Single phase Induction motor

- A Single phase Induction motor operates on 1 phase AC supply

- Used in homes, offices etc. where 1 phase AC supply is available
- Construction of 1 phase Induction motor is almost same as that of a 3
phase SCIM
- The main difference is that, stator contains only a 1 phase winding. Rotor
is a squirrel cage rotor
- Unlike a 3 phase Induction motor, 1 phase Induction motor is not self
starting & requires some starting means
- When a 1 phase AC supply is given to stator winding, an alternating
(pulsating) magnetic field is produced in stator & it links the rotor
- An EMF induces in rotor & a current flows through the rotor conductors
- Now the rotor conductors are like a current carrying conductor placed in
a magnetic field & it experiences a torque
- The torque produced in rotor is also pulsating in nature. So net torque is
zero & 1 phase Induction motor is not self starting
- If rotor is rotated in one direction by some mechanical means, it will
continue to run in the direction of rotation
- So 1 phase Induction motor require some starting means due to lack of
starting torque
- This strange behavior of 1 phase Induction motor can be explained on
the basis of Double field revolving theory
Double field revolving theory
- This theory is based on the idea that the pulsating magnetic produced
in stator can be resolved into 2 components rotating in opposite
directions at synchronous speed with half of its amplitude
- Under stationary condition, the torque
produced by these magnetic fields are
having equal magnitude & are rotating in
opposite direction
- So resultant torque is zero
- If rotor is rotated by some external means
in forward direction with speed ‘N’, then the slip of rotor w.r.to forward
rotating field , Sf = (Ns-N)/Ns = S
N s − (− N )
- Similarly slip of rotor w.r.to backward rotating field, b
S =
Ns
2Ns − (Ns − N )
i.e, Sb = = 2−S
Ns
- For normal operation, (2-s)>s
- So the current induced by backward rotating field is much larger &
power factor is low
- This current induces an EMF in stator & produces a MMF which
opposes backward rotating field & its magnitude decreases
- On the other hand, current induced by forward rotating field is low
& power factor is high
- This low current produces an a low value MMF which opposes the
forward rotating field
- Now the magnitude of forward field is higher compared to
magnitude of backward field
- This will continue as speed increases in forward direction
- At near synchronous speed, forward field may be several times the
backward field. As a result there is a net running torque
- The T-Speed characteristics of 1 phase motor is the resultant of T-
Speed characteristics of forward & backward rotating fields
- It is shown in figure
- When S = 1, resultant torque is zero
- For other values of slip, motor produces a net torque
- The resultant maximum torque is less than in a 3 phase Induction
motor
- The resultant torque become zero at a speed slightly below
synchronous speed
- At synchronous speed, torque is negative
 Equivalent circuit of 1 phase Induction motor
- When the stator of a single-phase induction motor is connected to
single-phase supply, the stator current produces a pulsating flux
- According to Double-field revolving theory, this flux can be resolved
into 2 flux components having same magnitude & revolving in opposite
directions at the synchronous speed
- Each of these fluxes induces currents in the rotor circuit and produces
induction motor action similar to that in a 3-phase induction motor
- Therefore, a single-phase induction motor can to imagined to be
consisting of two motors, having a common stator winding but with
their respective rotors revolving in opposite directions
- Each rotor has resistance and reactance half the actual rotor values
- Let R1 = resistance of stator winding
X1 = leakage reactance of stator winding
X0 = total magnetizing reactance
R0 = total resistance equivalent to core losses
R2' = resistance of the rotor referred to the stator
X2' = leakage reactance of the rotor referred to the stator
At standstill
- At standstill, the motor is simply a transformer with its secondary short
circuited.
- Therefore, the equivalent circuit of single phase motor at standstill will
be as shown in Figure
Rotor running
- Now consider that the motor is pinning at some speed in the direction
of the forward revolving field, the slip being s.
- The equivalent circuit under this situation is shown in figure
 Making 1 phase Induction motor self starting
- 1 phase Induction motor is not self starting & if the rotor is rotated in
one direction by some external means, it will continue to run in the
direction of rotation
- This method of starting is undesirable & require some method for
creating a rotational magnetic field & make the motor self starting
- This can be achieved by converting 1 phase supply into 2 phase supply
by providing an additional winding called auxiliary/starting winding
- Once the motor has achieved sufficient speed, the additional windings
can be disconnected & the motor will continue to rotate
- Depending on the method employed for making the motor self
starting, 1 phase Induction motors are classified into
a) Split phase motor – started by 2 phase motor action through the
use of a starting winding
b) Capacitor motor - started by two-phase motor action through the
use of an auxiliary winding and a capacitor
c) Shaded pole motor - started by the motion of the magnetic field
produced by means of a shading coil around a portion of the pole
structure
a) Split phase Induction motor
- It is provided with two windings – main or running
winding (M) and auxiliary or starting winding (S)
- The main winding is permanently connected to
the supply and the starting winding is placed 90°
electrical from main winding and is connected to
the supply only during starting through a
centrifugal switch.
- The main winding has low resistance and high
reactance and the auxiliary winding has high
resistance and low reactance
- So the current flowing through these windings has a
phase difference α (25° to 30°) and the flux produced
by these currents also has a phase difference α.
- The resultant flux will be rotating one.
- Starting torque is proportional to Sinα
- Split phase induction motor is having moderate starting torque and are
used in washing machines, blowers, grinders etc.
b) Capacitor motor
- In split phase motor, the maximum phase difference between starting
and running winding current is 30◦
- To improve starting torque (by increasing the angle), a capacitor is
included in the staring winding circuit.
- Depending on the connection of capacitor, these motors are classified
into
i) Capacitor start motor
- Here in addition to split phase motor, a capacitor is connected in series
with the starting winding
- The value of capacitor is chosen such that the phase difference ‘α’ is
about 80◦
- Used in applications
requiring high starting
torque like refrigerator,
air conditioner,
compressors etc

