Lecture 1

Three-phase Induction Motor Construction and

Principle of Operation

1. Introduction:
Induction motor (Also called asynchronous motor) is an A.C. motor. The
motor line current flows into the stator windings to set up a flux called
the main flux or the stator flux, which passes through the air gap to be
cut by the conductors of the rotor windings. Consequently, an
electromotive force to be induced in the rotor windings and produces
currents flow in the rotor windings and producing flux called the rotor
flux. The interact between the two fluxes (stator and rotor fluxes)
producing rotation of the rotating part of the motor (rotor). The rotor
receives electrical power in the same way as the secondary winding of
the electrical transformer receiving its power from the primary winding
by means of the electrical induction. That is why an induction motor can
be called as a rotating transformer i.e., in which primary winding is
stationary but the secondary is free to rotate.
2. Induction Motor Types:
Depending on the construction of the rotor circuit there are two types of
induction motors:
I. Squirrel cage induction motor:
Rotors is very simple and consist of bars of aluminum (or copper)
with shorting rings at the ends.
II. Wound rotor induction motor:
Rotor consists of three phase windings (star connected) with
terminals brought out to slip rings for external connections.

Squirrel cage type is more common compared to the wound rotor type due to:

a. Robust, as no brushes, no contacts on the rotor shaft.

b. Simple in construction and easy to manufacture.
c. Almost maintenance-free, except for bearing and other mechanical
parts.
d. High efficiency as rotor has very low resistance and thus low copper loss.

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3. Construction:

There are two main types of components which are used in induction
motor manufacturing as follows:

a) Active components: which are classified into two categories:

i. Magnetic materials (0.5 mm electrical steel).
ii. Electrical materials (copper wires, insulations, bars,
end rings, slip rings, brushes, and lead wires).
b) Constructional components: like frame, end shields, shaft, bearings, and
fan. These components are shown in figure 1.

Figure 1 Parts of Squirrel Cage Induction Motor

3.1 Stator construction:

The stator is made up of several thin laminations (0.5 mm) of electrical
steel (silicon steel), they are punched and clamped together to form a
hollow cylinder (stator core) with slots, as shown in Figure 2.
Coils of insulated wires are inserted into these slots. Each group of coils,
together with the core that it surrounds, forms an electromagnet, forms
an electromagnet (a pair of poles). The number of poles of an induction
motor depends on the internal connection of the stator windings.

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 Figure 2 Typical Stator of Three-phase Induction Motor

3.2 Rotor construction:

The squirrel cage rotor is made up of several thin electrical steel
lamination (0.5mm) with evenly spaced bars , which are made up of
aluminum or copper , along the periphery .In the most popular type of
rotor (squirrel cage rotor), +these bars are connected at ends
mechanically and electrically by the use of end rings as in Figure 3 (A).
Almost 90 % of induction motors have squirrel cage rotors. The rotor
slots are not exactly parallel to the shaft. Instead, they are given a skew
for two main reasons, firstly to make the motor run quietly by reducing
magnetic hum and to decrease slot harmonics, secondly to help
reducing the locking tendency of the rotor (the rotor teeth tend to
remain locked under the stator teeth due to direct magnetic attraction
between the two). The rotor is mounted on the shaft using bearings on
both ends.
The wound rotor has a set of windings on the rotor slots which are not
short circuited, but they are terminated to a set of slip rings. These are
helpful in adding external resistors and contactors, as in Figure 3 (B).
The typical squirrel cage rotor circuit is shown in figure 4 (A), while the
typical wound rotor circuit with an external rotor resistor circuit is
shown in figure 4 (B).

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 Figure 3 (A) Squirrel Cage Rotor Type (B) Wound Rotor Type

(B) Typical Wound rotor

Figure 4 (A) Typical Squirrel Cage

4. Typical name plate of induction motor:

A typical name plate of induction motor is shown in Figure 5, and table 1.

Figure 5 Typical Name Plate of Induction Motor

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 Table 1 Name Plate Terms and Their Meaning

All the information of the above table is according to the motor standards:

NEMA: National Electrical Manufactures Association

IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission

5. Motor insulation class:

Insulations have been standardized and graded by their resistance to thermal

aging and failure. Four insulation classes are in common use, they have been
designated by the letters A, B, F, and H .The temperature capabilities of these
classes are separated from each other by 25 °C increments. The temperature
capabilities of each insulation class are defined as being the maximum
temperature at which the insulation can be operated to yield an average life
of 20,000 hours, as in Table 2 below.

Table 2 Motor Insulation Classes

Insulation Class Temperature Rating

A 105° C
B 130° C
F 155° C
H 180° C

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6. Motor Degree of Protection:

I P : International Protection , I P * #
* Protection against ingress of # Protection against ingress of
Bodies Water

0 Non protected 0 Non protected

1 Protected against ingress of 1 Protected against ingress of

foreign solid bodies of 50 mm or dripping water.
greater.

