Armature

reaction
 When a load is connected to the terminals of the machine, a current will
flow in its armature windings. This current flow will produce a magnetic
field of its own, which will distort the original magnetic field from the
machine's poles. This distortion of the flux in a machine as the load is
increased is called armature reaction.
 Armature reaction is the effect of magnetic field set up by armature
current on the distribution of flux under main poles of a dc machine.
 The armature reaction has two effects:

1. The armature flux distorts the main flux (cross-magnetization)

2. The armature flux weakens the main flux (demagnetization)
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 Cont.….
 Armature field: is the field which is produced by the armature conductors
due to current flowing through them.
 Main field: is the field which is produced by the poles which is necessary
for the operation.
 MNA(Magnetically Neutral Axis): It is the axis along which no
E.M.F is produced, hence brushes are kept on this axis.
 GNA(Geometrically Neutral Axis): It is the axis which divides the
armature core in to two equal parts.
 Polar Axis: It is the imaginary line which joins the center of NS poles.

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Case I: When no load is connected to the machines

 Consider a two pole DC Generator.

 For the sake of simplicity, the
brushes are shown directly touching
the armature conductors, but
practically they touch commutator
segments.
 Assuming that the generator is not
driving any load, so that there is no
current in the armature conductors.
 The distribution of main field flux is
as shown in the fig. 3
 Cont.….
 The flux is distributed symmetrically with respect to polar axis.
 The M.N.A coincides the G.NA.
 The vector o𝐹𝑚 represents the mmf producing the main flux both
in magnitude and direction.
 MNA is perpendicular to vector o𝐹𝑚.

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Case II: Armature conductors carrying current and no field current
flows

 Consider that armature

whereas the the field coils are unexcited
conductors are
carrying current.
 The direction of current in the armature
conductors can be found by Fleming’s
RHR
 According to Fleming’s right hand rule,
the direction of this flux is clock-wise in
conductors which are influence of N
pole and Anti-clock wise in conductors
which are influence of s pole. 30
 Cont.….
 Under N pole the current is flowing in downward direction, whereas
under S pole the current is flowing in upward direction.
 The vector o𝐹𝐴 represents the armature mmf both in magnitude
and direction.
 This mmf depends on the magnitude of the armature current.

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Case III: Field current and armature current acting
simultaneously
 In practice the two mmfs exist
simultaneously in the generator under load
conditions.
 The flux through the armature is not
uniform and symmetrical. The flux gets
distorted.
 Due to interaction of two fluxes the resultant
flux distribution is changed as shown in the
fig.
 The flux is concentrated at the top corners
of poles and weakened out at the bottom
corners of the pole tips. 7
 Cont.….
 The armature conductors which were earlier
under the influence of S pole come under the
influence of N pole and vice versa.
 The conductors on the left of new position of
MNA carry current downwards and those to
the right carry current upwards.
 The armature mmf is now along new position
of MNA represented by vector o𝐹𝑅 . It is
inclined to an angle 𝜃 to the left.

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 Cont.….
 The armature mmf represented by vector can be resolved into
o𝐹𝑅 two
components
 o𝐹𝑑 parallel to the polar axis and
 The  o𝐹𝑐
component o𝐹𝑑 isperpendicular to
in direct opposition with field mmf
vector the axis
o𝐹𝑚.This will tend to reduce the total flux.
 This component is called demagnetizing component of the
armature reaction
 The other component o𝐹𝑐 is at right angles to vector o𝐹𝑚. 9

cross magnetizing component of the armature

 Conclusion
 With brushes located along G.N.A. (i.e., 𝜃= 0°), there is no demagnetizing component
of armature reaction (𝐹𝑑 = 0). There is only distorting or cross magnetizing effect of
armature reaction.
 With the brushes shifted from G.N.A., armature reaction will have both
demagnetizing and distorting effects. Their relative magnitudes depend on the
amount of shift. This shift is directly proportional to the armature current.
 The demagnetizing component of armature reaction weakens the main flux. On the
other hand, the distorting component of armature reaction distorts the main flux.
 The demagnetizing effect leads to reduced generated voltage while cross magnetizing
effect leads to sparking at the brushes.

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