Define Synchronous motor ? and applications?

A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor distinguished by a rotor spinning with coils passing magnets at the same rate as the alternating current and resulting magnetic field which drives it. Another way of saying this is that it has zero slip under usual operating conditions. Contrast this with an induction motor, which must slip in order to produce torque. They operate synchronously with line frequency. As with squirrel-cage induction motors, speed is determined by the number of pairs of poles and the line frequency. Synchronous motors are available in sub-fractional self-excited sizes to high-horsepower direct-current excited industrial sizes. In the fractional horsepower range, most synchronous motors are used where precise constant speed is required. In high-horsepower industrial sizes, the synchronous motor provides two important functions. First, it is a highly efficient means of converting ac energy to work. Second, it can operate at leading or unity power factor and thereby provide power-factor correction. There are two major types of synchronous motors: non-excited and direct-current excited. Non-excited motors are manufactured in reluctance and hysteresis designs, these motors employ a self-starting circuit and require no external excitation supply. Reluctance designs have ratings that range from sub-fractional to about 30 hp. Sub-fractional horsepower motors have low torque, and are generally used for instrumentation applications. Moderate torque, integral horsepower motors use squirrel- cage construction with toothed rotors. When used with an adjustable frequency power supply, all motors in the drive system can be controlled at exactly the same speed. The power supply frequency determines motor operating speed. Hysteresis motors are manufactured in sub-fractional horsepower ratings, primarily as servomotors and timing motors. More expensive than the reluctance type, hysteresis motors are used where precise constant speed is required. DC-excited motors Made in sizes larger than 1 hp, these motors require direct current supplied through slip rings for excitation. The direct current can be supplied from a separate source or from a dc generator directly connected to the motor shaft Slip rings and brushes are used to conduct current to the rotor. The rotor poles connect to each other and move at the same speed - hence the name synchronous motor. Synchronous motors fall under the category of synchronous machines which also includes the alternator (synchronous generator). These machines are commonly used in analog electric clocks, timers and other devices where correct time is required.

Uses:--> Synchronous motors find applications in all industrial applications where constant speed is necessary. Improving the power factor as Synchronous condensers. Electrical power plants almost always use synchronous generators because it is important to keep the frequency constant at which the generator is connected. Low power applications include positioning machines, where high precision is required, and robot actuators. Mains synchronous motors are used for electric clocks. Record player turntables

How synchronous motor is used for power factor correction?

Synchronous motors show some interesting properties, which finds applications in power factor correction. The synchronous motor can be run at lagging, unity or leading power factor. The control is with the field excitation, as described below:

When the field excitation voltage is decreased, the motor runs in lagging power factor. The power factor by which the motor lags varies directly with the drop in excitation voltage. This condition is called under-excitation. When the field excitation voltage is made equal to the rated voltage, the motor runs at unity power factor. When the field excitation voltage is increased above the rated voltage, the motor runs at leading power factor. And the power factor by which the motor leads varies directly with the increase in field excitation voltage. This condition is called over-excitation. The most basic property of sycho motor is that it can be use as a CAPACITOR OR INDUCTOR both. Hence in turn it improves the power factor of system. The leading power factor operation of synchronous motor finds application in power factor correction. Normally, all the loads connected to the power supply grid run in lagging power factor, which increases reactive power consumption in the grid, thus contributing to additional losses. In such cases, a synchronous motor with no load is connected to the grid and is run over-excited, so that the leading power factor created by synchronous motor compensates the existing lagging power factor in the grid and the overall power factor is brought close to 1 (unity power

factor). If unity power factor is maintained in a grid, reactive power losses diminish to zero, increasing the efficiency of the grid. This operation of synchronous motor in over-excited mode to correct the power factor is sometimes called ashttp://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Synchronous_condenser.

How synchronous motor can function as a synchronous condenser?

If a motor is spinning under no load, it is storing some energy in the rotating mass. This energy can be stored and released in the same way capacitors and inductors store and release energy. This is what a synchronous motor acting like a condenser is doing. The way it appears to the power system is dependent upon the field current applied to it. If used as a motor, this is controlled to keep it spinning at the desired speed under load. If used as a condenser, it is controlled to determine whether it will be releasing power ahead of or behind the power system (absorbing or releasing VARs).

