Three Phase Induction Motor

Lecture Notes
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Introduction
 Three‐phase induction motors are the most common 
and frequently encountered machines in industry
 Simple design, Low cost  and rugged, requires little or no 
skilled maintenance
 wide range of power ratings: fractional horsepower to 
10 MW 
 Explosion free, due to the absence of a commutator or 
slip‐rings and brushes with their associated sparking, 
 Run at nearly constant speed from zero‐to‐full 
– Its speed depends on the frequency of the power 
source
• not easy to have variable speed control 
• requires a variable‐frequency power‐electronic drive for 
optimal speed control

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Construction: has two main parts
Stator – consisting of a steel frame that supports a hollow, 
cylindrical core of stacked laminations. Slots on the internal 
circumference of the stator house the stator winding.
Rotor – also composed of punched laminations, with rotor 
slots for the rotor winding.
Stator
Rotor

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 Induction Motor: Stator
 Stator is made from laminated iron  
 3 phase windings, 120° spatially apart  (star/delta)
 Stator winding is carried in slots around the circumference of 
a cylindrical bore.
 There is a separate winding for each phase.

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Induction Motor: Rotor
1. Squirrel‐cage induction motor:

2. Wound‐rotor induction motor

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 1. Squirrel‐cage induction motor
 most common type of IM
 has squirrel‐cage  rotor windings
 squirrel cage rotor consists of copper bars,  
 bar ends are welded to copper end rings, so that all 
the bars are short circuited.

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 2. Wound‐rotor induction motor 
 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. 
 The external resistors are mainly used during start‐up , under 
normal running conditions the windings short circuited 
externally.

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 Types
There are two‐types of rotor windings:
1. squirrel‐cage induction motor (most common)
 has Squirrel‐cage windings
 Squirrel cage rotor consists of copper bars,  
 bar ends are welded to copper end rings, so that all the bars are 
short circuited.

2. wound‐rotor induction motor 
 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. 
 The external resistors are mainly used during start‐up , under 
normal running conditions the windings short circuited externally.

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 Production of Flux by A‐Phase of  Stator Windings

Stator a

Gap or  A‐Phase Stator winding 
Air Gap or conductor (equivalent)

Rotor

Rotor a’
Bars or Conductors

Figure: Cross Sectional View of a Squirrel Cage Induction Motor
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Production of Flux by A‐Phase of  Stator Windings

A‐Phase Stator winding 
or conductor (equivalent)

a’

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Production of Flux by A‐Phase of  Stator Windings

Magnetic axis 
of phase A

a’

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Production of Flux by A‐Phase of  Stator Windings

Magnetic axis 
of phase A

ias

Simplified 
a’
equivalent 
stator winding

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Stator Flux Generation 

c’
b’

c
b

a’

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Production of Flux by Three Phase Stator Windings
Magnetic axis 
of phase C
a

b’
c’ Magnetic axis 
of phase A

b
c

a’
Magnetic axis 
of phase B

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Production of Flux by Three Phase Stator Windings
Magnetic axis 
of phase C ics
a

b’
c’ Magnetic axis 
of phase A

b ias

c
ibs Simplified 
a’
equivalent 
Magnetic axis  stator winding
of phase B

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 Stator Flux 

Let’s look at phase a

Flux that links phase a is caused by:

• Flux produced by winding a

• Flux produced by winding b

• Flux produced by winding c
 Stator Flux 

Let’s look at phase a

Flux that links phase a is caused by:

• Flux produced by winding a

• Flux produced by winding b

• Flux produced by winding c
 Rotating Magnetic Field
• Balanced three phase windings, i.e. 
mechanically displaced 120 degrees 
form each other, fed by balanced three 
phase source
• A rotating magnetic field of constant 
magnitude is produced, which rotates 
at a speed:
120 f
NS  rpm
P

Where f is the supply frequency and
P is the no. of poles and Ns is called the 
synchronous speed in rpm (revolutions 
per minute)

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 Rotating Magnetic Field
• The three phases of the stator winding  carry balanced alternating 
sinusoidal currents 
• Three pulsating mmf waves are now set up in the air‐gap, which have a 
time phase  difference of 120 degree from each other. These mmf’s are 
oriented in space along the magnetic axes of the phases, a,b & c,

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 Synchronous speed
f = 50 Hz
No. of Poles Syn. Speed, Ns
P (rpm)
120 f
NS  rpm 2 3000
P

4 1500
6 1000
8 750
10 600
12 500

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Rotating Magnetic Field

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Rotating Magnetic Field

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 Rotating Magnetic Field
Bnet (t )  Ba (t )  Bb (t )  Bc (t )

