Comparison of Superposition Equivalent Loading Methods for Induction Machine Temperature Tests

The superposition equivalent loading method proposed by international standards for testing induction machines allows to conduct temperature tests at reduced different conditions than rated and extrapolate the results to rated values. Much as this test is suitable for large machines that test facilities lack capacity to test, the principle is also applicable to small machines. However, its applicability to small machines has not been extensively studied yet. Furthermore, the three types of the method categorized in the standard IEEE 112-2017 have not been compared to establish their equivalence or otherwise. This paper reports an extensive test campaign on different small size induction motors to determine both the applicability of the method to small machines and to compare the equivalence of the three types of approach. Multiple reduced voltage and reduced current selections have also been investigated to assess the accuracy of the methods for different test conditions. Test results show that all the three alternative loading methods proposed by the standard seems to be practically equivalent, whit a goodness of fit of the obtained results that tends to improve as the machine rating increases.