Construction of Three Phase Induction Motor

Three Phase Induction Motor

Three Phase Induction Motor

The three phase induction motor is commonly used electric motor in the industry. These
motor basically runs from no load to full load at constant speed. Though, the speed of the
motor is dependent on the frequency. Normally we prefer DC motors whenever the
required speed variation is large. On the other hand the three phase induction motors are
simple, rugged, and low cost; maintenance is easy and can be manufactured with the
suitable characteristics for the requirement of industries.
Similar to any electric motor, three phase induction motors also have a rotor and stator.
The stator is a static and it carries a 3 phase windings named as stator winding and the
rotor is a rotating one and it carries the short circuited windings names as rotor winding. The
three phase source is supplied to the stator winding only. The stator winding externally
energized through electromagnetic induction and develops voltage and power on the

rotor winding. The stator winding energized due to electromagnetic induction and it is
named as induction motor. An induction motor might be deliberated to a transformer with
a rotational secondary and it can, hence, it can be described as a transformer type AC
machine in that the electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy.

Faradays laws of Electromagnetic Induction

Merits:

The construction is simple and rugged.

It is comparatively cheap.

It requires very less maintenance

Efficiency is high and the power factor is good

It has self-starting torque

Drawbacks :

Basically the motor speed is constant and to change the speed it is not possible so
easily.

Its starting torque is lesser to DC Shunt motor

Three Phase Induction Motor

Three Phase Induction Motor

The three phase induction motor is commonly used electric motor in the industry. These
motor basically runs from no load to full load at constant speed. Though, the speed of the
motor is dependent on the frequency. Normally we prefer DC motors whenever the
required speed variation is large. On the other hand the three phase induction motors are
simple, rugged, and low cost; maintenance is easy and can be manufactured with the
suitable characteristics for the requirement of industries.
Similar to any electric motor, three phase induction motors also have a rotor and stator.
The stator is a static and it carries a 3 phase windings named as stator winding and the
rotor is a rotating one and it carries the short circuited windings names as rotor winding. The
three phase source is supplied to the stator winding only. The stator winding externally
energized through electromagnetic induction and develops voltage and power on the
rotor winding. The stator winding energized due to electromagnetic induction and it is
named as induction motor. An induction motor might be deliberated to a transformer with
a rotational secondary and it can, hence, it can be described as a transformer type AC
machine in that the electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy.

Faradays laws of Electromagnetic Induction

Merits:

The construction is simple and rugged.

It is comparatively cheap.

It requires very less maintenance

Efficiency is high and the power factor is good

It has self-starting torque

Drawbacks :

Basically the motor speed is constant and to change the speed it is not possible so
easily.

Its starting torque is lesser to DC Shunt motor

Construction of Three Phase Induction Motor

Construction of three phase Induction motor consist of 2 important parts namely Stator
and rotor. Always the stator and rotor is separated with a small air gap ranging from 0.4-4
mm, which is depends on the size and capacity of the motor.

Construction of Three Phase Induction Motor

Stator

It contains a steel frame that surrounds a hollow cylindrical

shaped core made of skinny laminations of silicon steel to cut
back hysteresis loss and eddy current loss. A number of
equally spaced slots are providing on the inner bound of the
laminations as shown in the fig above. The insulation connected
to arrange a balanced three phase star connected
circuit ordelta connected circuit. The three phase stator coil is
wound for a particular no. of poles as per the necessity of speed.
If the number of poles are more, then the motor speed is less and vice-versa. A rotating
magnetic field with perpetual magnitude is developed once a three phase supply if
supplied to the stator winding. This rotating magnetic field makes currents within the rotor
by due to electro-magnetic induction.

Rotor
The rotor is fixed on a shaft which a hollow laminated cylindrical is shaped core having
parallel slots on the outside boundary. The winding is placed on these slots is named as
rotor winding. The rotor winding can be categorized into two types they are Squirrel cage
type and Wound Type rotor.

Theory of Electromagnetic Induction

Squirrel Cage Rotor Type:

It contains a laminated cylindrical is shaped core having

parallel slots on the outside boundary. Either an aluminum
bar or copper bar is fixed in each slot. At one each end all
these bars are joined with metal rings is termed as end ring.
This arrangement makes permanently short circuited
winding which is everlasting. There will not any electrical
supply to the rotor but the current induced in it because of transformer action from stator.
Thus the induction motors which uses squirrel cage rotor is named as squirrel cage
induction motor. Because of its advantage of simple and robust construction enable it to
operate in the utmost adverse situations. On the other hand it has disadvantage of a low
starting torque. This is due to permanently short circuited rotor bars. To have a high
starting torque it is not possible to add resistance externally.