 BM sin(t )0  BM sin(t  120)120  BM sin(t  240)240

 BM sin(t )xˆ
3
[0.5 BM sin(t  120)]xˆ  [ BM sin(t  120)]yˆ
2
3
[0.5 BM sin(t  240)]xˆ  [ BM sin(t  240)]yˆ
2

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 Rotating Magnetic Field
1 3 1 3
Bnet (t )  [ BM sin(t )  BM sin(t )  BM cos(t )  BM sin(t )  BM cos(t )]xˆ
4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3
[ BM sin(t )  BM cos(t )  BM sin(t )  BM cos(t )]yˆ
4 4 4 4

 [1.5 BM sin(t )]xˆ  [1.5 BM cos(t )]yˆ

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Rotating Magnetic Field

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 Principle of operation
 This rotating magnetic field cuts the rotor windings and 
produces an induced voltage in the rotor windings
 Due to the fact that the rotor windings are short circuited, for 
both squirrel cage and wound‐rotor, and induced current 
flows in the rotor windings
 The rotor current produces another magnetic field
 A torque is produced as a result of the interaction of those 
two magnetic fields
 ind  kBR  Bs
Where ind is the induced torque and BR and BS are the magnetic 
flux densities of the rotor and the stator respectively

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 Induction motor speed
 Can the IM run at the synchronous speed, why?
– If rotor runs at the synchronous speed, which is the same 
speed of the rotating magnetic field, then the rotor will 
appear stationary to the rotating magnetic field and the 
rotating magnetic field will not cut the rotor. 

 So, no induced current will flow in the rotor and no rotor 
magnetic flux will be produced so no torque is generated 
and the rotor speed will fall below the synchronous speed.

 Therefore, the IM will always run at a speed 
lower than the synchronous speed

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 Induction motor speed
• The difference between the motor speed and 
the synchronous speed is called the Slip speed

nslip  ns  nr
Where nslip= slip speed
ns= speed of the rotaing magnetic field
nr = mechanical shaft speed of the motor

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 The Slip

n s  n n slip  s  ns
s  OR n slip
ns ns

Notice that : if the rotor runs at synchronous speed
s = 0
if the rotor is stationary
s = 1
Slip may be expressed as a percentage by multiplying the above 
eq. by 100, notice that the slip is a ratio and doesn’t have units
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Frequency of the induced emf and current in the rotor:
• The frequency of the voltage induced in the rotor is given by
P  n sl
fr 
120
Where fr = the rotor frequency (Hz)
P = number of stator poles
nsl = slip speed (rpm)
Or
P  (ns  n)
fr 
120
P  sns
  sf
120
And hence, r  s 

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The rotor circuit:
AT the starting or when the rotor is blocked  (s =1) 
 Rotor Inducde voltage (emf) = E2
‘The largest voltage and rotor frequency are induced in the rotor’, 
Why?
If the rotor rotates at synchronous speed  (s =0) 
 and  Rotor Inducde voltage (emf) = 0
The induced voltage and frequency in the rotor will be equal to zero, 
Why?

Therefore in General, If the rotor speed is n  (slip =s)

Rotor Inducde voltage (emf) = s E2
.

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 Rotor Reactance at any slip s
We know that reactance, X   L  2 f L
 So, as the frequency of the induced voltage in the rotor 
changes, the reactance of the rotor circuit also changes
 Rotor reactance at slip s can be obtained as
X r  r L2  2 f r Lr
 2 sf Lr
 sX 2

Where X2 is the rotor reactance  at the supply frequency 
(stationary rotor) .

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Induction Motors and Transformers
• Both IM and transformer works on the principle of 
induced voltage.
Transformer: voltage applied to the primary windings 
produce an induced voltage in the secondary windings.
Induction motor: voltage applied to the stator windings 
produce an induced voltage in the rotor windings.
– the primary of the transformer corresponds to the stator of the 
induction motor, whereas the secondary corresponds to the 
rotor on a per phase basis.
– The difference is that, in the case of the induction motor, 
the secondary windings can move .

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Induction Motors and Transformers
 Therefore  an IM is equivalent to a rotating transformer 
with its secondary windings (i.e. rotor)short circuited.

Presence of air‐gap: 
The other very important difference is that a large 
magnetising current is required to set up working flux in an 
induction motor due to presence of air‐gap between stator 
and rotor.
 so, induction motors have poor power factor.

