STARTING METHORDS OF THREE

PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

INSTRUCTED BY: Mr. L.Meegahapola

NAME : H.M.S.L.G.Bandara
INDEX NO : 050036J
FIELD : EE
DATE OF SUBMISSION: 2007.06.12
DISCUSSION:

 Construction and working principle of DOL starters

A direct on line starter or DOL starter is used as a starting method of electric motors. In DOL
starting method is done by directly connecting the motor to the power supply. Hence, the motor is
subjected to the full voltage of the power supply. Consequently, high starting current flows through the
motor. At the starting moment the rotating magnetic field generated in the stator winding induces a
voltage drop across the rotor. At the short-circuited end there will be a current governed according to
the Faradays law. And also that current will create the torque. The motor starter is used with push
button switches, relays, isolators, circuit breakers, transformers and interlock switches. The DOL
starter circuit is divided into two circuits called as control circuit and power circuit. The motor
terminals connect with the power supply by using the power circuit. It is the higher voltage circuit of
the DOL. The control circuit is the lower-voltage circuit and it is electrically isolated from the power
circuit. The starter is energized by the control circuit using electro-mechanical relays and push button
switches. Modern starters employ solid state relays like electronic relays (over load protection relays).
The switch may be a manually operated load break switch or circuit breaker. Although more
commonly it would be an electromagnetic contactor which can be opened by the thermal overload
relay under fault conditions. And also the contactor will be controlled by using different start and stop
buttons.

A picture of a DOL switch

Most motors can be run clockwise as well as anti-clockwise. To do that a reversing starter is
used which is an electrical or electronic circuit that reverses the speed of a motor automatically.
Therefore the circuit is composed of two DOL circuits that are for clockwise operation and the other
one for anti-clockwise operation. These types of starters are used to start water pumps, compressors,
fans and conveyor belts. The starting current may reach 3-8 times the normal current but the starting
torque is tends to be 0.75 to 2 times the full load torque. The motor will draw a very high amount of
current for a very short time. That is to establish the magnetic field in the iron and then the current will
be limited to the Locked Rotor Current of the motor. The motor will develop Rotor Torque and begin
to accelerate towards full speed. As the motor accelerates the current will begin to drop but will not
drop significantly until the motor is at a high speed typically about 85% of synchronous speed. This is
the most simple and inexpensive method of starting a squirrel cage induction motor. And also by using
this method can avoid excessive supply voltage drops because of large starting currents the method is
restricted to small motors only.

 Shortcomings of the DOL starter.

In DOL method the start time is dependant on the acceleration torque and the load inertia. In
this method there is large starting current (That is between 3-8 times the full loads current). And also
there is no specific method use to control that current. Because of large starting current used to start the
motor there will also be a large voltage drop cross the distribution line. There fore this method is
restricted to small motors only. Also due to that will affect on the other electrical consumer’s
equipments or some times it may cause a mechanical problems with the driven load. There fore DOL
method generally not applied relatively large machines. This method can be use below 7.5 kW. To
decrease the starting current cage motors of medium and larger sizes are started at a reduced supply
voltage. The reduced supply voltage starting is applied in star-delta and auto transformer methods.
 Suitability of star-delta and auto transformer methods for starting of 3-phase induction motors

• Star-Delta starting method.

The Star Delta starter method is another type of starting method. But it can only be used
with a motor rated for connection in delta operation at the required line voltage. And also it should
have both ends each of the three windings available individually. At start the winding is connected in a
star connection. When the induction motor comes to its normal operation the switch is thrown quickly
to the running position and the star connection is opened. When it reaches to the considerable amount
of speed the starter winding is delta connected. The connection changing is done by manually or
automatically. In the manual method the switch changing is done by the relays and the switches which
are driven by the relays. Although the tap changing should be done before the motor obtain the speed
otherwise the fuses will blow up and the system fail occur. In the Automatic mode the connection
changing is done by centrifugal switch which is connected the rotating parts in the motor or the timer
circuit will make a certain time delay to speed up the motor and it switch on the relays to made
connection changes. The timer delay can be adjusted by the user as required. So the best method is the
centrifugal one. The phase voltages of the motor in star connection are reduced to 1/√3 of the DOL
values in delta. The starting torque is also reduced to 1/3 of its delta value. Because the phase voltage
is proportional to the square of the applied voltage. And also the same as the starting current is also
reduced by a factor. Not applicable for applications above high voltages because of the requirement of
the excessive number of stator turns needed for the delta connection. The Star Delta starter can only be
used with a motor which is rated for connection in delta operation at the required line voltage, and has
both ends each of the three windings available individually.

Star-Delta Starter

• Auto Transformer method.

