variable.

Fig. 3.26 Basic equivalent circuit

Fig. 3.30 equivalent circuit
Losses in an Induction Motor:

The various power losses in an induction motor can be classified as

a) Constant losses
b) Variable losses

Constant Losses:
These can be further classified as Core losses or mechanical losses. Core losses occur in stator core and rotor core. These are
also called as iron losses. These losses include eddy current losses and hysteresis losses.
The eddy current losses are minimized by using laminated construction while hysteresis losses are minimized by selecting
high grade silicon steel as the material for stator and rotor. Mechanical Losses include frictional losses at the bearings and
windage losses.

Variable Losses:
This includes the copper losses in stator and rotor winding due to current flowing in the winding. As current changes when
load changes these losses are said to be variable losses.
 Losses in an Induction Motor
Induction motors, like all electrical machines, experience power losses. These losses reduce the motor's efficiency, and understanding them is crucial
for improving motor design and operation. The primary losses in an induction motor are:
1. Stator Losses
2. Rotor Losses
3. Core Losses
4. Friction and Windage Losses
5. Magnetizing Current Losses
Stator Losses
• Stator losses are primarily due to the I²R losses in the stator windings. The current flowing through the stator winding encounters resistance,
which causes power dissipation.