Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s

Sinhgad College of Engineering, Pune 41.

Department of Electronics & Telecommunication Semester
I (2020 – 2021)
Subject: Electrical Circuits (ELC) Tutorial No. 5(B)

Blocked-Rotor Test
Objective
This test is performed to determine the short-circuit current Isc with normal applied voltage to
stator; power factor on short-circuit; total equivalent resistance and reactance of the motor as
referred to stator.The locked rotor test is done by mechanically holding the motor shaft from
turning, and applying a reduced Voltage on the stator.
Overview
Blocking the rotor from rotating is equivalent to making s=1 so that R2’(1/s-1)=0. This test is
conducted by applying a low voltage to the stator so as to limit the current drawn to its full load
value. At this reduced voltage, the core loss can be neglected but the effect of Xm has to be taken
into account.
LIST OF SYMBOLS
fbl = rated electrical frequency of the motor
V1,bl = the line-to-neutral voltage
I1,bl = the line current
Pbl = the poly-phase electrical input power
Sbl = total blocked rotor apparent power
Qbl = blocked rotor reactive power
Xbl = blocked rotor reactance
Zbl = stator input impedence
THEORY
Like the short-circuit test on a transformer, the Blocked-Rotor test on an induction motor gives
information with respect to the leakage impedances. The rotor is blocked so that it cannot rotate
(hence the slip is equal to unity), and balanced polyphase voltages are applied to the stator
terminals.

In some cases, the blocked-rotor torque also is measured. The equivalent circuit for blocked-
rotor conditions is identical to that of a short circuited transformer. An induction motor is more
complicated than a transformer, however, because its leakage impedance may be affected by
magnetic saturation of the leakage-flux paths and by rotor frequency. The blocked-rotor
impedance may also be affected by rotor position, although this effect generally is small with
squirrel-cage rotors. The guiding principle is that the blocked-rotor test should be performed
under conditions for which the current and rotor frequency are approximately the same as those
in the machine at the operating condition for which the performance is later to be calculated. For
example, if one is interested in the characteristics at slips near unity, as in starting, the blocked-
rotor test should be taken at normal frequency and with currents near the values encountered in
starting. If, however, one is interested in normal running characteristics, the blocked-rotor test
should be taken at a reduced voltage which results in approximately rated current; the frequency
also should be reduced, since the values of rotor effective resistance and leakage inductance at
the low rotor frequencies corresponding to small slips may differ appreciably from their values at
normal frequency, particularly with double-cage or deep-bar rotors.
The total leakage reactance at normal frequency can be obtained from this test value by
considering the reactance to be proportional to frequency. The effects of frequency often are
negligible for normal motors of less than 25-hp rating, and the blocked impedance can then be
measured directly at normal frequency. The importance of maintaining test currents near their
rated value stems from the fact that these leakage reactances are significantly affected by
saturation. Based upon blocked-rotor measurements, the blocked-rotor reactance can be found
from the blocked-rotor reactive power

where Sbl= nph V1,bl I1,bl

is the total blocked-rotor apparent power. The blocked-rotor reactance, corrected to rated
frequency, can then be calculated as

The blocked-rotor resistance can be calculated from the blocked-rotor input power as

Once these parameters have been determined, the equivalent circuit parameters can be
determined. Under blocked-rotor conditions, an expression for the stator input impedance can be
obtained (with s = 1) as

Here we have assumed that the reactances are at their rated-frequency values. Making
appropriate approximations (e.g., assuming ),

Thus the apparent resistance under blocked-rotor conditions is given by

and the apparent rated-frequency blocked-rotor reactance by

The rotor leakage reactance X₂ and resistance R₂ can be found as

In order to achieve maximum accuracy as with the no-load test, if possible the value of the stator
resistance should be corrected to the value corresponding to the temperature of the blocked-rotor
test. Thus

Equation (xi) expresses the rotor leakage reactance X₂ in terms of the measured quantities
X nl and Xbl and the unknown stator leakage reactance X1. It is not possible to make an additional
measurement from which X1 and X2can be determined uniquely.Fortunately, the performance of
the motor is affected relatively little by the way in which the total leakage reactance is distributed
between the stator and rotor. If the motor class is unknown, it is common to assume that X1 and
X2 are equal.
Once the fractional relationship between X1 and X2 has been determined, X2 (and hence X1) can
be found in terms of Xnl and Xbl by solving the resultant quadratic equation. The magnetizing
reactance Xm can then be determined.

Finally, using the known stator resistance and the values of Xm and X2 which are now known, the
rotor resistance R2 can now be determined .
Steps for Connection:
1. Align the mechanical load with the shaft and tighten it with the help of a wrench .
2. Select the cable colour button (red).
3. Connect L31 with CC (current coil) of the wattmeter on the left side .
4. Connect common point of wattmeter with u1.
5. Select the cable colour (green) .
6. Connect PC (potential coil) with v1 .
7. Connect L32 with v1 .
8. Select the cable colour (blue) .
9. Connect L33 with CC of the wattmeter on the right side.
10. Connect the common point of the wattmeter with w1 .
11. Select the cable colour (green).
12. Connect PC with v1 .
13. Select the cable colour (green) .
14. Connect L32 with one terminal of the voltmeter .
15. Select the cable colour (blue) .
16. Connect L33 with the other terminal of the voltmeter.
17. Select the cable colour (black) .
18. Connect ammeter between u2 and v2 .
19. Short v2 and w2 .
20. Click the check button and if the connection is correct, click OK .
21. If the connection is wrong, follow the error message displayed and correct the connection .
22. Select 1 on the two way switch on the left hand side of the panel .
23. Switch ON the MCB and click the start button .
24. Switch ON the second MCB .
25. Click ‘b’ on the three way switch to select the variable voltage .
26. Select 1 on the next two way switch .
27. Select voltage with the voltage regulator knob .
28. Note the readings of voltmeter, ammeter and wattmeter .