STARDELTAconnectionDiagramandWorkingprinciple

Descriptions: ADualstarterconnectsthemotorterminalsdirectly to thepowersupply.Hence,the

motor issubjected to thefullvoltageofthepowersupply.Consequently,high starting currentflows
throughthemotor.Thistypeofstartingissuitableforsmallmotorsbelow5hp(3.75kW).
Reducedvoltage starters are employed with motors above 5 hp. Although Dual motor starters
areavailableformotorslessthan150kWon400Vandformotorslessthan1MWon6.6kV.
Supply reliability and reserve power generation dictatestheuseofreduced voltageornotto reduce
the starting current ofan induction motorthevoltageacrossthemotorneed to bereduced.Thiscan
be done by 1. Autotransformer starter, 2. Stardelta starter or 3. Resistorstarter.Nowadays
VVVFdriveusedextensivelyforspeedcontrolservesthispurposealso.

In dual starter the motor is directly fed from the line and in star delta starter then motor is started
initially from star and later during running from delta. This is astartingmethodthat reduces the
startingcurrentand startingtorque.TheMotormust bedeltaconnected during a normal run, in
ordertobeabletousethisstartingmethod .
Thereceivedstartingcurrentisabout30%ofthestartingcurrentduringdirectonlinestartandthe
startingtorqueisreducedtoabout25%ofthetorqueavailableataD.O.Lstart.

More: Star/Delta starters are probably the most common reduced voltage starters in the 50Hz
world. (Known as Wye/Delta startersin the60Hzworld).They areused in an attemptto reducethe
start current applied to the motor during start as a means of reducing the disturbances and
interferenceontheelectricalsupply.
Component: The Star/Delta starter is manufactured from three contactors, a timer and a thermal
overload. The contactors are smaller than the single contactor used in a Direct on Line starter as
they are controlling winding currents only. Thecurrentsthrough thewinding are13=0.58(58%)
of the current in the line. this connection amounts to approximately30%of the delta values. The
startingcurrentisreducedtoonethirdofthedirectstartingcurrent.

Howitworks?
There are two contactors that are close during run, often referred to as the main contactor and the
delta contactor. These are AC3 rated at 58% of the current rating of themotor.Thethird contactor
is the star contactor and that only carries star current while the motor is connected in star. The
current in star is one third of the current in delta, so thiscontactorcan beAC3 rated atonethird of
themotorrating.
Inoperation,theMainContactor(KM3)andtheStarContactor(KM1)areclosedinitially,and
thenafteraperiodoftime,thestarcontactorisopened,andthenthedeltacontactor(KM2)is
closed.Thecontrolofthecontactorsisbythetimer(K1T)builtintothestarter.TheStarandDelta
areelectricallyinterlockedandpreferablymechanicallyinterlockedaswell.Ineffect,therearefour
states:
1. OFFState.AllContactorsareopen
2. StarState.TheMainandtheStarcontactorsareclosedandthedeltacontactorisopen.The
motorisconnectedinstarandwillproduceonethirdofDOLtorqueatonethirdofDOLcurrent.
3. OpenState.TheMaincontactorisclosedandtheDeltaandStarcontactorsareopen.There
isvoltageononeendofthemotorwindings,buttheotherendisopensonocurrentcanflow.
Themotorhasaspinningrotorandbehaveslikeagenerator.
4. DeltaState.TheMainandtheDeltacontactorsareclosed.TheStarcontactorisopen.The
motorisconnectedtofulllinevoltageandfullpowerandtorqueareavailable.

Thistypeofoperationiscalledopentransitionswitchingbecausethereisanopenstatebetweenthe
starstateandthedeltastate.