3-D electro-magnetic analyses of a cage induction motor with rotor skew

The paper studied the performance characteristics of a three-phase cage induction motor using a 3D finite element technique. Especially, the effects of rotor skew and the rotor end-rings and the distribution of the electromagnetic field toward the axial direction, which have not been able to be analyzed accurately by 2D analysis, were investigated. Since the 3D analysis enabled the analysis of the continuity of the air gap flux density at the core ends and to take into consideration the rotor end-ring impedance, the motor parameters were calculated with high accuracy, compared with 2D analysis. Firstly, the authors made the relation of the rotor end-ring current with the rotor bar current clear, by analyzing the harmonics of the rotor bar current and the rotor end-ring current in the cases of motors without rotor skew and with rotor skew. Secondly, the torque and the rotor axial force were calculated from the distribution of the electromagnetic field obtained by the 3D analysis in the case of rotor skew. They also calculated the axial forces on the both end-rings in the case of rotor skew. The results obtained in the paper show the importance of 3D analysis for the design of induction motors.