The short-circuit rotor cage of an induction electric motor (asynchronous AC motor) is usually made by a die-casting process of technically pure aluminium. For an induction electric motor, the specific electrical conductivity of technically pure aluminium is crucial to reduce current losses in the short-circuit rotor cage (reduction of total losses).
As part of the doctoral dissertation, we performed laboratory tests of casting with aluminium of technical purity 99.5 wt. %, 99.7 wt. % and refined aluminium 99.9 wt. %. The samples were casted in an air atmosphere, in a protective argon atmosphere, and in air using a filter. The obtained data of characteristic temperatures and specific electrical resistance measured by the four - point method were compared with thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria and the formation of intermetallic phases was predicted. The calculated data were verified by DSC and compared with the results of metallography analysis. The aim was to identify the effects of impurity elements in alloys, the content of non-metallic inclusions and porosity on the specific electrical resistance of the casting. The samples were also cast in industrial conditions with die-casting technology, and the electrical resistance on the »rotortester« was determined.
Samples of pure Al99.9 showed in the microstructure only the presence of primary mixed α-Al crystals with a certain proportion of porosity and oxides. The Al99.7 contains a larger proportion of impurities, the primary α-Al mixed crystals solidify first, followed by crystallization of the remaining melt, which crystallizes into eutectic (α-Al + Al13Fe4). The technically pure aluminium 99.5 % has a 0.2 wt. % increased iron impurity content compared to technically pure aluminium 99.7 % and consequently increased eutectic content. Microstructural analysis and porosity analysis showed the benefits of using a protective atmosphere or filtration during casting. The surface porosity of the samples cast in a protective argon atmosphere was on average 0.73 % lower. The pore size in these samples is also at least 6 times smaller and ranges up to 300 μm. The industrial test showed that the rotor cast with Al99.7 has a 21.5 % lower electrical resistance compared to the resistance of rotors made of Al99.5.
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