THREE PHASE MOTORS & DRIVES

Assignment 1 - Induction Motors

Task 1 (P1)
Most of the induction motors are of squirrel cage type. The caged rotor has very simple and
almost indestructible construction. It consists of a cylindrical laminated core, having parallel
slots on it. These parallel slots carry rotor conductors. In this type of rotor, heavy bars of
copper, aluminium or alloys are used as rotor conductors instead of wires. The rotor bars
are electrically welded to short circuiting end rings at both ends. Therefore this rotor
construction looks like a squirrel cage hence the name Squirrel Cage Rotor. The rotor bars
are permanently short circuited; hence it is not possible to add any external resistance to
the circuit framework. Rotor slots are slightly skewed so that it reduces locking tendency of
the rotor and increases rotor resistance and transformation between stator and rotor.
The wound rotor is wound with 3 phase, double layer, distributed winding. The number of
poles of rotor is kept same to the number of poles of the stator. The three phase rotor
winding is internally star connected. The other three terminals of the winding are taken out
via three insulated slip rings mounted on the shaft and the brushes resting on them. These
three brushes are connected to an external star connected rheostat (a device used to
regulate an electric current by increasing or decreasing the resistance of the circuit). This
arrangement is done to introduce an external resistance in rotor circuit for starting purposes
and for changing the speed and torque characteristics. When motor is running at its rated
speed, slip rings are automatically short circuited by means of a metal collar and brushes are
lifted above the slip rings to minimise the frictional losses.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both rotors. Caged rotors are cheaper in cost
and are stronger with slightly higher efficiency than wound rotor due to it being a low
resistance rotor which means it has a low starting torque. However, low starting torque also
has a disadvantage as it cannot be used in cases where large load torque is required.
Wound rotor also has its advantages. With wound rotor, it is possible to high starting torque
which the caged rotor is unable to do. The starting current is also less than the caged rotor.
Wound rotor also makes speed control possible unlike the caged rotor. However, the wound
rotor does cost higher with lower efficiency and requires high levels of maintenance.






THREE PHASE MOTORS & DRIVES
Assignment 1 - Induction Motors

Task 2 (P2)
a) The no-load (synchronous) speed of the motor:

120 x freq / no. of poles = 120 x 400 / 8 = 6000 Revs/min

b) The motors full load speed:

6000 x 0.98 = 5880 Revs/min

c) The rotor frequency:

Slip x frequency = 0.02 x 400 = 8 Hz

d) The motor full load torque:

Power / angular velocity
Power / (n x 2 x /f)
= 5000 / (5880 x 2 x /400)
= 5000 / 92.36
= 54.14Nm

e) Full load current:

I = P / (3^-0.5) x V x power factor
= 5000 / (1.732 x 415 x 0.85) = 8.18A

f) If the rotor slip is increased to 3% then the increase in torque will be:

The motors full load speed = 6000 x 0.97 = 5820 Revs/min
The motor full load torque = 5000 / (5820 x 2 x /400) = 5000 / 91.42 = 54.69 Nm
Increase in torque = 54.69 - 54.14 = 0.55 Nm










Task3 (P3)


THREE PHASE MOTORS & DRIVES
Assignment 1 - Induction Motors

A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor in which the rotation of the shaft is
synchronized with the frequency of the supply current
The main components of a synchronous motor are the stator and the rotor. The stator of
synchronous motor and the stator of induction motor are similar in construction. The stator
frame contains wrapper plate. Circumferential ribs and key bars are attached to the
wrapper plate. Brushes and slip rings are required to connect to the excitation supply.
The operation of a synchronous motor is due to the interaction of the magnetic fields of the
stator and the rotor. Synchronous motor has two electrical inputs provided to it. Its stator
winding is provided with 3 phase supply and rotor is provided with DC supply. The 3 phase
currents produce the rotating magnetic field which the rotor locks in and starts rotating
along with it. Once the rotor locks in with the rotating magnetic field, the motor is in
synchronisation.
One method of starting a three phase synchronous motor is with an external mover. This
can be done by a DC supply. The DC supply rotates the rotor at a similar speed of the
rotating magnetic field in the same direction which will eventually lead to a magnetic
locking and the synchronous motor will rotate synchronously with the frequency. Very large
motor systems may include a "pony" motor that accelerates the unloaded synchronous
machine before load is applied.
Very small synchronous motors are commonly used in line-powered electric mechanical
clocks or timers that use the power line frequency to run the gear mechanism at the correct
speed. Such small synchronous motors are able to start without assistance if the moment of
inertia of the rotor and its mechanical load is sufficiently small [because the motor] will be
accelerated from slip speed up to synchronous speed during an accelerating half cycle of the
reluctance torque.