Working Principle of Dc motor

The DC motor is the device which converts the direct

current into the mechanical work. It works on the principle
of Lorentz Law, which states that “the current-carrying
conductor placed in a magnetic field , it experiences a
force”. The experienced force is called the Lorentz force.
The Fleming’s left-hand rule gives the direction of the
force.
• Force on current carrying conductor:
➢If a straight conductor is placed in the
magnetic field produced by a permanent
magnet, the current flowing through a
conductor as per right hand thump
rule(indicated by cross marking)
➢Due to the presence of two magnetic fields
simultaneously, an interaction between them
will take place as shown in fig.(1).
Fig.1(a): Interaction of the fields Fig.1(b):Resultant field
➢As shown in fig.(1), the flux lines produced by
the magnet and the conductor are in opposite
direction to each other at left side and hence
cancel each other. Therefore the number of
flux lines at left side are reduced.
➢At the right side, the individual fields are in the
same direction, hence will add or strengthen
each other. Therefore the number of flux lines
at right side are increased.
• Magnitude of Force:
➢The magnitude of the force experienced by the
current carrying conductor placed in the
magnetic field is given by,
F = BIl Newton
Where B = Flux density produced by Magnet
I = current flowing through conductor
l = Length of the conductor
• Direction of force:
➢ The direction of rotation of a motor depends on the
direction of force exerted on the the armature winding and
the direction of force experienced by a current carrying
conductor is given by Fleming’s left hand rule.
➢ Statement of Fleming’s left hand rule:
It states that if the first three fingers of the left hand are held
mutually at right angles to each other and if index finger
indicates the direction of the magnetic field, and if middle
finger indicates the direction of current flowing through the
conductor, then thumb indicates the direction of force
exerted on the conductor. This is shown in fig (2).
Fig.(2):Fleming’s left hand rule thumb
 Windings in DC Machine
• In any dc machines, there are two windings:
1. Field winding 2. Armature winding
• Out of these, the field winding is stationary
which does not move at all and armature
winding is mounted on a shaft. So it can rotate
freely.
• Connection of windings for operation as motor:
➢ To operate the dc machine as a motor, the field
winding and armature winding is connected
across a dc power supply.
 DC Motor
• Principle of operation:
➢When current carrying conductor is placed in
a magnetic field, it experienced a force.
➢In case of DC motor, the magnetic field us
developed by the field current i.e. current
flowing in field winding and armature winding
plays the role of current carrying conductor
➢So armature winding experienced a force and
start rotating.
Construction of DC Motor

Fig.(1): construction of DC motor

• Important parts of DC motor:
1. Yoke 4. Armature
2. Field winding 5. Commutator, brushes & gear
3. poles 6. Brushes

1. Yoke:
➢ It acts as the outer support of a DC motor.
➢ It provides mechanical support for the poles.
2. Poles:
➢ pole of a dc motor is an electromagnet.
➢ The field winding is wound over the poles.
➢ Poles produces magnetic flux when the filed winding is
excited.
3. Field winding:
➢ The coils wound around the pole are called field coils and
they are connected in series with each other to form field
winding.
➢ When current passing through the field winding, magnetic
flux produced in the air gap between pole and armature.
4. Armature:
➢ Armature is a cylindrical drum mounted on shaft in
which number of slots are provided.
➢ Armature conductors are placed in these slots.
➢ Theses armature conductors are interconnected to form
the armature winding.
5. Commutator:
➢ A commutator is a cylindrical drum mounted on the
shaft alonwith the armature core.
➢ It collects the current from the armature conductors and
passed it to the external load via brushes.
6. Brushes:
➢Commutator is rotating. So it is not possible to
connect the load directly to it.
➢Hence current is conducted from the armature
to the external load by the carbon brushes
which are held against the surface of
commutator by springs.
 Back EMF
• When the armature winding of a dc motor starts
rotating in the magnetic flux produced by the field
winding, it cuts the lines of magnetic flux.
• Hence according to the faraday’s laws of
electromagnetic induction, there will be an
induced emf in the armature winding.
• As per the Lenz’s law, this induced emf acts in
opposite direction to the armature supply voltage.
Hence this emf is called as the back emf and
denoted by Eb.
 Types of DC Motors
• Depending on the way of connecting the
armature and field windings of a d.c. motors
are classified as follows:
DC Motor

DC series Shunt motor Compound Separately

motor motor excited motor

Short shunt Long shunt

compound compound
 DC Shunt Motor
• In DC shunt type motor, field and armature
winding are connected in parallel as shown in
fig.(1), and this combination is connected across a
common dc power supply.
• The resistance of shunt field winding (Rsh) is
always much higher than that of armature winding
(Ra).
• This is because the number of turns for the field
winding is more than that of armature winding.
• The field current Ish always remains constant.
Since V and Rsh both are constant. Hence flux
produced also remains constant. Because field
current is responsible for generation of flux.
∴ ø ∝ Ish
• This is why the shunt motor is also called as
the constant flux motors.
Fig.(1):DC shunt motor schematic diagram
 DC Series Motor
• In DC series motor, the armature and field
windings are connected din series with each other
as shown in fig.(1).
• The resistance of the series field winding (Rs) is
much smaller as compared to that of the armature
resistance (Ra).
• The flux produced is proportional to the field
current. But in series motor, the field current is
same as armature current.
∴ ø ∝ Ia or
∴ ø ∝ Is
• The armature current Ia and hence field current
Is will be dependent on the load.
• Hence in DC series motor the flux does not
remains constant.

