A Computer-Aided Educational

Tool for Induction Motors

CETIN GENCER,1 MEHMET GEDIKPINAR2
1

Department of Electrical&Electronic Engineering, Tunceli University, Tunceli 62000, Turkey

Faculty of Technical Education, Department of Electronic&Computer Education, Firat University, Elazig 23119, Turkey

Received 24 November 2009; accepted 18 January 2010

ABSTRACT: The computer-aided educational tools have gained popularity in the last years with successful
implementation in many areas, including in engineering education. These tools are aimed to help the students
for visualization of the concepts and to provide the graphical feedback during the learning process. This paper
presents a computer-aided educational tool for induction motors, which is a part of laboratories in the electrical
machinery courses. This tool helps to students and educators in subject to teaching/of the equivalent circuit, and
the vector/phasor diagrams in induction motors. The tool software was prepared in DELPHI environment. It has
exible structure which is enable to users to change motor label values, and to solve equivalent circuit parameters
and winding account. The proposed educational tool was utilized in laboratories of electric machinery courses
and well received by students. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ; Published online in Wiley
InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20418
Keywords: computer-aided educational tool; induction motor; equivalent circuit; DELPHI

INTRODUCTION
The quality of education which has been given in universities, especially in faculties of engineering can be increased by using modern
teaching techniques. Computer-aided educational tools are one of
the modern teaching techniques and have been increasingly used
by the students of engineering subjects, such as the electrical, computer, mechanical and civil engineering. Most of the subjects taught
in these faculties, consist of the theoretical and practical studies.
The quality of education in these theoretical and practical subjects
is increased by using computer-aided educational tools [14] and
the topics which are difficult to compute by students, became more
visual with the aid of some computer programs [57]. Computeraided teaching process has been increased the interaction between
the student and educator and enhanced the learning processes of
many students [8].
Several well-known commercial software packages such as
Matlab-Simulink, Auto-CAD, Mathcad, OrCAD PcPice, RT-LAB
offers many other useful toolboxes for many electrical machines
in engineering subjects [914]. The direct use of these software
packages is a major advancement in simplifying simulation procedures for many practicing engineers as well as for undergraduate
engineering students [4]. However, some of these software packages can be expensive and time consumer for both educators and

Correspondence to C. Gencer (cetingencer@gmail.com).

2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

students. In addition, some of these packages require code and also

assistance for simulation tools [13].
In this paper, a computer-aided educational tool for induction motor is presented for cost effective education and training.
The results of introducing educational software are now used as
a teaching tool in the laboratories of the electrical machinery
courses at Firat University, in Turkey. The program is prepared in DELPHI environment and setup files are available from
web.firat.edu.tr/cgencer.
Using this software, the equivalent circuit parameters of a
three-phase induction motor can be calculated and vector/phasor
diagrams can be drawn easily. This educational tool can be successfully applied to the laboratory of electric machinery courses
and used by educators for curriculum development and teaching.

EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT AND VECTOR/PHASOR

DIAGRAM OF THE INDUCTION MOTORS
Induction motors are important topics of the electric machinery
courses. These motors are robust, easily maintained, and cheap.
Most of the books on the electrical machines, presents the equivalent circuit of induction motors in a similar way to that of a
transformer [15]. Generally, the stator and the rotor circuits are first
presented separately and few are said about the electromagnetic
coupling when the motor is operating [16].
Thus, the usual explanation relates the equivalent circuit of an
induction motor at standstill with that of the transformer, replacing

GENCER AND GEDIKPINAR

Figure 1

Equivalent circuit of a conventional induction motor.

in both cases the actual rotor (actual secondary winding of the

transformer), by an equivalent rotor (an equivalent secondary
motor), having the same number of turns per phase, disposed in
the same way, as those of the stator (the primary winding) [1622].
The standard equivalent circuit for induction motors is shown
in Figure 1.
All quantities are referred to the stator and represent on
phase [16]. V s is input voltage per phase, I is stator current per
phase, Rs is stator winding resistance per phase, (ms /2)Xs is


stator leakage reactance per phase, (ms /2)Xr
is rotor leakage
reactance per phase referred to stator, R
r is rotor resistance per
phase referred to stator,

RFe is the resistance representing the core
losses, (ms /2)Xsm is i
r is magnetizing reactance, i
r is the rotor
current referred to stator per phase ms is number of stator winding
phase, mr is number of rotor phase and s is slip factor. The rotor
current i
r refers to the portion of the stator current that flows to
balance the rotor magneto-motive force (MMF).
Vector/phasor diagrams are important to observe the relations
between current and voltage phasors in different working conditions and to find out their values [21]. These diagrams are mostly
used to find the currents, the voltage or the parameters. The vector/phasor diagrams can be drawn by using Equations (1) and (2).
In these equivalences, iFe=0 and is i
r = ism

 m
s

Vs = (Rs is ) + j

 m
s

Xs is + j

Figure 2

Xsm ism


(1)


0=

R
r is
s

 m
r

+ j

ir
Xr

 m
s

Xsm ism


(2)

Rs , Xs , ms , Xsm , Rr , Xr , mr , s, is0 = ism

Parameters are usually known and Vs , ir , is , Qs , Er
= Es can
be drawn in the vector/phasor diagrams as follow steps. The vector/phasor diagram in Figure 3, 20 V = 1 cm and 10 A = 1 cm.
Step 1: is0 current is taken, j(ms /2)Xsm ism = Er
= 0B




, mr are known from tan r = ((mr /2)Xr
)/
Step 2: R
r , s, Xr






(Rr /2) and r is found and the direction of ir is drawn.
Step 3: Er
= |j(ms /2)Xsm ism | diametric circle is drawn and
the A point is shown.
The A point shows that where the i
r line cuts the circle (Fig. 2).
The reduced rotor current is found using i
r phasor equation
as in Equation (3).
A0 =

R
r

i
s r

(3)

The real rotor current ir is calculated as in Equation (4)

ir =

ms
i
r
mr

(4)

Step 4: is = 0Q can obtain from is = i
r + ism relation.

