Analysis of supply voltage distortion effects on induction motor operation

Many modern induction motor applications involve nonsinusoidal voltage supp ly. Under such operating conditions the motor performance can be seriously affected while the standard equivalent circuit is no more adequate for the motor analysis. In this paper, a modified equivalent circuit topology is in troduced, in order to account for the increased iron losses associated with the leakage flux and saturation in the motor, in presence of low order har monies in the supply waveform. This equivalent circuit allows the predictio n of the motor performance under nonsinusoidal operation. The proposed resu lts have been checked by means of an experimental setup, comprising an inve rter-fed 1.5 kW induction motor.