In the Auto transformer starter method normally use to reduce the voltage applied to a
motor during start. There are two ways of connecting an auto transformer starter. The most obvious
way is to apply full voltage to the transformer via a contactor and connect the motor to the tap by
means of a contactor. This method known as an open transition starter and the voltage across the
contactor at closure can be as much as twice the supply voltage resulting in a very high current and
torque transient. This open transition switching is known as the auto-reclose effect as it yields similar
characteristics to opening and closing a breaker on a supply to one or more motors. As a result of the
open transition switching can badly broken shafts and stripped gears. But make a rearrangement of the
power circuit it can be avoid. Other method is called as the closed transition auto transformer method.
The closed transition auto transformer starter is known as the Korndorfer starting method.
The auto transformer may
have a number of output taps and be set up to provide a single stage starter or a multi stage charger.
Typically in the starting of auto Transformer it has at least three tapings. If the transformer ratio is 1: k
(if k<1) at a particular instant the starting current is reduced to k*IDOL from its full voltage current.
Auto-transformer starting method also reduces the initial voltage applied to the motor and therefore the
starting current and torque. The motor can be connected permanently in delta or in star. It is switched
first on reduced voltage from a 3-phase tapped auto -transformer and when it has accelerated
sufficiently then it is switched to the running or full voltage position. The principle is similar to star-
delta starting and has similar limitations. The advantage of the method is that the current and torque
can be adjusted to the required value, by taking the correct tapping on the autotransformer. This
method is more expensive because of the additional autotransformer. This method gives a better
flexibility and good starting characteristics compared with the above methods. The autotransformer
starter is more expensive than the two types, so far described and is generally used only for the larger
types of motor. It is suitable for motors in which each end of the three phases is not brought out and
which would therefore be unsuitable for star-delta starting.

Auto Transformer

 Advantages of rotor resistance starting method for wound rotor induction motors.

We can start a wound rotor induction motor by adding a rotor resistance starting method. That
is by adding external resistance to the rotor circuit. By doing that starting torque up to the maximum
torque can be achieved and also by gradually cutting out the resistance a high torque can be maintained
throughout the starting period. Therefore starting torque in the range of 2 to 2.5 times the full load
torque can be obtained. The added resistance also reduces the starting current so that a starting current
of 1 to 1.5 times the full load current. Normally wound rotor motors are probably used in the more
demanding applications. And also this is the cheapest method of starting wound rotor induction motor
is by means of added rotor resistance with full line voltage across the stator terminals.

 Reversing the direction of a 3-phase induction motor

The motors can run on either clockwise or anti-clockwise. To do this should change the
direction of the rotating magnetic field and by changing the direction of the current flow. So to achieve
it by reversing the connections to any two of the three motor terminals can reverse the direction of
rotation of 3-phase induction motor which is shown in the below picture.
 Reason for the shaded motor rotates from un-shaded portion to the shaded portion

In shaded pole motor a heavy copper ring is inserted in a slot cut in the pole piece. Part
of each pole is encircled by a copper coil or strap. According to the Lenz's Law induced current in the
strap opposes the change of flux through the coil. The current induced in these rings periodically shifts
the resultant magnetic field from un-shaded portion. So that the maximum field intensity moves across
the pole face on each cycle thus producing the required rotating magnetic field. Therefore the shaded
motor rotates from un-shaded portion to the shaded portion.

 Advantages and Disadvantages of Single Phase Induction Motors.

Split-phase induction motors

Advantages
• Produces a high power factor at full load
• provide much greater starting torque
• These kinds of motors available in different powers and speeds. There fore we can
select suitable motor for relevant applications.

Disadvantages
• Produce a low starting torque
• Take small amount of time to start due to the type of starting

Capacitor induction motors

Advantages
• Small in size so can be handled easily
• Cost effective
• Produces a high starting torque and low starting current
• Can be drive in different speeds

Disadvantages
• produces a huge noise
• Expensive due to the usage of capacitors

Shaded pole induction motor

Advantages
• reliable
• very cheap

Disadvantages
• Has a low power factor
• Has low efficiency
• Deliver in low torque
 Application of single phase Induction Motors.
Split-phase motor
• Small fans, blowers, any moderate starting torque loads, washing machines and
clothes dryers

Capacitor-start motor
• Compressors, pumps, any high starting torque loads, agricultural equipments, small
scale industrial machines

Shaded-pole motor
• Very small fans exhaust fans, timers, very low torque loads and other house hold
appliances

 Advantages and Disadvantages of the induction motors.

Advantages
• High efficiency
• High speed capability
• No maintains and high reliability
• Compactness
• Light weight
• Lower cost
• Ease of cooling
• Simple construction

Disadvantages
• Has lower power factor

References

• Internet (from www.wikipedia.com, www.oneondemand.com, www.freescale.com, www.disignenews.com)

• Lecture Notes