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Starting Analysis of Induction Motor: A Computer Simulation by Etap Power

Station

Conference Paper · January 2010

DOI: 10.1109/ICETET.2009.211 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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Piyush Patil K.B. Porate

Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering Priyadarshini College of Engineering
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 STARTING ANALYSIS OF INDUCTION MOTOR.
A COMPUTER SIMULATION BY ETAP POWER STATION.
Piyush S. Patil, Prof. K. B. Porate,

Abstract— The basic requirement for studying starting analysis By industry standards, ac control devices are not required to
of Induction motor are the starting current of Induction motor and the pick-up at voltages below 85 percent of rated nameplate
voltage flicker during start up. This paper will summarize several voltage 2. A 35 percent reduction in starting voltage results in
common methods and provide application guidelines for proper a 57 percent reduction in starting torque 1. During start motor
selection of starting devices. Starting method reviewed will include accelerates for a short interval. If the load torque requirements
different types of starters, comparative study of results obtained in
laboratory & results obtained by simulation in ETAP (Electrical
exceed the torque produced by the motor for any speed less
Transient Analyzer Program) for DOL starter & autotransformer than rated speed, the motor will "lock-in" at that speed and fail
starter, simulation results are also obtained for different cable length, to accelerate further. The motor will continue to draw a large
with & without capacitor connected across motor itself. Finally it is magnitude of current, overheat, and either trips a protective
concluded that starting current is less in case of autotransformer devices or burn up 1. The acceleration time can be calculated
starter. Starting current & starting time can be further reduced and using a torque representing the difference (positive) between
voltage profile can be improved with the use of capacitor at the motor motor torque and load torque. This time must not exceed the
terminal as a compensating device. time allowed for the current drawn on the motor thermal limit
curve 3.
Keywords— autotransformer start, DOL start, ETAP, Induction During starting period Use of Capacitor at motor terminal
motor, Starting methods, voltage dip. not only improves the power factor of the system but it also
reduces the starting current of the motor. Induction motors are
I. INTRODUCTION also used in mines for different applications. As motors are
located in the interior of mines power is to be transferred with
I nduction motors are widely used as an electric drives in
various Industrial applications like industrial motion control
systems & to drive various machines, such as pumps, fans,
the help of power cables. As the impedance of cable is
proportional to its length and voltage drop is proportional to
compressors, conveyors, spindles, to name just a few, as well the product of current & impedance. During start, induction
as in main powered home appliances. Electric drives can be motor draws a large current; this large current can cause a
classified basically as DC drives & AC drives. The rectifier large voltage drop, resulting in low voltage appearing across
unit increases the cost of the unit used for DC drives. Simple the motor. This low voltage may avoid the induction motor to
and rugged design, low-cost, low maintenance and direct start, resulting in locking of rotor and heating of machine
connection to an AC power source are the main advantages of winding. In this paper focus is made on the need of starting
using AC induction motors. For variable speed the industries analysis of induction motor along with different types of
use the asynchronous motor i.e. Induction motor. Induction starters that can be used for starting of Induction motor. Here
motors are the most common motors used in industrial motion starting analysis of induction motor is made with the help of
control systems & to drive various machines, such as pumps, DOL & autotransformer starter. During the start of Induction
fans, compressors, conveyors, spindles, to name just a few, as motor study is made for the recorded values results and results
well as in main powered home appliances. Induction motors obtained by simulation of induction motor in ETAP
are widely used in industry. environment. In ETAP environment a special case study is
An induction motor at rest can be modeled as a transformer done in which cable length is changed with and without
with the secondary terminals short circuited. Thus when capacitor connected across the motor terminals, a comparative
voltage is applied, a heavy surge of current is drawn from the study of results obtained for above case study is also done.
power system that in turn causes a dip in system voltage. The
magnitude of this dip is proportional to the magnitude of the
surge and the impedance of the system. Full voltage starting of II. STARTING ANALYSIS OF INDUCTION MOTOR
large induction motors draws large current & can cause During the motor starting period, Induction motors, is at rest,
serious voltage flicker problems on a power system 1. Flicker & it appear just like a short circuited transformer and if
can poses a problem to both the utility and the customer. connected to the full supply voltage, draw a very high current
During motor starting, the voltage level at the motor terminals known as the “Locked Rotor Current.” the Locked Rotor
should be maintained at approximately 80 percent of rated Current (LRC) is a function of the terminal voltage of the
voltage 2. motor and the motor design. In other words the starting motor
appears to the system as small impedance connected to a bus.
Piyush S. Patil, is final year M. Tech (IPS) student, at G. H. Raisoni
It draws a large current from the system, about six times the
College of Engineering .& is Lecturer at Yeshwantrao Chavan College of
Engineering, Nagpur. b4upiyush@yahoo.com. motor rated current, which therefore results in voltage dip in
Prof. K. B. Porate, is working as Assistant Professor, Department of the system and poses disturbances to the normal operation of
Electrical Engineering, G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering, other system loads. The magnitude of this dip is proportional
