Electrical Machines

DC Machines

BITS Pilani Dr. STP Srinivas, EEE

Hyderabad Campus
Principle of Electromechanical Energy Conversion
• Electrical Energy is a common platform of energy conversion.
• In all electrical utilization applications, the generated electrical
energy is converted to other forms like mechanical movement,
light, etc.
• Among industrial applications, electro mechanical conversion is
the most common and most widely happening form.
• In mechanical – electrical energy conversion, the electrical
energy is generated from mechanical energy. Here, mechanical
energy is in the form of turbine movement.
• In electrical – mechanical energy conversion, the electrical
energy is consumed in the form of motoring action for
industrial purposes.
• So Mechanical to electrical energy conversion is called
Electrical energy generation and Electrical to Mechanical
conversion is the motoring action.
• Electrical machines are the mechanisms to convert electrical
energy to mechanical energy or vice – versa.
• Unlike transformer which is a static device, an electrical
machines is a dynamic device which contains a stationary part
(stator) and a rotating part (rotor).
DC Machines
• DC machines are a class of electro-mechanical conversion
systems which operate on DC Electrical Energy. They are
versatile in meeting varying load demands like high starting
torques, high accelerating and decelerating torques, wide
range of speed control and quick speed reversals.

• DC machines are the first class of electrical machines invented

in 1830s when the electrical energy consumption is DC.

• DC Motors have wide range industry applications including

steel and aluminum rolling mills, power shovels, electric
elevators, rail locomotives, large earth-moving equipment etc.

• They are also widely used in vehicles and automobiles as

starter motors, windshield-wiper motors, fan motors etc.

• DC machine, in general, is regarded as a hetro-pole,

concentrated field system and distributed armature field
Fig. 1. A DC Machine
system with commutating action.
Operating principle of DC machines

Fleming’s Left hand rule for Motoring Action Fleming’s Right hand rule for Generator action
Constructional details of a DC machine

Fig. 2. Front view of a DC machine dissection Fig. 3. End view and side view of the DC machine

*Source of the diagrams: https://electricals9.blogspot.com/2017/12/construction-and-working-of-dc-motor.html

Types of DC motors

Types of DC machines: (a) Separately Excited, (b) Series, (c) Shunt, (d) Compound
 EMF Equation:
Motor Action:

1. The Fig. 4 shows a single loop DC motor with two conductors.

2. Whenever a DC voltage sources is connected at the commutator-

brush terminals, the armature winding draws DC current (I) and set
up magnetic field corresponding to the armature.

3. Since, stator also has its own magnetic field (B) which is provided
by the field coils (between N and S poles in the Fig. 4), the two
magnetic fields tend to interact with each other.

4. The net interaction between the two magnetic forces (produced

by the fields of stator and rotor), induce a net torque on the rotor
conductors. Then, the rotor tends to rotate in such a direction as to
oppose the cause of its movement. The direction of rotation can be
found by using Fleming’s left hand rule.

5. The currents flowing in the armature winding induces certain

amount of emf in the rotor windings, called back emf.
Fig. 4. DC Motor with single turn coil armature
6. The magnitude of back emf is slightly less than the applied
voltage at the motor terminals.
EMF Equation of a DC Machine
In any moving coil in the magnetic field, the maximum emf induced (see tutorial 1, problem 5), is given by

𝐸𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑁𝐵𝐴𝜔𝑟
Where,
N= no. of turns in the coil
B= flux density (wb/m2)
A = area coil or area swept by the magnetic field
𝜔𝑟 = angular velocity (in elec. Radians/ sec)

𝜔𝑟 = 𝜃𝑟 /𝑡

The emf induced in the coil can be assumed as

𝐸𝑐 (𝜃𝑟 𝑡) = 𝐸𝑚𝑎𝑥 sin 𝜃𝑟

So, the average value of induced emf at the commutator brushes

EMF and Torque Equations of a DC Machine
So, the average value of induced emf at the commutator brushes
B1B2 is given by,

1 𝜋 2
𝐸𝑐 = ‫׬‬0 𝐸𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑟 𝑑𝜃 = 𝐸𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝜋 𝜋

Therefore,
2 2 2
𝐸𝑐 = 𝐸𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑁𝐵𝐴𝜔𝑟 = 𝑁𝜙 𝜔𝑟
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋

Since 𝜔𝑟 is the radial frequency in electrical rad/ sec., we need to

convert it to mech. Rad/sec to relate the equation to mechanical
speed of the machine in rotations per minute. 𝜙 is the flux
induced per pole (Wb/pole) by the stator magnetic field.

