Does anyone have test data or reference that shows plots for synchronous motor starting (using a discharge resistance and then applying the excitation?
It is going to be very very dependant on the machine characteristics. It generally is very similar to an induction motor start with high starting current until the machine reaches sync or nearly sync speed at which time the current falls off to some "pre-excitation" level. When the machine is upto speed, depending on the design, you could see really poor power factor and relatively high amps until the field is applied.
Thanks for your input. I am aware of the behavior of sync motor startup. I am looking for actual test data for any size synchronous motor with any characteristic. I need this for my research.