Recent advances in power electronics and highspeed microprocessors have led to considerable attention in electrical machines with regard to their applications in industrial drives. This paper brings to the fore, various types of electrical machines, their operations, and applications, as well as the method of determining their parameters. Various ways of protecting electric machines against overloads and mechanical faults are also highlighted. It is anticipated that the work presented in this paper will be of immense benefit to practicing engineers especially in areas of machine design, maintenance, and protection.