Finite Element Analysis of 3-Phase Induction Motor with PWM Inverter

Jeong-Jong Lee, Hyuk Nam, Young-Kyon Kim, Jung-Pya Hang, Don-Ha Hwang*
Department of Electrical Engineering o f Changwon National University, Korea
Industry Applications Research Lab., Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute*
Phone: 82-55-262-5966 Fax: 82-55-263-9956 E-mail: wave95@,korea.com

A b l m c f - This paper deals with the finite element analysis of drive with sinusoidal drive.
3-phase induction motor with PWM(Pulse Width Modulated)
inverter fed. When a motor i s driven by P\VM inverter, i t s input II.METHOD
and output power i s different from those of commercial A. PCVM inverter circuit modeling
(sinusoidal) supply, because PWR.1 inverter voltage contains
high frequency components. Therefore, in order t o analyze the To simulate the transient analysis of induction motor, the voltage
motor performance precisely, the transient analysis lo express has to be defined at each time step. In sinusoidal waveform
PWkI inverter output voltage i s required. This paper presents simulation, voltage and time-step can be calculated easily. However,
the method o f constitution o f variable time step transient determining the voltage and time step in PWM inverter is not easy.
analysis for calculating the P W M inverter voltage. The result
Fig. 2 shows the inverter circuit. General switching method is
shows the difference o f current in motor between commercial
and PWM inverter voltage. shown in Fig.3, where triangular waveform is compared with
sinusoidal waveform. and time-steD and voltage are determined. The
1. INTRODUCrlON motor specifications &e shown in Table 1. -
Recently, pulse width modulated (PWM) inverters are widely
used to feed rotation machines because they allow essy control of
amplitude and frequency o f the voltage excitation by adjusting the
number and the size of the pulses. And many studies for PWM
inverter circuit have been repotted [I]-[;]. In invener-fed electric
machines, the characteristics such as efficiency. cumill waveforms,
and generated torque or force are ditferent from those of sinusoidal
voltage fed ones. In induction motor, the efiect o f PWM inverter is
more significant than other type motors, because of skin effect and
secondzuy current, which contains high frequency ripples. In that
case, the average voltage of inverter output is equal to sinusoidal
input. And high frequency voltage can decrease motor pefonnance.
In order to estimate the effect of PWM inveneer fed induction motor,
it is required to simulate the PWM inveller circuit and induction
Fig, I.35kwclarr 3-phs inductim motor
motor model, which can be expressed by finite element tnethod
(FEM). However, there are several problems in simulating the
PWM inverter. Firstly, FEM requires too long computation time
due to lots o f time steps. Secondly, there are too many PWM
voltage waveforms to simulate. But in recent years, the computer
system is developed to be vely fast. And it is possible to analyze the
characteristic of induction motor, which is supplied by PWM
inverter. ib,
The finite element formulation must be coupled to is extemal 0
circuit model when dealing with non-sinusoidal sources because of -FE
the iteration between the electric and magnetic models. In driving an
induction motor with PWM inverter, the performance of the motor
varies. In a PWM inverter supply, the voltage profile consists of
control method. Therefore, the PWM invener voltase also varies.
In order to analyze the state of the PWM inverter, FE analysis
method is used for time transient analysis. The pefonnance of an
induction motor with PWM invener drive is compared with that of +'C
sinusoidal drive. In the result, the torque characteristicsofsinusoidal Ar Scul,l~rarml,lr CllllD -It,>

drive and PWM inverter appearance. This paper presents the torque Fig. 2. Calculating PWM inverter switchingtime step
distribution of 3-phase induction motor comparing PWM inverter

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 'TABLE I The input current of PWM inverter is compared with that of
SPECIFICATIONSO F THE INDUClION MOTOR
sinusoidal wavefoim Fig. 4., where the effect of PWM inverter
Specification V;,lue appears. In this analysis, in order to reduce simulation time,
Input raltagc 380 (line-to-line) sinusoidal waveform is applied to PWM analysis. After phase
Rated Output 35 (kN') current reaches to steady state, PWM voltage is applied as input. In
Rated Speed 1770 Fig. 4, point A is tuming point fiom sinusoidal wavefomi to PWM
Pole number 4 voltaxe. Fig.6. shows the equipotential line of 3-phase induction
Foundation Freqocncy 60(Hr) motor in steady state. In steady state, flu depth is deeper than
Connection Udt8 transient state because ofthe current flow of secondary conductor.
B. Time stepping FEM
2-D time-stepping finite element metliod is used for the analysis
o f the magnetic field. The goveming equation for 2-D FE analysis is
given by

(1)
..... .

where .4 ,,
is the z-component of magnetic vector potential, is the
permeability, U is conductivity of material, J l ' is the exciting
current density ofthe primary winding [ I].
And, Voltage equations should consider each phase as follow,
-400
-6004
1 . , . , . ,
0.0 20.0m 40.0m 6D.Om 8O.Om 100.0m l i .Om
Time (5)

dl,, d4" Fig. 4. Input currentof3-pliae induction niotor.

