Single Phase Induction Motors

Assignment 2

Name : K.T.K. Perera

Index No : 110422F

Department : Electrical Engineering.

Introduction
Module : Electrical Machines & Drives II

Date of Submission : 28/03/2014

 Single-phase induction motors are the most familiar of all electric motors because
they are used in home appliances, businesses, and small industries. In general, they are
employed when three-phase power is not available. Single-phase induction motors are
usually two-pole or four-pole, rated at 2 hp or less, while slower and larger motor can be
manufactured for special purposes. They are widely used in domestic appliances and for a
very large number of low power drives in industry.
In a single-phase motor we have only a single field winding excited with alternating
current; therefore, it does not have a revolving field like three-phase motors. Therefore, it
does not self-starting. Several methods have been devised to initiate rotation of the
squirrel-cage rotor and the particular method employed to start the motor will choose the
specific type.

Principle of Operation
Main components of single phase motor are rotor and stator winding. Rotor is the rotating
part, stator winding helps in rotating rotor.

Winding has got 2 parts. They are main winding and auxiliary winding. Auxiliary winding is
placed perpendicular to the main winding. A capacitor is connected in auxiliary winding.

 To understand its working better, we can assume there is only one coil in main and
auxiliary winding.

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  Assume no current is flowing through auxiliary winding. AC current passing through
main winding will produce a fluctuating magnetic field.

 Working of single phase induction motors is simple. Just put one rotor which is
already rotating, inside such a magnetic field. We can note one interesting thing; the
rotor will keep on rotating in the same direction.

Reason behind this phenomenon is explained using double revolving field theory. Double
revolving field theory says the fluctuating field is equivalent to sum of two oppositely
rotating magnetic fields.

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  Since magnetic field is varying, electricity is induced in rotor bars due
to electromagnetic induction. In following figure blue arrows on bars represent
current induced. So here is a situation of current carrying bars are immersed in
magnetic field. This will produce a force. Therefore rotor will start rotating.

 But here we have 2 such oppositely rotating magnetic fields; therefore torques
produced by them will be equal and opposite. Net effect will be zero torque on
rotor. Hence rotor won’t start rotating.

 But if we can somehow give this rotor an initial rotation, one torque will be greater
than other. There will be a net torque in same direction of initial rotation. As a result
the loop will keep on rotating in same direction. This is the way single phase
induction motor works.

 If we can cancel any of the rotating fields, we can start the motor. The auxiliary
winding with capacitor arrangement is used exactly for this purpose. Auxiliary
winding also produces 2 oppositely revolving magnetic fields. One of them will

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 cancel rotating magnetic field of main winding and other will get added up. Resultant
will be a single magnetic field, which revolves under specific speed. This
phenomenon is shown diagrammatically in following picture.

 Such a magnetic field can give starting torque to rotor. After the rotor has attained a
specific speed, even if we cut the auxiliary winding, it will keep on rotating. This
cutting action is done through a centrifugal switch.

Types of Motors

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The various forms of a single-phase induction motor are grouped depending on the starting
methods used.

1. Split-phase induction motor

2. Capacitor Start IM and Capacitor Start Capacitor Run IM
3. Shaded-pole motors 
4. Repulsion-induction motors

Split-phase induction motor

One of the most widely used single-phase induction motor is the split-phase
induction motor. The essential parts of the split-phase motor are shown below.

It shows the auxiliary winding also known as starting winding. The rotor is the squirrel-cage
type. The starting winding is made of thin wire so that its impedance is different from that of
the main winding. The two windings are connected in parallel to the ac supply. The phase
difference between the two winding currents (about 30o) will be sufficient to produce a
rotating magnetic field resulting in a starting torque. When the motor has come to about 70
to 75% of the rated speed, a centrifugal switch disconnects the starting winding, and the
motor will continue to run as a single-phase motor.

Applications

 Refrigerators
 Washing machines
 Portable hoists
 Blowers
 Fans
 Centrifugal pumps

Typical torque-speed characteristic of Split-phase induction motor is shown below.

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Capacitor Start IM and Capacitor Start Capacitor Run IM

The working principle and construction of Capacitor start inductor motors and capacitor
start capacitor run induction motors are almost the same. We already know that single
phase induction motor is not self starting because the magnetic field produced is not
rotating type. In order to produce rotating magnetic field there must be some phase
difference. In case of split phase induction motor we use resistance for creating phase
difference but here we use capacitor for this purpose. We know that the current flowing
through the capacitor leads the voltage. Therefore in Capacitor start induction
motor and Capacitor start capacitor run induction motor we are using two winding, the
main winding and the starting winding. With starting winding we connect a capacitor so the
current flowing in the capacitor leads the applied voltage by some angle.

The running winding is inductive in nature therefore the current flowing in running winding
lags behind applied voltage by an angle, φ m. Now there occur large phase angle differences
between these two currents which produce a resultant current, I and this will produce a
rotating magnetic field. Since the torque produced by these motors depends upon the
phase angle difference, which is almost 90°. Therefore these motors produce very high
starting torque. In case of capacitor start induction motor, the centrifugal switch is
provided so as to disconnect the starting winding when the motor attains a speed up to 75
to 80% of the synchronous speed but in case of capacitor start capacitors run induction
motor there is no centrifugal switch so, the capacitor remains in the circuit and helps to
improve the power factor and the running conditions of single phase induction motor.