ii) Capacitor start capacitor run motor

- This motor is identical to Capacitor start motor
- The only difference is that both starting
and running winding remain connected
to supply during starting and running.
- Two designs are generally used
Design 1
- Here a single capacitor is used for both
starting and running
- No need of centrifugal switch
- Got improved power factor and efficiency
Design 2
- Here two capacitors C1 and C2 are
connected in series with starting
winding.
- The smaller capacitor C1 required for
optimum running condition is
permanently connected in series with
starting winding.
- The larger capacitor C2 act as starting capacitor and is connected in
parallel to C1 through a centrifugal switch.
- This motor produces a constant torque
- These motors are mostly used in hospitals, studios and in other places
where silence is important.
c) Shaded pole motor
- The shaded-pole motor has a
cage rotor with salient poles
in the stator.
- On one side of each pole a slot
is cut and a copper shading ring
is embedded in the slot.
- The stator supply current produces an alternating flux which induces a
current in shading ring
Working
- The operation of the motor can be understood by considering one pole
of stator with shading ring as shown in figure
i) During the portion OA of the alternating-current cycle [See Fig. (a)],
the flux begins to increase and an EMF is induced in the shading coil.
The resulting current in the shading coil will be in such a direction
(Lenz’s law) so as to oppose the change in flux.
Thus the flux in the shaded portion of the pole is weakened while that
in the unshaded portion is strengthened as shown in Fig. (b).
ii) During the portion AB of the alternating-current cycle, the flux has
reached almost maximum value and is not changing. Consequently,
the flux distribution across the pole is uniform [See Fig. (c)] since no
current is flowing in the shading coil
iii) As the flux decreases (portion BC of the alternating current cycle),
current is induced in the shading coil so as to oppose the decrease in
current. Thus the flux in the shaded portion of the pole is
strengthened while that in the unshaded portion is weakened as
shown in Fig. (d)
- This shifting flux is like a rotating weak field moving in the direction
from unshaded portion to the shaded portion of the pole.
- The rotor is of the squirrel-cage type and is under the influence of this
moving field.
- Consequently, a small starting torque is developed.
- As soon as this torque starts to revolve the rotor, additional torque is
produced by single phase induction motor action.
- The motor accelerates to a speed slightly below the synchronous
speed and runs as a single phase induction motor
- The salient features of this motor are extremely simple construction
and absence of centrifugal switch.
- Since starting torque, efficiency and power factor are very low, these
motors are only suitable for low power applications e.g., to drive: (a)
small fans (b) toys (c) hair driers (d) desk fans etc.
- The power rating of such motors is upto about 30 W.