Introduction

Te

Pull out 
Torque Intersection point 
(Tmax) Te (Te=TL) determines the 
steady –state speed

TL
Trated

What if the load must 
be operated here?
r
sm  

rated rotor s
’
s rotor
Requires speed 
1                                                                                          0 control of motor
15
 Speed Control of IM
• Given a load T– characteristic, the steady‐state speed can be 
changed by altering the T– curve of the motor

Te 
3R '
r Vs
2
2 Varying voltage 
(amplitude)
ss  ' 2
Rr  
 Rs     X ls  X lr  
2

 s  

2 4 3 Varying line 
s    f frequency
P P

1 Pole Changing
16
 Speed Control of IM
Variable‐Voltage (amplitude), Constant 
Frequency
 Controlled using:
 Transformer (rarely used)
 Thyristor voltage controller
 thyristors connected in anti‐parallel
motor can be star or delta connected
 voltage control by firing angle control
(gating signals are synchronized to 
phase voltages and are spaced at 60
intervals)
 Only for operations in Quadrant 1 and 
Quadrant 3 (requires reversal of phase 
sequence)
 also used for soft start of motors

17
 Speed Control of IM
Variable‐Voltage (amplitude), Constant Frequency
 Voltage can only be reduced from rated Vs (i.e. 0 < Vs ≤ Vs,rated)
 From torque equation, Te  Vs2
 When Vs , Te and speed reduces.
 If terminal voltage is reduced to bVs, (i.e. Vs = bVs,rated) :

Te 
3R '
r bV s
2

s s  Rr' 
2

 Rs     X ls  X lr  
2

 s  
Note: b  1
18
 Speed Control of IM
Variable‐Voltage 
(amplitude), Constant 
Frequency
 Suitable for applications 
where torque demand 
reduces with speed 
(eg: fan and pump drives 
where TL  m2)
 Suitable for NEMA Class D
(high‐slip, high Rr’) type 
motors
 High rotor copper 
loss, low efficiency 
motors
 get appreciable  Practical 
speed range speed range

19
 Speed Control of IM
Variable Voltage (amplitude), 
Constant Frequency
 Disadvantages:
 limited speed range  when 
applied to Class B (low‐slip) motors
 Excessive stator currents at low 
speeds  high copper losses 
 Distorted phase current in machine 
and line (harmonics introduced by 
thyristor switching)
 Poor line power factor 
(power factor proportional to firing 
angle)
 Hence, only used on low‐power, 
appliance‐type motors where 
efficiency is not important
 e.g. small fan or pumps drives
20
 Speed Control of IM
Variable Frequency
 Speed control above rated (base) speed
 Requires the use of PWM inverters to control frequency of motor
 Frequency increased (i.e. s increased)
 Stator voltage held constant at rated value
 Airgap flux and rotor current decreases 
 Developed torque 
decreases
Te  (1/s)
 For control below
base speed –
use Constant 
Volts/Hz method

21
 Constant Volts/Hz (V/f) Control
 Airgap flux in the motor is related to the induced stator 
voltage E1 :
E1 Vs Assuming small voltage drop 
ag   across Rs and Lls
f f
 For below base speed operation:
 Frequency reduced at rated Vs ‐ airgap flux saturates  
(f  ,ag  and enters saturation region oh B‐H curve):
‐ excessive stator currents flow
‐ distortion of flux wave
‐ increase in core losses and stator copper loss
 Hence, keep  ag = rated flux
 stator voltage Vs must be reduced proportional to reduction 
in f (i.e. maintaining Vs / f  ratio)
22
 Constant Volts/Hz (V/f) Control
 Max. torque remains almost 
constant
2
 For low speed operation: E1 Vs Vs
 can’t ignore voltage drop across 
ag   Tmax 
f f s
Rs and Lls (i.e. E1  Vs)
 poor torque capability
(i.e. torque decreased at low 
speeds shown by dotted lines)
 stator voltage must be boosted 
– to compensate for voltage 
drop at Rs and Lls and maintain 
constant ag
 For above base speed operation 
(f > frated):
 stator voltage maintained at 
rated value
 Same as Variable Frequency
control (refer to slide 13)
23
 Tr a t ed T ∴T = 0 .7 6 9 Tr a t ed
= Tr a t ed = ?
130 100

Tr a t ed d ip er oleh i d a r i : 3Rr Vs2

Tr a t ed = 3 8 .0 6 Nm

∴ Da ya k ila s p a d a 4 0 Hz, la ju 1 1 0 0 r p m ia la h T = 0 .7 6 9 (3 8 .0 6 ) = 2 9 .2 6 7 Nm

Example 2

A 4–pole, 3-phase, 50 Hz IM, 1460 rpm has a rated torque of 20 Nm. It is used
to drive a load with characteristic given by TL = Kω2 , such that the speed
equals rated value at rated torque. If a constant V/Hz control method is used,
find the speed of motor at 0.5 rated torque.

If the starting torque of 1.1 times the rated is required, what should be the
starting frequency?

5 0 Hz
TL(Nm)

TL = K ω2
Trated

0.5 Trated
Zsyn,r

ω(rad/s)

Zslip,r
Zr,r

ωslip,r = 1500 – 1460 = 40 rpm or 4.19 rad/s

a) Load torque is given by:

T L = K ω2

1460 rpm ⇒ 152.9 rad/s

8
⇒ K = 20/(152.9)2 20
TL = ω2
1 5 2 .9 2

∴ at 0.5 rated torque, the speed is 108.11 rad/s

Motor T-ω is obtained as follows:

T r a t ed T r a t ed Te
= = 4 .7 7 =
ω s lip ω s yn , r − ω r , r ω s yn − ω r

Te = 4 . 7 7 ω s yn − 4 . 7 7 ω r

Therefore at 0.5 Trated and speed of 108.11 rad/s

1 0 = 4 . 7 7 ω s yn − 4 . 7 7 (1 0 8 . 1 1 )

∴ ωsyn = 110.2 ⇒ f = 35 Hz

5 0 Hz
TL(Nm)

1.1(Trated) TL = K ω2
Trated

Zsyn,r

ω(rad/s)

Zslip,r
Zslip = Zsyn
Zr,r

1 . 1 T r a t ed T
= r a t ed
ω s lip 4 .1 9

At start-up, ω s lip = ω s yn ∴ ω s yn = 4 . 1 9 (1 . 1 ) = 4 . 6 1