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Electrical Machinery
fundamentals (EEEG 215)
-Lecture 11

Armature reaction (contd..)

• The voltage drop in a dc machine is not only due to armature resistance

but also due to armature reaction.
• The only flux acting in a d.c. machine is that due to the main poles (field
winding) called main flux.
• However, current flowing through armature conductors also creates a
magnetic flux (called armature flux) that distorts and weakens the flux
coming from the poles.
• This distortion and field weakening takes place in both generators and
motors.

• The action of armature flux on the main flux is known as armature

reaction.

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Armature reaction contd...

• Phenomenon of armature reaction in a dc
motor

Armature reaction contd...

• Only one pole is shown for clarity.
• When the generator is on no-load, a small current flowing in
the armature does not appreciably affect the main flux φ1
coming from the pole.

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Armature reaction contd...

• When the generator is loaded, the current
flowing through armature conductors sets up
flux φ2.

Armature reaction contd...

• superimposing φ1 and φ2, we obtain
the resulting flux φ3
• flux density at the trailing pole tip
(point B) is increased while at the
leading pole tip (point A) it is
decreased.

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Armature reaction contd...

• unequal field distribution produces the following two effects:

(i) The main flux is distorted.

(ii) Due to higher flux density at pole tip B, saturation sets in.

- Consequently, the increase in flux at pole tip B is less than the

decrease in flux under pole tip A.

- Flux φ3 at full load is, therefore, less than flux φ1 at no load.

Armature reaction (contd..)

Geometrical and Magnetic Neutral Axes

Geometrical Neutral Axis

• The geometrical neutral axis (G.N.A.) is the axis that bisects the angle
between the centre line of adjacent poles .
• It is the axis of symmetry between two adjacent poles.

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Armature reaction (contd..)

Geometrical and Magnetic Neutral Axes
Magnetic Neutral Axis
• The magnetic neutral axis (M. N. A.) is the axis drawn perpendicular to the
mean direction of the flux passing through the centre of the armature.

• No e.m.f. is produced in the armature conductors along this axis because

then they cut no flux.
• With no current in the armature conductors, the M.N.A. coincides with
G. N. A.

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In order to achieve sparkless commutation, the brushes must lie along M.N.A.

Armature reaction (contd..)

• With no current in armature conductors, the M.N.A. coincides with G.N.A.

• However, when current flows in armature conductors, the combined

action of main flux and armature flux shifts the M.N.A. from G.N.A.

• In case of a generator, the M.N.A. is shifted in the direction of rotation of

the machine.

• In order to achieve sparkless commutation, the brushes have to be moved

along the new M.N.A.

• Under such a condition, the armature reaction produces the following two
effects:
1. It demagnetizes or weakens the main flux.
2. It cross-magnetizes or distorts the main flux.

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(1) Case 1:
- Fig. (i) shows the flux due to main poles (main flux)
when the armature conductors carry no current.
- The flux across the air gap is uniform.
- The m.m.f. producing the main flux is represented in
magnitude and direction by the vector OFm .
- OFm is perpendicular to G.N.A.

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(2) Case 2:
- Fig. (ii) shows the flux due to current flowing in armature conductors alone
(main poles unexcited).
- The armature conductors to the left of G.N.A. carry current “in” (x) and
those to the right carry current “out” (•).
- The direction of magnetic lines of force can be found by cork screw rule.
- Armature flux is directed downward parallel to the brush axis.
- The m.m.f. producing the armature flux is represented in magnitude and
direction by the vector OFA.

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(3) Case 3:
- Fig. (iii) shows the flux due to the main poles and that due to current in
armature conductors acting together.
- The resultant m.m.f. OF is the vector sum of OFm and OFA as shown in Fig.
(iii).
- **M.N.A. is always perpendicular to the resultant m.m.f., the M.N.A. is
shifted through an angle θ.
- M.N.A. is shifted in the direction of rotation of the generator.

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(4) Case 4:
- In order to achieve sparkless commutation, the brushes must lie along the
M.N.A.
- Consequently, the brushes are shifted through an angle θ so as to lie along
the new M.N.A. as shown in Fig. (iv).
- Due to brush shift, the m.m.f. FA of the armature is also rotated through
the same angle θ.

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(4) Case 4 contd...
• Some of the conductors which were earlier under N-pole now come under
S-pole and vice-versa.
• armature m.m.f. FA will no longer be vertically downward  rotated in the
direction of rotation through an angle θ

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(4) Case 4 contd...
- FA is resolved into rectangular components Fc and Fd.
i) The component Fd is in direct opposition to the m.m.f. OFm due to main
poles  It has a demagnetizing effect on the flux due to main poles.
For this reason, it is called the demagnetizing or weakening component
of armature reaction.

Fm

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Armature reaction contd...

• Consider a 2-pole generator
(4) Case 4 contd...
- FA is resolved into rectangular components Fc and Fd.
ii) The component Fc is at right angles to the m.m.f. OFm due to main
poles It distorts the main field. For this reason, it is called the cross
magnetizing or distorting component of armature reaction.

with the increase of armature current, both demagnetizing and distorting effects will
increase.

Fm

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Review

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Demagnetizing and cross magnetizing

conductors
• Consider a 2-pole generator with brushes
shifted (lead) θm mechanical degrees from
G.N.A.