kporate@yahoo.com
to the magnitude of the surge and the impedance of the
system. Because of the highly inductive nature of the motor
circuit at rest, the power factor of the surge is quite low,
usually on the order of 10 to 20 percent. As the motor
accelerates to rated speed, the surge decays and the system
voltage recovers. This dip is detrimental to a power system in
two ways. First, if the magnitude of the dip is large enough, it
can cause erratic operation of voltage sensitive devices such as
computers and relays. Even the contactor serving the motor
being started could drop back out due to low voltage. Second,
it creates an annoying flicker in the lighting facilities being
served by the power system. Both magnitude and frequency of
flicker affect the customers on the system, and too much of
either can cause complaints. In order to control such problems,
most utilities have limitations regarding the magnitude and
frequency of dips produced by the starting of large motors.
During motor starting, the voltage level at the motor Fig. 1. Typical induction motor torque–speed–current curve.
terminals should be maintained at approximately 80 percent of
rated voltage or above for a standard National Electrical The starting torque of an induction motor starting with a
Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Type B motor. This fixed voltage will drop a little to the minimum torque, known
value results from examination of the speed-torque as the pull-up torque, as the motor accelerates and then rises to
characteristics of this type motor (150 percent starting torque a maximum torque, known as the breakdown or pull-out
at full voltage), and the desire to be able to successfully torque, at almost full speed and then drop to zero at the
accelerate a fully loaded motor at the reduced voltage synchronous speed. The curve of the start torque against the
(i.e., since torque varies with the square of the voltage, rotor speed is dependant on the terminal voltage and the rotor
T= 0.82 X 1 50 percent 100 percent). design.
By industry standards , ac control devices are not required to Finding the proper motor base speed and torque to meet the
pick-up at voltages below 85 percent of rated nameplate running load requirements is the first necessity. A process-
voltage, whereas dc control devices must operate dependably defined torque and speed should be used to determine the best
(i.e., pick-up) at voltages above 80 percent of their rating. fitting motor base speed and torque (hp torque speed). In
Critical control operations may therefore encounter difficulty addition, the breakaway torque and accelerating torque will
during motor starting periods where voltage dips are provide the total torque requirement from the motor. The
excessive. The actual dropout voltages for all contactors used motor torque output at zero speed must be capable of breaking
in industrial applications commonly range between 60-85 away from a standstill and must then exceed the running load
percent of rated voltage depending on the manufacturer. torque at every speed up to full speed to avoid stalling the
Voltages in the range of 65-70 percent of rated voltage, motor. A stall condition will cause the motor to reach thermal
therefore, may be appropriate and are sometimes used as the limits very quickly. Additionally, the motor torque must
criteria for the lower limit that contactors can tolerate exceed the load torque by a magnitude that allows acceleration
Since the motor acceleration torque is dependent on motor to full speed while staying within the thermal limits of the
terminal voltage, in some cases the starting motor may not be motor and starting device.
able to reach its rated speed due to extremely low terminal Motor torque will further depend on the voltage applied and
voltage. The starting current of a motor with a fixed voltage the type of starting device. The motor speed–torque and
will drop very slowly as the motor accelerates and will only speed–current profiles will determine the level of current
begin to fall significantly when the motor has reached at least drawn (affecting voltage drop on the system feeding the
80% of the full speed. The actual curves for the induction motor) and the amount of torque produced. The amount of
motors can vary considerably between designs but the general voltage drop will, in turn, affect flux and motor torque levels.
trend is for a high current until the motor has almost reached To avoid oversizing motors for high starting torque or large
full speed. The LRC of a motor can range from 500% of Full- load inertias, motors with higher torque profiles may be
Load Current (FLC) to as high as 1400% of FLC. Typically, capable of the required torque in a lower motor horsepower
good motors fall in the range of 550% to 750% of FLC. This package.. The motor speed–torque profile and the motor
makes it necessary to perform a motor starting analysis. Since thermal limit curve (usually provided in an inverse time–
the voltage & current profile are improper the power quality is current curve) is important information provided by the motor
not good & also the harmonics are introduced in the system. manufacturer. Motor torque produced at reduced voltage
The main purpose of performing a motor starting study is levels is approximately proportional to the square of the
twofold: voltage applied to the motor multiplied by the torque produced
(i) to investigate whether the starting motor can be at full voltage. The acceleration time can be calculated using a
successfully started under the operating conditions (i.e. motor torque representing the difference (positive) between motor
torque & thermal limits of motor etc.) torque and load torque. This time must not exceed the time
(ii) to see if starting the motor will seriously affect the allowed for the current drawn on the motor thermal limit curve
normal operation of other loads in the system. Many software packages exist that will calculate acceleration
A sample torque, current, voltage vs speed characteristic is time considering the total load torque, motor torque, and load
as shown in the fig. 1. inertia, as well as applied voltage.
 A. Starting methods of Induction motor in fig. 2
Since the Induction motor draws a large starting current.
The Induction motor has to be started by using certain starting
devices called as starters. On the basis of technology used
starters are basically classified as

