Exam Question

### (a) Effects of Running an Induction Motor on Reduced Voltage
Running an induction motor on reduced voltage has several detrimental effects, primarily impacting its performance, efficiency, and operational longevity. Understanding these effects is crucial for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of electrical machinery onboard.
* **Increased Current Draw (Under Load):**
* **Reasoning:** An induction motor, when subjected to reduced voltage while maintaining the same mechanical load, attempts to draw more current to compensate for the reduction in available power (since \( P \approx \sqrt{3} V I \cos\phi \)). While the initial current draw might decrease slightly due to reduced voltage, under a constant mechanical load, the motor's slip will increase, and it will draw significantly higher current to deliver the required output power. This is because the output power ($$ P_{out} $$) is proportional to the product of speed and torque, and the input power ($$ P_{in} $$) is roughly proportional to voltage and current. If voltage drops and output power must remain constant, current must increase.