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StartingMethodsforPolyphaseInductionMachine|Electrical4u

StartingMethodsforPolyphaseInductionMachine
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In this article we are going to discuss various methods of starting three phase
inductionmotor.Beforewediscussthis,itisveryessentialheretorecallthetorque slip
characteristicofthethreephaseinductionmotorwhichisgivenbelow.

Fromthetorqueslipcharacteristicitisclearthatattheslipequalstoonewehavesome
positive starting torque hence we can say that the three phase induction motor is self
startingmachine,thenwhythereisaneedofstartersforthreephaseinductionmotor?The
answerisverysimple.

If we look at the equivalent circuit of the three phase induction motor at the time of
starting, we can see the motor behaves like an electrical transformer with short circuited
secondarywinding,becauseatthetimeofstarting,therotorisstationaryandthebackemf
duetotherotationisnotdevelopedyethencethemotordrawsthehighstartingcurrent.So
the reason of using the starter is clear here. We use starters in order to limit the high
startingcurrent.Weusedifferentstartersforboththetypeofthreephaseinductionmotors.
Let us consider first squirrel cage typeofinductionmotor. In order to choose a particular
type of starting method for the squirrel cage ype of induction motor, we have three main
considerationsandtheseare,
(a)Aparticulartypeofstarterisselectedonthebasisofpowercapacityofthepowerlines.
(b)Thetypeofstarterselectedonthebasisofthesizeandthedesignparametersofthe
motor.
(c)Thethirdconsiderationisthetypeofloadonthemotor(i.e.theloadmaybeheavyor
light).
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Weclassifystartingmethodsforsquirrelcageinductionmotorintotwotypesonthebasisof
voltage.Thetwotypesare
(i)Fullvoltagestartingmethodand
(ii)reducedvoltagemethodforstartingsquirrelcageinductionmotor.
Nowletusdiscusseachofthesemethodsindetail.

FullVoltageStartingMethodforSquirrelCageInductionMotor
Inthistypewehaveonlyonemethodofstarting.
DirectonLineStartingMethod

Thismethodisalsoknownasthe DOL method for starting the three phase squirrel

cage induction motor. In this method we directly switch the stator of the three phase
squirrel cage induction motor on to the supply mains. The motor at the time of starting
drawsveryhighstartingcurrent(about5to7timesthefullloadcurrent)fortheveryshort
duration.Theamountofcurrentdrawnbythemotordependsuponitsdesignandsize.But
suchahighvalueofcurrentdoesnotharmthemotorbecauseofruggedconstructionofthe
squirrel cage induction motor. Such a high value of current causes sudden undesirable
voltage drop in the supply voltage. A live example of this sudden drop of voltage is the
dimmingofthetubelightsandbulbsinourhomesattheinstantofstartingofrefrigerator
motor.Nowletusderivetheexpressionforstartingtorqueintermsoffullloadtorquefor
thedirectonlinestarter.Wehavevariousquantitiesthatinvolvedintheexpressionforthe
startingtorquearewrittenbelow:WedefineTs asstartingtorque
Tfasfullloadtorque
Ifasperphaserotorcurrentatfullload
Is asperphaserotorcurrentatthetimeofstarting
sfasfullloadslip
ss asstartingslip
R2asrotorresistance
Ws assynchronousspeedofthemotor
Nowwecandirectlywritetheexpressionfortorqueofinductionmotoras

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque to full load
torqueas

Herewehaveassumedthattherotorresistanceisconstantanditdoesnotvarywiththe
frequencyoftherotorcurrent.

