Unit V Synchronous Motor Drives

UNIT V

SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR DRIVES

5.1 Introduction
Synchronous motor is an AC motor which rotates at synchronous speed at all loads.
Construction of the stator of synchronous motor is similar to the stator of an induction motor.
But the rotor has a winding.

5.2 Types of synchronous motors

5.2.1 Wound field synchronous motor
 Rotor of this motor has a winding for which a dc supply is given.
 Rotor may have either cylindrical structure or salient pole structure. Motors with
cylindrical construction are used for high power and high speed applications.
 Salient pole construction is used for low power and low speed applications due to low
cost.
5.2.2 Permanent magnet synchronous motor
 It is similar to a salient pole synchronous motor without field winding on the poles.
 Field flux is produced by permanent magnets mounted on the rotor.
 Ferrite magnets are used to construct the permanent magnets.
 Cobalt – samarium made magnets may be used if the volume and weight of the motor is
to be reduced.
 The motor losses are less because of the absence of field winding and two slip rings.
 For the same size, a PMSM has higher pull-out torque and more efficiency as compared
to salient pole motor.
 These motors are used in medium and low power applications like robots and machine
tools.
 The main disadvantage in this motor is the inability to adjust the field current.

5.2.3 Synchronous reluctance motor

 It has salient poles. But there is no field winding or permanent magnet.
 A salient pole synchronous motor connected to a voltage source runs at synchronous
speed.
 If its field current is switched off, it continues to run at synchronous speed as a
reluctance motor.
 The motor is operated by the reluctance torque. This torque is produced by the
alignment of the rotating flux with the stator flux at synchronous speed.
 These motors are used for low power drives where constant speed operation is required.

5.2.4 Hysteresis synchronous motor

 These motors are employed in low power applications requiring smooth start and noise
less operation.
 The motor has low starting torque and hence it is suitable for high inertia loads.

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 Unit V Synchronous Motor Drives

5.3 Variable Frequency Control

 We know that, the synchronous speed is given by,

 From the above equation, it is clear that the speed of a synchronous motor can be
controlled by varying the frequency of the supply.
 As in the case of induction motors, the stator flux is maintained constant by keeping the
(v/f) ratio constant in this motor also. Constant flux operation ensures that the
maximum torque at all frequencies is same.
 v/f ratio is increased at low frequencies to increase the torque producing capability of
motor.
 Above rated speed, the stator voltage is kept constant and the frequency alone is
increased. In this case, the torque produced by the motor may be reduced.

Variable frequency control may be achieved by any one of the methods listed below.
1. True synchronous mode (or) separate controlled mode.
2. Self synchronous mode (or) self controlled mode.

5.3.1 True synchronous mode (or) Separate controlled mode

 In this mode of speed control, the stator supply frequency is controlled from outside by
using a separate oscillator.
 The frequency is changed from one value to the other gradually so that the difference
between synchronous speed and rotor speed is small during any speed change.
 This gradual change in frequency helps the rotor to follow the stator speed properly at
all operating points.
 When the desired speed is reached, the rotor gets locked with the stator flux speed (rotor
pulls into step) after hunting oscillations.
 The block diagram of self control of multiple synchronous motors is shown in Fig. 5.1
 Here a voltage source inverter is used to feed the
synchronous motors. It may be either a stepped
wave inverter or a PWM inverter.
 A rectifier is used to supply dc voltage to the
inverter. The rectifier will be a full converter if a
six step inverter is used.
 If a PWM inverter is used, then a diode rectifier is
sufficient at the input side.
 A smoothing inductor is used to filter out the
ripples present in the dc link voltage.
 The frequency command f* is applied to the VSI
through a delay circuit. This delay circuit ensures
Fig. 5.1 that the rotor follows the stator speed.