• Identify the armature conductors that

produce demagnetizing effect and those that
produce cross-magnetizing effect ?
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Demagnetizing and cross magnetizing

conductors contd...
i) Demagnetizing armature conductors
- The armature conductors θm on either side of G.N.A. produce flux in direct
opposition to main flux .
- conductors lying within angles AOC = BOD = 2θm at the top and bottom of
the armature produce demagnetizing effect. These are called demagnetizing
armature conductors.

Main flux

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Demagnetizing and cross magnetizing

conductors contd...
i) Cross magnetizing conductors
- The axis of magnetization of the remaining armature conductors lying
between angles AOD and COB is at right angles to the main flux is shown in
figure.
- These conductors produce the cross-magnetizing (or distorting) effect i.e.,
they produce uneven flux distribution on each pole.
- Therefore, they are called cross-magnetizing conductors.

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Armature reaction (contd..)

Calculation of Demagnetizing and cross magnetizing ampere turns per pole

- Let us define following

Z = Total number of armature conductors
P = No. of poles
I = Armature conductor current in amperes
= Ia/2 for simplex wave winding
= IP/P for simplex lap winding
θm = forward lead of brush in mechanical degrees

- The conductors which are responsible for demagnetizing ampere-turns

are lying in the region spanning 4θm degrees.
- The region is in between angles AOC and BOD .

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Armature reaction (contd..)

• Total number of conductors lying in the angles AOC and BOD

(total demagnetizing ampere turn)

• Since two conductors form 1 turn, hence, total number of turns in these
angles

• Demagnetizing amp-turns per pole pair

• Demagnetizing amp-turns/pole
• Hence, demagnetizing Amp-turns per pole is

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Armature reaction contd...

• demagnetizing ampere-turns of armature
reaction can be neutralized by putting extra
turns on each pole of the generator.

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Armature reaction (contd..)

• The armature conductors which are responsible for cross
magnetization is lying between angle AOD and BOC.

• Total armature conductors / pole

• From above, the demagnetizing ampere turns per pole

• Hence, Cross magnetizing ampere conductors per pole

• Cross magnetizing amp conductors/pole is=

• Since 2 conductors form one turn, hence cross magnetizing amp-
turns per pole

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Armature reaction (contd..)

• If the brush shift angle is given in electrical degrees then it should be

converted into mechanical degrees by the following relation.

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Armature reaction (contd..)

• Example 11.1: A wave wound 4 pole dc generator with 480 armature

conductors supplies a current of 144 A. The brushes are given an actual
lead of 100. Calculate the demagnetizing and cross magnetizing ampere
turns per pole.

• Example 11.2: A 6 pole dc generator has lap-wound armature. The

generator has 720 conductors. The current carrying by the load is 55 A at
full-load condition. If the brush lead is 100 , determine the demagnetizing
and cross magnetizing ampere-turns per pole.

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Armature reaction contd...

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Compensating winding
• an auxiliary winding embedded in slots in the pole faces.
• connected in series with armature in a manner so that the
direction of current through the compensating conductors in
any one pole face will be opposite to the direction of the
current through the adjacent armature conductors.

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Armature reaction (contd..)

Use of compensating winding

- These windings are used to neutralize the armature flux in the pole which will
otherwise cause severe distortion-cross magnetization in the main field flux.
These are placed in axial slots in the pole faces as shown in Figure .
- The effect of armature reaction depends upon the armature current which in
turn depends on the load on the machine.

Figure : Compensating winding and its symbolic representation 30

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Armature reaction contd...

Compensating winding contd...
• For conductors per pole face required for the compensating
winding, current in the compensating conductors is the
armature current Ia whereas the current in armature
conductors is Ia/A where ‘A’ is the number of parallel paths.

To have perfect neutralization of armature

mmf under pole shoe, the ampere conductors
of compensating winding must be equal to
the total armature ampere conductors under
the pole shoe.
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Armature reaction contd...

Compensation winding contd...
AT/Pole for Compensating Winding
• Only the cross-magnetizing ampere-turns produced by
conductors under the pole face are effective in producing the
distortion in the pole cores.
• If Z is the total number of armature conductors and P is the
number of poles, then,

;Per pole pair

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Armature reaction contd...

Compensation winding contd...
• AT/Pole for Compensating Winding contd...

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Armature reaction (contd..)

• Since the distribution of armature mmf and compensating winding is not
identical, the complete neutralization of armature mmf cannot be
achieved by using compensating winding.
• The armature mmf under the pole shoe is neutralized whereas there is
incomplete neutralization in the inter polar region which can be
neutralized by using inter pole windings.
• Hence by using inter poles as well as compensating winding, the reaction
effect is completely neutralized over the entire armature periphery.

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Armature reaction (contd..)

• Example 11.3 : A 400V, 1000A lap wound dc machine has 10 poles and
860 armature conductors. Calculate the number of conductors in the pole
face to give full compensation if the pole face covers 70% of pole span.

• Example 11.4: a 250V, 14.9 kW, 8 pole dc motor has single turn coils. The
armature is wave wound with 94 commutator segments. If the brushes are
given a lead of 2 commutator segments at full load, calculate 1) total
armature reaction ampere-turn per pole 2) cross-magnetizing ampere-
turns per pole. Assume an efficiency of 80%.

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Armature Reaction contd...

Example 11.5

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Thank you

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