i) Conventional Starter or Traditional Starter

As these starters are used by industries from a long time,
they are called Conventional Starter or Traditional Starter.
Most of the industries prefer these starter only. These starters
allow a low voltage to appear across the motor. During
starting period some voltage is dropped across some devices Fig. 2. Soft Starter
which are in series with the stator winding or rotor. Resistance
of reactance is inserted in series with the rotor winding The soft starters are classified on the basis of its working
(only for slip ring induction motor). When the speed reaches principle. i.e. whether they control the current, voltage or
upto 80% to 100% of rated speed the starting devices i.e. torque or they limit the current of the motor.
starters are removed form the system & motor is allowed to The different types of soft starters are shown in table. 2.
run on full voltage directly from supply.
Depending on the location & type of voltage limiting Table 2. Different types of Induction motor soft starters
element the different types of traditional starters are shown in Type Description (controlling Parameter)
table. 1. Current is not allowed to increase
Current Limit
beyond a certain limit
Table 1. Different types of IM traditional starters Current Control Current is controlled
Type Description Voltage Control Voltage is controlled
None No starting device Torque Control Torque is controlled
Auto-transformer Auto-transformer
Stator Resistor Series Resistor to the stator The advantages of using soft starters are
Stator Reactor Series Reactor to the stator a. Starting current can be controlled.
Shunt capacitor connected to the b. Starting torque can be improved.
Capacitor, Bus
motor bus c. Energy Saving is possible.
Capacitor, Shunt capacitor connected to the d. Input power factor is increased.
Terminal motor terminal e. Minimizes transient during running conditions.
Rotor Resistor Series Resistor to the rotor
Rotor Reactor Series Reactor to the rotor Limitations of soft starters
Stator Terminals are first connected a. Efficiency reduces with increase in loads.
Star Delta b. Soft starters’ distorts the currents drawn from utility
in Y & then in Delta
grid,
However this traditional starters has got some disadvantages c. Fifth harmonics are more pronounced.
such as
a. Torque pulsations. Apart from these soft starters are costly for low power
b. High Inrush Current. applications & energy saving is very less as compared to
c. Heating of machine windings during starting period. the investment. So industries preferred conventional
d. With low load, efficiency is less. starters.
e. Drop in motor speed is more.