Wound Rotor Type

This type of rotor contains a laminated cylindrical shaped
core and it carries a three phase winding like on the
stator. The rotor windings are equally distributed in all the
slots and its usually connected in star. The rotor windings
open ends all are brought together and connected to
three insulated slip rings fixed on the shaft of rotor with a
brush resting on every slip ring. Therefore all the three
brushes are connected to the three phase supply rheostat shown in the fig below. Thus to
have a high starting torque external resistance is connected in the circuit of rotor. By varying
the external resistances gradually to zero the motor runs to its rated speed.

Energy Stored in the Magnetic Field

At starting period the external resistances are engaged to have a high starting torque. Once
the motor reaches its rated speed, the wound rotor runs similar to squirrel cage rotor by
short circuiting the three brushes.

Principle Operation of Three Phase Induction Motor

The figure shows the portion of a three phase Induction motor and is principle explained
below:

The three phase stator winding gets energized when a three phase supply is given
to the stator winding, a rotating magnetic field is produced which revolves round the
stator its synchronous speed (Ns= 120f/p).

Then the rotating magnetic field moves through the air gap and cuts the conductor of
rotor, till now which is stationary. Because of the virtual speed amongst the
stationary rotor and the rotating flux, EMFs are induced in the conductors of rotor.
Since the rotor circuit is short circuited the current start flows in the rotor conductors.

The current carrying conductors of rotor are positioned in the magnetic field created
by the stator. As a result, mechanical forces act on the conductors of rotor. The
summation of mechanical forces act on all the conductors creates a torque which
initiates to rotate the rotor in the similar direction of rotating magnetic field.

The point is that the rotor urged to follow the direction of stator field as per the Lenzs
law. According to this lenzs law, the directions of current in the rotor will be such that
they incline to oppose the source producing them. At the moment, the cause
generating the rotor currents is the virtual speed amongst the rotating magnetic field
and the stationary rotor conductor. Therefore to decrease the virtual speed, the rotor
starts running in the same direction as that of stator field and tries to catch it.

Construction of Three Phase Induction Motor

Thus in three phase Induction motor are widely used in industrial drives because:

It is Self-starting. It does not require any starter.

Armature reaction is less and no brush sparking, because of the absence of brushes
and commutation.

Construction is simple.

Maintenance is easy

Cost-effective.

Synchronous Speed:
The rotational speed of the rotating magnetic field is termed as synchronous speed.
Ns = 120f/P rpm
Slip:

The rotor stabs to catch the synchronous speed of stator field and thus it rotates. Whereas
in practice, the rotor never make it is grasping up. Because if the rotor runs up to the stator
speed, then there will not be any virtual speed between the stator and rotor. Hence no
induce rotor currents and no torque production to maintain the rotation. Thats why the rotor
rotates at its speed, which is lesser than the synchronous speed.
The difference between the synchronous speed and actual speed of the rotor is called slip.
Percentage of Slip S = { (Ns N) / Ns } x 100

Slip Torque Characteristics of an Induction Motor

Stable and Unstable Region of the Slip Torque Characteristics:

The torque, T of a three phase induction motor is given by

T=(Ks E2R2) / (R2+(sX2)2)
Where,
= flux
S = slip

E2 = Rotor induced EFM per Phase at standstill

R2 = Rotor resistance per phase
X2 = Rotor reactance per phase at standstill
K = a constant

The slip torque curves for various ranges of slip with different R2 are drawn. For slip values
ranging from 0 to 1 these curves are drawn.

Using the above relation, the following cases are considered:

Case-1:
From the above relation when s=0, then the torque, T is also zero. Therefore, the curve
starts from (0, 0).
Case-2:

When the speed of the rotor is near about the synchronous speed, then the slip s value is
very small. Therefore the term (s.X2) is small. On comparing this value with R2, the value
(s.X2) is negligible. Substituting these values in the torque equation, we get,
T = (KsE2R2) / R22
T s / R2 Since , E2 are constants.
Or, Ts, if R2 is constant. From this, it is understood that for low values of slip the torque
slip, curve is more or less a straight line.