2𝜋𝑛
Mechanical angular speed, 𝜔𝑚 = ,
60

𝑛 = 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝐶 𝑚𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑅𝑃𝑀

EMF and Torque Equations of a DC Machine
And we know that,
𝑃
𝜃𝑟 = 𝜃𝑚 , where P is the no. of poles in the machine.
2

𝑃 𝑃 𝑃 2𝜋𝑛 𝑃𝜋𝑛
So, 𝜃𝑟 /𝑡 = 𝜃𝑚 /𝑡 → 𝜔𝑟 = 𝜔𝑚 = =
2 2 2 60 60

So, substituting 𝜔𝑟 in 𝐸𝑐 , we get,

𝑁𝜙𝑃𝑛
𝐸𝑐 =
60

Since, the coil contains “N” turns and each turn has ‘2’
conductors, if the coil contains “z” number of conductors, then
“N” turns will have “z/2” number of conductors. So,

𝑧𝜙𝑃𝑛
𝐸𝑐 =
2 𝑥 60
EMF and Torque Equations of a DC Machine

Wave Winding structure

Lap Winding structure

EMF and Torque Equations of a DC Machine
But a DC machine may contain lap or wave winding armature. So, the entire winding will have the number of
conductors equally divided in a number of parallel paths with a common induced emf across each parallel path.

If the DC machine contains “a” number of parallel paths then each parallel path will have “z/a” number of
conductors. So, the induced emf will be,
𝒛𝝓𝑷𝒏
𝑬𝒄 =
𝟔𝟎𝒂
2𝜋𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝒛𝝓𝑷𝝎
If 𝜔𝑚 = , 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑬𝒄 = = 𝑲𝒂 𝝓𝝎
60 𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝟐𝝅𝒂

𝒛𝑷
Where, 𝑲𝒂 = = 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕
𝟐𝝅𝒂
In case of lap winding, a=P. So,

𝒛𝝓𝒏
𝑬𝒄 =
𝟔𝟎
In case of Wave winding, a=2
𝒛𝑷𝝓𝒏
𝑬𝒄 =
𝟏𝟐𝟎
Torque Equation of a DC Machine
Torque is induced in the airgap due to the interaction of stator and rotor magnetic fields. This torque is called
electro-magnetic torque or electrical torque. In DC motors an external torque is applied on the motor shaft due
to mechanical load. This is called load torque or mechanical torque.
The electromagnetic torque equation of a DC machine can be expressed as,
𝑃𝑒𝑚
𝑇𝑒𝑚 =
𝜔𝑚
Where,
𝑃𝑒𝑚 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝐶 𝑚𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑃𝑒𝑚 = 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝐸𝑀𝑓 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑋 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝐸𝑐 𝐼𝑎
𝑟𝑎𝑑 2𝜋𝑛
𝜔𝑚 = 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 =
𝑠𝑒𝑐 60
𝑛 = speed of the DC Machine in RPM

𝒛𝝓𝑷𝒏
Substituting the induced EMF equation of the DC machine 𝑬𝒄 = , in 𝑇𝑒𝑚 we get,
𝟔𝟎𝒂

𝒛𝑷
𝑻𝒆𝒎 = 𝝓𝑰 = 𝑲𝒆 𝝓𝑰𝒂
𝟐𝝅𝒂 𝒂
Where,
𝒛𝑷
𝑲𝒆 =
Torque Equation of a DC Machine
Example:

The armature of a 4 pole lap wound dc machine has a core length of 30cm, diameter of 40 cm. The winding has
total 500 conductors and the speed of the machine is 1200 rpm and a current of 20A is flowing in the armature
conductos. For an average flux density of 0.5 T, find the EMF induced in the armature, electromagnetic torque
and power developed in the armature.

Ans:
Length l =30 cm = 0.3m, radius r = d/2 = 0.2 m. speed n= 1200 rpm

Area of of the air gap = 2πrl = 0.377 m2.

So, Total flux in the airgap ɸ = (Bavg X 2πrl )= 0.1885 Wb, but flux per pole, ɸ = total flux/P = 0.1885/4 = 0.04712 Wb.
𝒛𝝓𝑷𝒏 500 ∗0.04712 ∗4 ∗1200
Generated EMF, 𝑬𝒄 = = = 471.2 V
𝟔𝟎𝒂 60 ∗4

Total Power developed in the armature, Pem = Ec X Ia = 471.2 X 20 = 9424 Watts

So, the electro magnetic torque developed, Tem = Pem/ω = 9424 X60/(2 π X 1200) = 75 N-m
Characteristics and Applications of DC motors
DC Motor Applications
S. No. Type of Motor Applications

Blowers, Fans
Centrifugal and
Reciprocating pumps,
1 DC Shunt Motor Lathe machines,
Machine tools,
Milling Machines,
Drilling Machines

Cranes,
Hoists,
Elevators,
2 DC Series Motor Trolleys,
Conveyors,
Electric Locomotives,

Rolling mills,
Punches,
Cumulative Shears,
3
Compound Motor Heavy planers,
Elevators
n= speed (RPM) Differential Not suitable for practical
T = Torque (N-m) 4 Compound Motor applications
Tfl = Torque at full load (N-m)
n0 = Rated speed (RPM)
*Figure courtesy: “Basic Electrical Engineering”, by I. J. Nagrath, D. P. Kothari