Name: Jeremy Sooknanan

ID: 816019926

Assignment: Direct Current Machines Pre-lab exercise

Course: ECNG 3030 – Electromechanical energy conversion

Lecturer: Andrew Balgobin

Pre-Lab
3.3.1

Magnet - This produces an external magnetic field using strong permanent magnets.

Brush – These are the electrical contacts that are connected to the rotating rings, this makes
it possible for the conduction of current from the stationary wires to the rotating shaft.

Field Winding - field winding serves to set up a magnetic field in the winding by using the
voltage applied and is used to vary the motor speed.

Commutator - the commutator reverses current flow outside the generator, once during
every revolution.

Shaft - this is a spherical shaped structure which is long enough for the armature core and
commutator to be fixed in it. As the shaft is rotated, a voltage is created across the wire
coils.

Armature Core – this is connected to the shaft and is made up of interchanging layers of
steel and laminate. The laminate layers serve the purpose of reducing the effect of eddy
current losses.

3.3.2
Direct motors with ratings exceeding 2 HP require a high starting current. To limit the
excessively high current, starters or controllers are implemented. The Starters will increase
the current gradually to a running load. Without the use of a starter the feeders may
overload, because of overloading armature burning, and equipment damage may occur due
to sudden shocks on the motor. Controllers for motors over 2 hp must have a horsepower
rating equal to or more than the horsepower rating of the motor. The use of a smaller
starter has a manual switch to start and stop the motor. In bigger motors, the use the larger
starter is seen, and it also has pushbuttons to start and stop the motor. In the case of larger
starters, they have pushbuttons in a separate case arranged to actuate a magnetic switch
which allows the motor to be electrically controlled from multiple locations and varying
distances by an automatic means like a pressure switch.

3.3.3

These motors have both series and shunt field windings. The resistance of the series and
shunt fields determine the torque-speed characteristics.
The armature and field winding have both separate voltage supplies. The rotation of the
armature in the field generates a back emf and this opposes the voltage applied to the
armature, this reduces the current in the armature which gives a limited maximum speed.
In this DC motor the armature current does not flow through the field windings. The field
windings are powered through a external source of DC current.
The armature and field windings are connected in series. The current supplied to both are
the same. Back emf is reduced by speeding up the armature which decreases the field
current.

3.3.4
Back emf- the motor coils turning inside a magnetic field induces a emf, this is known as
back emf and it acts against the applied voltage that causes the motor to spin, this reduces
the current flow through the field windings.
Critical field resistance - is defined as the maximum field circuit resistance with which the
shunt generator would just excite. The shunt generator will build up voltage only if field
circuit resistance is less than critical field resistance.