V, IoR, + (L, + L,,,) -di + -
dt 80

60
where J/, , R, and $e7 are the phase voltage, inductanceand flux
40
linkage ofeach phase, respectively. Lc,and L,,8are winding 20
inductance of2dimension and winding leakage inductance c
c
are
respectively, the sum of L,, and L#3, is phase inductance. In this t
3
0 -20
paper, 2dimension FEM is used for the analysis. Therefore, it is
possible to calculate L ~,,while L,,, is not. Therefore. L,>,is -40

calculated by equivalent method [4]. -60

111. RESIJLT AND DlSCllSSlON - 8 O i . , , , . , . , 1 I

90.0m 95.0m 100.0m 105.0m 110.0m 115.01n
A. lripur vollage
Time ( 5 )
Fig3 shows the phase voltage of induction motor at 2 kHz of Fig 5. The c m n t m n i view o f b x B in Fig. 4
PWM frequency. The motor is connected as Delta winding, and
experiment and simulation are perfonned from the frequency of 2
kHz to 20 kHz.

Fiq. 6. Stfadysme Equipotentialofllle induction n1otor.

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 Fig. 7 shows the torque ripple in steady state. The sinusoidal Fig. I O shows the secondary conductor loss. As PWM frequency
waveform torque is larzer than PWM method. Fig. 8. shows the is lower, the conductor loss increases. Table 2 shows efficiency
torque according to PWM carrier frequency. In Fig. 8 siiiiulation according to the voltage. The efficiency of sinusoidal voltage is
and experiment result of the PWM inverter and the sinusoidal drive profitable Ban PWM inverter supply.
are represented with x-axis ignored. The speed is 1770 Tin i n all
simulations,but experimental result varies. In this paper, inechanical
-2- PWM
equation is ignored to reach iated speed as fast as possible. Fig. 9 sinusoidal Simulation
shows the primary conductor loss. It is calculated by the iesistance t sinusoidal experimen
loss equation. As the PWM frequency becomes high, the less
orimarv conductor loss is shown.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 I
Frequency [kHr]

Fig. IO. Secondary condudorloss

TABLE 2
POWERDISTRIBUTION

250
Sinusoidal experience 41.4 37.8 91.4
PWM simulation (SkHz) 38.1 34.4 90.2
200 PWM saperience (8kHr) 40.6 36.8 90.6

-5 150 1v. CONCLUSION

I

7
a) This paper presents the analysis of 3-phase induction motor
'J too with PWM inverter using finite element method. By using PWM
2 --t sinewave simulatim
-t- sinewave experience inverter, the conductor loss increases, while torque decreases. And
50 ---t pw,n Iimulatlon
conductor loss can be increased due to the increase of motor
+-pwni experience
temperature. Therefore, the method that does not use PWM
0 inveiier is reasonable for motor drive. But, in recent years, PWM
2 I 6 8 10 I? 14 16 18 20 inverter is widely used for transient current protection and motor
Frequency lkHzl speed controls. Therefore, design need to consider the effect of the
loss due to PWM inverter.

REFERENCES
E tmj 0, t
[I] In-Soung Jung, Dong-Seak tlyun, "Dynamic cliaracteristics of I'M
linear synchronous motor driven by PWM inverter by finite element
analysis", IEEE Trans. on Mognelics, vol. 2, no. 5, September, 1999,
pp 3697-3699.
[2] S. L. Ho, et. al. "A combined finite elemencdomain elimination
method for minimizing torque ripples in invertevfed AC motor drive
sinusoidal si8wlation system", IEEE Trans. on Mognelic.?, vol. 36, no. 4, July, 2000, pp
.: Sinusoidal experience 1817-1 821.
--ic pvin, simulation [3] G.H. Jang. et. al, "Finite-elemcnt analysis of an electromechanical tield
'2 p r m experience of a BLDC !motor considering speed control and mechanical flexibility",
.-- l .o , , , , , . , , , . IEEE J r o m on Mognerics. vol. 38, no. 2, March, 2002, pp 945-948.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Frequency [kHz]
Fig. 9. Ihnary conductor loss

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