Fig.(1):DC series motor schematic diagram

 DC Compound Motor
1. Long Shunt Compound Motor:
• As shown in fig.(1), in long shunt dc motor, shunt
field winding is connected across the series
combination of the armature and series field winding.
2. Short Shunt Compound Motor:
• In short shunt compound motor, armature and field
windings are connected in parallel with each other and
this combination is connected din series with the
series filed winding. This is shown in fig.(2).
➢ The long shunt and short shunt compound motors are
further classified as cumulative and differential
compound motors
Fig.(1): Long shunt compound dc motor fig.(2):Short shunt compound dc motor
 Torque & Speed Equations
• Torque equations:
➢ Torque produced by a motor will always be proportional to the air gap flux
ø and the current flowing through the armature winding (Ia).
➢ That means T ∝ ø Ia
➢ The flux is produced by the field current hence ø will be proportional to
field current. That means,
ø ∝ Ifield
➢ hence torque produced by a dc motor is proportional to the product of Ia
and Ifield. That means,
T ∝ Ia Ifield ………..(1)

➢ For various types of dc motors the expression for field current will be
different. We will substitute them into eq.(1) to get the torque equations .
1. Torque equation of DC shunt motor:
➢ For DC shunt motor Ifield = V/ Rsh = constant
➢ Hence the flux ø is constant.
∴ T ∝ Ia ……..(2)
➢ Hence in dc shunt motor, torque is proportional to only to
the armature current.
2. Torque equation DC series motor:
➢ For DC series motor, the field current is equal to the
armature current i.e. Ifield = Ia.
➢ Hence T ∝ Ia Ia
∴ T ∝ Ia2 ………(3)
➢ Hence in dc series motor, torque is proportional to the
square of armature current.
• Speed Equations:
➢ We know that the expression for the back emf is,

➢ But P, Z and 60A are constants. Therefore we can write that,

Eb ∝ ø N ……(4)
➢ Therefore the speed can be expressed as,
N ∝ Eb/ ø …….(5)
N = k Eb/ ø ………(6)
➢ But V = Eb + Ia Ra
∴ Eb = V - Ia Ra ………..(7)
➢ Substituting eq.(7) into eq.(5) we get,
N ∝ (V - Ia Ra) / ø …….(8)
➢ Since ø ∝ Ifield , we can write,
N ∝ (V - Ia Ra) / Ifield …….(9)
1. DC shunt motor:
➢ For dc shunt motor, the flux ø is constant.
∴ N ∝ (V - Ia Ra) …..(10)
2. DC series motor:
➢ For dc series motor Ifield = Ia. Therefore
N ∝ (V - Ia Ra - Is Rs) / Ia …….(11)
where Eb = V - Ia Ra - Is Rs
speed

Constant speed
(ideal)

Practical

No load
Ta0

Increase Torque
in load
Fig.(1):speed-torque characteristics of dc shunt motor
2. DC series motor:
• The speed –torque characteristics of DC series
motor is as shown in fig.(2).
• We know that
N ∝ 1/ Ia and T ∝ Ia2
N ∝ 1/√T and Ia ∝ √T
• This shows that the speed decreases with
increase in the value of torque.
 N ∝ (1/√T)

Fig.(2): speed-torque characteristics of dc series motor

3. DC compound motor:
• The torque- speed characteristics of the DC
compound motor is as shown in fig.(3).
• It is combination of characteristics of DC
series and DC shunt motor.
• The exact shape of these characteristics is
dependent on the precise effects of series and
shunt field winding.
Fig.(3): speed torque characteristics of dc compound motor
 Applications of DC Motor
1. Shunt motor applications:
i. Various machine tools such as lathe
machines, drilling machines, milling
machines etc.
ii. Printing machines
iii. Paper machines
iv. Centrifugal and reciprocating pumps
v. Blowers and fans etc.
2. Series motor applications:
i. Electric trains
ii. Diesel-electric locomotives
iii. Cranes
iv. Hoists
v. Trolley cars and trolley buses
vi. Rapid transit systems
vii. Conveyers etc.
3. Cumulative compound motor applications:
i. Elevators
ii. Rolling mills
iii. Planers
iv. Punches
v. Shears
4. Differentials compound motors applications:
➢ The speed of these motors will increase with increase
in the load, which leads to an unstable operation.
➢ Therefore we can not use this motor for any practical
applications
 Specifications of DC Motor
• Some of important specifications of a DC motor:
1. Output power in horse power(H.P.)
2. Rated voltage
3. Type of field winding
4. Excitation voltage
5. Base speed in RPM
6. Current
7. Frame size
8. Rating
• Typical specifications of DC series motor:
Sr. Specifications/Rating Value
No.
1. Output power in horse power 3HP
2. Rated voltage 230V
3. Type of field winding Series
4. Excitation voltage 230V
5. Insulation B
6. Base speed 1000RPM
7. Current 11Amp
8. Frame size 132 S
9. Rating Continous
10. S.R.Number 840858