Applications
These motors have high starting torque hence they are used in,

 Washing machines
 Belted fans and blowers
 Dryers
 Pumps
 Compressors.
They are available up to 6 KW.

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 Circuit diagram of a capacitor-star motor Torque-speed characteristic of a capacitor-start motor

Shaded-pole motors 

The least expensive of the fractional-horsepower motors, generally rated up to 1 hp, are
shaded-pole motors. They have salient stator poles, with one-coil-per-pole called main
winding. The auxiliary winding consists of one (or rarely two) short-circuited copper straps
wound on a portion of the pole and displaced from the center of each pole, as shown below.
The shaded-pole motor got its name from these shading bands. Induced currents in the
shading coil cause the flux in the shaded portion of the pole to lag the flux in the other
portion in time. The result is then like a rotating field moving in the direction from the
unshaded to the shaded portion of the pole.  A low starting torque is produced. Shaded-pole
motors have a rather low efficiency.

Typical torque-speed characteristic is shown below.

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Applications

Due to their low starting torques and reasonable cost these motors are mostly
employed in small instruments,

 Hair dryers
 Toys
 Record players
 Small fans
 Electric clocks
These motors are usually available in a range of 1/300 to 1/20 KW.

The advantages of Shaded Pole Induction Motor

• Very economical and reliable.

• Construction is simple and strong because there is no centrifugal switch.

The disadvantages of Shaded Pole Induction Motor

• Low power factor.

• The starting torque is very poor.
• The efficiency is very low as, the copper losses are high due to presence of copper band.
• The speed reversal is also difficult and expensive as it requires another set of copper rings.

Repulsion-induction motors

The repulsion-induction motor starts on one principle of operation and, when almost
up to speed, changes over to another type of operation. Very high twisting forces are
produced during starting by the repulsion between the magnetic pole in the armature and
the same kind of pole in the adjacent stator field winding. The repulsing force is controlled
and changed so that the armature rotational speed increases rapidly, and, if not stopped,
would continue to increase beyond a practical operating speed. It is prevented by a speed-
actuated mechanical switch that causes the armature to act as a rotor that is electrically the
same as the rotor in single-phase induction motors. That is why the motor is called a
repulsion-induction motor.

The stator of this motor is constructed very much like that of a split phase or
capacitor-start motor, but only run or field windings are mounted inside. End bells keep the
armature and shaft in position and hold the shaft bearings.

The armature consists of many separate coils of wire connected to segments of the
commutator. Mounted on the other end of the armature are governor weights that move
push rods that pass through the armature core. These rods push against a short-circuiting
ring mounted on the shaft on the commutator end of the armature. Brush holders and

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brushes are mounted in the commutator end bell, and the brushes, connected by a heavy
wire, press against segments on opposite sides of the commutator.

When the motor is stopped, the action of the governor weights keeps the short-
circuiting ring from touching the commutator. When the power is turned on and current
flows through the stator field windings, a current is induced in the armature coils. The two
brushes connected together form an electromagnetic coil that produces a north and south
pole in the armature, positioned so that the North Pole in the armature is next to a north
pole in the stator field windings. Since like poles try to move apart, the repulsion produced
in this case can be satisfied in only one way: the armature turns and moves the armature
coil away from the field windings.

The armature turns faster and faster, accelerating until it reaches what is
approximately 80 percent of the run speed. At this speed, the governor weights fly outward
and allow the push rods to move. These push rods, which are parallel to the armature shaft,
have been holding the short-circuiting ring away from the commutator. Now that the
governor has reached its designed speed, the rods can move together electrically in the
same manner that the cast aluminum disks did in the cage of the induction motor rotor. This
means that the motor runs as an induction motor.

Applications

The repulsion-induction type of motor can start very heavy, hard-to turn loads
without drawing too much current. They are made from 1/2 to 20 hp. This type of motor is
used for such applications as

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  Large air compressors
 Refrigeration equipment
 Large hoists
 Value Operators
 Farm Motor Applications
 Floor maintenance machines

Speed Control of Single Phase Induction Motors

Most single-phase induction motors are unidirectional, which means they are
designed to rotate in one direction. Either by adding extra windings, external relays and
switches, or by adding gear mechanisms, the direction of rotation can be changed. Using
microcontroller-based control systems, one can add speed variation to the system. In
addition to the option of speed variation, the direction of rotation can also be changed,
depending upon the motor control algorithms used.
The speed control of a single phase induction motor is very much similar to the
speed control of a three phase induction motor. Mainly we can use three methods in order
to control the speed of a squirrel cage induction motor. They are

 Changing the supply (stator) frequency

 Changing the number of poles
 Changing the supplied terminal voltage

For the practical purposes the method which is used for the speed controlling of these
kinds of motors is changing the supply voltage. We can use an auto transformer to adjust
the supply voltage with the intention of controlling the speed. But this method is very
expensive when comparing to other methods. Also we can use a TRIAC or SCR circuit to
condense the supply voltage. This is done by controlling the ac phase of the supply. Unlike
the above two methods mentioned we can also use a resistor bank connected in series with
the stator which will reduce the supply voltage. This method is the cheapest method among
the other methods mentioned.

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