Chapter 3
The equivalent circuit shown here should be in our minds when we tackle any d.c. machine questions:
In the majority of cases we will be considering steady-state operation, so the current will be constant and therefore we can ignore the armature inductance in our calculations.
Unless told to the contrary, we will assume that the volt-drop across the brushes can be ignored.
- (1) (a) As we are not told otherwise, we are expected to assume that the question refers to the steady-state running speed, in which case the answer is that the speed is determined by the armature voltage. Justification, if required, would be along the lines below.
Whenever the speed is steady, the motor torque must be equal and opposite to the load torque. Except for very tiny d.c. motors it is safe to assume that when the motor is unloaded, the friction torque is very small, so the motor torque would also be very small. Motor torque is proportional to armature current, so we can expect the armature current of an unloaded motor to be very small, hence the term IR in the armature voltage equation V = E + IR is negligible and we can say that at no-load V is approximately equal to V. E is the motional e.m.f. induced in the armature, and is directly proportional to the angular velocity (speed), i.e. E = k ω, hence the speed is given by
i.e. the speed is determined by the applied voltage.
Note that in the majority of d.c. motors the term IR will be small compared with the armature voltage V even when the motor is on load and the current I is not small, so to a first approximation we can say that the on-load speed will also be determined by the applied voltage, the speed when loaded only being slightly less than that of the unloaded motor.
(b) As discussed in the answer to question 1, the steady running current must be such as to produce a torque equal and opposite to the load torque, so in the steady state it is the load torque that determines the armature current.
(c) The answer to part (a) indicates that the steady running current is always determined by the load torque. When no ‘real’ load torque is applied, we are left with friction, due to bearings, fan, and (especially in a d.c. machine) brush friction. The friction torque is therefore reflected in the no-load current.
(d) The answers are that the drop in speed from no-load depends directly on the load torque and the armature resistance.
First, let us consider the effect of load torque. For any given load, the speed will settle when the motor torque Tm equals the load torque TL. Motor torque is proportional to armature current, i.e. Tm = k I, hence the steady current is given by
, i.e. the steady armature current is proportional to the load torque. Combining the armature voltage equation V = E + IR and the e.m.f. equation E = k ω, and substituting for I from above gives the speed as
This equation shows that the no-load speed (i.e. when TL = 0) is given by
, and the drop in speed that is attributable to load is given by
The drop in speed is therefore directly proportional to the load torque and to the armature resistance.
We note also that the drop in speed for a given load is inversely proportional to the square of the motor constant. So if we were to reduce the field current so that, say, the flux was halved to double the no-load speed, we would find that because k had been halved, the drop in speed for a given load torque would be four times as great as with full flux. This matter was discussed in Chapter 3 and illustrated in Fig. 3.12.
What the question means when it refers to ‘little ones slow down more than large ones’ really means that the percentage drop in speed between no-load and full-load is usually higher in small motors than in large ones. The reason is simply that in small machines the term IR represents a higher fraction of the applied voltage than it does in large machines.
Alternatively we could say that the reason is that ‘the per-unit resistance is higher in small machines’, meaning that the ratio
is larger in small machines than in large ones. - (2) To reverse the direction of rotation we must reverse the direction of current in the armature or the direction of current in the field. In a separately-excited motor or a shunt motor it is usually easiest to reverse the connections to the field, because the field current is less and the wires are thinner. In a series motor, the field and armature carry the same current, so either can be reversed.
- (3) If the motor is producing more than its continuously-rated torque its armature current will be above the continuously-rated value and therefore it will overheat. If the cooling of an existing motor is improved it should be possible to increase the continuous rating without overheating, but other problems due to commutation and brush wear must be anticipated.
- (4) We can consider the no-load condition, when the motional e.m.f. E is very nearly equal to the applied voltage V. If we reduce the flux that is cut by the armature conductors, they will have to cut through the weakened flux faster to achieve the same e.m.f., so the weaker the field, the higher the no-load speed.
Alternatively we can use the result from the solution to question 1(d), i.e. that the no-load speed is given by
, where k is the e.m.f. constant, which is proportional to the field flux. If the flux is reduced, so is k, leading to a higher no-load speed. - (5)
We are told that the field current is ‘suddenly’ reduced by 10%, and that the flux is proportional to the field current. (We know that the current in an inductance (the field circuit) cannot change instantaneously, so we suppose that what the question means is ‘very quickly, compared with any subsequent changes that may be initiated by the reduction in flux’.)
A reduction of flux by 10% will cause the motional e.m.f. to reduce by 10%, so the new e.m.f. is 0.9 × 208 = 187.2 V. So the new current will be given by
Note that a modest reduction of only 10% in the flux causes a dramatic increase in the armature current, which jumps from 15 to 41 A.
The increased current will lead to more torque, but not quite in proportion to the increase in current because there has been a reduction in the flux. In most of the calculations in the book the flux has remained constant, in which case the torque is proportional to the current. But the torque depends on the product of the flux and the current, so if we denote the original flux by Φ, the ‘new’ and ‘original’ torques are in the ratio
The surge of torque will lead to a rapid acceleration to the new (higher) steady speed. - (6) (a)
Hence when I = 10 A, Torque = 7 Nm.
