Module- 5 ( DC Machines question bank )

1. Explain the basic construction of a DC machine (DC generator/motor).

A DC generator can be used as a DC motor without any constructional changes and vice versa is also
possible. Thus, a DC generator or a DC motor can be broadly termed as a DC machine.

A DC machine consists two basic parts; Stator and Rotor. Basic constructional parts of a DC machine are
described below.

Yoke: The outer frame of a dc machine is called as yoke. It is made up of cast iron or steel. It not only
provides mechanical strength to the whole assembly but also provide return path for the magnetic flux
produced by the field winding.

Pole core and pole shoes: Pole cores are joined to the yoke with the help of bolts or welding. Pole core
carry field winding and pole shoes are fastened to them. Pole shoes serve two purposes; (i) they support field
coils and (ii) spread out the flux in air gap uniformly.

Field winding: They are usually made of copper. Field coils are wound on each pole and are connected in
series. They are wound in such a way that, when energized, they form alternate North and South poles.

Armature core: Armature core is the rotor of the machine. It is cylindrical in shape with slots to carry
armature winding. The armature is built up of thin laminated circular steel disks for reducing eddy current
losses. Armature is keyed to the shaft.

Armature winding: It is usually a former wound copper coil which rests in armature slots. The armature
conductors are insulated from each other and also from the armature core. Armature winding can be wound
by one of the two methods; lap winding or wave winding.

Commutator and brushes: Physical connection to the armature winding is made through a commutator-
brush arrangement. The function of a commutator in a dc generator, is to convert the internally induced ac
voltages to dc voltage in the output terminals (Rectifying action). Whereas, in case of a dc motor,
commutator helps in providing ac current to the armature conductors by converting external dc supply into
internal ac supply(Inverting action).
A commutator consists of a set of copper segments which are insulated from each other. The number of
segments is equal to the number of armature coils. Each segment is connected to an armature coil and the
commutator is keyed to the shaft.

Brushes are used to collect the current generated in armature conductors in case of a generator. They are
usually made from carbon or graphite. They rest on commutator segments and slide on the segments when
the commutator rotates keeping the physical contact to collect or supply the current.
 2. Discuss the working of a Simple loop generator

Consider a single turn loop ABCD rotating clockwise in a uniform magnetic field provided at a constant speed.
As the loop rotates the flux linking the coil sides AB and CD also changes continuously and hence the emf
induced in these coil sides also changes. The direction of induced emf (current) through a coil side also changes
as it moves under one pole to other.

 When the loop is in position 1, the emf generated is zero because the coil sides AB and CD are cutting no
flux but are moving parallel to it.
 When the loop is in position 2, the coil sides are moving at an angle to the flux, and therefore a low emf
is generated as indicated by point 2 in the waveform.
 When the loop is in position 3, the coil sides are at right angles to the flux, therefore cutting the flux at
the maximum rate. Hence at this instant, emf generated is maximum as indicated by point 3 in the
waveform.
 At position 4, the generated emf is low because the coil sides are cutting flux at an angle.
 At position 5, no magnetic lines are cut and hence no emf is generated.
 At position 6, the coil sides move under a pole of opposite polarity and hence the direction of induced
emf is reversed. The maximum emf in this direction (reverse direction) will be when the loop is at
position 7 and minimum when at position 1.

Therefore, we find that the current which we obtain from such a simple generator reverses its direction after
every half revolution. Such a current undergoing periodic reversals is known as alternating current. It is because
any coil sides say AB has emf in one direction when under the influence of N - pole and in the other direction
when under the influence of S - pole. If a load is connected across the ends of the loop, the alternating current
will flow through the load. The alternating voltage generated in the loop can be converted into a DC voltage by a
device called Commutator (mechanical rectifier).

3. Derive the emf equation of a DC generator. ( or same derivation is valid for back emf in DC motor ).

Let, Φ = Flux per pole in Weber (Wb) , P = number of poles in the DC generator

Z = Total number of armature conductors.

A = Number of parallel paths in the armature winding.

 Flux cut by one conductor in one revolution = dΦ = PΦ (Weber),

Number of revolutions per second (speed in RPS) = N/60

Therefore, time for one revolution = dt = 60/N (Seconds)

EMF generated per conductor = dΦ/dt = PΦN/60 (Volts)

The conductors are connected in series per parallel path, and the emf across the generator terminals is equal
to the generated emf across any parallel path.

We know that Z/A is number of conductors connected in series per parallel path

Therefore, total Induced emf, Eg = emf of one conductor × number of conductor connected in series per
parallel path.

Eg (or Eb) = PΦNZ / 60A

For lap winding, number of parallel paths is equal to the number of poles (i.e. A = P).

For wave winding, number of parallel paths is equal to 2 (i.e. A = 2).

4. Discuss the working principle of dc generator.

Faraday's 1st law of electromagnetic induction : It states that whenever a conductor is moved in a stationary
magnetic field, an emf is induced (dynamically) in the conductor.

Direction of induced emf is given by Fleming’s right hand rule. The right hand is held with the thumb, fore
finger and middle finger mutually perpendicular to each other

 The thumb is pointed in the direction of the motion of the conductor relative to the magnetic field.
 The fore finger is pointed in the direction of the magnetic field. (north to south)
 Then the middle finger represents the direction of the induced or generated current within the
conductor.

