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DC Machine Examples
Separately Excited
A separately excited DC motor is rotated at 1000rpm, The variation of armature terminal voltage as
a function of field current is measured under no-load conditions and tabulated below:
IF 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
VT 0 30 60 85 102 115 124 130 134
The field winding supply VF = 24V and the field resistance is adjustable. The armature winding
resistance RA = 0.2Ω and the armature terminal voltage VT = 130V .
a. Calculate the field current if the motor is operated with no-load at 1000 rpm
b. The motor drives a load at 1200 rpm. Calculate the armature voltage at 1200 rpm if the field
resistance RF = 60Ω
c. Calculate the torque for the above condition
d. The motor supplies a mechanical load of 4000W at 1450rpm. The mechanical rotational
losses are 160W, calculate the efficiency
Comments
This question is similar to many DC machine questions and falls into two parts. At the start of the
question, you are given a reasonable amount of data about a specific operating condition. You need
to then take useful information from this operating condition and apply it to the new operating
conditions specified in the rest of the question.
Solution
This is a separately excited motor problem:

There are two important pieces of information in the beginning of the question:
The information is being given for "no-load " conditions. No-load in machines means no
useable power flow out of the machine. If there is no power flow in a dc machine, there is no
armature current, IA = 0 and therefore the terminal voltage equals the armature voltage:
E A = VT

You are being given data on the induced armature voltage at a given speed
The data for armature voltage at a given speed allows you to find the nonlinear relationship
between flux and field current, which is independent of speed.
Knowing how the data in the question is useful is a significant part of the solution process for DC
machine questions.
a. This question requires you to read data from the table provided. Under no-load conditions,
VT = 130V occurs when IF = 0.7A

b. Armature voltage is given by

E A = kϕω

i.e. voltage is a function of kϕ and speed. Flux is a function of field current, and since field
voltage and resistance are specified in the question, a first step is to find field current:
 VF = IF RF

gives IF = 0.4A
From the table in the question, when: nm = 1000rpm and IF = 0.4A then E A = 102V .
We need to find E A for the case when nm = 1200rpm and IF = 0.4A
There are two possible approaches:
i. In both cases, the field current is constant, therefore flux will be constant. Armature
voltage will be proportional to speed:

1200
E 1200 = E 1000
1000

Giving E A = 122.4V
ii. Using the armature voltage equation, find kϕ:

EA
kϕ∣
∣ =
I F =0.4
ω
2π 100π
ω = nm =
60 3

kϕ∣
∣I = 0.974
F
=0.4

Now, at 1200 rpm armature voltage can be found directly from the armature voltage
equation:

EA ∣
∣ = kϕω
1200

2π
ω = 1200
60

Giving E A = 122.4V

c. To find the torque, there are three possible approaches. Two of the approaches require the
calculation of kϕ if it has not already been done, two of the approaches require the calcualtion
of the armature current. require the armature current, which can be found from the armature
loop equation

VT = E A + IA RA

IA = 38.0A

i. Using power equations:

Pconv = τ ω = E A IA

122.4 × IA × 30
τ =
1200π

τ = 37N m

ii. Using the torque equation directly: τ = kϕIA . This approach requires the calculation
of kϕ, if not already done in the armature voltage calculation.
VT RA
iii. Rearranging the torque-speed equation: ω = −
2
τ
kϕ (kϕ)

d. The final part of the question includes mechanical losses. In this case

Pconv = Pout + P + rotational

= 4000 + 160 = 4160W

 No information is available on the flux in the machine, so armature voltage or current cannot
be directly determined from the armature voltage equation or torque equation. The preferred
approach is to consider the power in the armature circuit:

2
VT IA = E A IA + I RA
A

2
∴ I RA − VT IA + Pconv = 0
A

Solving the quadratic for armature current results in two values, IA = 616A or
I A = 33.75A . The correct answer will be the one that results in the lowest power loss,

IA = 33.75A . The armature voltage can be found by solving the armature circuit equation

VT = E A + IA RA

E A = 123.25A

At this point, the armature losses can be found, but this is a separately excited machine and it
is important to remember to account for power flow in the field circuit. To find the field
current that gives E A = 123.25A at 1450 rpm, it is necessary to calculate armature voltage
that would be induced at the same field current with a rotational speed of 1000 rpm.

1000
EA ∣
∣ = EA ∣
∣
1000 1450
1450

gives E A ∣∣1000 = 85.0V which, from the table, corresponds to a field current IF = 0.3A

Finally, efficiency can be found from

Pout
η =
Pout + Plosses
2 2
Plosses = I RA + I RF + Protational = 395W
A F

4000
η =
4395

giving η = 91.0%
Series Motor Example
A series DC motor has combined armature and field resistance of RA + RS = 1.2Ω . When
connected to a supply of VT = 48V at standstill, the motor develops a torque of 1500Nm.
a. Calculate the armature current at standstill and combined motor constant kc
b. Calculate the torque when the speed is 500 rpm
c. Calculate the output power and efficiency when operating at 500 rpm (neglect mechanical
losses)
Solution
This is a series motor problem:

a. At standstill, the angular velocity is zero, therefore the armature voltage is zero
(E A = kcIA ω = \0) . The full terminal voltage is dropped across the winding resistances

and VT = IA + (RA + RS ) gives IA = 40A

Using the torque equation for a series excited DC machine, τ = kcI
2
A
, the combined motor
constant can be found: kc = 1500/1600 = 0.9375N mA −2
 b. To find the torque it is possible to either substitute directly into the series motor torque-speed
equation, or to first find the armature currents:
i.

VT 1 RA + RS
ω = −
−− −
√kc √τ kc

2π 50π
ω = nm =
60 3

Re-arranging the torque speed equation and submitting for kc and speed gives
τ = 0.854N m

ii. Alternately, substitute E A = kcIA ω into in the armature loop equation to obtain
VT = IA (kcω + RA + RS ) and solve for armature current. IA = 0.955A and use
the torque equation τ = kcI
2
A
.
c. To find efficiency neglecting rotational losses:

Pconv E A IA EA
η = = =
Pin VT IA VT

eta = 97.0%

© Andy Knight: Email (mailto:andy.knight@ucalgary.ca) Website Home (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~aknigh)

Schulich School of Engineering (http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/)