Modelling Ac induction drive in PSpice

Advanced electric drive is a mechatronic system, which contains both mechanical and electronic units. Induction drives operate at transients when the amplitude and frequency of electric variables or speed vary in time. The typical examples of induction motor transients are: direct staring after turn off, sudden mechanical loading sudden short circuit, reconnection after a short supply fault, behaviour during short intervals of supply voltage reduction, performance with PWM converter fed. The investigation of transients may be carried out directly by circuit models or by coupled finite element method (FEM) circuit models of different degrees of complexity. Usually the powerful tool Matlab is used for the simulation of AC induction drives [1 – 4]. However when drive includes such a complex electronic unit as frequency converter, the electronic circuit simulation programs offer an advantage against the Matlab software. Unfortunately, as a rule the electronic circuit simulation programs do not include the suitable model of the AC induction motor. Because of this, the development of AC induction motor models adopted for the simulation using electronic circuit simulation software becomes important. The article deals with the model of the induction motor developed for electronic circuit simulation program PSpice. The results of simulation of performance characteristics of the mechatronic system with AC induction motor using program PSpice are presented as well.