Thermal Modelling and Experimental Validation of a 1.5 kW Three-Phase Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor Considering Magnetic Saturation
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DOI: 10.67571/njeru.2026.012935
Published: May 26, 2026 | Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1
Page No. 29–35
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Email: peteronwe@unical.edu.ng
1 Department of Electrical Electronic Engineering, University of Calabar (UNICAL).
2 Department of Agricultural Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umidike, Abia State.
3 Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering Faculty of Engineering University of Cross River State, Calabar.
Received: January 24, 2026 Reviewed: April 24, 2026 Accepted: May 26, 2026
Abstract
Temperature rise is one of the major factors limiting the performance, efficiency, and service life of squirrel-cage induction motors. This study presents a transient thermal model of a 1.5 kW three-phase squirrel-cage induction motor, with particular attention to the influence of magnetic saturation on temperature distribution. The model combines electromagnetic loss calculation with a lumped parameter thermal network implemented in ANSYS Motor-CAD. The predicted temperatures were analysed in MATLAB and validated experimentally under rated operating conditions. The results show that the stator winding experiences the highest temperature because of dominant copper losses, while the housing remains the coolest component owing to effective heat dissipation. Incorporating magnetic saturation significantly increases the temperatures of the stator winding, stator core, rotor components, and housing, indicating higher thermal loading under saturated operating conditions. Comparison of the simulated and experimental results shows good agreement, with percentage differences of 9.41%, 13.21%, and 8.35% for the housing, stator back iron, and rotor back iron, respectively. These findings demonstrate that magnetic saturation has a significant influence on the thermal behaviour of induction motors and that the proposed modelling approach provides an effective tool for predicting temperature distribution and supporting the thermal design and performance evaluation of electrical machines.
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