Locked-rotor and acceleration testing of large induction machines-methods, problems, and interpretation of the results

The measurement of locked-rotor current, torque, and power factor has been a standard test for induction machines for many years. Measurement of torque has evolved from using a brake, a dynamometer, a torque arm, and scale, through strain gauges and load cells to acceleration tests. The test must be of short duration to prevent damage to the machine and large machines present problems because of facility limitations in either kilovoltampere or torque measurement. A single test at reduced voltage when prorated to operating voltage by the square of the ratio of rated voltage to test voltage neglects the impact of saturation and results in significantly lower values of predicted torque and current. This paper discusses several methods for performing the locked-rotor and the speed-torque tests on large machines. It also discusses some of the problems associated with the test methods and shows how the tests can be performed and the results evaluated to account for saturation effects. Finally, the paper shows how to extract some machine circuit parameters from the test data.