Reducedvoltagemethodforstartingsquirrelcageinductionmotor

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Inreducedvoltagemethodwehavethreedifferenttypeofstartingmethodandtheseare
writtenbelow:
1.Statorresistorstartingmethod
2.Autotransformerstaringmethod
3.Stardeltastartingmethod

Nowletusdiscusseachofthesemethodsindetail.
StatorResistorStartingMethod

Givenbelowisthefigureforthestartingresistormethod:

In this method we add resistor or a reactor in each phase as shown in the diagram
(betweenthemotorterminalandthesupplymains).Thusbyaddingresistorwecancontrol
thesupplyvoltage.Onlyafractionofthevoltage(x)ofthesupplyvoltageisappliedatthe
timeofstartingoftheinductionmotor.Thevalueofxisalwayslessthanone.Duetothe
dropinthevoltagethestartingtorquealsodecreases.Wewillderivetheexpressionforthe
starting torque in terms of the voltage fraction x in order to show the variation of the
startingtorquewiththevalueofx.Asthemotorspeedsupthereactororresistoriscutout
fromthecircuitandfinallytheresistorsareshortcircuitedwhenthemotorreachestoits
operating speed. Now let us derive the expression for starting torque in terms of full load
torqueforthestatorresistorstartingmethod.Wehavevariousquantitiesthatinvolvedin
theexpressionforthestartingtorquearewrittenbelow:wedefineTs asstartingtorque
Tfasfullloadtorque
Ifasperphaserotorcurrentatfullload
Is asperphaserotorcurrentatthetimeofstarting
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sfasfullloadslip
ss asstartingslip
R2asrotorresistance
Ws assynchronousspeedofthemotor
Nowwecandirectlywritetheexpressionfortorqueoftheinductionmotoras

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque to full load
torqueas

Herewehaveassumedthattherotorresistanceisconstantanditdoesnotvarywiththe
frequencyoftherotorcurrent.Fromtheaboveequationwecanhavetheexpressionforthe
startingtorqueintermsofthefullloadtorque.Nowatthetimeofstartingtheperphase
voltage is reduced to xV1, the per phase starting current is also reduced to xIs . On
substitutingthevalueofIs asxIs inequation1.Wehave

This shows the variation of the starting torque with the value of x. Now there are some
considerationsregardingthismethod.Ifweaddseriesresistorthentheenergylossesare
increasedsoitsbettertouseseriesreactorinplaceofresistorbecauseitismoreeffective
inreducingthevoltagehoweverseriesreactorismorecostlythantheseriesresistance.
AutoTransformerStartingMethod

As the name suggests in this method we connect auto transformer in between the three
phasepowersupplyandtheinductionmotorasshowninthegivendiagram:

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The auto transformer is a step down transformer hence it reduces the per phase supply
voltage from V1 to xV1.The reduction in voltage reduces current from Is to xIs . After the
motorreachestoitsnormaloperatingspeed,theautotransformerisdisconnectedandthen
fulllinevoltageisapplied.Nowletusderivetheexpressionforstartingtorqueintermsof
fullloadtorquefortheautotransformerstartingmethod.Wehavevariousquantitiesthat
involvedintheexpressionforthestartingtorquearewrittenbelow:
WedefineTs asstartingtorque
Tfasfullloadtorque
Ifasperphaserotorcurrentatfullload
Is asperphaserotorcurrentatthetimeofstarting
sfasfullloadslip
ss asstartingslip
R2asrotorresistance
Ws assynchronousspeedofthemotor
Nowwecandirectlywritetheexpressionfortorqueoftheinductionmotoras

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque to full load
torqueas

Herewehaveassumedthattherotorresistanceisconstantanditdoesnotvarywiththe
frequencyoftherotorcurrent.Fromtheaboveequationwecanhavetheexpressionforthe
startingtorqueintermsofthefullloadtorque.Nowatthetimeofstartingtheperphase
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voltage is reduced to xV1, the per phase starting current is also reduced to xIs . On
substitutingthevalueofIs asxIs inequation1.Wehave

