Electric Power Utilization (EE16105)

Assignment I

Module 1:
1. A train is required to run between two stations 1.5 km apart at a schedule speed of 36
km/h, the duration of stops being 25 seconds. The braking retardation is 3 km/h/s.
Assuming trapezoidal speed/time curve, calculate the acceleration if the ratio of maximum
speed to average speed is to be 1.25.
2. A train has schedule speed of 60 km per hour between the stops which are 9 km apart.
Determine the crest speed over the run, assuming trapezoidal speed – time curve. The train
accelerates at 3 kmphps and retards at 4.5 kmphps. Duration of stops is 75 seconds.
3. A 250-tonne motor coach having 4 motors, each developing a torque of 8000 N-m during
acceleration, starts from rest. If up-gradient is 30 in 1000, gear ratio 3.5, gear transmission
efficiency 90%, wheel diameter 90 cm, train resistance 50 N/t, rotational inertia effect
10%, compute the time taken by the coach to attain a speed of 80 km/h. If supply voltage
is 3000 V and motor efficiency 85%, calculate the current taken during the acceleration
period.
4. A goods train weighing 500 tonne is to be hauled by a locomotive up an ascending
gradient of 2% with an acceleration of 1 km/h/s. If coefficient of adhesion is 0.25, train
resistance 40 N/t and effect of rotational inertia 10%; find the weight of locomotive and
number of axles if load is not to increase beyond 21 tonne/axle.
5. An electric locomotive weighing 100 tonne can just accelerate a train of 500 tonne
(trailing weight) with an acceleration of 1 km/h/s on an up-gradient of 0.1%. Train
resistance is 45 N/t and rotational inertia is 10%. If this locomotive is helped by another
locomotive of weight 120 tonne, find:
(i) The trailing weight that can now be hauled up the same gradient under the same
conditions.
(ii) The maximum gradient, if the trailing hauled load remains unchanged.

Assume adhesive weight expressed as percentage of total dead weight as 0.8 for both
locomotives.

6. A 200-tonne electric train runs according to the following quadrilateral speed/time curve:
1. Uniform acceleration from rest at 2 km/h/s for 30 seconds.
2. Coasting for 50 seconds.
3. Duration of braking:15 seconds.

If up-gradient is 1%, train resistance 40 N/t, rotational inertia effect 10%, duration of stops
15 s and overall efficiency of gear and motor 75%, find (i) schedule speed (ii) specific
energy consumption (iii) how will the value of specific energy consumption change if
there is a down-gradient of 1% rather than the up-gradient?

7. The following figures give the magnetization curve of d.c series motor when working as a
separately excited generator at 600 rpm:
 Field Current (amperes) 20 40 60 80
E.M.F (volts) 21 381 485 550
5
The total resistance of the motor is 0.8 ohm. Deduce the speed-torque curve for this motor
when operating at a constant voltage of 600 volts.
8. A tram car is equipped with two motors which are operating in parallel. Calculate the
current drawn from the supply main at 500 volts when the car is running at a steady speed
of 50 kmph and each motor is developing a tractive effort of 2100 N. The resistance of
each motor is 0.4 ohm. The friction, winding and other losses may be assumed as 3500
watts per motor
9. Two motors of a motor coach are started on series- parallel system, the current per motor
being 350 A (considered as being maintained constant) during the starting period which is
18 sec. If the acceleration during starting period is uniform, the line voltage is 600 V and
resistance of each motor is 0.1 W. Find (a) the time during which the motors are operated
in series. (b) the energy loss in the rheostat during starting period.
10. Two 750 V D.C series motors each having a resistance of 0.1W are started on series-
parallel system. Mean current throughout the starting period is 300 A. Starting period is 15
sec. and train speed at the end of this period is 25 km/hr. Calculate
(i) Rheostatic losses during series and parallel combination of motors
(ii) Energy lost in motor.
(iii) Motor output
(iv) Starting efficiency
(v) Train speed at which transition from series to parallel must be made.

