Analysis and Reduction of Parasitic Effects in Induction Motors With Die-Cast Rotors

Abstract: This thesis presents a study of inter-bar current effects on induction motors with die-cast aluminium and die-cast copper rotors. The parasitic effects introduced by these currents are analyzed and possible solutions to these problems are presented. This is realized by developing analytical tools for the simulation of inter-bar current effects. The methods used are verified by measurements on prototype machines. It is shown that the inter-bar currents can have a considerable effect on the motor starting performance, which can result in a reduced pull-out torque. At rated operation, this is seen as increased harmonic rotor currents, having a negative effect on the motor performance.Results from calorimetric measurements show, that the efficiency gained when substituting a skewed die-cast aluminium rotor with a skewed die-cast copper rotor, is less than the theoretical expectation. It is shown that this is a result of a reduced power factor for the copper rotor. High inter-bar currents are believed to be the origin of this effect, increasing the harmonic content in the rotor magnetomotive force. This would be seen as an increased rotor leakage reactance. Results from locked-rotor tests, and simulations using measured values of inter-bar resistance, support this theory.It is shown, that these negative effects are suppressed to a negligible level by the use of an unskewed rotor, but to the expense of a large synchronous torque at a low speed. By using a modulated rotor concept, having an asymmetrical rotor slot distribution, an unskewed rotor is designed to reduce this parasitic torque. Measurements on a prototype machine show that the modulated rotor suppresses both the inter-bar currents and the synchronous torque, resulting in an improved starting performance, without any significant change of the motor efficiency. The presented results strengthen the potential of the modulated rotor concept, introducing new possibilities for the reduction of negative effects appearing in induction machines.