TIME CONSTANT
Introduction | Questions | Quiz
INTRODUCTION In RC (resistive & capacitive) circuits, time constant is the time in seconds required to charge a capacitor to 63.2% of the applied voltage. This period is referred to as one time constant. After two time constants, the capacitor will be charged to 86.5% of the applied voltage. The same time constant applies for discharging a capacitor through a resistor. After one time constant, a capacitor will have discharged to (100 - 63.2) 36.8% of the initial stored charge. Formula: t = RC t = time constant in seconds R = resistance in ohms C = capacitance in farads Example: The time constant for a circuit having a 100 microfarad capacitor in series with a 470K resistor is: .0001 * 470 000 = 47 seconds In RL (resistive & inductive) circuits, time constant is the time in seconds required for current to build up to 63.2% of the maximum current. This period is referred to as one

time constant. Current in an inductive circuit does not immediately reach maximum value due to the back EMF (electromotive force) created by the change in current. Back EMF opposes the applied EMF A-001-1-1.... What is the meaning of the term "time constant" in an RL circuit? 1. the time required for the current in the circuit to build up to 36.8% of the maximum value 2. the time required for the voltage in the circuit to build up to 63.2% of the maximum value 3. the time required for the voltage in the circuit to build up to 36.8% of the maximum value 4. the time required for the current in the circuit to build up to 63.2% of the maximum value A-001-1-2.... What is the term for the time required for the capacitor in an RC circuit to be charged to 63.2% of the supply voltage? 1. 2. 3. 4. an exponential rate of one one time constant a time factor of one one exponential period

A-001-1-3.... What is the term for the time required for the current in an RL circuit to build up to 63.2% of the maximum value? 1. 2. 3. 4. one time constant an exponential period of one a time factor of one one exponential rate

A-001-1-4.... What is the term for the time it takes for a charged capacitor in an RC circuit to discharge to 36.8% of its initial value of stored charge? 1. 2. 3. 4. a discharge factor of one an exponential discharge of one one time constant one discharge period

A-001-1-5.... What is meant by "back EMF" ? 1. a current that opposes the applied EMF

2. a voltage that opposes the applied EMF 3. an opposing EMF equal to R times C percent of the applied EMF 4. a current equal to the applied EMF A-001-1-6.... After two time constants, the capacitor in an RC circuit is charged to what percentage of the supply voltage? 1. 2. 3. 4. 63.2% 86.5% 95% 36.8%

A-001-1-7.... After two time constants, the capacitor in an RC circuit is discharged to what percentage of the starting voltage? 1. 2. 3. 4. 13.5% 36.8% 86.5% 63.2%

A-001-1-8.... What is the time constant of a circuit having a 100 microfarad capacitor in series with a 470 kilohm resistor? 1. 2. 3. 4. 4700 seconds 470 seconds 0.47 seconds 47 seconds

A-001-1-9.... What is the time constant of a circuit having a 470 microfarad capacitor in series with a 470 kilohm resistor? 1. 2. 3. 4. 221 000 seconds 47 000 seconds 221 seconds 470 seconds

A-001-1-10.... What is time constant of a circuit having a 220 microfarad capacitor in series with a 470 kilohm resistor? 1. 470 000 seconds 2. 470 seconds 3. 103 seconds

4. 220 seconds

Voltage and current calculations

There's a sure way to calculate any of the values in a reactive DC circuit over time. The first step is to identify the starting and final values for whatever quantity the capacitor or inductor opposes change in; that is, whatever quantity the reactive component is trying to hold constant. For capacitors, this quantity is voltage; for inductors, this quantity is current. When the switch in a circuit is closed (or opened), the reactive component will attempt to maintain that quantity at the same level as it was before the switch transition, so that value is to be used for the "starting" value. The final value for this quantity is whatever that quantity will be after an infinite amount of time. This can be determined by analyzing a capacitive circuit as though the capacitor was an open-circuit, and an inductive circuit as though the inductor was a short-circuit, because that is what these components behave as when they've reached "full charge," after an infinite amount of time. The next step is to calculate the time constant of the circuit: the amount of time it takes for voltage or current values to change approximately 63 percent from their starting values to their final values in a transient situation. In a series RC circuit, the time constant is equal to the total resistance in ohms multiplied by the total capacitance in farads. For a series L/R circuit, it is the total inductance in henrys divided by the total resistance in ohms. In either case, the time constant is expressed in units of seconds and symbolized by the Greek letter "tau" ():

The rise and fall of circuit values such as voltage and current in response to a transient is, as was mentioned before, asymptotic. Being so, the values begin to rapidly change soon after the transient and settle down over time. If plotted on a graph, the approach to the final values of voltage and current form exponential curves.