Step 5: OK = j(ms /2)Xsm ism is drawn by taken Es = Er

Step 6: OM = Vs can obtain from Rs is = KL and
j(ms /2)Xs is = LM

Vector/phasor diagram of a three-phase induction motor.

COMPUTER-AIDED EDUCATIONAL TOOL

Figure 3

Figure 4

Label values window.

Experimental results window.

GENCER AND GEDIKPINAR

Figure 5

Figure 6

Winding calculations window.

Equivalent circuit parameters calculation window.

COMPUTER-AIDED EDUCATIONAL TOOL

Figure 7

The equivalent circuit of per phase of the induction motor.

Figure 8

Vector/phasor diagram of the induction motor.

GENCER AND GEDIKPINAR

THE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE OF THE

EDUCATIONAL TOOL
The software is developed using Delphi 7.0 visual package program and it works in a Windows environment [23]. It is prepared
to help students to improve their knowledge about the induction
motors. The program operation can be observed on a PC monitor
and can be modified by choosing appropriate windows. A main
window and other selected window can be seen simultaneously by
clicking desired button on the top of the screen.

MAIN WINDOW
A view of the main program window is shown in Figure 3. The
value input window can be seen by operating the program. The
value input window has three sub-windows. These windows are
shown in Figures 35. The contents of the value input window
change according to the chosen sub-windows. Although the user
may start the tool directly by using default values of the program
given for a specific parameters of squirrel-cage induction motor,
to start a new calculation should be entered by the user.
The label values of three-phase induction motor can be seen
in label values window (Fig. 4). The values of locked-rotor and noload test experimental results can be seen in experimental results
window (Fig. 5). The users have opportunity to change these results
values in both windows (Figs. 4 and 5). The winding calculation
window can be seen in Figure 6. This window can give opportunity
to user a change whether or not to calculate winding parameters.
According to the default values, the phase resistance, phase
impedance, phase reactance, slip, power input, core losses, copper losses, efficiency, and winding parameters of the three-phase
induction motor are estimated by clicking calculations button in
main window (Fig. 6).
The Equivalent circuit of three-phase induction motor can be
drawn by clicking circuit button in main window (Fig. 7).
The vector/phasor diagrams of three-phase induction motor
can be drawn by clicking phasor diagram button in main window
(Fig. 8).

THE EVALUATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL TOOL

The proposed educational tool utilized laboratory of electric
machinery courses at Firat University, Turkey, and has been well
received by our students. The tool is expected to achieve following
educational goals. One who uses this tool should be able to:
Improve his/her knowledge on the induction motor fundamentals.
Save in time while developing his/her knowledge.
Interpret and draw conclusions related to induction motor
parameters and vector/phasor diagrams.
To draw of vector/phasor diagrams as a result more easy.

The results obtained by using the tool and the results obtained
without using the tool were compared. Students response to the use
of the tool was obtained through evaluation sheets. The feedback
from the introduction of the educational tool was very positive. The
accuracy is well supported by the fact that the computed results
agree closely with the experimental results [10,11,14,19]. The educators also may develop new ideas and teaching methods by using

the tool. With this philosophy, it is aimed that the tool is available
for everyone who wants to use or try it so that students may use it
in a laboratory of electric machinery or at home.

CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, computer-aided educational tool for the three-phase
induction motor is presented for cost-effective education and training. The tool helps students to improve their trough understanding
on equivalent circuit and vector/phasor diagram of induction
motor. It is intended as an aid to teaching and may be used by
educators for curciculum development. The tool can be installed
on a PC operating in a Windows environment (Windows XP, Vista,
or NT) and freeware. The tool has flexible structure enables users
to change motor label parameters and to solve winding account.
It can be used as a classroom teaching aid or as a self-study tool
outside the classroom.

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BIOGRAPHIES
C. Gencer received the BS degree from the
Department of Electrical Education, Faculty of
Technical Education, Gazi University, Ankara,
Turkey, in 1995, the MSc degree from Institute
of Science and Technology, Firat University, in
1999, and the PhD degree from Institute of Science
and Technology, Gazi University, in 2005, respectively. He is currently teaching in Department of
Electrical&Electronic Engineering, Tunceli University. His research interests include intelligent
control, electrical machines and drives, educational tools, engineering technology education, web-based distance learning.

M. Gedikpinar received the BS degree from

the Department of Electrical Education, Faculty
of Technical Education, Gazi University, Ankara,
Turkey, in 1981, the MSc degree from Institute
of Science and Technology, Firat University, in
1998, and the PhD degree from Institute of Science and Technology, Gazi University, in 2002,
respectively. He is currently teaching in Department of Electronic and Computer Education, Faculty of Technical Education, Firat University. His
research interests include intelligent control, electrical machines and
designing, electronics instruments and measurements, analyzing of circuit.