THE PURPOSE. The presented work aims to optimize the operating mode of an asynchronous motor (AM) with a short-circuited rotor. To implement energy-efficient modes of operation of AM, operating in the resources of a rational electric drive, it is necessary to determine the numerical values of the parameters of the AM equivalent circuit, the currents flowing through the circuit element. There is no significance to this important definition of squirrel-cage currents, in accordance with the identification of the allocation of squirrel-cage rotor currents, which requires a solution along with the determination of the parameters of the IM equivalent circuit.METHODS. To analyze the work of AM in technical and educational formulations, equivalent circuits are presented, which turn into circuits with serial and analytical connections of active and inductive connections. For the established and transient operating modes of AM, it is important to determine the stator and rotor currents, their active and reactive components. In this regard, it is proposed to present the IM equivalent circuit in the form of conductivities connected in parallel, which will allow determining the components of IM currents without complex mathematical models. The replacement circuit of AM consisting of a series and parallel connection of active and inductive resistances has been converted into a circuit consisting of conductances. When converting the AM equivalent circuit, no additional dependencies and coefficients were introduced, and all assumptions that are accepted for IM equivalent circuits refer to the circuit under consideration. RESULTS. It was decided to use the equivalent circuit of one phase of AM, expressed in terms of the conductivities of the stator and rotor. According to the found dependences of conductivities, for the proposed equivalent circuit, the corresponding currents and powers of the AM phase are determined. Formulate the basic principle of optimal frequency control of AM, according to the criterion of energy saving. As an indicator of the efficiency of AM operation in steady-state operating modes, the minimum value of the total losses of the engine, the value of which is determined by the ratio of the product of the active conductivity of the rotor circuit q2s and the active conductivity of the phase q to the square of total conductivity y.CONCLUSION. Based on the results of the analysis of the characteristics of an asynchronous motor, the following conclusion was drawn: the motor will operate with minimal losses if the amplitude of the supply voltage is changed so that the slip of the asynchronous motor is equal to the critical value sξ for a given frequency. For the investigated engine AIR100S4, the critical value is sξ=0.0613 at a network frequency of 50 Hz. The method proposed in the work allows to reduce the loss of active power by 3-5% in the motor windings.