(b) The gravitational force on the mass is given by F = mg =5 × 9.81 = 49.05N. Hence the torque exerted at the motor shaft is 49.05 × 0.8 = 39.24 Nm.
The motor must exert an equal and opposite torque to achieve equilibrium, so the motor current is given by 39.24/0.70 = 56.06 A.
The stability question can be addressed by considering that, with the arm horizontal and zero net torque, we make a small change to one of the parameters and see if the system takes up a new equilibrium. If we slightly reduced the current in the motor, the load torque would then exceed the motor torque and the weight would move downwards. But as it did so the torque it exerts reduces because the line of action of the force moves closer to the axis of the motor. So when it has moved down to the point where the load torque again equals the motor torque, it will find a stable equilibrium.
However, if we slightly increase the current, the motor torque will be greater than the load torque and the weight will begin to move upwards. In so doing its line of force moves closer to the axis and the torque it exerts gets less. The amount by which the motor torque exceeds the load torque therefore increases with movement, and we have an unstable equilibrium.
So there isn’t a simple answer to the question ‘is it stable’, because the stability depends on how the equilibrium is disturbed.
(c) This is another straightforward exercise using the armature voltage equation. First we need to find the back e.m.f. which is given by
Then apply the armature voltage equation V = E + IR to obtain IR = 110 − 104.8 = 5.2 V. Hence since I = 25 A, R = 0.2 Ω.
To drive a current of 56 A through 0.2 Ω when the motor is at rest (i.e. E = 0) requires a voltage of 56 × 0.2 = 11.5 V.
(d) The machine is now acting as a generator, supplying power to a system at 110 V. The generated e.m.f. E is greater than the system voltage by IR.
If the power supplied to the system is 3500 W at 110 V, the current is 3500/110 = 31.82 A. Hence the generated e.m.f. is given by E = 110 + 31.82(0.2) = 116.4 V. The speed is given by ![si29_e](Images/si29_e.png)
The corresponding torque is given by 31.82 × 0.70 = 22.27 Nm.
The electromechanical power is EI = 116.4 × 31.82 = 3704 W, to which we must add 200 W to find the additional mechanical input power, and 100 W for the input power to the field, making a total of 4004 W. The useful output power, supplied to the system, is 3500 W, so the efficiency is (3500/4004) × 100%, i.e. 87.4%. - (7) In a linear system work is force times distance: in a rotary system force is replaced by torque and linear distance becomes rotary distance, i.e. angle. So in a rotary system, work is torque times angle.
Mechanical power is the rate of doing work, i.e. work/time. So in a rotary system mechanical power is torque times angle over time. But, assuming that speed is constant, angle over time is angular velocity, and power is thus given by
We have the equations T = k I and E = k ω. Hence ![si31_e](Images/si31_e.png)
- (8) (a) When the motor is at rest the back e.m.f. is zero so if rated voltage (V) is applied the current will be V/Ra, where Ra is the armature resistance. In large d.c. motors the current V/Ra is very much greater than the rated current. The motor will almost certainly be supplied from a thyristor converter, in which the thyristors would not be able to withstand such a large current. So the control scheme would automatically limit the voltage applied to the motor in order to restrict the current to an acceptable level.
(b) The torque required to maintain a steady speed when a motor is unloaded is very small. The torque produced by the motor is proportional to the current, so the no-load current is very small.
The current is given by
, where V is the applied voltage, R is the armature resistance and E is the motional or back e.m.f induced in the motor. As explained above, the no-load current is very small, which indicates that the back e.m.f. E is almost equal to the applied voltage. The motional e.m.f. is proportional to the speed, so the no-load speed is almost proportional to the applied voltage.
(c) When the motor is running at a steady speed, the torque it produces is equal to the load torque. When the load torque increases the previous state of equilibrium is disturbed because the load torque now exceeds the motor torque, so the net torque is negative and the system decelerates. The motional e.m.f. (E) is proportional to speed, so E reduces.
The armature current is given by
, where V is the applied voltage, R is the armature resistance and E is the back e.m.f. As E reduces, the current increases, and so does the motor torque. The net decelerating torque then reduces, so the deceleration is reduced but will continue until the speed has fallen to the point where the motor torque equals the load torque, at which point equilibrium will be restored, but at a new (lower) speed. The smaller the armature resistance, the less the speed has to drop in order for the current to reach the new load level.
(d) The voltage equation for a field winding is
, so the instantaneous power is given by
. The first term in the power equation represents the loss of heat due to the field winding resistance, while the second term represents the rate of change of stored energy in the magnetic field.
Under d.c. conditions the second term is zero because
is zero, indicating that once the magnetic field has been established the energy stored remains constant. The first term (Idc2Rf) represents the heat loss per second due to resistance (copper loss) and this has to be supplied continuously, even though none of it appears as mechanical output power. If the resistance could be made zero (e.g. with a superconducting winding) the power input would be zero once the field current had been established.
