CHAPTER 4

INTRODUCTION TO DC MOTOR

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 DC Motor Operation
• In a dc motor, the stator
poles are supplied by dc
excitation current, which
produces a dc magnetic
field.
• The rotor is supplied by dc
current through the
brushes, commutator and
coils.
• The interaction of the
magnetic field and rotor
current generates a force
that drives the motor

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 DC Motor Operation
• The magnetic field lines enter v B
into the rotor from the north
a

pole (N) and exit toward the S 1

30
N Vdc
south pole (S). 2

• The poles generate a

b

v
magnetic field that is Ir_dc
perpendicular to the current (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)
carrying conductors.
B
• The interaction between the
field and the current produces
a

a Lorentz force, S N

2
v 30 v Vdc

1
• The force is perpendicular to b

both the magnetic field and

conductor Ir_dc

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

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 DC Motor Operation
• The generated force turns the v
a
B
rotor until the coil reaches the
neutral point between the poles. S 1
30
N Vdc
• At this point, the magnetic field
2

becomes practically zero together b

with the force. v

Ir_dc
• However, inertia drives the motor
beyond the neutral zone where the (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)

direction of the magnetic field B

reverses. a

• To avoid the reversal of the force

direction, the commutator changes S N

2
v 30 v Vdc
the current direction, which

1
maintains the counterclockwise b

rotation. Ir_dc

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

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 DC Motor Operation
• Before reaching the neutral zone, v
a
B
the current enters in segment 1
and exits from segment 2, S 1
30
N Vdc
• Therefore, current enters the coil
2

end at slot a and exits from slot b

b during this stage. v

Ir_dc
• After passing the neutral zone,
the current enters segment 2 and (a) Rotor current flow from segment 1 to 2 (slot a to b)

exits from segment 1, B

• This reverses the current
direction through the rotor coil,
a

when the coil passes the neutral S N

2
v 30 v Vdc
zone.

1
• The result of this current reversal b

is the maintenance of the

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

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 Types Of Dc Motors
• Generally, DC motors are classified into the following types
depending on how the field circuits are connected:
1. Separately excited DC motor where the field circuit and
armature circuit derived their powers from two separate
sources of power supply.
2. Shunt DC motor where the field circuit is parallel to the
armature circuit. Both circuits obtain the power supply
from the same source.
3. Series DC motor where the field circuit is in series with
the armature circuit.
4. Compound motor where the field circuit consists of
(a) A shunt field which is connected either directly across
the motor terminals or parallel to the armature circuit
only, and
(b) The series field
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 Separately Excited DC motor
• A separately excited DC motor has a separate
supply for the field circuit, which is
independent of the supply for the armature
circuit.

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 Shunt DC Motor

• Figure above shows the equivalent circuit of a

shunt DC motor. A1 are A2 are the armature
terminals while F1 and F2 are the field
terminals.
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• The coils in the shunt field are composed of many turns of
small wire, resulting in low shunt field current and moderate
armature current.
• This motor provides starting torque that varies with the load
applied and good speed regulation by controlling the shunt
field voltage.
• If the shunt motor loses its field it will accelerate slightly until
counter electromagnetic force rises to a value sufficient to
shut off the torque producing current. In other words, the
shunt motor will not destroy itself if it loses its field, but it
won’t have the torque required to do the job
it was designed for.
• Some of the common uses of the shunt motor are machine
shop lathes, and industry process lines where speed and
tension control are critical.

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Terminal characteristic of shunt motor

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 Series DC Motor
• In a DC series motor, the armature coil and the field coil
are connected in series . The coils in the series field are
made of a few turns of large gauge wire, to facilitate large
current flow.
• This provides high starting torque, approximately 2 ¼
times the rated load torque.
• Series motors have very poor speed control, running
slowly with heavy loads and quickly with light loads.
• A series motor should never drive machines with a belt. If
the belt breaks, the motor will run on no load it will
accelerate to extremely high speed and destroy itself in
a matter of seconds.
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• Common uses of the series motor include
crane hoists, where large heavy loads will be
raised and lowered and bridge and trolley
drives on large overhead cranes.
• The series motor provides the starting torque
required for moving large loads.
• Traction motors used to drive trains are series
motors that provide the required torque and
horsepower to get massive amounts of weight
moving.

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Compound DC Motor

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• The field windings of a DC motor consist of a
few turns of coils connected in series with the
armature circuit. When comparing the
advantages of the series and shunt motors,
the series motor has greater torque
capabilities while the shunt motor has more
constant and controllable speed over various
loads.
• These two desirable characteristics can be
found in the same motor by placing both a
series field and shunt field winding on the
same pole.

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• The compound motor responds better to
heavy load changes than a shunt motor
because of the increased current through the
series field coils.
• This boosts the field strength, providing added
torque and speed.
• If a shunt coil is added to a series motor at
light loads (when a series motor tends to run
away) the added shunt field flux limits the top
speed, eliminating self-destruction.

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• Common uses of the compound motor include
elevators, air compressors, conveyors, presses
and shears. Compound motors can be operated
as shunt motors by disconnecting the series field.
Many manufacturing process lines are designed
this way.
• The reason being that, most off the shelf motors
are compound motors, and the series field can
always be connected later to provide additional
torque, if needed.
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