ABSTRACT
In d.c. motors, introduced in Chapter 24, conductors on a rotating armature pass through a stationary magnetic field. In a three-phase induction motor, the magnetic field rotates and this has the advantage that no external electrical connections to the rotor need be made. Its name is derived from the fact that the current in the rotor is induced by the magnetic field instead of being supplied through electrical connections to the supply. The result is amotorwhich: (i) is cheap and robust, (ii) is explosion proof, due to the absence of a commutator or slip-rings and brushes with their associated sparking, (iii) requires little or no skilledmaintenance and (iv) has self-starting properties when switched to a supply with no additional expenditure on auxiliary equipment. The principal disadvantage of a three-phase inductionmotor is that its speed cannot be readily adjusted.
