Universal Motor

A universal motor can be defined as, a motor that works on either an AC supply or DC supply.
This is the reason to call this motor as a universal motor. This motor is also known as a single-
phase series motor. The characteristics of this motor mainly include changeable speed and
transmitting torque is high. These motors run at hazardously high speeds throughout the no-load
condition. In this motor, the two windings like armature as well as a field are connected in series
to produce high starting torque. So these motors are connected within the device to drive the
load. Most of these motors operate at higher speeds like above 3500 RPM. When this motor uses
AC supply, then it runs at less speed because of the voltage drop in reactance.
 
Construction of Universal Motor 
Universal motor construction is extremely related to the DC machine’s construction. The
components of this motor mainly include stator, rotor, exciters (brushes), and covers. It includes
a stator where field poles are arranged. But, the complete magnetic lane is coated to reduce the
eddy currents. These will provoke while working on AC. 

The rotary armature in the motor is wound type which has skewed or straight slots, and
commutator including brushes inactive on it. The commutation over an alternating current is
poorer compared with direct current due to the induced current within the armature coils.
Because of this reason, brushes in this motor have high resistance.

Working Principle of Universal Motor

Fig.1
 
A universal motor works on either DC or single phase AC supply. When the universal motor is
fed with a DC supply, it works as a DC series motor. (see working of a DC series motor here) as
in fig.1. When current flows in the field winding, it produces an electromagnetic field. The same
current also flows from the armature conductors. When a current carrying conductor is placed in
an electromagnetic field, it experiences a mechanical force. Due to this mechanical force, or
torque, the rotor starts to rotate. The direction of this force is given by Fleming's left hand rule.

When fed with AC supply, it still produces unidirectional torque. Because, armature winding and
field winding are connected in series, they are in same phase. Hence, as polarity of AC changes
periodically, the direction of current in armature and field winding reverses at the same time.
Thus, direction of magnetic field and the direction of armature current reverses in such a way
that the direction of force experienced by armature conductors remains same. Thus, regardless of
AC or DC supply, universal motor works on the same principle that DC series motor works.

Armature reaction in fig. 2 is the interference of the main field flux caused by the armature
flux. This distortion and weakening of the main field flux changes the location of the
magnetic neutral plane, which is the axis along which the brushes should be placed.

Fig. 2 Armature reaction changes the location of the magnetic neutral plane, which is the
axis along which the brushes should be mounted.

It is because the armature and field windings are connected in series that a universal motor can
operate with either DC or AC supply. Being connected in series means that both windings are
supplied by the same source, so if the voltage source changes polarity, as it does with AC supply,
both the armature and field currents also change polarity and the direction of torque does not
change. (The direction of rotation is reversed by reversing the current in the field circuit.)
Characteristics of Universal Motor

Fig. 3 Characteristics

Typical speed-torque characteristics of the universal motor have been shown in the figure
3. The torque varies as the square of current and speed varies inversely as the current
approximately.

 Universal motors have high speed and large starting torque. They can, therefore, be
used to derive high-speed vacuum cleaners, drills and machine tools etc.
 The efficiency will not be as good as that of corresponding DC machine because of
greater eddy current loss and effects of p.f.
 This motor speed is small at the full-load condition as well as extremely high at no-load
condition. Generally, gears trains are mainly used for getting the necessary speed on the
necessary load.

Types
Universal motors are classified into two types which include the following.

 Non-Compensated Type
 Compensated Type through Distributed Field

Non-compensated Motor
This motor can be built with two significant poles and it is laminated. The armature in the motor
is wound type, as well as the core which is laminated, is either skewed or straight slots. The
winding leads can be connected toward the commutator. This kind of motor uses high resistance
brushes to assist enhanced commutation.

Compensated Motor
This kind of motor includes distributed field winding & the stator core is related to the split-
phase motor. As we know that these motors include an auxiliary winding additionally to major
winding. Same as the split-phase motors; this kind of motor includes an extra winding. The
compensating winding will decrease the reactance voltage, caused by alternating flux while the
motor works using the AC supply.
Universal Motor Speed Control
The speed control of this motor using an alternating current can be simply done with the help of
the thyristor circuit. There are several methods are available to control the speed of this motor
from dangerous speed. These methods are frequently used by the designers for controlling the
speed of a motor.

One method is used for designing the motor into a device to stop the motor from running at no-
load condition. These motors are used in the applications where the motor is directly connected
to the system to drive.Also, they progressed numerous techniques to fix the RPM of the motor.
One method is using a gear train for decreasing the speed of actual load and other methods are a
centrifugal mechanism, resistance, and field tapping.

Applications

 The applications of universal motor include the following.

 These motors are applicable where the control of speed & the motor speed high values
are required.
 Used in handy drill machines, hairdryers, table fans, and grinders.
 This motor is used in polishers, kitchen appliances, and blowers.
 The higher rating motors are applicable in blenders and portable drills.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of the universal motor include the following.

 High starting torque throughout the start-up

 This kind of motor can achieve high speed about 25,000 rpm when with asynchronous
motors as in fig.4
 Like a DC motor, this motor speed can be adjusted by changing the motor voltage.

Fig. 4 A universal motor can produce extremely high speed at zero torque, but speed drops rapidly as torque
increases.
The disadvantages of the universal motor include the following.

 The utilization of machines using universal motor needs regular protection.

 It has a low-efficiency, approximately 80%
 This kind of motor generates several vibrations because of the pair of pulses
 Due to a couple of pulses, this type of electric motor produces many vibrations as well as
a lot of noise.
  For avoiding huge losses because of eddy currents, both the rotor as well as stator should
be laminated.

Thus, the universal motor is a kind of electric motor and the working of this motor mainly
depends on AC and DC. Its construction is the same as to DC series motor with some changes.