Lifetime Analysis of Copper and Aluminum Squirrel Cage Rotors of Asynchronous Machines: Materials, Overall Performance, and Failure Mechanisms

The squirrel cage rotor is commonly manufactured using aluminum, copper, and their respective alloys. User requests for extended service life, particularly concerning the number of starting cycles, have increased, and the requirements often exceed the specifications outlined in API 541 <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref15" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[15]</xref>, which recommends a minimum of 5,000 starting cycles. This has raised questions about whether machines equipped with aluminum squirrel cage rotors can deliver the same performance and longevity as those with copper cages when used in identical industrial applications.