A table showing the different parts of motor, the material used for the parts and function of the

parts :

Parts Material Function

Stator frame Case iron Supports the core,protects inner-parts

Stator core Silicon steel Houses stator winding

Stator Copper and

Winding insulated Produce rotating magnetic field.

Rotor core Silicon steel Houses rotor winding.

Copper and

Rotor winding insulated To produce rotor current.

Air gap - Minimum to have better power factor

Air inlet-outlet - For air circulation.

Cooling fan Aluminium For air circulation.

Slip-rings Phosphorus Bronze Connects resistance to rotor circuit via-brushes.

Brushes Carbon To provide connection between resistance and slip-

rings

Shaft M.S Supports rotor.

Construction of Induction Motor

The three phase induction motor is a preferable type of motor. It is mostly
used in industrial drives because it is very reasonable and vigorous,
economical and reliable. It is also called asynchronous motor because it does
not run at a synchronous speed. The induction motor requires very little
maintenance and also it has high overloading capacity.

A three phase Induction motor mainly consists of two parts called as

the Stator and the Rotor. The stator is the stationary part of the induction
motor, and the rotor is the rotating part. The construction of the stator is
similar to the three-phase synchronous motor, and the construction of rotor
is different for the different machine. The construction of the induction motor
is explained below in detail.

Construction of Stator
The stator is built up of high-grade alloy steel laminations to reduce eddy
current losses. It has three main parts, namely outer frame, the stator core
and a stator winding.

Outer frame
It is the outer body of the motor. Its main function is to support the
stator core and to protect the inner parts of the machine. For small
machines, the outer frame is casted, but for the large machine, it is
fabricated. The figure below shows the stator construction.

Stator Core
The stator core is built of high-grade silicon steel stampings. Its main
function is to carry the alternating magnetic field which produces hysteresis
and eddy current losses. The stampings are fixed to the stator frame. Each
stamping are insulated from the other with a thin varnish layer. The
thickness of the stamping usually varies from 0.3 to 0.5 mm. Slots are
punched on the inner side of the stampings as shown in the figure below.
Stator windings
The core of the stator carries three phase windings which are usually
supplied from a three-phase supply system. The six terminals of the windings
(two of each phase) are connected in the terminal box of the machine. The
stator of the motor is wound for a definite number of poles, depending on the
speed of the motor. If the number of poles is greater, the speed of the motor
will be less and if the number of poles is less than the speed will be high.

As the relationship between the speed and the pole of the motor is given as

The windings may be connected in start and delta.

Construction of Rotor
The rotor is also built of thin laminations of the same material as the stator.
The laminated cylindrical core is mounted directly on the shaft. These
laminations are slotted on the outer side to receive the conductors. There are
two types of rotor.

Squirrel Cage Rotor

A squirrel cage rotor consists of a laminated cylindrical core. The circular
slots at the outer periphery are semi-closed. Each slot contains uninsulated
bar conductor of aluminium or copper. At the end of the rotor the conductors
the short-circuited by a heavy ring of copper or aluminium. The diagram of
the cage rotor is shown below.
 The rotor slots are usually not parallel to the shaft but are skewed. The
skewing of the rotor conductors has the following advantages given below.

● It reduces humming and provide smooth and noise free operation.

● It results in a uniform torque curve for different positions of the rotor.
● The locking tendency of the rotor is reduced. As the teeth of the rotor and
the stator attract each other and lock.
● It increases the rotor resistance due to the increased length of the rotor bar
conductors.

Advantages of Squirrel Cage Rotor

The following advantages of the cage rotor are given below.

● The cage rotor is cheaper, and the construction is robust.

● The absence of the brushes reduces the risk of sparking.
● Its Maintenance is less.
● The power factor is higher
● The efficiency of the cage rotor is higher.

Phase Wound Rotor

The Phase wound rotor is also called as Slip Ring Rotor. It consists of a
cylindrical core which is laminated. The outer periphery of the rotor has a
semi-closed slot which carries a 3 phase insulated windings. The rotor
windings are connected in star.

The slip ring induction motor is shown in the figure below.

 The slip rings are mounted on the shaft with brushes resting on them. The
brushes are connected to the variable resistor. The function of the slip rings
and the brushes is to provide a means of connecting external resistors in the
rotor circuit. The resistor enables the variation of each rotor phase resistance
to serve the following purposes given below.

It increases the starting torque and decreases the starting current.

It is used to control the speed of the motor.

In this type also, the rotor is skewed. A mild steel shaft is passed through
the center of the rotor and is fixed to it. The purpose of the shaft is to
transfer mechanical power.

Advantages of Phase Wound Rotor

Following are the advantages of the Phase Wound Rotor.