As was stated before, one time constant is the amount of time it takes for any of these values to change about 63 percent from their starting values to their (ultimate) final values. For every time constant, these values move (approximately) 63 percent closer to their eventual goal. The mathematical formula for determining the precise percentage is quite simple:

The letter e stands for Euler's constant, which is approximately 2.7182818. It is derived from calculus techniques, after mathematically analyzing the asymptotic approach of the circuit values. After one time constant's worth of time, the percentage of change from starting value to final value is:

After two time constant's worth of time, the percentage of change from starting value to final value is:

After ten time constant's worth of time, the percentage is:

The more time that passes since the transient application of voltage from the battery, the larger the value of the denominator in the fraction, which makes for a smaller value for the whole fraction, which makes for a grand total (1 minus the fraction) approaching 1, or 100 percent.

We can make a more universal formula out of this one for the determination of voltage and current values in transient circuits, by multiplying this quantity by the difference between the final and starting circuit values:

Let's analyze the voltage rise on the series resistor-capacitor circuit shown at the beginning of the chapter.

Note that we're choosing to analyze voltage because that is the quantity capacitors tend to hold constant. Although the formula works quite well for current, the starting and final values for current are actually derived from the capacitor's voltage, so calculating voltage is a more direct method. The resistance is 10 k, and the capacitance is 100 F (microfarads). Since the time constant () for an RC circuit is the product of resistance and capacitance, we obtain a value of 1 second:

If the capacitor starts in a totally discharged state (0 volts), then we can use that value of voltage for a "starting" value. The final value, of course, will be the battery voltage (15 volts). Our universal formula for capacitor voltage in this circuit looks like this:

So, after 7.25 seconds of applying voltage through the closed switch, our capacitor voltage will have increased by:

Since we started at a capacitor voltage of 0 volts, this increase of 14.989 volts means that we have 14.989 volts after 7.25 seconds.

The same formula will work for determining current in that circuit, too. Since we know that a discharged capacitor initially acts like a short-circuit, the starting current will be the maximum amount possible: 15 volts (from the battery) divided by 10 k (the only opposition to current in the circuit at the beginning):

We also know that the final current will be zero, since the capacitor will eventually behave as an open-circuit, meaning that eventually no electrons will flow in the circuit. Now that we know both the starting and final current values, we can use our universal formula to determine the current after 7.25 seconds of switch closure in the same RC circuit:

Note that the figure obtained for change is negative, not positive! This tells us that current has decreased rather than increased with the passage of time. Since we started at a current of 1.5 mA, this decrease (-1.4989 mA) means that we have 0.001065 mA (1.065 A) after 7.25 seconds.

We could have also determined the circuit current at time=7.25 seconds by subtracting the capacitor's voltage (14.989 volts) from the battery's voltage (15 volts) to obtain the voltage drop across the 10 k resistor, then figuring current through the resistor (and the whole series circuit) with Ohm's Law (I=E/R). Either way, we should obtain the same answer:

The universal time constant formula also works well for analyzing inductive circuits. Let's apply it to our example L/R circuit in the beginning of the chapter:

With an inductance of 1 henry and a series resistance of 1 , our time constant is equal to 1 second:

Because this is an inductive circuit, and we know that inductors oppose change in current, we'll set up our time constant formula for starting and final values of current. If we start with the switch in the open position, the current will be equal to zero, so zero is our starting current value. After the switch has been left closed for a long time, the current will settle out to its final value, equal to the source voltage divided by the total circuit resistance (I=E/R), or 15 amps in the case of this circuit.

If we desired to determine the value of current at 3.5 seconds, we would apply the universal time constant formula as such:

Given the fact that our starting current was zero, this leaves us at a circuit current of 14.547 amps at 3.5 seconds' time.

Determining voltage in an inductive circuit is best accomplished by first figuring circuit current and then calculating voltage drops across resistances to find what's left to drop across the inductor. With only one resistor in our example circuit (having a value of 1 ), this is rather easy:

Subtracted from our battery voltage of 15 volts, this leaves 0.453 volts across the inductor at time=3.5 seconds.

REVIEW: Universal Time Constant Formula:

To analyze an RC or L/R circuit, follow these steps: (1): Determine the time constant for the circuit (RC or L/R). (2): Identify the quantity to be calculated (whatever quantity whose change is directly opposed by the reactive component. For capacitors this is voltage; for inductors this is current). (3): Determine the starting and final values for that quantity. (4): Plug all these values (Final, Start, time, time constant) into the universal time constant formula and solve for change in quantity. (5): If the starting value was zero, then the actual value at the specified time is equal to the calculated change given by the universal formula. If not, add the change to the starting value to find out where you're at.