5.3.2 Self control mode of synchronous motor drive

 In self control, the stator supply frequency is changed proportional to the rotor speed.
 Hence the stator rmf rotates at the same speed as the rotor speed.
 This ensures that the rotor moves in synchronism with stator at all operating points.
 Consequently a self controlled motor will never come out of synchronism or step.
 It does not suffer from hunting oscillations.

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 Unit V Synchronous Motor Drives

Disadvantages of open loop control

 Hunting of motor
 Problems of instability
 Poor dynamic behavior
 Harmonic distortion
All the above disadvantages except harmonic distortion may be completely eliminated by
using the motor in self control mode.
 The block diagram of a self controlled motor fed from a 3 phase inverter is shown in Fig.
5.2.
 The inverter may be a CSI or VSI. Depending on the type of inverter, the input dc source
may be a controllable current source or controllable voltage source.

Fig. 5.2 Self Controlled Synchronous Motor

 The inverter output frequency is determined by the rotor speed.
 The accurate speed of the rotor is tracked by using rotor position sensors.
 The output of rotor position sensor is used to produce firing pulses for the semi
conductor switches used in the converter which feeds the motor.
 It means that the instants at which the switching devices operate to turn the stator
windings ON and OFF is determined by the rotor position sensors.
 The switches are fired at a frequency proportional to the motor speed.
 With the increase of load if the rotor slows down, then the stator supply frequency
automatically changes so that the rotor remains synchronized with the rotating field.
 When the motor starts from rest, the motor current will be large at first and then will
decrease with increase of speed.
 The speed of the motor is controlled by varying the dc link voltage to the inverter.
 This dc link voltage is controlled by varying the firing pulses of the controlled rectifier.
 Four quadrant operation is possible if the inverter is fed from a full converter.

5.4 Self controlled synchronous motor fed from a load commutated thyristor inverter

 A self controlled synchronous motor employing a load commutated thyristor inverter is

shown in Fig. 5.3
 The drive employs two converters. One is called the side converter and the other is
called the load side converter.
Source side converter
 It is a line commutated thyristor converter. It works as a line commutated controlled
rectifier in the firing angle range of

 Its output voltage Vds and the output current Id are positive.
 Source side converter works as a line commutated inverter in the firing angle range of

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 Unit V Synchronous Motor Drives

 Now the voltage Vds is negative and the output current Id are positive.
Load side converter
 When synchronous motor operates at leading power factor, the thyristors of the load
side converter can be commutated by the motor induced voltages.
 It is called load commutation. This converter operates as an inverter and delivers a
negative Vdl and positive Id in the firing angle range of

 It operates as a rectifier and delivers a positive Vdl and Id in the firing angle range of

Fig. 5.3
Fig. 5.2 Self controlled synchronous motor drive employing a load commutated inverter
 The synchronous motor can be operated at leading power factor by adjusting the field
excitation of it.
 In this condition, the inverter operates as line commutated inverter.
 When source side converter is operated as rectifier and load side converter as inverter,
then the power flows from ac source to the motor which gives motoring operation.
 When source side converter is operated as inverter and load side converter as rectifier,
then the power flows from the motor to ac source which gives regenerative braking
operation.
 The torque produced by the motor depends on the difference in voltages Vds & Vdl. i.e (Vds
– Vdl).
 The speed of the motor is changed by changing the voltage V ds which in turn is changed
by varying the firing angle of source side converter.
 When the source side and load side converters are working as inverters, the firing angle
of each thyristor switches should be less than 180 0 to avoid the short circuit of the dc
supply.
 It may happen if two devices in the same leg conduct when firing angle is 180 0. So care
should be taken for commutation overlap and turn off of thyristors.
 Let the commutation lead angle for load side converter as βl. Then,

 If commutation overlap is neglected, then the input ac current will lag the input dc
voltage by an angle l.
 As the motor current is opposite to converter input current, the motor current will lead
the terminal voltage by an angle βl. Hence the motor operates at leading power factor.
 For low values of βl, the power factor will be high and the inverter rating will be low.
 The value of βl may be reduced by reducing the sub transient inductance of the machine.
It is done by using damper windings.