(e) If the supply to the field is pure d.c., then apart from the very short periods when the field flux is changing, the flux in the magnetic circuit is constant, so there is no danger of induced eddy currents in the body of the pole and therefore no need for it to be laminated.
When the supply is from a thyristor converter, however, there will be an additional alternating component of flux in the poles, which must therefore be laminated to minimise eddy-current losses. - (9) At the fundamental level it is true that in principle any electrical machine with rated voltage V and rated current I could be rewound to operate at voltage kV and rated current I/k, and that the rewound motor would contain the same amounts of active materials (copper and iron) and have the same performance (in particular the same power (VI) as the original.
However, in the case of the low-voltage d.c. motor, there are several additional factors which complicate matters.
The first relates to the size of the commutator. For a given power, the current is inversely proportional to the voltage, so a low voltage motor obviously has a higher current than a high-voltage one. The area of brush in contact with the commutator is determined by the current it has to carry, so the lower the voltage, the bigger the brushgear/commutator. In hand tools space and weight are at a premium so the high-voltage motor is at an advantage.
The second matter stems from the fact that the voltage/current characteristic of the carbon brushes is non-linear, so that under normal operation the volt-drop across the brushes contains a more-or-less fixed component that is of the order of 1 V, regardless of current. In a 110 V motor the loss of 1 V is not serious: but in battery-powered tools the supply voltage is only a few volts, in which case the loss of 1 V is serious, but becomes less so the higher the supply voltage. It is therefore desirable to avoid low voltages from the point of view of efficient use of energy.
The third factor relates to the properties of the semiconductor switches used in the chopper drive that provides speed control. The on-state volt-drop in transistors and diodes is (rather like the brush-drop referred to above) largely independent of the current, so that the on-state power loss is more-or-less proportional to the current. So when efficiency is important it is preferable to handle a given power at a high voltage and low current, rather than at a low voltage and high current.
Taken together these factors indicate that for a given output power the designer should aim to minimise the current, so that the higher the power, the higher the voltage. - (10) (a) We can find the machine constant from the data given in the first paragraph. When the machine is on open circuit there is no volt-drop across the armature resistances and the terminal voltage is therefore the same as the induced e.m.f. Hence using the relationship E = k ω,
The question is all about steady-state conditions, so we must expect to make use of the fact that if a linear (or rotary) system is not accelerating, the resultant force (or torque) must be zero. We can make use of this knowledge to find the tension in the rope (Fig. Q10A), which we need to know in order to work out the torque exerted by the load.
The two forces acting on the mass m are the gravitational force (downwards), equal to mg, and the tension in the rope (F) upwards. Since the descent velocity is to be constant, the net force must be zero, i.e. F = mg = 14.27 × 9.81 = 140 N.
At the drum, this (downwards) tension acts at a radius of 10 cm, so the torque exerted by the load is 140 × 0.1 = 14 Nm. We are not told anything about friction torque so all we can do is to assume it is negligible, so the total load torque is 14 Nm.
The linear speed of the rope at the drum is given as 15 m/s, the circumference of the drum is 0.2π, and the speed of rotation of the drum and machine is therefore 15/0.2π rev/s or 150 rad/s.
Because the speed is steady there is no acceleration, and the machine torque must be equal and opposite to the load torque, i.e. the machine torque must be 14 Nm at a speed of 150 rad/s.
We keep referring to the ‘machine’ rather than the ‘motor’ because in this application we are using the machine to restrain the descending load, not to drive it down. We need the machine torque to act in the opposite direction to the load torque, which it will do automatically if we complete the armature circuit with a resistance (as in Fig. Q10B), thereby allowing the generated e.m.f. to drive a current in the same direction as the e.m.f. (In contrast, if for some reason we wanted to operate as a motor rotating in the same direction, i.e. to drive down the load, we would apply a voltage greater than the e.m.f. and force the current to flow in the opposite direction to the e.m.f., yielding a driving torque rather than a braking torque.)
Now that we know the speed is 150 rad/s we can calculate the generated e.m.f. as E = k ω = 1.4 × 150 = 210 V. The machine torque has to be 14 Nm, so, using Tm = k I, the armature current must be 10 A.
The total resistance in the armature circuit is therefore given by 210/10 = 21 Ω. The armature resistance itself is 0.5 Ω, so the external resistance required is 20.5 Ω.
(b) The power dissipated in the external resistor is given by I2R = 100 × 20.5 = 2050 W, while the power dissipated in the machine armature is 100 × 0.5 = 50 W.
The electrical generated power is provided from its mechanical input power, which is derived from the steady reduction in potential energy of the lowering mass. We can check the power by considering the power (force times speed) of the falling mass, i.e. Pmech = Force × speed =140 × 15 = 2100 W.
In this question we have ignored all but the armature copper loss in order to simplify the calculations, but nevertheless the situation is representative of many real-life applications, such as dynamic braking of railway vehicles where kinetic energy is dumped in large resistors, often mounted on the roof to assist cooling.