ii) Solid state or Soft Starter III. CASE STUDY

The other type of starter is a soft starter; .as the name implies
these starters don’t have any moving or rotating parts. This is For study purpose experimental setup was made in the
a very recently electronic method & it has been frequently laboratory, for this a three phase 3 HP, 4 poles, 440 V, 4.5 A,
used in industry.. it consists of applying a voltage to the 50 Hz induction motor was connected to the mains with the
motor, which is gradually increased in a ramp wise manner, help of various meters and appropriate starters. To determine
thus enabling the motor to start. In order to do this “three the motor parameters following test were carried out.
phase AC controller” power electronic devices is used. This o No Load test
equipment consists of two thyrister per phase in anitiparallel o S.C. test
connection, where the input is connected to the respective o On Load test (Lamp Loading) (75 % & 100%
phases of the mains supply and the output of each motor loading) {to determine Efficiency & slip of motor}
phase. In case of soft starters the motor parameters such as Values were recorded with the help of various meters &
voltage, current & current are controlled by means of thyrister results are obtained are shown in table 3.
valve which are connected anti-parallel in each arm as shown
 Table 3. Induction motor parameters recorded & std values
IM Parameters Std. values Recorded values
Rs (stator resistance) 4.37 Ω 10.5Ω
Xs ( stator reactance) 4.32 Ω 39 Ω
Xm (mutual reactance) 295.7 Ω 184.48 Ω
power factor (75%L) 0.84 0.39
power factor (100%L) 0.84 0.71
Efficiency (75%L) 77.96% 55%
Efficiency (100%L) 80.91% 59%
Fig. 3. Single line diagram used for simulation
Starters which have been used for the starting of Induction
motor are
ETAP provides two types of motor starting calculations:
A. DOL starter Dynamic Motor Acceleration and Static Motor Starting. In the
In case of DOL starter, motors’ rated full voltage is directly Dynamic Motor Acceleration calculation, the starting motors
applied across the motor terminals. DOL starter uses a main are represented by dynamic models and the Motor
contactor to apply the motor stator windings directly across Acceleration module simulates the entire process of motor
the main system voltage. This method of starting provides the acceleration. This method is used to determine if a motor can
lowest cost, a basic and simple design of controller, resulting be started and how much time is needed for the motor to reach
in low maintenance, simple training requirements, and the its rated speed, as well as to determine the effect of voltage
highest starting torque possible without the use of a drive. dips on the system. In Static Motor Starting, the starting
DOL starters can be used for lower rating of motor where the motors are modeled by the locked-rotor impedance during
driven load can withstand the shock of instantaneously acceleration time, simulating the worst impact on normal
applying full voltage to the motor and where line disturbances operating loads. This method is suitable for checking the
can be tolerated. Voltage, current during the start and starting effect of motor starting on the system when the dynamic
time are recorded both for experimental setup as well model is not available for starting motors. For analysis
computer simulation in ETAP. purpose Dynamic Motor Acceleration calculations is used.
Simulation of Induction motor is carried out in ETAP
B. Auto-transformer starter environment for different conditions (cases).
In this starter a reduced voltage is applied across the motor
terminals, and when the speed reaches to a certain value a full A. CASE 1:
rated voltage is applied across the motor terminal. To achieve Induction motor is simulated with help of DOL & auto-
this a auto-transformer and a change over switch is required. transformer starter for negligible cable length at three different
The tapings available on the auto-transformer varies from loading conditions i.e. 50% of full load, 75% of full load and
0 % to 100 % of rated voltage, from which 60% to 85% range 100% of full load. The results obtained are for simulation
is usually used. When speed reaches to 80% of rated speed the starting current is 6.6 times the full rated current i.e. 27.72 A
switch is changed from the auto-transformer tapings to the for DOL starter, while for auto-transformer starter starting
mains i.e. to the full rated voltage. For both experimental as current is 277% of full rated current i.e. 12.47 A. however in
well as in ETAP simulation a 65 % setting is made and when case of auto-transformer starter the peak current is 3.5 times
the speed reaches up to 80% of rated speed a full rated voltage the rated current i.e. 14.7 A. For DOL starter as per recorded
is applied. Here also results are recorded both for experimental values starting currents are 11.2 A &12 A for 75% and 100%
setup as well computer simulation. loading respectively. In case of auto-transformer starter the
recorded values are 8 A & 8.8 A fro 75% and 100% loading
SIMULATION respectively. Whereas settling time or the starting time
Simulation of the laboratory was carried out on computer. depends on the loading condition. More the load more will be
Various software’s are available for simulation. Among which the settling time. In case of DOL starter the starting time for
simulation was carried out in ETAP (Electrical Transient 100% and 75% loading for simulation are 4.2 sec, 3.9 sec
Analyzer Program) environment. Benefits of using ETAP while recoded values are 2 sec & 2.2 sec respectively. & 3.7
simulation software are sec for 50% load in case of simulation results. While in case of
• It is a fully graphical electrical transient analyzer Auto transformer starter the starting time to reach up to 80%
program & supported by Microsoft Windows. of rated speed for 100% & 75% loading for simulation are
• It provides library for almost all components of the 16.7 sec & 10.2 sec while recorded time are 2.7 sec & 2.1 sec
power system. respectively, & 8.2 sec for 50% load in case of simulation .
• More Accurate result with less simulation time. However the voltage during starting, in case of simulation is
A single line diagram is created in ETAP which is same irrespective of load, however it depends on the starter
connected to the mains though a cable of negligible resistance used for DOL starter the voltage at the start is 98.25 % of
& length. In ETAP starting device is inbuilt. ETAP provides rated voltage i.e. 432.3 V for simulation & 428 V is the
thirteen types of starting devices, one can choose the required recorded value.
one. The results obtained in laboratory from the experimental
The simulation diagram is shown in fig. 3. setup & results obtained by simulation for DOL and auto-
transformer starter are shown in Table 4. & Table 5. resp.
 Table 4 Summary for DOL starter
Tst
Para Ist Vst Ist Vst tst
sec
meter sec
Load Simulation Recorded
11..2 A
75 % 3.9 2
2.48 Ifl
27..72 A 432.3 v 428v
12 A
6.6 Ifl 98.25% 97.27%
100% 4.2 2.67 Ifl 2.5

