Single- Phase AC Motors

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Single Phase Motors are the most common of all
motors.

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A single phase induction motor is composed of a
Squirrel-Cage rotor and a Stator.

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The Stator carries a main winding, which creates a set
of North and South Poles
It also carries a smaller auxiliary winding that only
operates during motor start up.
The main and auxiliary windings have the same
number of poles.

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The following Slides show the progressive steps in
winding a 4- pole, 36 slot stator.

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Starting with the laminated iron stator, paper
insulators- called Slot Liners – are first inserted in the
slots.

The
Squirrel-
Cage Rotor is
Identical to
that of a 3-
phase motor.

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The main winding is then laid in the slots.

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• Next, the Auxiliary winding is embedded so that its poles straddle those
of the main winding.

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• Each pole of the main winding consists of a group
of four concentric coils, connected in series.

Adjacent poles are connected so as to produce

alternate North/ South Polarities.
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• The empty slot in the center of each pole- shown as a vertical line- and the
partially filed slots on either side of it are used to lodge the auxiliary winding.

• The latter has only 2 concentric coils per pole.

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The Synchronous speed of all single phase
induction motors
Equation: ns= 120£
P

Where: NS= Synchronous Speed [rpm]


£ = Frequency of the Source [Hz]
 P = # of Poles

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Synchronous Speed: the speed at which an
alternating-current machine must operate to generate
electromotive force at a given frequency.

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The rotor turns at slightly less than synchronous
speed. The full-load slip is typically 3 percent to 5
percent in fractional HP motors.

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Slip is given by:
(ns-n)
ns
S= *100%
Where: S= Slip
Ns= Synchronous Speed
n= Motor Speed

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Thus, motor speed may be found by:

n=Ns(1-s/100%)

Where: n= motor speed

Ns= Synchronous Speed
s= slip

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Problem: Calculate the speed of the 4 pole single
phase motor if the slip at full load is 3.4%, and the
frequency is 60 Hz.

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Torque Speed Characteristics
Under locked rotor conditions, when a voltage is
applied to the stator, a large current develops in the
rotor which acts like the shorted secondary of a
transformer. Consequently, the motor has no tendency
to start by itself.

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However, if the motor is spun in either direction, it
will continue to spin.

In fact, the motor will accelerate until it reaches a

speed slightly less than synchronous speed.

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The motor develops a torque as soon as it starts to
spin. The torque increases as the motor nears
synchronous speed, as shown in the Torque-Speed
Curve.

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Principle of Operation

Due to the inductance of the rotor, the flux in the

rotor lags the flux in the stator by 90°.

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Locked-Rotor Torque

To produce a starting torque in a single-phase motor, a

revolving field must be created.

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Locked-Rotor Torque
This is done by adding an auxiliary winding that is out
of phase with the main winding. An impedance is
placed in series with the auxiliary winding.
The Impedance may be resistive, capacitive or
inductive and determines the type of split-phase
motor.

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Locked-Rotor Torque
A speed-sensitive centrifugal switch is also connected
in series with the auxiliary winding. When the motor
reaches 75% of its synchronous speed, the switch
opens and the auxiliary winding is no longer
energized.

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The main winding of a single phase motor is made of
large wire and a large number of turns. This causes the
main winding (stator) current to lag the source
voltage.

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Principle of Operation
The rotor flux increases with the motor speed and is
nearly equal to the stator flux when the speed is nearly
synchronous speed. The combination of the two fluxes
produces a revolving field that rotates at synchronous
speed.

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The auxiliary winding of a resistance split phase
motor- most commonly split phase motor- is a small
wire and a small number of turns. This causes the
auxiliary winding current to be in phase with the
source voltage.

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Thus the main winding current lags the auxiliary
winding current by 25° and the phase shift between
the two generates the motor’s starting torque.

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The starting period should not last longer than five
seconds- to prevent the auxiliary winding from
melting under the starting current- six to seven times
the full load current.

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The low cost makes resistance split-phase induction
motors the most popular single-phase motors. They
provide moderate torque for infrequent starts. They
are 1/3 hp to ½ hp motors that drive fans, pumps,
small tools and other residential machines.

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Capacitor Start Motor
The design of the capacitor start motor is the same as
that of the split phase motor, except that the auxiliary
winding has about as many turns of wire as the main
winding and a capacitor and a centrifugal switch are in
series with the auxiliary winding.

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Capacitor Start Motor
The capacitor is chosen so that the current in the
auxiliary winding leads the current in the main
winding by 80°. The larger phase shift between the two
reduces the starting current in the auxiliary winding to
half that in a split phase motor with the same starting
torque.

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Capacitor Start Motor
The design allows for a high starting torque with a
lower starting current- four to five times the full load
current. There is less heating in the auxiliary winding
allowing it to be energized more often- frequent
starting.

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Capacitor Start Motor

Once the centrifugal switch of the capacitor start

motor opens it behaves the same as the running split
phase motor, because the main windings are identical.

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Capacitor Start Motor
Capacitor-start motors are used when high starting
torque is required. They are built in sizes ranging from
1/6 hp to 10 hp. Typical applications are compressors,
large fans, pumps and other high inertia loads.

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Capacitor Start Motor

Electrolytic Capacitors are used in capacitor star

motor.

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Efficiency and Power Factor of Single Phase
Induction Motors

The efficiency of fraction horsepower single phase AC

motors is typically low due to losses 1 hp or larger
during starting. It improves to 80% for motor.

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Vibration
There is greater vibration in the single phase AC motor
than there is in the three phase AC motor due to the
pulsating power supplied to the AC motor while it
produces constant power.

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Vibrations
Rubber rings at the motors end bells are used to
reduce vibrations.

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