AC MACHINES

The machines which use alternating voltage for their operation.

3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTOR

The 3 phase induction motors are used in industry for bulk power conversion from electrical to mechanical .

Advantages over DC Motor

Low

Cost and more reliable. They can operate in dusty environments. Speed in RPM is of order of 12000. High Efficiency. Smaller Size and Weight.

 INDUCTION MOTOR:

An Induction motor has basically two parts:

Stator It is a stationary frame
consisting of a steel frame that supports a hollow, cylindrical core of stacked laminations. The stator is a stationary winding which can be a star connected or delta connected. Consists of a number of stampings with slots to carry three phase windings. It is wound for a definite number of poles. The windings are geometrically spaced 120 degrees apart.

It

ROTOR
Rotor

is a rotating winding. This winding is not connected to any external supply. The current flows in rotor winding is due to induction thats why it named as Induction motor. It has two types : 1. Squirrel Cage Rotor 2. Wound Rotor.

Two types of rotors are used in Induction motors Squirrel-cage rotor Wound rotor Squirrel-cage windings, which produce a squirrel-cage induction motor (most common) Conventional 3-phase windings made of insulated wire, which produce a wound-rotor induction motor (special characteristics)

 STATOR CONSTRUCTION:

The stator and the rotor are electrical circuits that perform as electromagnets. The stator is the stationary electrical part of the motor. The stator core of motor is made up of several hundred thin laminations.

STATOR WINDINGS;

Stator laminations are stacked together forming a hollow cylinder. Coils of insulated wire are inserted into slots of the stator core. Each grouping of coils, together with the steel core it surrounds, form an electromagnet. Electromagnetism is the principle behind motor operation. The stator windings are connected directly to

ROTOR CONSTRUCTION:
The

rotor is the rotating part of the electromagnetic circuit. The most common type of rotor is the "squirrel cage" rotor. The rotor consists of a stack of steel laminations with evenly spaced conductor bars around the circumference.

A wound rotor or Slip ring rotor has a 3-phase winding, similar to the stator winding. The rotor winding terminals are connected to three slip rings which turn with the rotor. The slip rings/brushes allow external resistors to be connected in series with the winding. Low Efficiency. External Resistance is connected to develop high Torque. E.g. Cranes, Elevators etc.

Squirrel cage rotor

consists of copper bars, slightly longer than the rotor, which are pushed into the slots. The ends are welded to copper end rings, so that all the bars are short circuited. External Resistance cannot be connected. No Slip Rings and Brushes. Fans, Water Pumps,

 Consider

Rotating Field
a simple stator with

6 poles - windings AN, BN, CN. The windings are mechanically spaced at 120 from each other. The windings are connected to a 3phase source. AC currents Ia, Ib and Ic will flow in the windings, but will be displaced in time by 120. Each winding produces its own MMF, which creates a flux across the hollow interior of the stator.

Graphical Representation

Operating principle
Due to three phase stator current a rotating magnetic field is produced. The Rotating magnetic field rotates at a synchronous speed (Ns = 120 f / p) Firstly the Rotor winding is stationary and rotating magnetic field cuts the stationary rotor conductors and induces an emf in rotor winding. A voltage E = BLv is induced in each conductor (Faradays Law) The induced voltage produces currents which circulate in a loop around the conductors (through the bars). Since the current-carrying conductors lie in a magnetic field, they experience a mechanical force (Lorentz force).

Number of Poles Synchronous Speed

The rotating speed of the revolving flux can be reduced by increasing the number of poles (in multiples of two).

Ns = 120 f / p
Ns = synchronous speed (rpm) f = frequency of the supply (Hz) p = number of poles

Induction Motors: Slip

The

difference between the synchronous speed and rotor speed can be expressed as a percentage of synchronous speed, known as the slip.

s = Fractional slip, Ns = synchronous speed (rpm), N = rotor speed (rpm) At no-load, the slip is nearly zero (<0.1%). At full load, the slip for large motors rarely exceeds 0.5%. For small

The frequency induced in the rotor depends on the slip: fR= sf fR = frequency of voltage in the rotor f = frequency of the supply and stator field s = slip

Frequency induced in the rotor

Uses of Synchronous Motors

Synchronous

motors find applications in all industrial applications where constant speed is necessary. Low power applications include positioning machines, where high precision is required, and robot actuators.

Advantages of Synchronous motor over Three phase motor

Speed

is independent of the load, provided an adequate field current is applied. Accurate control in speed and position. They run either at the synchronous speed or they do not run at all.