Generators and Motors

AP Physics C
Montwood High School
R. Casao

Generators and

motors are important

devices that operate
on the principle of
electromagnetic
induction.
Consider the
alternating current
(AC) generator, a
device that converts
mechanical energy to
electrical energy.
In simple form, the AC
generator consists of a
loop of wire rotated by
some external means
in a magnetic field.

In commercial power plants, the energy required

to rotate the loop can be derived from a variety

of sources:
falling water directed onto turbine blades to

produce rotary motion in a hydroelectric plant;

heat produced by burning coal converts water to
steam which is directed against turbine blades to
produce rotary motion in a coal-fired plant.
As the loop rotates, the magnetic flux thru the

loop changes with time, inducing an EMF and a

current in an external circuit.
The ends of the loop are connected to slip rings
that rotate with the loop.
Connections to the external circuit are made by
stationary brushes in contact with the slip rings.

Suppose that the AC generator loop has N turns,

all of the same area A, and rotates with constant

angular velocity .
If is the angle between the magnetic field B
and the normal to the plane of the loop (the area
vector A), then the magnetic flux thru the loop
at any time t is: m = BAcos = BAcos (t),
where d
= mt and the clock is set so that t = 0 s
EMF = N
when =dt
0 rad.
The induced
in
d(B AEMF
cos
t ) coil is:
the
EMF = N

dt
d(cos
t )
EMF = N B A
dt

d( t)
EMF = N B A sin
t

dt

dt
EMF = N B A sin
t

dt
EMF = N B A sin t
The EMF varies sinusoidally with time.

The maximum EMF occurs when sin (t) = 1 and

has the value EMFmax = NBA. This occurs when

the angle = t between the magnetic field B and
the area vector A is 90 and 270.

EMF = EMFmax when the magnetic field is in the plane

of the coil and the time rate of change of magnetic

flux is a maximum.

EMF = 0 V when the angle = t between the

magnetic field B and the area vector A is 0 and 180.

This occurs when the magnetic field vector is
perpendicular to the plane of the coil and the time
rate of change of magnetic flux is zero.

The frequency ( = 2f) for commercial

generators in the US and Canada is 60 Hz; some

European countries use 50 Hz.

EMF Induced in a Generator

An AC generator consists of 8 turns of wire of

area 0.09 m2 and total resistance 12 . The loop

rotates in a magnetic field of 0.5 T at a constant
frequency of 60 Hz.
2 f 2 60
Hz 377
Hz
What is the maximum induced EMF?

EMFmax N B A

EMFmax 8 0.5 T 0.9 m

EMFmax 136V

377
Hz

What is the maximum induced current?

EMFmax 136V
I

11.3 A
R
12
Determine the time variation of the induced EMF

and the induced current when the output

terminals are connected by a low-resistance
conductor.

EMF N B A sin
t EMF
max sin t
EMF 136V sin 377 Hz t
I Imax sin t

I 11.3 A sin 377 Hz t

The direct current (DC) generator is used to

charge storage batteries in older cars.

The components are essentially the same as
those of the ac generator, except that the
contacts to the rotating loop are made using a
split ring, or commutator.
The output voltage always has
the same polarity and the
current is a pulsating direct
current.

The reason for the pulsating direct current occurs because

the contacts to the split ring reverse their roles every half
cycle.
At the same time, the polarity of the induced EMF reverses;
so the polarity of the split ring (which is the same as the
polarity of the output voltage) remains the same.
A pulsating DC current is not suitable for most applications.
To obtain a more steady DC current, commercial DC
generators use many armature coils and commutators
distributed so that the sinusoidal pulses from the various
coils are out of phase.
When the pulses are superimposed, the DC output is
almost free of fluctuations.

Motors
Motors are devices that convert electrical energy into

mechanical energy.

A motor is a generator operating in reverse.

Instead of generating a current by rotating a loop, a

current is supplied to the loop by a battery and the

torque acting on the current-carrying loop causes it
to rotate.
Useful mechanical work can be done by attaching
the rotating armature to some external device.
As the loop rotates, the changing magnetic flux
induces an EMF in the loop.
The induced EMF always acts to reduce the
current in the loop; if not, Lenzs law would be
violated.
The back EMF increases in magnitude as the
rotational speed of the armature increases.
The back EMF is an EMF that tends to reduce the
supplied current.

Since the voltage available to supply current equals

the difference between the supply voltage and the

back EMF, the current thru the armature coil is limited
by the back EMF.
When a motor is first turned on, there is initially no back
EMF and the current is very large because it is limited
only by the resistanc of the coil.
As the coils begin to rotate, the induced back EMF
opposes the applied voltage and the current in the
coils is reduced.
If the mechanical load increases, the motor will slow
down, which causes the back EMF to decrease.
The reduction in the back EMF increases the current in
the coils and therefore increases the power needed
from the external voltage source.
For this reason, the power requirements are greater for
starting a motor and for running it under heavy loads.

If the motor is allowed to run under no mechanical

load, the back EMF reduces the current to a value

just large enough to overcome losses due to heat
and friction.
If a very heavy load jams the motor so that it
cannot rotate, the lack of a back EMF can lead to
dangerously high current in the motors wires.

The Induced Current in a Motor

Assume that a motor having coils with a
resistance of 10 is supplied by a voltage of 120
V. When the motor is running at its maximum
speed, the back EMF is 70 V.
Find the current in the coils when the motor is
first turned on.
When the motor is first turned on, the back EMF is

0 V.

The current in the coils is maximum and equal

to:

EMF 120V
I

12 A
R
10

Find the current in the coils when the motor has

reached maximum speed.

At the maximum speed, the back EMF has its
maximum value.
The effective supply voltage is now the
external source minus the back EMF.
EMF
120V 70V
TheEMF
current
is reduced
back to:

10

5A

Suppose that the motor is in a circular saw. You

are operating the saw and the blade becomes

jammed in a piece of wood so that the motor
cannot turn. By what percentage does the power
input to the motor increase when it is jammed?
The reason an object with a motor can become
warm when the motor is prevented from
turning is due to the increased power input to
the motor.
The higher rate of energy transfer results in an
increase in the internal energy of the coil,
which is undesirable.
2
2
2
When theI motor
is
jammed,
the
current
is

R
I
P jammed
12 A 12 A;
jammed
jammed
to

5.76
when
the2 motor is free
2 turn, the current
2 is
Pnot jammed I not jammed R I not jammed
5 A
5A.

Pjammed = 5.76Pnot jammed; this represents a 476%

increase in the input power.

The high power input when the motor is jammed
can cause the coil to heat up to the point where
it is permanently damaged.