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 Unit V Synchronous Motor Drives

 When the load side converter acts as inverter, it is operated with a fixed commutation
lead angle βlc and when it acts as rectifier, it is operated with β = 1800.
 At high power factor, the rating of the converter required is reduced. This is achieved by
operating the load side converter with constant margin angle control.
 If µ is the commutation overlap of thyristor under commutation, then the duration for
which reverse bias applied is,

 For successful commutation,

Where tq is the turn off time of thyristors.

 The commutation overlap is proportional to the dc link current I d. Keeping a minimum
value of , the value of can be calculated.
 Keeping , the value of will be reduced and hence power factor will improve.
 This control scheme is called constant margin angle control.
 At low speeds, motor voltage will be less and not enough for commutating the thyristors.
 Hence force commutation is used when the motor speed is below 10% of rated speed.
5.5 Closed loop speed control of load commutated inverter fed synchronous motor
drive
 Close loop control shown in Fig. 5.4 employs outer speed control loop and inner current
control loop with a limiter
 The terminal voltage sensor generates reference pulses whose frequency is same as that
of the induced voltages in the rotor.
 These reference signals are shifted suitably by phase delay circuit to produce a constant
commutation lead angle.
 Based on the speed error, the value of βlc is set to provide either motoring or braking
operation.
 Motoring operation is required to increase the speed and braking is required to reduce
the speed.
 Actual speed of the rotor is sensed either from terminal voltage sensor or by using a
separate tachometer.

Fig. 5.4
Increasing the speed
 If the speed is to be increased, then it is given as reference speed ωm*.
 Actual speed and reference speed are compared at the comparator and it produces a
positive speed error.
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 Unit V Synchronous Motor Drives

 Now the firing circuit produces βlc corresponding to motoring operation.

 The speed controller and current controller set the dc link current reference at the
maximum allowable value.
 Now the machines starts accelerating and when rotor speed reaches the reference speed,
the current limiter de-saturates and the acceleration stops.
 Hence the drive runs at constant speed at which motor torque is equal to load torque.
Decreasing the speed
 If the speed is to be decreased, then it is set as reference speed ωm*.
 Actual speed and reference speed are compared at the comparator and it produces a
negatitive speed error.
 Now the firing circuit produces βlc corresponding to braking operation.
 The speed controller and current controller get saturated and set the dc link reference
current at the maximum allowable value.
 Now the machines starts decelerating (braking operation) and when rotor speed reaches
the reference speed, the current limiter de-saturates and the deceleration stops.
 Hence the drive runs at constant speed at which motor torque is equal to load torque.
Advantages of this drive
 High efficiency
 Four quadrant operation with regenerative braking is possible
 Drives are available for high power ratings up to 100 MW
 High speed operation is possible. (up to 6000 rpm)
Applications of this drive
 High speed and high power drives for compressors, blowers, pumps, fans, conveyers etc.

5.6 Power factor control of Synchronous Motor

 By varying the excitation of a synchronous motor, it can be made to operate at lagging,
leading and unity power factor.
 The V curve of a synchronous machine shows armature current as a function of field
current. With increasing field current, the armature current at first decreases, then
reaches a minimum, then increases.
 The minimum point is also the point at which power factor is unity.
 Excitation at which the power factor is unity is termed normal excitation voltage. The
magnitude of current at this excitation is minimum.
 The current drawn from by the motor will be minimum at unity power factor. Hence
power losses will be minimum and the efficiency increases.
 Excitation voltage more than normal excitation is called over excitation voltage.
 Excitation voltage less than normal excitation is called under excitation.
 Power factor is varied by varying the field current of the synchronous motor. This is
possible in wound field machine.
 Motor voltage and current are sensed and given to power factor calculator where the
phase angle between the current and voltage is computed.
 An over-excited synchronous motor has a leading power factor. This makes it useful
for power factor correction of industrial loads.