Rolly Suaiso Jr.

BSEE – 3B

Activity 2

1. What are the challenges/problems of commutation? Support your answer with diagrams, and
at least 3-cases of commutation problems that occurred in real life.

The problem with commutation is sometimes the brushes “short – circuit” the coil. The ideal
position of the brush is at the area where the conductor voltage is zero, but there are cases when
that particular place won’t have zero voltage.

There are two problems with commutation. The first problem is the armature reaction and the
other are L di/dt

Armature reaction is the distortion of the main field flux. If a load is connected to the terminals
of a machine, a current will flow in its armature windings. This current will form a magnetic field of
its own, which will distort the original magnetic field. It causes two serious problems, the shifting of
neutral plane and the flux weakening.

Shifting of neutral plane happens when the generator or motor is loaded. The brush is usually
placed in the magnetic neutral plane (MNP) and when it gets shifted, the new MNP will have an
e.m.f which is very dangerous.

Due to shifting of MNP

- Brushes will spark

- Wearing and tearing of commutator
- Maintenance cost will increase
 Flux Weakening occurs when the original magnetic field decreases due to the opposing
direction of the flux from the armature reaction.

The problem with this is the motor’s speed is inversely proportional to the flux that’s why when
flux decreases, the motor will have an uncontrollable speed which is dangerous.
 L di/dt happens when there is a sudden change in the direction of the current causing a short
circuit path between the brushes, commutators and conductors sometimes called inductive kick. This
happens when a segment of a commutator is shorted, the current flow through that segment must
reverse causing the sudden change in direction. With even tiny inductance in the loop, a very significant
inductive voltage kick v = L di/dt will be induced in the shorted commutator segment. This high voltage
naturally causes sparking at the brushes of the machine.

Some real-life problems that occurred in real life.

Grooving leaves a smooth, slotted area on your commutators. Common causes of grooving

include using the wrong brush grade, a brush with impurities, or contamination. When grooving is
present, examine the type of brush used for grade and contamination. Replace or clean the brushes as
necessary.

Threading results in fine lines on the surface of your commutator. The fine lines occur when
copper is transferred from the commutator to the brushes. The copper becomes embedded in the
surface of the brush and scratches the surface of the commutator. Threading can be caused by low
brush pressure, contamination, or using the wrong type of brush.

Copper Drag is when copper particles are dragged to the segment edges of a commutator and is
typically caused by brushes with too little tension, excessive vibration, or by an abrasive brush. It’s
important to address copper drag immediately because the buildup of copper in the commutator
segments can lead to a short circuit of the armature windings.

2. Explain the concept of Brush shifting and why it is still used in small machines.

Brush shifting

Shifting the brushes along the direction of rotation in generator action and against the direction of
rotation in motor action; this would result into a reduction in air gap flux. This will reduce the induced
voltage in generator and would increase the speed in motor. This is only limited to very small machines
because brushes must be shifted to a new position every time the load changes or the direction of
rotation changes or the mode of operation changes.