Equivalent Circuit of an Three Phase Induction Motor

Case-3:
When the load on the motor increases, the rotor speed falls down. Then the slip value
increases. From the above relation it is seen that, when slip s increases the torque, T also
increases. The torque will attain a maximum value, at s = (R2/X2). This torque is called pull
out or break down or stalling torque. Further increases in load on the motor causes, the slip
to increase still more. For higher values of slip, R2 is negligible as compare to (sX2). Then
the torque equation becomes,
T {(KsE2)/(sX2)2}
T {s/(sX2)2}, since & E2 are constant.
T 1/s i.e. X2 is constant
Therefore, for higher values of slip, the torque slip curve is a rectangular hyperbola.
For various values of R, the family of torque slip curve is as shown in the figure 1. From
these curves, it is clear that, beyond the point of maximum torque, the increased load on the
motor results in a decrease in torque developed. Any further more increase in load on the
motor results in the slowing down of motor and it finally stops. The speed of the motor
comes to zero, when the slip reaches to 1. (if the load on the motor is too much, the rotor
speed comes to zero and it stops, then slip s = (Ns 0) / Ns and equal to 1).
Hence the stable operating region of the motor lies for the slip values, s=0, and that
corresponds to maximum torque. The operating region is indicating hatched in the figure 2.

Three Phase Slip Ring Induction Motor

Construction:
The slip ring induction motor could be used for industrial wires where variable speed and
high starting torque are prime requirements. The stator of slip ring induction motor is very
much the same as that of the squirrel cage induction motor, but the construction of its rotor
is very much different. Stator winding can be either star or delta connected depending upon
the design.

Rotor Construction:
Phase wound rotor
Induction with this type of rotor is having three
phase double layer distributed windings.
Insulated enameled copper wires are used for
coils. The rotor winding is designed as the
number of poles of the stator windings. The rotor
winding is always wound for three phase winding
and star connected.
The three phase windings for rotor is
accommodated in these slots of the rotor stampings. For rotor stampings silicon steel
laminations are used. Each one end of the three phases is connected in star at the rotor.
The remaining terminals are brought out and they are connected to three slip rings. These
three slip rings are mounted on the shaft with insulation provided between each other. The
brushes are so arranged to rest on three slip rings. External star connected rheostat is
connected to these three slip rings.

With this external rheostat connected, helps to increase the starting current the starting
torque of the motor at starting. Under normal working condition of this motor, the three slip
rings are short circuited by means of a metal collar. The three phase winding are short
circuited by this arrangement and hence the wound rotor also acts like the squirrel cage
rotor under normal working conditions.
During short circuiting the slip rings, the brushes are automatically lifted from the surface of
the slip rings. This is to reduce the friction losses and the wear and tear for the slip ring and
brushes. For slip rings high quality phosphor bronze is used.

Windings

The stator and rotor windings are so arranged for the circulation of air for the purpose of
cooling. Enamel insulated copper wires are used for windings. The coils are properly placed
in slots to withstand the centrifugal forces and also the stress due to any short circuit. The
winding is completely insulated with the use of high quality varnishes.
When the stator winding of the slip ring motor
is connected to the three phase supply, it
produces a rotating magnetic field in the same
way as a squirrel cage induction motor. This
rotating magnetic field induces voltages in the
rotor windings and a rotor current will flow
through the closed circuit, formed by the rotor
winding, the slip rings, the brushes and the star connected external resistance.
At the tie of starting, the external resistors are set for their maximum value. At such, the
rotor resistance is high enabling the starting current to be low. At the same time, the high

resistance rotor circuit increases the rotor power factor, and thereby, the torque developed
at the start becomes much higher than the torque developed in squirrel cage motors.
As the motor speeds up, the external resistance is slowly reduced, and the rotor winding is
made to be short circuited at the slip ring ends. Because of the reduced rotor resistance, the
motor operates with low slip and high operating efficiency. The motor could be started
heavy loads with higher resistance or vice versa. However at increase rotor resistance, the
motors slip will be greater, the speed regulation poorer and it will have low efficiency. The
resistance in the external circuit could be designed and varied to change the speed of the
slip ring motor between 50 to 100% of the rated speed. However the I2R losses in the rotor
due to increased resistance is inevitable.