Design of starters for AC motors

Function and Necessity of AC starters

Function Of Starter

The device which is used to start the 3-phase induction motor is called a
starter.

Necessity Of Starter

Function of starter is to limit the starting high current to a safe value.

 Method of starting for 3-phase induction
motors
Direct- on- line starter (D.O.L. starter)
Manual primary resistance starter
Primary resistance automatic starter
Automatic auto transformer starter
Manual star delta starter
Automatic star delta starter
Manual rotor resistance starter
Automatic rotor resistance starter
Direct- on- line starter (D.O.L. starter)

L1, L2, L3 Lines

M Main contacts
MA Auxiliary or maintaining contact
S1 START PUSH button
S2 OFF PUSH button
OLC Overload relay coil
OL Overload relay contact
C Magnetic coil or operating coil

Fig (1) : DOL starter

 Direct- on- line starter (D.O.L. starter)
A starter which connects a motor directly across the line is called a
Direct-O3-Line starter , i.e. in this method, the motor is connected
by means of a starter across the full supply voltage.
Fig. (1) shows a wiring diagram of a push button type Direct-On-
Line starter, which is commonly used.
It is very simple, inexpensive, easy to install and maintain.
It consists of a START and OFF push buttons, Electromagnetic
contactor and overload relay.
Switching by this starter is directly from line without any provision
to control the starting current i.e. there is no device to reduce the
starting current in this starter.
 Fig (2) Control Circuit
Operation
When the START push button S1 is pressed, the circuit is completed from
L1 through S2, S1, C (operating coil) and normally closed contacts (O.L.)
of the overload relay to L2.
i.e. L1 S2 S1 C - O.L. L2
Thus, the coil C is energized, and it closes contacts M and connects the
motor across the line.
An Auxiliary or Maintaining contact MA is used to keep the holding or
operating coil energized after the fingers removed from the START
push button S1.
When the OFF push button S2 is pressed, the supply through the
contactor coil C is disconnected .Since the coil C is de-energised, the
main contacts M are opened.
The supply to the motor is disconnected and the motor stops.
 Direct- on- line starter (D.O.L. starter)
In this starter, there is no current limiting device to limit the starting high
current, only protection against under voltage and overload is provided.
Under Voltage Protection
When the supply voltage is below a certain value or in the event of failure of
power supply, the coil C is de-energized, therefore motor will be disconnected'
from the main supply.
Overload Protection
The motor is protected against overload by a thermal overload relay which
open circuits. The control circuit when over load occurs.
In case of an overload on the motor, overload relay coils are energised. The
normally closed contacts DOL Is opened and the contactor coil C is de-
energized the motor from the supply.
In this method of starting. The rate of temperature rise is high and motor may
get damaged if the starting period is large, which may be due to excessive load
or excessive voltage drop in the supply lines.
So small size squirrel cage inductor. Motors up to 5 kW may be this method.
Manual primary resistance starter

Fig(1) : Manual Primary resistance

 In this method of starting of 3- phase induction motor, primary resistances
are connected in all the three phase of the stator winding, as a result the
applied voltage across the stator winding at the instant of starting is
reduced to a fraction K of the rated voltage of the motor.
Therefore the initial high starting current will also reduce by the same
fraction.
The purpose of primary or starting resistors is to drop some voltage and
hence reduce the voltage applied across the motor terminals.
The torque developed by the motor is directly proportional to the square of
applied voltage, so if the voltage applied across the motor terminals is
reduced by fraction K, but the starting torque is reduced by a fraction K@
of that obtainable with direct switching.
The drawbacks of this method of starting is reduced starting torque and
large power consumption and heating of resistors.
Hence this method of starting is used for small motors only.
 Primary resistance automatic starter

L1, L2, L3 Lines

S1,S2 Start contents
SA Auxiliary or maintaining contact
Cs Magnetic coil or operating coil
for start contacts
Cr Magnetic coil for running contacts
TRc Time delay relay coil
TR Time delay contact
R1, R2, R3 Running contacts
R1, r2, r3 primary resistors
OLC Overload relay coil
OL Overload relay contact
PB1 START push button
PB2 STOP push button

Fig (1) : Primary diagram of a primary resistance automatic starter

 Operation
When the START push button PB1 is pressed, the circuit is completed
from L1 through PB2, PB1, coil Cs and normally closed contacts (OL) of
the overload relays to line L2.
i.e. L1 - PB2 PB1 - Cs OL L2
Thus, the coil Cs ( operating coil for start contacts) is energized and it
closes all starting contacts S1, S2, S3 and SA.
The auxiliary or maintaining contact SA is used to keep the operating coil
Cs energized after the finger id removed from this START push button
PB1.
The primary resistors r1, r2, and r3 in series with line will reduce the
starting current drawn from the line.
Also, at the same time, the coil TRc of a time delay relay connected across
a and b is energized and set the time mechanism.
After a definite time delay, contact TR close and circuit is completed
through operating coil CR.
Pressing the STOP push button de-energizes all contactors and thus the
supply to the motor Is disconnected and the motor stops.
Manual Auto Transformer Starter

