DC Motor

Introduction
• It is a rotating electrical machine which converts Electrical
Energy in direct current (DC) form into Mechanical Energy.
• Construction of DC motor is similar to the construction of DC
Generator.
• Working Principle of DC Motor:
– When a current carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic
field, it experiences a mechanical force. The direction of
force is given by Fleming’s Left hand rule and magnitude
is given as F = BIL Newton.
 Fleming’s Left Hand Rule
• Fleming's left hand rule is used to determine the direction of force exerted
on a current carrying wire placed in a magnetic field.
• If the thumb, index finger (along magnetic field) and middle finger(along
current) are held mutually perpendicular as shown in the figure, then
thumb gives the direction of force on the current carrying conductor.
Working Principle of Single-loop DC Motor
 Outward current
Inward
current
 Back EMF and its Significance
• In the motor, rotating armature conductors cut the main field flux.
• In accordance with the laws of electromagnetic induction, an e.m.f.
is induced whose direction is in opposite to the applied voltage
(according to Fleming’s right hand rule).
• This e.m.f. is called back e.m.f. in DC motor.
• Equation of back e.m.f. is same as that of generated e.m.f. found in
DC generator. It is given by:

• Back e.m.f. makes a motor self regulating so that it draws as much

current as required by external circuit.
 Torque Equation for DC Motor
• Torque: Turning or twisting of force about an axis. It is a cross
product of radius vector and Force vector.
• Let, speed of armature in R.P.M. is N. Ta is torque developed in
armature, then power developed is given by
• P = Ta *ω = Ta *(2πN / 60) .….............(1)
• Since, electrical power is being converted into mechanical
power of armature = Eb*Ia ……...........(2)
• Eb is given by equation:

…..........(3)
• From Eqs. (1), (2) and (3) we have,
 Continued...

•
Classification of DC Motors
 Separately Excited DC Motor
• Field winding is energised by a separate DC source.
• Assuming Inductance of field winding (Lf) as zero, Field
current (If ) = Vf /Rf (where, Rf is resistance of field winding
and Vf is magnitude of DC source in field circuit)
• Armature current (Ia) = Load Current (IL)
• Supply voltage (Va) = Eb + Ia*Ra + Vb (where, Vb is brush
voltage drop)
 DC Shunt Motor
• Field winding is connected across armature winding and also across
the input DC supply.
• Shunt field current (Ish) = V /Rsh (where, Rsh is resistance of shunt
field winding and V is magnitude of input voltage source)
• Input current (I) = Ia + Ish (where, Ia is armature current )
• Input voltage (V) = Eb + Ia*Ra + Vb = Ish*Rsh (where, Vb is brush
voltage drop)

Field
winding
Rsh
Ra
 DC Series Motor
• Field winding is in series with armature winding.
• Armature current (Ia) = Ise (Where, Ise is series field current)
• Input line voltage (V) = Eb + Ia *(Ra + Rse) + Vb (where, Vb is
brush voltage drop)

Series
Field
winding
Eb Ra
 DC Compound Motor
• Field winding is connected in shunt and series connection with
armature winding.
• Two configurations:
– Short shunt
– Long shunt

• Short Shunt:
– In short shunt, shunt field winding is connected in parallel
with armature winding.
– Input line current (IL) = Ish + Ia (where, Ia is armature current
and Ish is shunt field current)
– Input Supply Voltage V = Eb + Ia *Ra + Vb + IL* Rse
 Continued...
• Long Shunt:
– In long shunt, series connected armature and series field windings are
connected across long shunt field winding.
– Armature current (Ia) = Ise = Ish + IL (where, IL is Load current and Ish is
shunt field current)
– Input Supply voltage (V ) = Ia*Rse + Eb + Ia *Ra + Vb = Ish* Rsh

I
Ish Series Field
R se Winding

Ia
Shunt Field
Winding R sh
Eb Ra
 Characteristics of DC Motors
• Torque (Ʈa) Vs Armature current (Ia)

• Speed (N) Vs Armature current (Ia)

• Speed (N) Vs Torque (Ʈa)

=> N ∝ Eb/ɸ

=> Ʈa ∝ ɸ.Ia
 Characteristics DC Series Motor

Ʈa ∝ ɸ.Ia

=> Ʈa ∝ ɸ.Ia
⮚ Armature torque (Ta); Shaft torque (Tsh).
⮚ In DC series motors, field winding is connected in series with the armature, i.e. Ia = If.
⮚ Therefore, before magnetic saturation of the field, flux ɸ is directly proportional to Ia.
⮚ Before magnetic saturation Ta α Ia2
⮚ Therefore, the TaVs Ia curve is parabola for smaller values of Ia
⮚ After magnetic saturation of the field poles, flux ɸ is independent of armature current
Ia . Hence, straight line.
⮚ The shaft torque (Tsh) is less than armature torque (Ta) due to stray losses. Hence, the
curve Tsh vs Ia lies slightly lower.
 Continued...
⮚ N ∝ Eb/ɸ
N ∝ Eb/ɸ
⮚ For small supply current (and hence
for small armature current) change in
back emf Eb is small and it may be
neglected.
⮚ As a result Eb can be treated as
constant.
⮚ Hence, for small armature current
speed is inversely proportional to ɸ.
⮚ As we know, flux is directly
proportional to Armature Current (Ia)
which acts as a field current of the DC
Series Motor.
⮚ When armature current (Ia) is very
small, the flux becomes small and the
speed becomes dangerously high.
⮚ That is why a DC series motor should
never be started at No Load Condition.
 Continued...
• From the above two characteristics of DC
series motor, it can be found that when speed is
high, torque is low and vice versa.

