DC MACHINES

Ir. Amien Rahardjo, MT.

1
 Objectives
State Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law

• Calculate the voltage generated by passing a wire through a

magnetic field.
• Sketch a simple generator and describe how it operates.
• Describe a commutator and brush assembly and state how it
works.
• Find the force produced on a current-carrying wire in a
magnetic field.
• State the differences between a shunt and compound dc
generator and describe the performance characteristics of each.

2
 DC Machine
• The direct current (dc) machine can be used as
a motor or as a generator.
• DC Machine is most often used for a motor.
• The major advantages of dc machines are the
easy speed and torque regulation.
• However, their application is limited to mills,
mines and trains. As examples, trolleys and
underground subway cars may use dc motors.
• In the past, automobiles were equipped with dc
dynamos to charge their batteries.

3
 DC Machine
• Even today the starter is a series dc motor
• However, the recent development of power
electronics has reduced the use of dc motors
and generators.
• The electronically controlled ac drives are
gradually replacing the dc motor drives in
factories.
• Nevertheless, a large number of dc motors are
still used by industry and several thousand are
sold annually.

4
Construction

5
DC Machine Construction

Figure General arrangement of a dc machine

6
 DC Machines
• The stator of the dc motor has
poles, which are excited by dc
current to produce magnetic
fields.
• In the neutral zone, in the
middle between the poles,
commutating poles are placed
to reduce sparking of the
commutator. The
commutating poles are
supplied by dc current.
• Compensating windings are
mounted on the main poles.
These short-circuited
windings damp rotor
oscillations. .

7
 DC Machines

• The poles are mounted on an

iron core that provides a
closed magnetic circuit.
• The motor housing supports
the iron core, the brushes and
the bearings.
• The rotor has a ring-shaped
laminated iron core with slots.
• Coils with several turns are
placed in the slots. The
distance between the two legs
of the coil is about 180 electric
degrees.

8
 DC Machines
• The coils are connected in series
through the commutator
segments.
• The ends of each coil are
connected to a commutator
segment.
• The commutator consists of
insulated copper segments
mounted on an insulated tube.
• Two brushes are pressed to the
commutator to permit current
flow.
• The brushes are placed in the
neutral zone, where the magnetic
field is close to zero, to reduce
arcing.

9
 DC Machines
• The rotor has a ring-shaped
laminated iron core with slots.
• The commutator consists of
insulated copper segments
mounted on an insulated tube.
• Two brushes are pressed to
the commutator to permit
current flow.
• The brushes are placed in the
neutral zone, where the
magnetic field is close to zero,
to reduce arcing.

10
 DC Machines
• The commutator switches the
current from one rotor coil to
the adjacent coil,
• The switching requires the
interruption of the coil
current.
• The sudden interruption of an
inductive current generates
high voltages .
• The high voltage produces
flashover and arcing between
the commutator segment and
the brush.

11
DC Machine Construction
Rotation
Ir_dc/2 Ir_dc Ir_dc/2
Brush Pole
winding
Shaft

|
1
2
8

3
N 7
S
6 4
5

Insulation Copper
Rotor Ir_dc segment
Winding

Figure Commutator with the rotor coils connections.

12
 1. Magnetic Induction and the DC
Generator

• Faraday’s Law e = N dΦ / dt
– e = the induced voltage in volts (V)
– N = the number of series-connected turns of wire in
turns (t)
– dΦ/dt = rate of change in flux in Webers/second
(Wb/s)
• e=BLv
– B = the flux density in teslas (T)
– L = the length of the conductor that is in the magnetic
field in meters (m)
– v = the relative velocity between the wire and the 13
Magnetic induction in a wire moving in a
field.