– Also due to the rotation of the rotor (the secondary 
winding of the IM), the induced voltage in it does not have 
the same frequency of the stator (the primary) voltage

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The rotor equivalent circuit: on per phase basis

Divide both the numerator 
and denominator by s

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Induction motor equivalent circuit:
Stator of an IM is similar to primary of a transformer so equivalent circuit can 
be represented as:

E1

Stator equivalent circuit Rotor equivalent circuit

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The stator equivalent circuit: on per
phase basis

Resistance 
Actual rotor 
equivalent to 
resistance
mechanical load

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 Performance of Induction Motor
Several performance parameters can be obtained using Rotor 
Equivalent circuit

• Torque, Power, Power losses
• Speed verses Torque characteristics 
• Slip verses Torque characteristics
• Relationship between Starting Torque and starting Current

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The rotor equivalent circuit: on per phase basis

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The relation between rotor input, rotor copper loss
and rotor output:

From the equivalent circuit:

 Total input  power to the rotor (P2) which is also the power crossing the air 
gap is:  2  R2 
P2  3 .( I 2 ) .  
 s 

 Power lost in rotor winding or rotor copper loss          is:
PCu 2 PCu 2  3.( I 2 ) 2 .R2

 Total mechanical power output is: 1 s 
Pm  3 .( I 2 ) 2 .   R2
 s 

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  R 
P2  3 .( I 2 ) 2 .  2 
 s 
PCu 2  3.( I 2 ) 2 .R2
1 s 
Pm  3 .( I 2 ) 2 .   R2
 s  P2  PCu 2  Pm

A Very Important relationship: P2 : PCu 2 : Pm  1 : s : (1  s )

PCu 2 P2
P2  and, Pm 
s 1 s

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 Power relations
Rotor input or Mechanical
air gap power Power Developed
P2 Pm
1 1‐s

Rotor copper
Loss PCu 2 P2 : PCu 2 : Pm
s
1: s : (1  s )

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 Gross Torque Developed

Pm
• The gross (total)  Torque developed is: Tm 
r
Where  r is rotor speed.

Pm Pm  P  1 P
Tm  =   m .  2
r (1  s )s  (1  s )  s s

Pm P2 Total rotor input power (air gap power)

Tm  = Tm 
r s s

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 Shaft Torque Developed
We know that rotor input power or air gap power is given as:
2
 R2   sE 2   R 
P2  3 .( I 2 ) 2 .    3. 
2 
. 2 
 s 
 R22  ( sX 2 )   s 

Tm  P2 / s .
And Total mech. Torque,                           Therefore,

 3  sE 2 2
Tm  . .R 2
 
 s   2R 2
 ( s X 2 ) 2



Shaft Torque = Gross Torque – Friction loss

T sh  T m  T lo ss

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Torque –Slip Characteristics:

We know that total torque developed is : 
 3  sE 2 2
Tm  . .R 2
  s   R 2  ( s X 2 ) 
2 2

 Now, Let us examine the torque verses speed characteristics for different 
operating conditions:

Case 1: Motor Running near Synchronous speed (s very small)

Case 2:  At Starting (s=1) 

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 T-s curve: Case 1: Motor Running near Synchronous speed
 3  E22
General torque expression is: Tm  . .R 2
  s   R 2  ( s X 2 ) 
2 2

 Slip s is very small, and hence,                             So torque 
R 2 2   ( sX 2 ) 2 .
expression becomes:
 3  sE 2 2 sE 2 2
Tm  . Tm α
  s  R2 R2
α  denotes propotionality
Near synchronous speed:
 Torque increases linearly with slip.
 If rotor resistance is high rated torque is reduced
 Torque is proportional to the square of applied voltage. 

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T-s curve: Case 2:  At Starting
 3  sE 22
General torque expression is: Tm  . .R 2
  s   R 2  ( s X 2 ) 
2 2

 For large value of slip and                          At starting (s=1), So 
( sX 2 ) 2   R 2 2 .
torque expression becomes:
E 2 2 .R 2
 3  E2
T st   .
2
.R 2 T st α
 2 X 22
 s  X 2

α  denotes propotionality
During Starting:
 Starting Torque increases linearly with rotor resistance (in wound rotor 
motor, higher starting torque is obtained by inserting external in rotor 
circuit).
 If leakage reactance is high, starting torque is reduced
 Torque is proportional to the square of applied voltage. 

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 Torque‐Slip (Speed) Characteristics
Torque
Maximum Torque
.      Or Breakdown Torque
Starting Torque

Full Load Torque

Rated Load Linear Torque –slip Region

Speed
Slip

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Comments
1. The induced torque is zero at synchronous speed.
Discussed earlier.
2. The curve is nearly linear between no-load and full
load. In this range, the rotor resistance is much
greater than the reactance, so the rotor current, and
torque increase linearly with the slip.
3. There is a maximum possible torque that can’t be
exceeded. This torque is called breakdown torque
and is 2 to 3 times the rated full-load torque.