N ∝ Eb/ɸ

Ʈa ∝ ɸ.Ia
 Characteristics of DC Shunt Motor/ Separately
Excited Motor
Ʈa ∝ ɸ.Ia
• In case of DC shunt motors, we can assume the
field flux (ɸ) to be constant.
• Though at heavy loads i.e, armature current, ɸ
decreases in a small amount due to increased
armature reaction.
• As we are neglecting the change in the flux ɸ,
we can say that torque is proportional to
armature current.
• Hence, the Ta Vs Ia characteristic for a DC shunt
motor will be a straight line through the origin.
 Continued...
• As flux ɸ is assumed to be constant, we can
N ∝ Eb/ɸ
say N ∝ Eb. But, as back emf is also almost
constant, the speed should remain constant.
• But practically, ɸ (due to armature
reaction) as well as Eb decreases with
increase in load. Back emf Eb decreases
slightly more than ɸ, therefore, the speed
decreases slightly. Generally, the speed
decreases only by 5 to 15% of full load
speed. Therefore, a shunt motor can be
assumed as a constant speed motor.
• In speed vs. armature current characteristic
in the figure, the straight horizontal line
represents the ideal characteristic and the
actual characteristic is shown by the dotted
line.
 Continued...
Ʈa ∝ ɸ.Ia
• Since, the Torque (Ta) is
proportional to the armature
current (Ia) in a DC Shunt Motor.
Therefore, speed torque
characteristics of such motor will
be identical to the speed (N)
armature current (Ia)
characteristics.
Characteristics of DC Compound Motor

⮚ In a compound motor, if series and shunt windings are connected such

that series flux is in direction as that of the shunt flux then the motor
is said to be cumulatively compounded. And if the series flux is
opposite to the direction of the shunt flux, then the motor is said to be
differentially compounded.
 Applications of DC Motors
1. DC Series Motors: (High starting torque applications)
• Cranes
• Air compressor
• Lifts
• Elevators
• Winching system
• Electric traction
• Hair drier
• Vacuum cleaner and in speed regulation application
• power tools
• Sewing machine
• Electric footing
 Continued...
2. DC Shunt Motors: (constant speed application from no load to
full load)
• Wiper
• Automatic windscreen
• Drills
• Conveyors
• Fans
• Boring mills
• Shapers
• Blowers
• Spinning and weighing machine
• Centrifugal pumps
 Continued...
3. DC Compound Motors: (The differential compound motor has poor torque
characteristics because the motor increases the speed with increase in load. so
this motor is not suitable for any practical application. On the other hand, the
cumulative compound motor has high starting torque characteristic.)
• Electric shovels e.g, motor used in mining industries to lift high loads.
• Reciprocating machine
• Conveyors
• Elevators
• Compressors
• Rolling mills
• Heavy planners
 Starting of DC Motor
• At starting (N = 0), and hence, Eb = 0
• When a rated voltage is applied across the stationary armature
terminals of the DC Shunt motor, it draws large amount of current
which is comparatively much greater than the rated current.
Ia = (V -Eb)/Ra ; ------ DC Shunt motor
As Eb = 0; Ia = V/Ra
For ex.: if V = 220V and Ra = 0.5 Ω (for dc shunt motor)
Ia = 220/0.5 = 440 A ( a very large starting armature current)

• When such heavy currents pass through the armature windings, it

gets overheated and will damage the commutator and brushes.
• Hence, a starter is used to start DC motor that consists of set of
series connected resistances to limit this starting current.
Three- Point Starter
 Continued...
• A starter is a variable resistance, integrated into the number of
sections as shown in the figure.
• The contact points of these sections are called studs and are
shown separately as OFF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, RUN.
• Other than that there are three main points, referred to as
– ‘L’ Line terminal (Connected to positive of supply)
– ‘A’ Armature terminal (Connected to the armature winding)
– ‘F’ Field terminal (Connected to the field winding)
• This is why it gets the name 3 point starter.
 Continued...

• This handle is free to move to the other side RUN against the force
of the spring. This spring brings back the handle to its original OFF
position under the influence of its own force.
• Another parallel path is derived from the stud ‘1’, given to another
electromagnet called No Volt Coil (NVC) which is further connected
to terminal ‘F.’ The starting resistance at starting is entirely in series
with the armature. The Over load Release (OLR) and NVC act as the
two protecting devices of the starter.
• Point ‘L’ is connected to an electromagnet called overload release
(OLR) as shown in the figure.
• The other end of OLR is connected to the lower end of conducting
lever of starter handle where spring is also attached with it, and the
starter handle also contains a soft iron piece housed on it.
 Continued...
• To start with the handle is in the OFF position when the supply to
the DC motor is switched on. Then handle is slowly moved
against the spring force to make contact with stud No. 1.
• At this point, field winding of the shunt or the compound motor
gets supply through the parallel path provided to starting the
resistance, through No Voltage Coil.
• While entire starting resistance comes in series with the armature.
The high starting armature current thus gets limited as the current
equation at this stage becomes:
• As the handle is moved further, it goes on making contact with
studs 2, 3, 4, etc., thus gradually cutting off the series resistance
from the armature circuit as the motor gathers speed. Finally,
when the starter handle is in ‘RUN’ position, the entire starting
resistance is eliminated, and the motor runs with normal speed.
• This is because back emf is developed consequently with speed
to counter the supply voltage and reduce the armature current.