The motor slip refers to the difference between the synchronous speed of a motor's rotating magnetic field and the actual speed of its rotor. It is a crucial parameter in understanding the performance of induction (asynchronous) motors. The motor slip is defined as:
Motor Slip (%) = [(Synchronous Speed - Actual Speed) / Synchronous Speed] * 100
Where:
Synchronous Speed: The theoretical speed of the rotating magnetic field determined by the frequency of the power supply and the number of poles in the motor.
Actual Speed: The actual rotational speed of the motor's rotor.
When the motor is operating under no-load conditions (i.e., with no mechanical load attached to the shaft), the slip is very low because there is little resistance to the rotor's rotation. As the mechanical load on the motor increases, the slip also increases. This is because the motor needs to produce more torque to overcome the increased load, and this torque production is achieved by increasing the difference between the synchronous speed and the rotor's speed.
In other words, when the load on the motor increases, the rotor has to slow down slightly in order to develop enough torque to overcome the load's resistance. This results in a higher slip percentage. The relationship between motor slip and load is often nonlinear and depends on the specific motor design, load characteristics, and the torque-speed characteristics of the motor.
It's important to note that while some slip is necessary for the motor to produce torque, excessive slip can lead to inefficiency, increased energy consumption, and motor overheating. Motors are typically designed to operate optimally within a certain range of slip values for a given load.
In summary, as the mechanical load on a motor increases, the motor slip also increases. This is because the motor needs to generate more torque to overcome the load, which requires the rotor to slow down slightly relative to the synchronous speed.