I was wondering how the aluminum rods in a squirrel cage motor generate enough voltage to be useful? Also what is the typical voltage in the rods? I understand the concept of eddy currents in aluminum, but how are simple rods producing enough voltage? I am used to the concept of many loops of wire in a coil needed to produce a high voltage but the rods in a squirrel cage are not even a "loop".
Are you talking about induction motors? If so, the rotor side does not generate much voltage. The cage acts like shorted coils, and that is the concept used in equivalent circuit models. An induction motor at startup, or anytime the rotor is locked in a stationary position, looks like a transformer with a shorted secondary winding.
The rotor is working on volt ampere values which are not relevant to how many turns it has in its magnetic circuit..
Whether the rotor is getting 1 amp at a 1000 volts through many fine windings or whether its 10,000 amps at .1 volts through one single massive winding of wire either way both are experiencing 1000 volt ampere turns of magnetic flux interaction.
The rotor is working on volt ampere values which are not relevant to how many turns it has in its magnetic circuit..
Whether the rotor is getting 1 amp at a 1000 volts through many fine windings or whether its 10,000 amps at .1 volts through one single massive winding of wire either way both are experiencing 1000 volt ampere turns of magnetic flux interaction.
You don't want the rods to generate voltage, you want them to provide current which generates the magnetic flux to interact with the stator flux. The only voltage produced is that required to generate the required current through the rod resistance. For maximum efficiency you want rods with no resistance, which is what a superconducting motor has.