Synchronous Motor

• A synchronous motor is electrically identical with an alternator or AC generator.

• A given alternator (or synchronous machine) can be used as a motor, when driven electrically.

• Some characteristic features of a synchronous motor are as follows:

– It runs either at synchronous speed or not at all i.e. while running it maintains a constant speed. The only
way to change its speed is to vary the supply frequency (as NS =120f/P)

– It is not inherently self-starting. It has to be run up to synchronous (or near synchronous) speed by some
means, before it can be synchronized to the supply.

– It is capable of being operated under a wide range of power factors, both lagging and leading. Hence it can
be used for power correction purposes, in addition to supplying torque to drive loads.
 Synchronous Motor
Principle of Operation
• The constant speed characteristic is achieved by interaction
between a constant and rotating magnetic filed.
• Rotor of a synchronous motor produces a constant magnetic
field and stator produces revolving magnetic filed.

• The field coil of stator is excited by a three phase AC supply.

This will produce revolving magnetic filed which rotates at
synchronous speed.

• Rotor is excited by a DC power supply so it acts like a permanent magnet. Alternatively rotor can also be made
of permanent magnet.
 Synchronous Motor
Principle of Operation (Cont’d)
• Interaction of rotor and revolving magnetic field is interesting.

• Assume we are giving an initial rotation to the rotor with same direction of revolving magnetic field.
• Then the opposite pole of revolving magnetic filed and rotor will attract each other. And they will get locked
magnetically.
• This means the rotor will rotate at the same speed of the revolving magnetic filed or rotor will rotate at
synchronous speed.

• The synchronous speed can easily be derived using following equation.

NS is the rpm
120𝑓
𝑁𝑠 = f= Frequency of supplied electricity (Hz)
𝑃 P= Number of poles

• This means by varying the supply frequency the speed of the synchronous motor can be accurately controlled.
 Synchronous Motor
Principle of Operation (Cont’d)
• But if the rotor gets no initial rotation then situation will be totally different.
• North pole of the rotor will obviously get attracted by south pole of the revolving magnetic field and will start to
move in the same direction.
• But since the rotor has some inertia, this starting speed will be very low.
• But this time south pole of revolving magnetic field will be replaced by the north pole. So it will provide repulsive
force. As if rotor tends to move first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

• As a matter of fact the rotor will not be able to start.

• In other words, synchronous motor is not inherently self-starting.

 Synchronous Motor
Method of Starting
• There are several methods to start the synchronous motor such as:

(a) Auxiliary drive (induction motor or DC motor)

(b) Induction start (using Damper Winding), etc

General Starting Procedure:

• The rotor (which is as yet unexcited) is speeded up to synchronous or near synchronous speed by some
arrangement and then excited by the DC source.
• The moment this (near) synchronously rotating rotor is excited, it is magnetically locked into position with the
stator i.e. the rotor poles are engaged with the stator poles and both run synchronously in the same direction.

• It is because of this inter-locking of stator and rotor poles that the motor has either to run synchronously or not at
all.

• However, it is important to understand that the arrangement between the stator and rotor poles is not an
absolutely rigid one.

• As the load on the motor is increase, the rotor progressively tends to fall back in phase (but not in speed
as in DC motors) by some angle but it still continuous to run synchronously.
 Synchronous Motor
General Starting Procedure: (Cont’d)

• The value of this load angle or coupling angle (as it is called) depends on the amount of load to be met by
the motor.

• In other words, the torque developed by the motor depends on this angle, say 𝛼

• This angle is referred as load angle or coupling angle.

• This is also the angle between rotor and stator fields.

 Synchronous Motor
Procedure for Starting a
Synchronous Motor Using the Damper Winding
While starting a modern synchronous motor provided with damper windings, following procedure is adopter.
• First, main field winding is short circuited.

• Reduced voltage with the help of auto-transformers is applied across stator terminals. The motor starts up.
• When it reaches a steady state speed (as judge by its sound), a weak DC excitation is applied by removing
the short circuit on the main field winding. If excitation is sufficient, then the machine will be pulled into
synchronism.

• Full supply voltage is applied across stator terminals by cutting out the auto-transformers.

• The motor may be operated at any desired power factor by changing the DC excitation.
 References
[1] B. L. Theraja, A. K. Theraja, “A Textbook of ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY in SI Units Volume II, AC & DC Machines”,S.
Chand & Company Ltd., (Multicolour illustrativeEdition).

[2] A. F. Puchstein, T. C. Lloyd, A.G. Conrad, “Alternating Current Machines”, © 1942, Asia Publishing House, Third Edition
(Fully revised and corrected Edition 2006-07).

[3] Jack Rosenblatt, M. Harold Friedman, “Direct and Alternating Current Machinery”, Indian Edition (2nd Edition), CBS
Publishers & Distributors.

[4] A. E. Fitzgerald, Charles Kingsley, Jr. Stephen D. Umans, Electric Machinery, 5thEditionin SI units, ©1992 Metric
Edition, McGraw Hill Book Company.

[5] Irving L. Kosow, Electrical Machinery and Transformers, Second Edition, Prentice –Hall India Pvt. Limited.

Acknowledgement
Ahmed Mortuza Saleque