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Comments
4. The starting torque of the motor is slightly higher
than its full-load torque, so the motor will start
carrying any load it can supply at full load.
5. The torque of the motor for a given slip varies as
the square of the applied voltage.
6. If the rotor is driven faster than synchronous speed
it will run as a generator, converting mechanical
power to electric power.

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 Maximum Torque and condition for Max. Torque:
• Maximum Torque  (also called breakdown torque)occurs when,

sX 2  R 2 .

 Slip at Maximum Torque: smaxT  R2 / X 2

 3  E22
 Maximum Torque Tmax:  Tm ax  .
 s  2X 2

 The Value of Maximum Torque does not depend on Rotor resistance. 

 But slip at which it occurs depend on rotor resistance (proportional to it)

U D Dwivedi 51
Effect of rotor resistance on torque‐slip (speed) characteristic

(Rotor Resistances)

s=1 s=0
Slip

Ns
Speed

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Effect of rotor resistance on torque‐slip (speed) characteristic

Rotor Resistances

Ns Speed 0

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 Example
A 208‐V, 10hp, four pole, 60 Hz, Y‐connected 
induction motor has a full‐load slip of 5 
percent
1. What is the synchronous speed of this motor?
2. What is the rotor speed of this motor at rated 
load?
3. What is the rotor frequency of this motor at 
rated load?
4. What is the shaft torque of this motor at rated 
load?
U D Dwivedi 54
 Solution
120 f 120(60)
 ns    1800 rpm
P 4

n  (1  s )ns

 (1  0.05) 1800  1710 rpm

 f r  sf  0.05  60  3Hz

Pout Pout
 Tsh  
m 2 n
60
10 hp  746 watt / hp
  41.7 N .m
1710  2  (1/ 60)

U D Dwivedi 55
 Need for a starting method

A squirrel cage motor is at stationary before it is started, there 
rotor induced emf is very high.
Therefore, if this motor is connected directly to the supply, will 
take an initial starting current which is about 5 to 6 times of the 
full load value. 
Though this current decreases rapidly as the motor accelerates, it 
will cause harm to the motor and will affect the voltage (cause 
voltage dips inthe power supply) and hence the other loads.

U D Dwivedi 56
Starting Method of Induction Motors
1. Direct on Line (DOL)

Small motors up to the size of

5 hp are allowed to be started
with direct on line (DOL)
starter Three  Motor
phase 
supply

contactor

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2. Star-Delta Starter
• When the rating of the motor exceed 5 hp Some starting means
must be used to start the motor. A star/delta starter is normally
used because it is the simpliest and cheapest type of starter.
• During starting, the stator winding is temporarily connected in
star. therefore only phase voltage (1/ sqrt (3) of line voltage ) is
applied to the stator. The starting current is reduced to 1/3 of the
Direct on line starting current. The starting torque, which is
proportional to the starting current, reduces also to 1/3 of the
value at direct on line starting.
• After a period of about 5 seconds, the motor have accelerated to
nearly full load speed. The stator winding is now reconnected as
delta, and full line voltage is applied in each phase of the stator.

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 Schematic Diagram of a Star-Delta Starter
Stator

Supply Rotor

Delta
Star
Switch

Running Starting

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3. Auto-transformer Starter
• Some loads are very heavy and it will take a few minutes
before it can run to full speed, these motors have to be started
by means of transformer starter.
• The reduced voltage during starting is obtained from the
different tappings (40% , 60% , 75%) of an auto-transformer.
• In the running condition, full voltage is applied to the stator
and the transformer is cut out of the circuit.
Starting
Auto-transformer Starter

Rotor
Supply

Stator
Winding
Running
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4. Starting of Wound Rotor Induction Motor
• The wound rotor (slip ring) induction motor can be started by
inserting additional resistance in series with the rotor winding
through the slip rings.
• In this way, maximun torque is obtained during starting. The
additional resistance is cut off from the circuit as soon as the motor
is started to avoid excessive power loss in the resistance.
Running Position

Brush

Three
Phase
Supply

Stator Windings Rotor Windings Slip Rings External Resistors Starting Position

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Power flow in induction motor

…… ……

……
……

……

……

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 Power relations
Pin  3 VL I L cos   3 V ph I ph cos 
PCu1  3 I12 R1

P2  Pin  ( PCu 2  Pcore )

PCu 2  3I 22 R2
P
T
Pm  P2  PCu 2 
Pout  Psh  Pm  ( Pfric  wind )

U D Dwivedi 63