In an induction motor, the rotor's magnetic field interacts with the stator's magnetic field to induce a rotating electromagnetic field, which drives the rotation of the motor's rotor. This interaction is what enables the motor to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.
The induction motor consists of two essential components: the stator and the rotor. The stator is the stationary part of the motor and contains a set of evenly spaced windings, which are typically wound around a laminated core. When three-phase AC voltage is applied to these windings, it generates a rotating magnetic field in the stator. The direction and speed of rotation of this magnetic field depend on the frequency and phase sequence of the applied voltage.
The rotor, on the other hand, is the rotating part of the motor. It is typically made of a set of conductive bars or coils placed in slots on a laminated core. The rotor is not connected to any external power supply; instead, it relies on the principle of electromagnetic induction to generate the necessary magnetic field.
When the stator's rotating magnetic field is established, it cuts across the conductive bars or coils of the rotor, inducing an electromotive force (EMF) or voltage in the rotor windings. According to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, the changing magnetic field induces a voltage in the rotor windings. This induced voltage creates a current flow in the rotor windings, which in turn generates a magnetic field in the rotor.
The rotor's magnetic field interacts with the stator's magnetic field in a way that causes the rotor's field to lag slightly behind the stator's field. This phase difference between the stator's rotating magnetic field and the induced magnetic field in the rotor creates a torque on the rotor, causing it to start rotating in the same direction as the stator's field.
The speed at which the rotor rotates is known as the slip speed, which is the difference between the synchronous speed of the stator's rotating field and the actual speed of the rotor. As the rotor begins to rotate, the slip decreases, and the motor approaches its synchronous speed. At synchronous speed, the slip becomes zero, and the rotor and stator fields are rotating at the same speed.
In summary, the rotor's magnetic field interacts with the stator's rotating magnetic field through electromagnetic induction, resulting in the rotation of the rotor and the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy in the induction motor.