Fig (1) : Manual auto transformer

 In this method, 3-phase auto transformer with fixed tappings is used
to obtain reduced voltage for starting the 3-phase induction motors.
Normally 50% to 60% tappings can be used to obtain a safe value of
starting current.
Thus, 50% to 60% of the rated voltage is applied at starting and the
auto transformer is cut out of the motor circuit, when the motor has
picked up the speed about 70% to 80% of the normal speed.
One problem that occurs with a primary resistor starter is that all the
voltage that is dropped through the resistors is turned into heat. The
amount of heat may become very large and cause problem, Auto
transformer starter is able to provide
The same type of voltage reduction without building up large
amount of heat. Further in this method of starting, the voltage is
reduced by transformation and not by dropping voltage in the
resistors and hence the current and power drawn from the supply are
also reduced in comparison to primary resistance starter.
This starter also provides the large amount of torque per ampere of
line current. This method are use in both star and delta connected
motors.
 Automatic auto transformer starter
L1, L2, L3 Lines
S1,S2 Start contents
SA Auxiliary or maintaining contact
Cs Operating coil for Start contacts
R1, R2, R3 Running contacts
Cr Magnetic coil or operating coil
for start contacts
ST start contacts
Cst Operating coil for start contacts
TR Pneumatic timer
T.O. Time opening Contact
T.C. Time closing contact
OLC Overload relay coil
OL Overload relay contact
PB1 START push button
PB2 STOP push button

Fig (1) : Automatic auto transformer starter

 Control Circuit
Operation
When the START push button PB1 is pressed, the circuit is completed
from L1 through OFF push button PB2, PB1, operating coil Cs and
normally closed contacts (OL) of the overload relays to line L2.
i.e. L1 PB2 PB1 Cs - OL L2
Thus, the coil Cs ( operating coil for start contacts) is energized and it
closes all the starting contacts S1, S2, S3 and SA.
Further, on staring pressing the START push button PB1,at the same time,
one alternative path is completed as follows:
L1 - PB2 PB1 T.O. - CsT OL L2
Hence, start coil CST et energized, which closes start contacts ST.
 The star contacts connected the three coil ends of the auto transformer
together to from the start point and auto transformer connected in series
with the motor.
Thus the voltage is reduced.
After a per determined time, the pneumatic timing relay opens the star
contactors and simultaneously closes time closing switch T.C.
At the same time operating coil CR get energized by following path:
L1 PB2 - Auxi. Contact SA T.C. ST CR OL - L2
All the run contacts (r1, r2 and r3) are than closed placing the motor
directly across the line and motor runs with full supply voltage.
Pressing the OFF push button PB2 or in case of an overload on the motor
de energized all contactors and therefore disconnect the motor from the
supply line.
Manual Star Delta Starter

Fig (1) : Manual Star Delta Starter

 Automatic star delta starter
L1, L2, L3 Lines
S Start contents
Cs Operating coil for Start contacts
D Delta contacts
Cd Operating coil for Delta contacts
M Line contacts
CM operating coil for contacts M
TR Pneumatic timer
TO Time opening Contact
TC Time closing contact
OLC Overload relay coil
OL Overload relay contact
PB1 START push button
PB2 STOP push button

Fig (1) : Wiring diagram and control circuit

of automatic star-delta starter
 The operating coil CM get energized by following path:
L1 PB2 PB1 CM OL OL OL L2
At the same time, the operating coil Cs get energized by following path :
L1 PB2 PB1 TO D CS OL OL OL L2
The operating coil CD is energized by following path
'L1 - PB2 MA TC S CD OL OL OL - L2'
Pressing the OFF PUSH button, de-energizes all contactors and
disconnects the motor from the line.
 Manual rotor resistance starter

3 Phase
Ac
Supply

Fig (1) : Manual rotor resistance

starter
 This method of starting Is only used for slip ring induction motors
because in case of squirrel cage induction motors, rotor has copper
bars, which are short circuited at both ends.
Hence it is not possible to add any external resistance in the rotor
circuit.
In case of slip ring induction motors, rotor has 3-phase star connected
winding whose terminals are connected to three respective slip rings.
In rotor resistance starter the three terminals of the rotor winding are
connected to a variable external resistances through slip rings. Full
supply voltage is applied across the stator. Resistances are fully in the
circuit at starting, so that the starting current is reduced.
The External variable resistance connected in each phase of the rotor
circuit not only reduces the current at starting but increases the
starting torque also due to improvement in power factor.
The rotor circuit resistance is gradually cut out, as the motor speeds
up and during normal running condition, the rotor circuit resistance is
completely cut out and the sliprings are short circuited.
Automatic rotor resistance starter

Fig (1) : Automatic rotor resistance starter

 Fig. (2) Control circuit

L1, L2, L3 Lines TR Time delay relay contact

S Starting contacts
Cs Operating coil or Magnetic
coil for starting contacts
R Running contacts
CR Operating coil for running
contacts
CTR Time delay relay coil
SA Auxiliary starting contact
OLC Overload relay coil
OL Overload relay contact
PB1 START push button
PB2 OFF push button
 Operation
Fig (1) shows the wiring diagram of an automatic rotor resistance starter
which is commonly used for starting slip ring induction motors and Fig (2)
shows its control circuit. This starter consists of start and run contactors,
time delay relay, overload relays, START and OFF push buttons.
When the START push button PB, is pressed, the circuit is completed from
line L1 through OFF push button PB2, PB1 operating coil Cs and normally
closed contacts of overload relays of L2.
Therefore, the operating coil Cs is energized, closing the starting contacts S
and auxiliary contact SA and the motor starts with external starting
resistances in rotor circuit which will limit the starting current and improve
the starting torque.
At the same time, the coil CTR of a time delay relay is also energized and
set the timing mechanism.
 After a predetermined time, contact TR will close and the operating coil for
running contacts CR will energized through following path :
L1 pb2 SA TR CR OL OL OL L2
Thus, coil CR is energized and causes running contacts R to close and
short circuit the starting resistances. Thus external starting resistances get
short circuited during running condition and motor runs with full rated
speed.
Thank you