A wound-rotor motor, also known as slip ring-rotor motor, is a type of

induction motor An induction motor or asynchronous motor is an AC motor, AC electric motor in which the electric current in the rotor (electric), rotor that produces torque is obtained by electromagnetic induction from the magnetic field of the stator winding ...

where the

rotor ROTOR was an elaborate air defence radar system built by the British Government in the early 1950s to counter possible attack by Soviet bombers. To get it operational as quickly as possible, it was initially made up primarily of WWII-era syst ...

windings are connected through

slip ring A slip ring is an electromechanical device that allows the transmission of Electric power, power and electrical Signal, signals from a stationary to a rotating structure. A slip ring can be used in any Electromechanics, electromechanical system ...

s to external resistance. Adjusting the resistance allows control of the speed/torque characteristic of the motor. Wound-rotor motors can be started with low inrush current, by inserting high resistance into the rotor circuit; as the motor accelerates, the resistance can be decreased.Harold J. Herbein ''Rotating Machinery'', Rinehart Press, 1971, SBN 03-084675-7, pages 215-218 Compared to a

squirrel-cage rotor A squirrel-cage rotor is the rotating part of the common squirrel-cage induction motor. It consists of a cylinder of steel laminations, with aluminum or copper conductors cast in its surface. In operation, the non-rotating stator winding is co ...

, the rotor of the slip ring motor has more winding turns; the induced voltage is then higher, and the current lower, than for a squirrel-cage rotor. During the start-up a typical rotor has 3 poles connected to the slip ring. Each pole is wired in series with a variable power resistor. When the motor reaches full speed the rotor poles are switched to short circuit. During start-up the resistors reduce the field strength at the stator. As a result, the

inrush current Inrush current, input surge current, or switch-on surge is the maximal instantaneous input current drawn by an electrical device when first turned on. Alternating-current electric motors and transformers may draw several times their normal full-lo ...

is reduced. Another important advantage over squirrel-cage motors is higher starting torque. The speed and torque characteristics of a wound-rotor motor can be adjusted by changing the external resistance, unlike a squirrel cage motor which has a fixed characteristic. This is useful for speed control of the motor. A wound-rotor motor can be used in several forms of

adjustable-speed drive A motor drive is a physical system that includes a motor. An adjustable speed motor drive is a system that includes a motor that has multiple operating speeds. A variable speed motor drive is a system that includes a motor that is continuously v ...

. Common applications include hoists and conveyor systems. Certain types of variable-speed drives recover slip-frequency power from the rotor circuit and feed it back to the supply, allowing wide speed range with high

energy efficiency Energy efficiency may refer to: * Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process ** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed ** Mechanical efficiency, a rat ...

Doubly-fed electric machine Doubly fed electric machines, Doubly fed induction generator (DFIG), or slip-ring generators, are electric motors or electric generators, where both the field magnet windings and armature windings are separately connected to equipment outside the ...

s use the slip rings to supply external power to the rotor circuit, allowing wide-range speed control. Today speed control by use of slip ring motor is mostly superseded by induction motors with

variable-frequency drive A variable-frequency drive (VFD, or adjustable-frequency drive, adjustable-speed drive, variable-speed drive, AC drive, micro drive, inverter drive, variable voltage variable frequency drive, or drive) is a type of AC motor, AC motor drive (sys ...

References

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