● High starting torque and low starting current.

● For controlling the speed of the motor, an external resistance can be added
in the circuit.
Definition of Slip Ring Motor
The motor which employing the wound rotor is known as a slip ring induction
motor or phase wound motor. It consists laminated cylindrical core which has
a semi-closed slot at the outer periphery and carries three-phase insulated
winding. The rotor is wound for the same number of poles as that of the
stator.
 The three finish terminals are connected forming star point, and the three
start terminals are connected to three copper slip rings fixed on the shaft.
The mild steel shaft is passed through the centre of the rotor and fixed to the
key. The purpose of the shaft is to send mechanical power.

Definition of Squirrel Cage Motor

The motor which employing squirrel cage type rotor is known as the squirrel
cage motor. The construction of the rotor is rugged and simple. The rotor of
the motor consists the cylindrical laminated core having semi-closed circular
slots and short circuit at each end by copper or aluminium ring, called short
circuiting ring. It is not possible to add any external resistance in the rotor of
the circuit.

The rotor slots are not parallel but are skewed. The skewing of the rotor has
the following advantages.

1. Its reduces humming and thus ensuring the quiet running of a motor.
2. The skewed rotor gives smooth torque curves for different positions of the
rotor.
3. It reduces the magnetic locking of the stator and rotor.
4. It increases the rotor resistance due to the increased length of the rotor bar
conductors.

Key Differences Between Slip Ring & Squirrel Cage

Induction Motor
Circuit GlobeComparisonsDifference Between Slip Ring & Squirrel Cage Induction Motor

Difference Between Slip Ring & Squirrel

Cage Induction Motor
The squirrel cage induction motor is the most popular type of AC motor. It is very commonly
used in industries because it is very cheap, robust, efficient, and reliable. The slip ring motor
has very little application in industries. Rarely 5% – 10% slip ring motors are used in
industries because it has several disadvantages like it required frequent maintenance, having a
high copper loss, etc.

One of the major difference between the slip ring and the squirrel cage motor is that the slip
ring motor has an external resistance circuit for controlling the speed of the motor. Whereas
in squirrel cage motor, it is not possible to add any external circuit because the bar of the
motor is permanently slotted at the end of the ring. Some other differences between them are
explained below in the comparison chart.

Comparison Chart: Slip Ring V/s Squirrel Cage Motor

Comparison Chart
Basis For
Slip Ring Motor Squirrel Cage motor
Comparison

Defintion The rotor of the motor is The rotor of the motor is a squirrel cage
constructed as a slip ring type. type.

Rotor Cylindrical laminated core with The slots of the rotor are not parallel, but
parallel slots and each slot are skewed.
consist one bar.

Other name Phase wound rotor Cage motor

Construction Complicated Simple

Resistance Added external to the rotor The rotor bar is permanently shorted at the
end of the ring, thus it is not possible to add
any external resistance.

Starter The rotor resistance starter can Rotor resistance starter can not be used.
be used.

Starting Torque High Low

Brushes Present Absent

Maintenance Frequent maintenance required Less maintenance required

Copper Loss High Low

Efficieny Low High

Speed Control Possible Not Possible

Power Factor Low HIgh

Cost Costly Cheap

Starting Low High

Current

Uses Use in hoist, cranes, elevator Use in lathe machines, fan, blower, profiting
where high torque is required. machines, etc.
Definition of Slip Ring Motor
The motor which employing the wound rotor is known as a slip ring induction motor or phase
wound motor. It consists laminated cylindrical core which has a semi-closed slot at the outer
periphery and carries three-phase insulated winding. The rotor is wound for the same number
of poles as that of the stator.

The three finish terminals are connected forming star point, and the three start terminals are
connected to three copper slip rings fixed on the shaft. The mild steel shaft is passed through
the centre of the rotor and fixed to the key. The purpose of the shaft is to send mechanical
power.

Definition of Squirrel Cage Motor

The motor which employing squirrel cage type rotor is known as the squirrel cage motor. The
construction of the rotor is rugged and simple. The rotor of the motor consists the cylindrical
laminated core having semi-closed circular slots and short circuit at each end by copper or
aluminium ring, called short circuiting ring. It is not possible to add any external resistance in
the rotor of the circuit.
 The rotor slots are not parallel but are skewed. The skewing of the rotor has the following
advantages.

1. Its reduces humming and thus ensuring the quiet running of a motor.
2. The skewed rotor gives smooth torque curves for different positions of the rotor.
3. It reduces the magnetic locking of the stator and rotor.
4. It increases the rotor resistance due to the increased length of the rotor bar conductors.

