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EXCITATION:
Initial action in any rotating machine to convert the energy is setting up a flux (magnetic field).
The magnetic field is required for producing main flux (Magnetic field) in the DC machines. Generally electromagnet
serves this purpose. The windings are wound an iron piece which carries current from the source thereby producing flux
and thus the iron piece serve as the electromagnet. The winding which carries current for producing flux (magnetic field)
are said to be field winding or exciting winding and the current from source which results in magnetic field (flux) is said
to be exciting current.
The method by which the current can be given to the field winding is said to be excitation.
There are two possible ways by which the current that can be supplied to the field winding, 1. By separate source said to
be separate excitation, 2. By using back emf from the motor itself is said to be self excitation.
TYPES OF DC MOTORS:
The motors are classified in to two major types based on the respective excitation and are said to be Separately Excited
Motor and Self Excited Motor respectively.
Separately Excited Motor:
In this type of motor the field windings are excited by separate DC source. The field current (IF) depends on the DC
source and the Field winding resistance. On either side the armature current (Ia) will be equal to the line current (IL) but
the back emf (Eb) will not be equal to the load voltage (V, Supply Voltage).
From the circuit diagram (figure: 1) of the separately excited motor the voltage equation is given by,
V = Eb+ IaRa, where IaRa is the drop due to armature resistance.
Mechanical power developed by the armature is given by = Eb Ia.
Power supplied to the motor is given by = V Ia.
Self Excited Motor:
In this type of motor the field windings are excited by the voltage generated in the armature of the motor.
There are three types of self excited motor 1. DC shunts Motor 2. DC Series Motor 3. DC Compound motor.
Self Excited DC Shunt Motor (DC Shunt Motor):
In this type of motor the field winding is in parallel to the armature winding and the line current (IL) will be the sum of
the shunt field current (Ish) and armature current (Ia) as shown in the figure: 2. The voltage equation is given by, V = Eb+
IaRa, where IaRa is the drop due to armature resistance. The number of turns of the parallel field winding will be more and
thickness will be lighter enabling lesser amount of current to flow through it.
Mechanical power developed by the armature is given by = Eb Ia.
Power supplied to the motor is given by = V IL
Self Excited DC Series Motor (DC Series Motor):
In this type of motor the field winding is in series with the armature winding and the armature current (Ia) will be equal to
series field current (Ise) and line current (IL) as shown in the figure: 3. The voltage equation is given by, V = Eb+ IaRa +
IaRse , where IaRa and IaRse is the drop due to armature resistance and series resistance. The number of turns of the series
field winding will be lesser and thickness will be more enabling higher amount of current to flow through it
Mechanical power developed by the armature is given by = Eb Ia.
Power supplied to the load is given by = V IL or V Ia or V Ise
Self Excited DC Compound Motor (DC Compound Motor):
In this type of motor there will be both shunt field winding and series field winding and both windings are wound on the
same poles. Based on the type of connection between the armature winding and field windings the DC Compound motor
are classified in to long shunt motor and Short shunt motor. Based on the direction of flux in the field windings the
compound motors are classified in to Cumulative Compound and Differential Compound.
Long shunt motor:
In this type of motors the shunt field winding is parallel to both armature and series field winding as shown in the figure:
4. The armature current (Ia) is equal to series field current (Ise) and line current (IL) equal to the sum of the shunt field
winding current(Ish) and armature current (Ia) and hence the current equation is given by, (IL)= (Ish) +( Ia) or (Ise). The

