Analysis of self-calibrated field aligned starting (FAS) at mains connection

Field aligned starting (FAS) is a technique for starting three-phase cage induction motors on either three-phase or single-phase supply lines under varying load conditions with minimal inrush currents. The technique starts the motor independent of the mains supply with a high transient torque before connecting the spinning motor to the mains. It is imperative to the operation of FAS that the spinning motor be connected to the mains at the correct time. Incorrectly timed mains connection can result in negative transient torques with the severity to slow, or possibly stall the already started motor. As the implementation of FAS is not possible without a predictive mechanism by which the correct moment of mains connection can be found in advance, this paper proposes a simple, low cost, yet effective self-calibrating method which ensures that the timing of the mains connection is correct under all starting conditions. Critical issues vital to a successful self-calibration under transient and varying starting conditions are investigated and presented with both experimental and simulated results to show that self-calibration is an indispensable part of FAS technique.