A synchronous motor cannot start by itself, because of the inertia of the rotor.

This makes the

rotor inefficient to catch up with the magnetic field rotating in synchronous speed. So, what it
needs is a means of providing starting torque so that the rotor can rotate and overcome the
inertia, whereby it can catch up with the rotating magnetic field. This is achieved by any of the
following approaches :-

Using another primemover/motor to start the synchronous motor

1. Using a “Pony motor”

A small induction motor (or any other such motor, this motor is called pony motor) is used to
start the synchronous motor, so that the synchronous motor begins to run. Once the synchronous
speed is reached, the pony motor is decoupled and the DC excitation is given to the rotor. As the
DC excitation is given to the rotor now, it locks up with the rotating magnetic field, and moves in
synchronous speed.

2. Coupling a DC Machine

A small DC machine is coupled with the synchronous motor. The DC machine is made to act as
a DC motor so that the synchronous motor is started. Now, as the synchronous motor is made to
run under synchronous speed, the DC machine shall turn a generator, whose DC output is used to
excite the very field of the rotor of the synchronous machine.

Running as induction motor in starting stage

1. Using a “Damper winding” - As a squirrel cage induction motor

One of the key advantages of an induction motor over a synchronous motor is that the former is
self starting. Since both use the rotating magnetic field, can we make synchronous motor run as
an induction motor in beginning, and when it gains speed, turn it into a synchronous motor by
switching the DC supply on?

To make this possible, suppose we can start it as a squirrel cage induction motor. But how? This
is achieved through additional winding on the rotor over the normal winding, called the “damper
winding”(also called amortisseur winding

) . The key feature of this winding is that it is short circuited, and is in the form of copper bars at
the slots in the pole faces, making it structurally and functionally similar to the squirrel cage
conductors. Thus, at the beginning, due to the induced current, the motor rotates at a sub-
synchronous speed as a squirrel cage induction motor. Now, we switch on the DC, and wow - at
an instant the rotor catches up with the stator’s rotating magnetic field, in synchronous speed.

Now, will the presence of damper winding affect the synchronism anyway? As we see, when
both rotor and the stator field rotate in the same synchronous speed, there is no relative flux that
cuts the damper winding, and thus, there is no current in the damper winding during the
operation of the synchronous machine. In addition, the damper winding also protects the
synchronous machine from “hunting”.

2. As a slip ring induction motor

Here, the damper winding is made a three phase winding ( wye or delta) and the ends of the
winding are connected to three slip rings, and these could be connected to the starting resistance
rheostats. Thus, at starting, the apparatus works as a slip ring induction motor, and starting
resistance provides extra starting torque. Once the motor gathers speed, DC excitation is turned
on, and damper winding is shorted.

Bringing down the speed of stator rotating field

One may also use the variable frequency drives to bring the synchronous speed to a very low
value, where the machine is synchronized with more ease, by accelerating the rotor at a low
frequency stator supply. In this case, bridge variable frequency drives or cycloconverter drives
are used to create a variable frequency supply to the stator. At low frequencies, when the
synchronous speed is too low so that an accelerated rotor can catch up with it, the
synchronization occurs. Once locked, the frequency is made the normal operating value required
using the drive.