Unit III

SYNCHRONOUS MACHINES
AND STEPPER MOTOR

Yusra Meraj
(Guest Teacher)
Electronics Engineering Section, Women’s Polytechnic
Synchronous motor

• Initially rotor is at rest. Since d.c excitation is applied to rotor so rotor magnetic field is also at
rest.

• Rotor acts as a permanent magnet.

• Rotor and it's magnetic field will rotate at the same speed.

• Stator is supplied by 3 phase balance supply so a rotating magnetic field (RMF) which is
rotating at (synchronous speed) is set up.
Methods of starting of synchronous motors
• Since synchronous motor is not self starting so consequently we need to use starting
techniques to start the motor.
Starting of Synchronous Motors
• Synchronous motors can be started by the following two methods:-
1. Starting with the help of an external prime mover (Auxiliary motor starting).
2. Starting with the help of damper windings.
Motor starting with an external prime mover (Auxiliary motor
starting)
• The auxiliary motor may be a d.c shunt motor or an induction motor.
• The job of the auxiliary motor is to bring the synchronous motor to synchronous speed or near
synchronous speed. 
• The auxiliary motor is mechanically coupled to the synchronous motor.
• Auxiliary motor acts as prime mover which rotates the shaft of synchronous motor with field
winding unexcited.
• Once the speed of synchronous motor is close to synchronous speed, auxiliary motor is
decoupled (disconnected) and field winding is excited.
• Due to the excitation of field winding electromagnetic torque is produced which accelerates the
rotor and brings the rotor speed to (synchronous speed).
• No load is put on the synchronous motor during starting. Therefore, the auxiliary motor has to
overcome only the inertia of the synchronous motor.
• The rating of the starting motor is much smaller than the rating of the synchronous motor.
• Now a day, a Brushless excitation system is provided on the shafts of the large synchronous
motor. These exciters are used as starting motors.

Auxiliary motor Synchronous motor

Fig.1. Mechanical coupling of shafts of auxiliary motor and synchronous motor
Motor starting with damper windings
• Most commonly used method of starting the synchronous motors.
• Damper winding consists of low resistance copper, brass or aluminum bars embedded in the
pole faces of the rotor of salient pole machine.
• Projecting ends of bar are connected to short circuiting strips made of same material.
• Short circuiting is done in order to ensure that damper bars can carry current.

Fig.2. Rotor along with damper windings Fig.3. Ends of the copper bars are short circuited
• Initially when rotor is at rest and stator magnetic field rotates at synchronous speed then there
is relative motion between stator magnetic field and the damper bars.
• This relative motion induces an EMF which causes current to flow in damper windings.
• Current carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field experiences a torque i.e torque is exerted
on the damper bars.
• As per Lenz’s law, the magnetic field produced by induced current opposes the initial changing
magnetic field.
• Basically the current is induced in the damper windings because of relative motion between
stator magnetic field and rotor.
• As per Lenz’s law relative motion is opposed, which is possible when it is reduced to zero.
• So, the rotor is bring closer to synchronous speed in order to reduce the relative speed to zero.
• When the rotor speed is closer to synchronous speed, the field winding is switched on so that
electro magnetic torque is produced which accelerate the rotor and brings the speed to
synchronous speed (stator magnetic field).
• As soon as rotor starts rotating at synchronous speed so there will be no relative motion due to
which no EMF is induced and hence damper bars are ineffective.
• Damper windings does not affect the normal operation of synchronous motors.
• Damper windings will work only when there is a speed mismatch between rotor and stator
magnetic field.
 Application of Synchronous motors
• Synchronous motors were mainly used in constant speed applications.
• Synchronous motors are used in generating stations and in substations connected to the bus
bars to improve the power factor.
• Because of the higher efficiency compared to induction motors they can be employed for
loads which require constant speeds.
• Synchronous motors are used to regulate the voltage at the end of transmission lines.
• They are used in high power and high speed compressors, blowers, servo drivers, etc.