Fig. 5. Current in case of Auto-transformer starter for different loading

conditions
Table 5 Summary for Auto-transformer starter
Para tst Simulation results for voltage obtained for different loading
Ist Vst Ist Vst tst conditions and are shown in fig. 5. & fig. 6.
mete sec
(A) sec
r
Load Simulation Recorded
432.3 v 8A
75 % 12.47 98.25
10.22 1.7IFL 2.1
97.27
2.77 IFL Vrtd 8.8 A
100 Vrtd
16.68 1.96IFL 2.7
%

B. CASE II
This case is applicable to induction motor used in mines Fig. 6. Voltage in case of DOL starter for different loading conditions
where cable length is considerable. The cable length is
increased to 1 km with standard parameters and the load is
kept constant to full load. Motor is started with the help of
DOL & auto transformer starter. Starting current is 6.5 times
& 2.74 times the rated current for DOL starter &auto-
transformer starter respectively .while the starting time is 4.32
sec 16.7sec for DOL & auto-transformer starter respectively.

C. CASE III
Compensation is provided with the help of capacitor
connected across the motor terminal used in case II, for the
same cable length. Again Motor is started with the help of
DOL & auto transformer. . Starting current is 6.49 times & Fig. 7. Voltage in case of Auto-transformer starter for different loading
conditions
2.75 times the rated current for DOL starter &auto-transformer
starter respectively .while the starting time is 4.3 sec 16.5sec
for DOL & auto-transformer starter respectively. Comparison of the results obtained by simulation for
different case studies (case I, case II & case III) for 100%
RESULTS & CONCLUSSION loading

Simulation results for current are obtained for different

loading conditions and are shown in fig. 5. & fig. 6.