Key Differences Between Slip Ring & Squirrel Cage Induction

Motor
1. The motor whose rotor is wound type such type of motor is called slip ring induction motor,
whereas the squirrel cage motor, has a squirrel cage type rotor.
2. The rotor of the slip ring motor has a cylindrical core with parallel slots, and each slot consists each
bar. The slot of the squirrel cage motor is not parallel to each other.
3. The slip ring motor is also called phase wound rotor. The another name of the squirrel cage motor
is cage motor.
4. The construction of the slip-ring motor is complicated because it consists slip ring and brushes
whereas the construction of the squirrel cage motor is simple.
5. The phase wound motor consists external resistance circuit, whereas in squirrel cage motor it is
not possible to add any external resistance circuit because their rotor bars are permanently
slotted.
6. For starting the slip ring motor the rotor resistance starter is used, whereas the slip ring motor
does not require any starter.
7. The starting torque of the slip-ring motor is high, whereas in squirrel cage motor it is low.
8. The maintenance cost of the slip ring motor is high as compared to squirrel cage motor because
the slip ring motor consists brushes and rings.
9. The copper loss is more in slip ring motor as compared to squirrel cage motor.
10. The slip ring motor has brushes for transferring the power whereas the squirrel cage motor is
brushless.
11. The copper loss in the phase wound motor is high as compared to squirrel cage motor.
12. The efficiency of the slip ring motor is low whereas the squirrel cage motor has high efficiency.
 13. The speed of the phase wound motor is controlled by using the resistance circuit. It is impossible to
control the speed of the squirrel cage motor.
14. The slip ring motor has low power factor as compared to squirrel cage motor.
15. The cost of the phase wound rotor is high because it consists brushes. The squirrel cage motor is
cheap.
16. The starting current of the phase wound rotor is low because it is controlled by resistance circuit
whereas it is high in squirrel cage motor.
17. The phase wound motor is mostly used in places where high starting torque is required like a hoist,
cranes, etc. The squirrel cage motor is used in a drilling machine, lathe machine, etc.,

The overloading capacity of the slip ring motor is high as compared to squirrel cage motor
and it is smoothly running under heavy loads. It is less sensitive and also has no abnormal
heating during the starting.

Applications of Induction Motor

The Polyphase Induction Motor is a motor whose stator contains a number of

windings. They are greater than one horse power or one kilowatt. The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has specified the
motors according to the various Class, which are discussed below in detail.
There are various applications of Polyphase wound rotor induction motors,
Polyphase cage induction motors. They are as follows:-

Applications of Polyphase Wound Rotor Induction

Motors
● Wound rotor motors are suitable for loads requiring high starting torque and
where a lower starting current is required.
● The Wound rotor induction motors are also used for loads having high inertia,
which results in higher energy losses.
● Used for the loads which require a gradual buildup of torque.
● Used for the loads that require speed control.
● The wound rotor induction motors are used in conveyors, cranes, pumps,
elevators and compressors.
● The maximum torque is above 200 percent of the full load value while the full
load slip may be as low as 3 percent. The efficiency is about 90 %.
Applications of Polyphase Cage Rotor Induction
Motors
Many polyphase cage induction motors are available in the market to meet
the demand of the several industrial applications and various starting and
running condition requirement. They are classified according to the Class.

The speed torque characteristics of Cage Induction Motor of various

Classes are shown below

Class A Motors
Class A motors have normal starting torque, high starting current and low
operating slip (0.005-0.015). The design has low resistance single cage
rotor. The efficiency of the motor is high at full load. Applications of Class A
motors are fans, blowers, centrifugal pumps, etc.

Class B Motors
Class B motors have normal starting torque, low starting current and low
starting current and low operating slip. The motor is designed, in such a way
to withstand the high leakage reactance, as a result, the starting current is
reduced. The starting torque is maintained by use of a double cage or deep
bar rotor.

The Class B motors are most commonly used motor and used for full voltage
starting. The applications and the starting torque are same as that of Class A
motors.
Class C Motors
The class C motors have high starting torque and low starting current. Such
motors are of the double cage and deep bar and has higher rotor resistance.
The loads are compressors, conveyors, reciprocating pumps, crushers, etc.

Class D Motors
Class D motors have the highest starting torque as compared to all the other
class of motors. The bars of the rotor cage are made up of brass. These
types of motors have low starting current and high operating slip. The value
of full load operating slip varies between 8 to 15%. Thus, the efficiency of
the motor is low.

These motors are suitable for driving intermittent loads which require
frequent acceleration and high loads. For example – punch presses,
bulldozers and die stamping machines. When the motor is driving the high
impact loads, it is coupled to a flywheel to provide kinetic energy.