5. Explain the use of Commutator in DC machine.

Commutator acts as a mechanical rectifier. It is the part in DC machine that makes the AC current flow in
the armature to DC current across the load terminals. In AC machines slip rings are used to collect the
armature current from the armature and supply to the load. In DC machines this slip rings are replaced by
the split rings. Split rings consists of 2 conductor materials separated by insulating material. In first half
cycle the induced current will be taken by the split rings which is in one position. During the other half cycle
 when the induced current in the armature changes the split rings position also changes results in the
delivering the DC to the external load.

6. Discuss the working principle of dc motor.

Lorentz Force principle :It states that "when a current carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field, it
experience a force.

F= qv×B

If Ө = 900, then F=BIL Newtons

The direction of force is give by Fleming’s left hand rule. Fleming’s left hand rule says that if we extend the
index finger, middle finger and thumb of our left hand perpendicular to each other, in such a way that the
middle finger is along the direction of current in the conductor, and index finger is along the direction of
magnetic field i.e. north to south pole, then thumb indicates the direction of created mechanical force.

7. Explain the term Back or Counter E.M.F.

When the armature of a d.c. motor rotates under the influence of the driving torque, the armature conductors
move through the magnetic field and hence e.m.f. is induced in them as in a generator. The induced e.m.f.
acts in opposite direction to the applied voltage V(Lenz’s law) and in known as back or counter e.m.f. Eb (=
PФZN/60A).

The applied voltage V has to force current through the armature against the back e.m.f. Eb. The electric work
done in overcoming and causing the current to flow against Eb is converted into mechanical energy
developed in the armature. It follows, therefore, that energy conversion in a d.c. motor is only possible due
to the production of back e.m.f. Eb.
 8. Explain the Significance of Back E.M.F.

The presence of back e.m.f. makes the d.c. motor a self-regulating machine i.e., it makes the motor to
draw as much armature current as is just sufficient to develop the torque required by the load.

When the motor is running on no load, small torque is required to overcome the friction and windage losses.
Therefore, the armature current Ia drawn by the motor is small and the back e.m.f. is nearly equal to the
applied voltage.

If the motor is suddenly loaded, the first effect is to cause the armature to slow down. Therefore, the speed at
which the armature conductors move through the field is reduced and hence the back e.m.f. Eb falls. The
decreased back e.m.f. allows a larger current to flow through the armature and larger current means
increased driving torque. Thus, the driving torque increases as the motor slows down. The motor will stop
slowing down when the armature current is just sufficient to produce the increased torque required by the
load.

9. Compare Dc shunt, series and compound motor and their applications.

Shunt motors
It is an approximately constant speed motor. It is, therefore, used
 where the speed is required to remain almost constant from no-load to full-load
 where the load has to be driven at a number of speeds and any one of which is required to remain
nearly constant

Industrial use: Lathes, drills, boring mills, shapers, spinning and weaving machines etc.

Series motors
It is a variable speed motor i.e., speed is low at high torque and vice-versa. However, at light load or no-
load, the motor tends to attain dangerously high speed.

The motor has a high starting torque. It is, therefore, used

 where large starting torque is required. e.g., in elevators and electric traction
 where the load is subjected to heavy fluctuations and the speed is automatically required to reduce at
high torques and vice-versa

Industrial use: Electric traction, cranes, elevators, air compressors, vacuum cleaners, hair drier, sewing
machines etc.

Compound motors
Differential-compound motors are rarely used because of their poor torque characteristics.
However, cumulative-compound motors are used where a fairly constant speed is required with irregular
loads or suddenly applied heavy loads.

Industrial use: Presses, shears, reciprocating machines etc.

10. Discuss the different types of D.C. Motors.

There are mainly 2 types of d.c. motors characterized by type of excitation viz ; separately excited dc motor
and self excited dc motor.

Separately Excited DC Motor

Here the field coils or field windings are energized by a separate DC source as shown in the circuit diagram
shown below.

Self Excited DC Motor

In this type of motor the current in the field is supplied by the machine or motor itself. Self-excited DC
Motor is further divided into shunt wound, and series wound motor based on the connections of field
winding in relation to the armature

a) Shunt-wound motor in which the field winding is connected in parallel with the armature. The
current through the shunt field winding is not the same as the armature current. Shunt field windings
 are designed to produce the necessary m.m.f. by means of a relatively large number of turns of
wire having high resistance. Therefore, shunt field current is relatively small compared with the
armature current.

b) Series-wound motor in which the field winding is connected in series with the armature. Therefore,
series field winding carries the armature current. Since the current passing through a series field
winding is the same as the armature current, series field windings must be designed with much fewer
turns than shunt field windings for the same m.m.f. Therefore, a series field winding has a relatively
small number of turns of thick wire and, therefore, will possess a low resistance.

c) Compound-wound motor which has two field windings; one connected in parallel (Shunt field)
with the armature and the other in series (Series field) with it.

There are two types of compound motor connections. When the shunt field winding is directly connected
across the armature terminals, it is called short-shunt connection. When the shunt winding is so connected
that it shunts the series combination of armature and series field, it is called long-shunt connection.
The compound motor is further subdivided as Cumulative Compound Motor and Differential
Compound Motor.

When the series winding is connected to aid the shunt winding, the motor is called a cumulative compound-
wound motor; if the series winding is connected to oppose the magnetic field, it's called a differential compound-
wound motor.

Cumulative compound-wound: MMF(total) = MMF(shunt) + MMF(series)

Differential compound-wound generator : MMF(total) = MMF(shunt) - MMF(series)