Lecture 4

Starting Methods for Single-Phase

Induction Motors
Single-phase induction motor inherently has no starting torque, and it must be started
by an auxiliary winding, by being displaced in phase position from the main winding,
or by some similar device. Once started by auxiliary means, the motor will continue to
run.
Thus, nearly all single-phase induction motors are actually two-phase motors, with the
main winding in the direct axis adapted to carry most or all of the current in operation,
and an auxiliary winding in the quadrature axis with a different number of turns
adapted to provide the necessary starting torque.
The various forms of a single-phase induction motor are grouped into three principal
types, depending on how they are started.

1. Split-phase or resistance-split-phase motors

Split-phase motors have two stator windings (i) a main winding and (ii) an
auxiliary winding with their axes displaced 90 (electrical) in space.
The auxiliary winding has a higher

ratio than the main winding.

The motor is equivalent to an unbalanced two-phase motor.

The rotating stator field produced by the unbalanced two-phase winding
currents causes the motor to start.
The auxiliary winding is disconnected by a centrifugal switch or relay when the
motor comes up to about 75% of the synchronous speed.

Figure 1: Split-phase motor. (a) Schematic diagram. (b) Phasor diagram at starting.
Dr. Ahsan

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 For higher starting torque a series resistance is inserted in the starting auxiliary
winding or a series inductive reactance is inserted in the main winding; this
additional reactance is short-circuited when the motor builds up speed.

Figure 1: Split-phase motor. (c) Typical torquespeed (or slip) characteristic.

2. Capacitor motors
Capacitor motors have a capacitor in series with the auxiliary winding and come in
three varieties: (i) capacitor start, (ii) two-value capacitor, and (iii) permanent-split
capacitor.
The first two use a centrifugal switch or relay to open the circuit or reduce the size of
the starting capacitor when the motor comes up to speed. A two-value-capacitor
motor, with one value for starting and one for running, can be designed for optimum
starting and running performance; the starting capacitor is disconnected after the
motor starts. The relevant schematic diagrams and torquespeed characteristics are
shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4.
Motors in which the auxiliary winding and the capacitor are not cut out during the
normal running conditions operate, in effect, as unbalanced two-phase induction
motors.

Dr. Ahsan

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Figure 2: Capacitor-start motor. (a) Schematic diagram. (b) Phasor diagram at starting.
(c) Typical torquespeed characteristic.

Figure 3: Two-value-capacitor motor. (a) Schematic diagram. (b) Typical torque

speed characteristic.
Dr. Ahsan

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Figure 4: Permanent-split-capacitor motor. (a) Schematic diagram. (b) Typical torque

speed characteristic.

3. Shaded-pole motors
The auxiliary winding consists of one short-circuited copper straps (shading bands)
wound on a portion of the pole and displaced from the center of each pole, as shown in
Figure 5(a). Induced currents in the shading coil cause the flux in the shaded portion
of the pole to lag the flux in the other portion in time. The result is then like a rotating
field moving in the direction from the unshaded to the shaded portion of the pole. A
low starting torque is produced. A typical torque-speed characteristic is shown in
Figure 5(b). Shaded-pole motors have a rather low efficiency.

Figure 5: Shaded-pole motor. (a) Schematic diagram. (b) Typical torquespeed

characteristic.
Dr. Ahsan

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Design Problem: The impedance of the main and auxiliary windings of a

120-V, 60-Hz, capacitor-start motor are given as

and
Determine the value of the starting capacitance that will cause the main and auxiliary
winding currents to be in quadrature at starting.
Solution:

Z m 4.6 j 3.8 5.96639.56

with capacitance the total impedance of the auxiliary winding branch, Z ac 9.6 j 3.6 jX c
Z ac 9.62 (3.6 X c ) 2 ac
Main winding current , I m

3.6 X c
where, ac tan 1

9.6

Vs
120
120

39.56 A
Z m 5.96639.56 5.966

Auxiliary winding current , I a

Vs
120
120

ac A
Z ac
9.62 (3.6 X c ) 2 ac
9.62 (3.6 X c ) 2

Now, I a I m 90
ac (39.56) 90
ac 90 39.56 50.44
3.6 X c
ac tan 1
50.44
9.6
3.6 X c

tan(50.44) 1.2105
9.6
3.6 X c 1.2105 9.6 11.6209
1
3.6 11.6209 15.2209
2 fC
1
C
174.24 F
2 (60)(15.2209)
Xc

Dr. Ahsan

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