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voltage equation is given by, V = Eb+ IaRa + IaRse , where IaRa and IaRse is the drop due to armature resistance and series
resistance.
Mechanical power developed by the armature is given by = Eb Ia.
Power supplied to the load is given by = V IL.
Short shunt motor:
In this type of motors the shunt field winding is parallel to armature and is in series with series field winding as shown in
the figure: 5. The line current (IL ), is equal to the sum of the series field current (Ise) armature current (Ia) and shunt field
winding current(Ish), where line current is equal to series field current and hence the current equation is given by, (IL ) or
(Ise) = (Ish) + (Ia) The voltage equation is given by,
V = Eb+ IaRa + IseRse , where IaRa and IseRse is the drop due to armature resistance and series resistance.
Mechanical power developed by the armature is given by = Eb Ia.
Power supplied to the load is given by = V IL
Cumulative Compound Motor:
In this type of motor, the direction of shunt and series field windings are same which are wound on the same pole as
shown in the figure, then the direction of flux will also be same hence the total flux is the sum of shunt flux and series
flux. Hence the flux equation is given by, T = sh+ se.
Differential Compound Motor:
In this type of motor, the direction of shunt and series field windings are not same but are wound on the same pole as
shown in the figure, then the direction of flux will also be not same hence the total flux is the difference of shunt flux and
series flux. Hence the flux equation is given by, T = sh - se.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DC MOTORS:
The three important characteristics of the DC motors are as follows,
1. Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics
2. Torque (T) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics Electrical Characteristics.
3. Speed (N) versus Torque (T) characteristics -Mechanical Characteristics.
Self Excited DC Shunt Motor (DC Shunt Motor):
a. Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics:
The characteristic can be explained by the speed equation of the motor which is given by,N= K (V-Ia Ra)/ (), where
K is constant, is the flux due to field current which is constant and hence the flux will also be constant. Therefore
the speed of the motor will also be constant and nearer to the rated speed as shown in the figure: 6
b.Torque (T) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics:
The characteristic can be explained by the Torque equation of the motor which is given by, T Ia where, is the flux
due to field current which is constant and therefore the flux will also be constant. Hence the Torque equation of the
motor becomes, T Ia, therefore increase in armature current shows increase in torque linearly as shown in the figure: 7.
c.Speed (N) versus Torque (T) characteristics:
This characteristic is obtained from the Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics and Torque (T)
versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics and the characteristic is shown in the figure: 8.

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Self Excited DC Series Motor (DC Series Motor):
a. Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics:
The characteristic can be explained by the speed equation of the motor which is given by,N= K (V-Ia Ra)/ (), where K is
constant, is the flux due to field current which is equal to the armature current (Ia ). Therefore the speed of the motor
will be decreasing as armature current increases (figure: 9).
b.Torque (T) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics:
The characteristic can be explained by the Torque equation of the motor which is given by, T Ia where, is the flux
due to field current which is equal to the armature current (Ia). Hence the Torque equation of the motor becomes, T Ia 2,
therefore increase in armature current shows increase in torque to a saturation level beyond which the field get saturated
and becomes T Ia (figure: 10).
c.Speed (N) versus Torque (T) characteristics:
This characteristics is obtained from the Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics and
Torque (T) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics and the characteristic is shown in the figure: 11
Self Excited DC Compound Motor (DC Compound Motor):
a. Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics:
The speed equation of the motor which is given by, N= K (V-Ia Ra)/ (T), where K is constant, T is the total flux due to
field currents. Incase of the cumulative compound motor total flux is the sum of shunt flux and series flux. Hence the
flux equation is given by, T = sh+ se and the total flux is very strong. Hence the speed value will be larger then
shunt motor and speed curve will be above the curve of the shunt motor as shown in the figure: 12.
The speed equation of the motor which is given by, N= K (V-Ia Ra)/ (T), where K is constant, T is the total flux due to
field currents. Incase of the differential compound motor total flux is the difference of shunt flux and series flux. Hence
the flux equation is given by, T = sh - se and the total flux is weak. Hence the speed value will be lesser then that of
the shunt motor and speed curve will be below the curve of the shunt motor as shown in the figure: 12.
b.Torque (T) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics:
The characteristic can be explained by the Torque equation of the motor which is given by,T= Ia. Incase of the
cumulative compound motor total flux is the sum of shunt flux and series flux. Hence the flux equation is given by,
T = sh+ se and the total flux is very strong. But the armature current will be lesser. This will be reflected in the
characteristics curve as shown in the figure: 13.
The characteristic can be explained by the Torque equation of the motor which is given by,
T= Ia. Incase of the differential compound motor total flux is the difference of shunt flux and series flux. Hence the
flux equation is given by, T = sh - se and the total flux is weak. But the armature current will be higher. This will be
reflected in the characteristics curve as shown in the figure: 13.
c.Speed (N) versus Torque (T) characteristics:
This characteristic is obtained from the Speed (N) versus Armature current (Ia) characteristics and Torque (T) versus
Armature current (Ia) characteristics and the characteristic is shown in the figure: 14.

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