14
Right-hand rule for magnetic
induction.

15
Wire loop rotating in a magnetic
field.

16
AC generator with slip rings and
brushes.

17
DC generator with commutator and
brushes.

18
DC generator output
waveform.

19
DC generator with field
control.

20
DC generator four-pole field.

21
DC generator rotor with two
coils.

22
Coil and output waveforms for a
two-winding rotor.

23
Rotor with several rotor coils and
commutator segments.

24
 2. Shunt and Compound DC
Generator
• DC Generator Equivalent circuit
• Shunt Generator Model
• Compound Generator Model
• Efficiency

25
DC shunt generator model.

26
More precise dc shunt generator
model.

27
Shunt dc generator with field
rheostat.

28
Separately excited shunt dc
generator.

29
Compound generator, (a) short
shunt and (b) long shunt.

30
DC Generator
Operation

31
 DC Generator Operation
• The N-S poles produce a v
a
B

dc magnetic field and the S N

1
rotor coil turns in this 30 Vdc

2
field. b

• A turbine or other v
Ir_dc
machine drives the rotor.
(a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)
• The conductors in the
slots cut the magnetic flux B
lines, which induce a

voltage in the rotor coils. S N

2
v 30
v Vdc
• The coil has two sides:

1
b
one is placed in slot a, the
other in slot b. Ir_dc
(b) Rotor current flow from segment 2 to 1 (slot b to a)

32
 DC Generator Operation
• In Figure a, the v
a
B

conductors in slot a are

cutting the field lines S N

1
30 Vdc
entering into the rotor

2
from the north pole, b

v
• The conductors in slot b Ir_dc
are cutting the field lines (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)
exiting from the rotor to
the south pole. B
• The cutting of the field a

lines generates voltage in S N

2
v 30 Vdc
the conductors. v

1
• The voltages generated in b

the two sides of the coil

are added. Ir_dc
(b) Rotor current flow from segment 2 to 1 (slot b to a)

33
 DC Generator Operation
• The induced voltage is v
a
B

connected to the generator

terminals through the S N

1
30 Vdc
commutator and brushes.

2
• In Figure, the induced b

v
voltage in b is positive, and in Ir_dc
a is negative. (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)
• The positive terminal is
connected to commutator B
segment 2 and to the a

conductors in slot b. S N

2
v 30
v Vdc
• The negative terminal is

1
connected to segment 1 and b

to the conductors in slot a.

Ir_dc
(b) Rotor current flow from segment 2 to 1 (slot b to a)

34
 DC Generator Operation
• When the coil passes the v
a
B

neutral zone:
– Conductors in slot a are S N

1
30 Vdc
then moving toward the

2
south pole and cut flux lines b

exiting from the rotor v

– Conductors in slot b cut the Ir_dc
flux lines entering the in (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)
slot b.
• This changes the polarity B
of the induced voltage in a

the coil. S N

2
v 30
v Vdc
• The voltage induced in a

1
is now positive, and in b is b

negative.
Ir_dc
(b) Rotor current flow from segment 2 to 1 (slot b to a)

35
 DC Generator Operation
• The simultaneously the v
a
B

commutator reverses its S N

1
terminals, which assures 30 Vdc

2
that the output voltage b

(Vdc) polarity is v
unchanged. Ir_dc

• In Figure (b) (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)

– the positive terminal is B

connected to commutator a

segment 1 and to the

S N

2
conductors in slot a. v 30
v Vdc

1
– The negative terminal is
b
connected to segment 2 and
to the conductors in slot b. Ir_dc
(b) Rotor current flow from segment 2 to 1 (slot b to a)

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Generator

37
 DC Generator Equivalent circuit
• The magnetic field produced by the stator poles induces a
voltage in the rotor (or armature) coils when the
generator is rotated.
• This induced voltage is represented by a voltage source.
• The stator coil has resistance, which is connected in
series.
• The pole flux is produced by the DC excitation/field
current, which is magnetically coupled to the rotor
• The field circuit has resistance and a source
• The voltage drop on the brushes represented by a battery
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 DC Generator Equivalent circuit
Vbrush
Rf Ra Load
max
Iag
Vf If Eag Vdc

Mechanical Electrical
power in power out

Figure Equivalent circuit of a separately excited dc generator.