2 Protected against ingress of 2 Protection against ingress of

foreign solid bodies of 12 mm or dripping water at maximum
greater. angle of 150 degrees from the
vertical.

3 Protected against ingress of 3 Protection against water falling

foreign solid bodies of 2.5 mm like rain.
or greater.

4 Protected against ingress of 4 Protection against splashing

foreign solid bodies of 1 mm or water.
greater.

5 Partially protected against 5 Protection against water jets.

ingress of dust.

6 Totally protected against ingress 6 Protection against special

of dust. conditions on ship’s board.

7 Protection against immersion in

water.

8 Protection against prolonged

immersion in water.

7. Principle of Operation:

In order to clarify the principles of operations, consider a portion of 3-phase

induction motor as shown in Figure 6. The operation of the motor can be
explained as below:

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 I. When 3-phase stator winding is energized from a 3-phase supply,
a rotating magnetic field is set up which rotates round the stator
at synchronous speed Ns (= 120 f/P).
II. The rotating field passes through the air gap and cuts the rotor
conductors, which still in stationary condition. Due to the relative
speed between the rotating flux and the stationary rotor, an
electromotive force (e.m.f.) is induced in the rotor conductors.
Since the rotor circuit is short-circuited, currents start flowing in
the rotor conductors.
III. The current-carrying rotor conductors are placed in the magnetic
field produced by the stator. Consequently, mechanical force acts
on the rotor conductors. The sum of the mechanical forces on all
the rotor conductors produces a torque which tends to move the
rotor in the same direction as the rotating magnetic field.
IV. The fact that rotor is urged to follow the stator field (i.e., rotor
moves in the direction of stator field) can be explained by Lenz’s
law. According to this law, the direction of rotor currents will be
such that they tend to oppose the cause producing them.
V. Now, the cause producing the rotor currents is the relative speed
between the rotating magnetic field and the stationary rotor
conductors. Hence to reduce this relative speed, the rotor starts
running in the same direction as that of stator field and tries to
catch its speed.

Figure 6 Principle of Operation of Three-phase Induction Motor

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 VI. We have seen above that rotor rapidly accelerates in the direction
of rotating field. In practice, the rotor can never reach the speed
of stator flux. If it did, there would be no relative speed between
the stator field and rotor conductors, no induced rotor currents
and, therefore, no torque to drive the rotor. The friction and
windage would immediately cause the rotor to slow down. Hence,
the rotor speed (Nr) is always less than the suitor field speed (Ns).
This difference in speed depends upon load on the motor.
VII. The difference between the synchronous speed (Ns) of the
rotating stator field and the actual rotor speed (Nr) is called slip. It
is usually expressed as a percentage of synchronous speed i.e.,
Slip = S = Ns − Nr × 100 %
Ns
Where, the quantity (Ns – Nr) is called slip speed, and the slip at
the stationary situation is unity or 100%.
VIII. The frequency of a voltage or current induced due to the relative
speed between a vending and a magnetic field is given by the
general formula:

Frequency of the rotor circuit = Fr = N P/ 120

Where, N is the slip speed (Ns - Nr) , and by the substitution of

the slip speed and the slip in the above equation we will get:
Fr = S F
Where, S is the slip, F is the supply frequency
IX. When the rotor is at standstill or stationery (i.e., s = 1), the
frequency of rotor current is the same as that of supply frequency.
As the rotor picks up speed, the relative speed between the
rotating flux and the rotor decreases. Consequently, the slip s and
hence rotor current frequency decreases.

8. Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF):

Three phase induction motor have a symmetric three phase stator windings
displayed 120 degree in space, so each winding sets up a field that varies
sinusoidally around the circumference of the air gap and varies sinusoidally
with time. These fields are displayed from one another by 120 degree in
both time and space. The flux density from phase A (for example) is maximum
in certain point and drops sinusoidally to zero, ninety degree away from this
point. So, the stator field can be visualized as a set of north and south poles
rotating around the circumference of the stator as shown in the figure 7 below.

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 Figure 7 Production of Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF)

For a phase sequence ABC , the phase the magnetic motive force (m.m.f.) as
functions of time are as follows:

F a = F max cos wt (1)

F b = F max cos ( wt - 120°) (2)

Fc = F max cos ( wt +120°) (3)

Where ( F max) is the maximum ( m.m.f.) of any one phase. The resultant stator
(m.m.f.) is ( Fs ) along an axis at an angle of ( β ) to the horizontal is found by
summing up the projections of the three-phase (m.m.f's)along this line:

Fs = Fa + Fb + Fc = 1.5 F max cos (wt - β ) (4)

That means the magnitude of the resultant rotating magnetic field (RMF) is
(1.5 times) the field produced by any one phase.