Fig. 4. Current in case of DOL starter for different loading conditions Fig. 8. Current in case of DOL starter for different case studies
 DISCUSSION & FUTURE SCOPE

It is seen in the result that the observed & simulated values

are not same; this may be because the machine parameters
measured which are measured are very much deviated from
the standard values. Auto transformer requires more time to
settle. This is due to the fact that as less voltage is applied,
more time is required to reach the rated speed. However the
starting current is reduced to a very large extent by the use of
auto-transformer starter. Using capacitor not only reduces the
current but also improves the voltage profile. DOL starter can
Fig. 9. Current in case of Autotransformer starter for different case
studies be used for a low power application. In case of auto-
transformer starter if the tap setting is made at 57%, it can be
used as a star delta starter. From simulation the parameter scan
also be studied. ETAP provides the scope for measurement of
other parameters such as power factor, torque etc. Also the
software provides the scope for calculation for protective
devices

REFERENCES

[1] John H. Stout ” Capacitor Starting Of Large Motors ” IEEE Transactions

Fig.10. Voltage in case of DOL starter for different case studies On Industry Applications, Vol. Ia-14, No. 3, May/June 1978, pp. 209-
212
[2] A. Jack Williams & M. Shan Griffith,” Evaluating The Effects Of Motor
Starting On Industrial And Commercial Power Systems” IEEE
Transactions On Industry Applications, Vol. Ia-14, No. 4, July/August
1978, pp. 292-305
[3] John A. Kay, Richard H. Paes, J. George Seggewiss, Robert G. Ellis
“Methods For The Control Of Large Medium-Voltage Motors:
Application Considerations And Guidelines ” IEEE Transactions On
Industry Applications, Vol. 36, No. 6, November/December 2000, pp.
1688- 1696.
[4] Solveson M.G. “Soft-Started Induction Motor Modeling” IEEE
Transactions On Industry Applications Vol.42 No.4, July/August 2006,
pp 973-982
[5] Rezek A. J., “Energy Conservation With Use Of Soft Starter” IEEE
2000, pp 354-359
[6] Blaabjerg F. “Can Soft Starters Help Save Energy”, IEEE Industry
Applications Magazine Sep/Oct 1997 Pp 56-66
Fig.11. Voltage in case of Autotransformer starter for different [7] Blaabjerg F. “Comparative Study Of Energy Saving Benefits In Soft
case studies Starters For 3ph Im”, IEEE Industry Applications Magazine Sep/Oct
1995 pp 367-373
[8] AC Induction Motor Fundamentals by Rakesh Parekh, Microchip
Results of simulation illustrates that the starting current of Technology Inc
[9] “Induction motor - protection and starting by viv cohen” - Circuit
Induction motor is some what same for all the case studies, Breaker Industries, P.O. Box 881,Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.
irrespective of the starter used, for DOL starter the starting [10] Induction motors Parameters extraction by Sinisa Jurkovie
time or settling time has changed for different case studies. [11] Performance chart for IM from Kirloskar Electric
Starting current is 6.6, 6.54 & 6.5 times the rated current for [12] Performance chart for IM ABB Group- Automation & Power
Technologies
case 1, case 2 & case 3 respectively & the observed value is [13] Consultancy with Mr. Rao, Nagpur motors, MIDC Hingna
2.7 times the rated current . For auto-transformer starter the [14] Textbook of Electrical Engg. Vol-II B.L.Theraja
starting current is almost same 2.7 times for different case [15] Basic Electrical Machines – V.K.Mehta
studies & 2 times the rated current is the observed values. In [16] Electrical Machine- P.S.Bimbhra
case of DOL starter starting time varies from 3.9sec to 4.3 sec
from case 3 to case 1 & the observed value is 2.5 sec. For auto
transformer starter the starting time varies from 15.9 sec to
17 sec fro case 3 to case 1 & the observed value is 2.7 sec so
that the motor reaches its 80% speed. In case of voltage
profile, capacitor has improved the voltage at the load bus up
to 99% for both the starters.

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