Thisshowsthevariationofthestartingtorquewiththevalueofx.
StarDeltaStartingMethod

Connectiondiagramisshownbelowforstardeltamethod,

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This method is used for the motors designed to operate in delta connected winding. The
terminals are marked for the phases of the stator are shown above. Now let us see this
methodworks.Thestatorphasesarefirstconnectedtothestarbythehelpoftriplepole
double throw switch (TPDT switch) in the diagram the position is marked as 1 then after
thiswhenthesteadystatespeedisreachedtheswitchisthrowntoposition2asshownin
theabovediagram.
Nowletanalysetheworkingoftheabovecircuit.Inthefirstpositiontheterminalsofthe
motorareshortcircuitedandinthesecondpositionfromthediagramtheterminala,band
c are respectively connected to B, C and A. Now let us derive the expression for starting
torque in terms of full load torque for the star delta starting method. We have various
quantitiesthatinvolvedintheexpressionforthestartingtorquearewrittenbelow
Tfasfullloadtorque
Ts asstartingtorque
Ifasperphaserotorcurrentatfullload
Is asperphaserotorcurrentatthetimeofstarting
sfasfullloadslip
ss asstartingslip
R2asrotorresistance
Ws assynchronousspeedofthemotor
Nowwecandirectlywritetheexpressionfortorqueoftheinductionmotoras

From the help of the above expression we write the ratio of starting torque to full load
torqueas

Herewehaveassumedthattherotorresistanceisconstantanditdoesnotvarywiththe
MENU
frequencyoftherotorcurrent.LetusassumethelinevoltagetobeVlthentheperphase
startingcurrentwhenconnectedinstarpositionisIss whichisgivenby
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Whenstatorisindeltaconnectedpositionwehavestartingcurrent

Fromtheaboveequationwehave

This shows that the reduced voltage method has an advantage of reducing the starting
current but the disadvantage is that all these methods of reduced voltage causes the
objectionablereductioninthestartingtorque.

StartingMethodsofWoundRotorMotors
We can employ all the methods that we have discussed for starting of the squirrel cage
induction motor in order to start the wound rotor motors. We will discuss the cheapest
methodofstartingthewoundrotorsmotorhere.
AdditionofExternalResistancesinRotorCircuit

Thiswilldecreasethestartingcurrent,increasesthestartingtorqueandalsoimprovesthe
powerfactor.Thecircuitdiagramisshownbelow:Inthecircuitdiagram,thethreesliprings
shown are connected to the rotor terminals of the wound rotor motor. At the time of
startingofthemotor,theentireexternalresistanceisaddedintherotorcircuit.Thenthe
externalrotorresistanceisdecreasedinstepsastherotorspeedsup,howeverthemotor
torque remain maximum during the acceleration period of the motor. Under normal
conditionwhenthemotordevelopsloadtorquetheexternalresistanceisremoved.
After completing this article, we are able to compare induction motor with
synchronous motor. Point wise comparison between the induction motor and
synchronousmotoriswrittenbelow,
(a)Inductionmotoralwaysoperatesatlaggingpowerfactorwhilethesynchronousmotor
canoperateatbothlaggingandleadingpowerfactor.
(b) In an induction motor the value of maximum torque is directly proportional to the
squareofthesupplyvoltagewhileincaseofsynchronousmachinethemaximumtorqueis
directlyproportionaltothesupplyvoltage.
(c) In an induction motor we can easily control speed while with synchronous motor, in
normalconditionwecannotcontrolspeedofthemotor.
(d) Induction motor has inherent self starting torque while the synchronous motor has no
inherentselfstartingtorque.
(e)Wecannotuseinductionmotortoimprovethepowerfactorofthesupplysystemwhile
withtheuseofsynchronousmotorwecanimprovethepowerfactorofthesupplysystem.
(f)Itisasinglyexcitedmachinemeansthereisnorequirementofdcexcitationwhilethe
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synchronous motor is doubly excited motor means there is requirement of separate dc

excitation.
(g) In case of induction motor on increasing the load the speed of the motor decreases
whilewiththespeedofthesynchronousmotorremainsconstant.

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