Optimum Design of Multiple Winding Induction Motor

Out of total electrical motors 80% are three-phase squirrel-cage induction motors which are widely used in industrial and domestic applications because of the relatively low cost and high reliability. When oversized, most of these motors operate in low efficiency and poor power factor. Adjustable flux motors with multiple winding connections can be an energy efficient solution in variable and fixed load applications, improving the efficiency and power factor by means of properly adapting motor flux to the actual load. In this paper, a design optimization method is proposed. The optimal design of a multi-flux stator winding to improve motor efficiency and power factor in a wide load range is proposed using Genetic Algorithm. This algorithm is a population-based search algorithm characterized as conceptually simple, easy to implement and computationally efficient. A parameter-less loss approach is incorporated in the proposed algorithm to handle the constraints effectively. A comparison of optimum design with the conventional design for a 2.2-kW three phase squirrealcage induction motor is presented. It is demonstrated that the optimal design produce better efficiency over the entire load range including energy saving which is most suitable for industrial applications