Assignment II

Module 2:
1. A resistance oven employing nichrome wire is to be operated from 220 V single-phase
supply and is to be rated at 16 kW. If the temperature of the element is to be limited to
1,170°C and average temperature of the charge is 500°C, find the diameter and length of
the element wire. Radiating efficiency = 0.57, Emmissivity=0.9, Specific resistance of
nichrome= (109 ×10–8) ohm-m.
2. A 30-kW, 3-φ, 400-V resistance oven is to employ nickel-chrome strip 0.254 mm thick for
the three star-connected heating elements. If the wire temperature is to be 1,100°C and that
of the charge to be 700°C, estimate a suitable width for the strip. Assume emissivity = 0.9
and radiating efficiency to be 0.5 and resistivity of the strip material is 101.6 × 10 –8 Ω- m.
What would be the temperature of the wire if the charge were cold?
3. A cubic water tank has surface area of 6.0 m2 and is filled to 90% capacity six times daily.
The water is heated from 20°C to 65°C. The losses per square metre of tank surface per
1°C temperature difference are 6.3 W. Find the loading in kW and the efficiency of the
tank. Assume specific heat of water = 4,200 J/kg/°C and one kWh = 3.6 MJ.
4. If a 3-phase arc furnace is to melt 10 tonne steel in 2 hours, estimate the average input to
the furnace if overall efficiency is 50%. If the current input is 9,000 A with the above kW
 input and the resistance and reactance of furnace leads (including transformer) are
0.003 Ω and 0.005 Ω respectively. Estimate the arc voltage and total kVA taken from the
supply Specific heat of steel = 444 J kg–1°C–1.
Latent heat of fusion of steel = 37.25 kJ/kg
Melting point of steel = 1,370 °C
5. A low-frequency induction furnace has a secondary voltage of 20V and takes 600 kW at
0.6 p.f. when the hearth is full. If the secondary voltage is kept constant, determine the
power absorbed and the p.f. when the hearth is half-full. Assume that the resistance of the
secondary circuit is doubled but the reactance remains the same.
6. Why A.C. welding machine cannot be used for MIG welding. Justify your answer.
7. Why Differential compound generators are used in arc welding. What will be the
problems if Cumulative compound generators are used?
8. Why Dielectric heating method of heating is likely to give leading power factor over
Induction heating? Justify your answer mathematically.

Assignment III

Module 3:
1. Why Is a Condenser Connected In Parallel With The Starter Of A Fluorescent Tube?
2. A corridor is lighted by 4 lamps spaced 10 m apart and suspended at a height of
5 m above the centre line of the floor. If each lamp gives 200 C.P. in all directions below
the horizontal, find the illumination at the point on the floor mid-way between the second
and third lamps.

3. The average luminous output of an 80-W fluorescent lamp 1.5 metre in length and 3.5 cm
diameter is 3300 lumens. Calculate its average brightness. If the auxiliary gear associated
with the lamp consumes a load equivalent to 25 percent of the lamp, calculate the cost of
running a twin unit for 2500 hours at 30 paise per kWh.

4. A lamp of 100 candela is placed 1 m below a plane mirror which reflects 90% of light
falling on it. The lamp is hung 4 m above ground. Find the illumination at a point on the
ground 3 m away from the point vertically below the lamp.

5. A 2.5 cm diameter disc source of luminance 1000 cd/cm2 is placed at the focus of a
specular parabolic reflector normal to the axis. The focal length of the reflector is 10 cm,
diameter 40 cm and reflectance 0.8. Calculate the axial intensity and beam-spread. Also
show diagrammatically what will happen if the source were moved away from the
reflector along the axis in either direction.

6. A show case is lighted by 4 metre of architectural tubular lamps arranged in a continuous

line and placed along the top of the case. Determine the illumination produced on a
horizontal surface 2 metres below the lamps in a position directly underneath the centre of
 the 4 m length of the lamps on the assumption that in tubular lamps emit 1,880 lm per
metre run. Neglect the effect of any reflectors which may be used.
7. Find the total saving in electrical load and percentage increase in illumination if instead of
using twelve 150 W tungsten-filament lamps, we use twelve 80 W fluorescent tubes. It
may be assumed that (i) there is a choke loss of 25 per cent of rated lamp wattage (ii)
average luminous efficiency throughout life for each lamp is 15 lm/W and for each tube
40 lm/W and (iii) coefficient of utilization remains the same in both cases.

8. A football pitch 120 m × 60 m is to be illuminated for night play by similar banks of

equal 1000 W lamps supported on twelve towers which are distributed around the ground
to provide approximately uniform illumination of the pitch. Assuming that 40% of the
total light emitted reaches the playing pitch and that an illumination of 1000 lm/m2 is
necessary for television purposes, calculate the number of lamps on each tower. The
overall efficiency of the lamp is to be taken as 30 lm/W.

9. It is desired to floodlight the front of a building 42 m wide and 16 m high.

Projectors of 30° beam spread and 1000-W lamps giving 20 lumen/watt are available. If
the desired level of illumination is 75 lm/m2 and if the projectors are to be located at
ground level 17 m away, design and show a suitable scheme. Assume the following :
Coefficient of utilization = 0.4 ; Depreciation factor = 1.3; Waste-light factor = 1.2

10. A small light source with uniform intensity is mounted at a height of 10 meters above a
horizontal surface. Two points A and B both lie on the surface with point A directly
beneath the source. How far is B from A if the illumination at B is only 1/15th of that at
A?