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 DC Generator Equivalent circuit
• The magnetic field produced by the stator poles
induces a voltage in the rotor (or armature) coils
when the generator is rotated.
• The dc field current of the poles generates a
magnetic flux
• The flux is proportional with the field current if
the iron core is not saturated:
 ag  K1 I f
40
 DC Generator Equivalent circuit
• The rotor conductors cut the field lines that
generate voltage in the coils.
E ag  2 N r B  g v
• The motor speed and flux equations are :

Dg
v   ag  B  g Dg
2

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 DC Generator Equivalent circuit
• The combination of the three equation
results the induced voltage equation:

 Dg 
E ag  2 N r B  g v  2 N r B  g     N r B  g Dg   N r  ag 
 2 

• The equation is simplified.

E ag  N r  ag   N r K1 I f   K m I f 
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 DC Generator Equivalent circuit
• When the generator is loaded, the load current produces
a voltage drop on the rotor winding resistance.
• In addition, there is a more or less constant 1–3 V voltage
drop on the brushes.
• These two voltage drops reduce the terminal voltage of
the generator. The terminal voltage is;

E ag  Vdc  I ag Ra  Vbrush

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 EXAMPLES PROBLEM
Numerical Example.
GENERATOR:

A 20 kW, 250 V, 1300 rpm, separately excited generator has an armature

resistance of Ra = 0.3 ohm, and a field coil resistance of Rf = 180 ohms.
• At no load, the terminal voltage is 250 V, the field current is 1.5 A.
• At full load, the terminal voltage is also 250 V.
0.3W
a) Draw the equivalent circuit.
b) At full load, calculate: 180W Ia
– the generated voltage Ea Ea 250V
– the developed torque Vf I f
– the Field circuit current and voltage

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 EXAMPLES PROBLEM
Numerical Example. GENERATOR:

• Calculation of the machine constant K from no-load data:

– Machine speed: m= 2 p n/60 =2 p 1300/60 = 136.13 1/sec

– Machine constant: Ea_nl = K  f m = Km I f m

Km = Ea_nl / I f m = 250 / (1.5 )( 136.13) = 1.224

• Load current: Ia = 20000 / 250 = 80 A

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 EXAMPLES PROBLEM
Numerical Example. GENERATOR.

• Generated voltage:
Ea = Vt + Ia Ra = 250 + (80)(0.3) =274 V

• Torque:
Te = Ea Ia / m = (274)(80) / 136.131 = 161.0 Newton m

• Excitation/ field current and voltage at full load:

I f = Ea / (Km m ) = 274/ (1.224) (136.131) =1.64 A
Vf = Rf I f = (1.64)(180) = 296 V

46
 Generator Efficiency
• Pin = T nr / 7.04
– Pin = the input power in watts (W)
– T = the input shaft torque in foot-pounds (ft-
lbs)
– nr = the rotation speed of the shaft in
revolutions per minute (rpm)
• η = Pout / Pin = Vt It / (T nr / 7.04)
– η = the efficiency (dimensionless)
– Vt = the generator terminal voltage in volts (V)
– It = the generator output current in amperes (A)47
 Generator Losses
• Rotor Copper Loss
– This is the I2R loss in the rotor due to the resistance of the wire.
– This loss varies with the square of the rotor current.
• Rotor Core Loss
– Because the rotor core (the iron upon which the rotor windings
are wound) is rotating inside a magnetic field, there will be
eddy current and hysteresis losses in the rotor core.
– These losses vary with the field flux and the rotor speed.
• Field Copper Loss
– The I2R loss in the field windings due to the resistances of the
wire.
– This loss varies with the square of the field current.
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 Generator Losses (continued)
• Brush Loss
– There is power loss in the brush-commutator interface.
– This loss is proportional to the rotor current and brush drop and
is VbIa.
• Friction
– These are losses due to mechanical friction.
– They include the friction of the shaft bearings and the friction
created by the commutator and brush assembly.
• Windage
– These are losses due to the wind resistance of the rotor.
– In most generators, cooling fins are attached to the rotor to
circulate air through the generator, thus promoting cooling and
allowing the generator to be operated at higher output currents.
– These cooling fins increase the windage loss.
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