ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Qn.What is the function of revolving commutator when the rotor rotates from pole to pole?
Ans:-The revolving commutator causes required current reversal and applies power to the machine in an
optimal manner as the rotor rotates from pole to pole.

Qn.What would happen to the motor when there is absence of current reversal?
Ans:-When there is absence of current reversal in motor, the motor would brake to a stop.

Qn.Due to the improved technologies in electronic controller, what arethe devices increasingly being
displayed by externally commutated induction and permanent-magnet motors?
Ans:-Due to the improved technologies in electronic controller the following devices are increasingly
being displayed by externally commutated induction and permanent-magnet motors;
Sensor less control.
Induction motor.

Qn.Why asynchronous (induction) motors are important in industry?

Ans:-Asynchronous (induction) motors are most common type of AC motor that are important in
industry due to their load capacity.
Qn.Where the single-phase induction motors is commonly used?
Ans:-The single-phase induction motors being used mainly for smaller loads, like in house hold
appliances.
Qn.Where the three -phase induction motors is commonly used?
Ans:-Three-phase induction motors are used more in industrial applications including like;
Pumps
Lifting gear
Compressors
Conveyor systems

Qn. What will happen when the windings of a rotor are energized?
Ans:-When the windings of a rotor are energized they produce a magnetic field.
Qn. What will happen when the magnetic poles of the rotor field will be attracted to the opposite poles
generated by the stator?
Ans:-When the magnetic poles of the rotor field will be attracted to the opposite poles generated by the
stator, causing the rotor to turn.
Qn.Why the windings are constantly being energized in a different sequence as the motor turns?
Ans:-As the motor turns, the windings are constantly being energized in a different sequence so that the
magnetic poles produced by the rotor do not overrun the poles generated in the stator.

Qn.What is commutation?
Ans:-Commutation is the switching of the field in the rotor windings.

Qn.Why BDC motors do not require a controller to switch current in the motor windings like other type
of electrical motors?
Ans:-BDC motors do not require a controller to switch current in the motor windings like other type of
electrical motors because the commutation of the windings of a BDC motor is done mechanically.

Qn.Why shunt wound brushed DC motors are suitable for commercial applications with a low starting
load?
Ans:-Shunt wound brushed DC motors are suitable for commercial applications with a low starting load
because their speed is practically constant independent of the load.

Qn.Why series-wound brushed DC motors are suitable for high torque applications?
Ans:-Series-wound brushed DC motors are suitable for high torque applications because the current in
both the stator and armature increases under load.

Q1. What is self excitation in case of a dc machine?

Ans. The process of generating a magnetic field by means of an electric current is called
excitation. Modern generators with field coils are self-excited, where some of the power output
from the rotor is used to power the field coils.

Q2. What is the main operational difference between a shunt wound and series wound self
excited dc machine?
Ans. The Shunt wound motor is a constant speed motor in which the speed doesn’t depend on
the mechanical output, but in case of a series wound machine, the speed varies with the output
load attached.

Why D.C motors are used?

While some may claim that direct-current (DC) motors are no longer relevant, that is definitely
not the case. DC motors and DC converters/drives are alive and well in the industry. D.C motors
have some advantages like

 Low construction cost

 Speed control over a wide range
 High starting torque
 Quick Starting and Stopping, Reversing and Acceleration

Further problems on the transformer principle of operation

1. A transformer has 600 primary turns connected to a 1.5 kV supply. Determine the number of
secondary turns for a 240V output voltage, assuming no losses. [96]

2. An ideal transformer with a turns ratio of 2:9 is fed from a 220V supply. Determine its output voltage.
[990V]

3. A transformer has 800 primary turns and 2000 secondary turns. If the primary voltage is 160V,
determine the secondary voltage assuming an ideal transformer. [400V]
4. An ideal transformer with a turns ratio of 3:8 has an output voltage of 640V. Determine its input
voltage. [240V]

5. An ideal transformer has a turns ratio of 12:1 and is supplied at 192V. Calculate the secondary voltage.
[16V]

6. A transformer primary winding connected across a 415V supply has 750 turns. Determine how many
turns must be wound on the secondary side if an output of 1.66 kV is required. [3000 turns]

7. An ideal transformer has a turns ratio of 15:1 and is supplied at 180V when the primary current is 4A.
Calculate the secondary voltage and current. [12V, 60A]

8. A step-down transformer having a turns ratio of 20:1 has a primary voltage of 4 kV and a load of 10
kW. Neglecting losses, calculate the value of the secondary current. [50A]

9. A transformer has a primary to secondary turns ratio of 1:15. Calculate the primary voltage necessary
to supply a 240V load. If the load current is 3A determine the primary current. Neglect any losses. [16V,
45A]

10. A 10 kVA, single-phase transformer has a turns ratio of 12:1 and is supplied from a 2.4 kV supply.
Neglecting losses, determine (a) the full load secondary current, (b) the minimum value of load
resistance which can be connected across the secondary winding without the kVA rating being exceeded,
and (c) the primary current. [(a) 50A (b) 4 (c) 4.17A]

11. A 20 resistance is connected across the secondary winding of a single-phase power transformer
whose secondary voltage is 150V. Calculate the primary voltage and the turns ratio if the supply current
is 5A, neglecting losses. [225V, 3:2]

12. A 6 kVA, 100V/500V, single-phase transformer has a secondary terminal voltage of 487.5 volts when
loaded. Determine the regulation of the transformer. [2.5%]

13. A transformer has an open circuit voltage of 110 volts. A tap-changing device operates when the
regulation falls below 3%. Calculate the load voltage at which the tap-changer operates. [106.7 volts]

14. A single-phase transformer has a voltage ratio of 6:1 and the h.v. winding is supplied at 540V. The
secondary winding provides a full load current of 30A at a power factor of 0.8 lagging. Neglecting losses,
find (a) the rating of the transformer, (b) the power supplied to the load, (c) the primary current. [(a) 2.7
kVA (b) 2.16 kW (c) 5A]
15. A single-phase transformer is rated at 40 kVA. The transformer has full-load copper losses of 800 W
and iron losses of 500 W. Determine the transformer efficiency at full load and 0.8 power factor.
[96.10%]

16. Determine the efficiency of the transformer in problem 2 at half full-load and 0.8 power factor.
[95.81%]

17. A 100 kVA, 2000V/400V, 50 Hz, singlephase transformer has an iron loss of 600 W and a full-load
copper loss of 1600 W. Calculate its efficiency for a load of 60 kW at 0.8 power factor. [97.56%]

18. Determine the efficiency of a 15 kVA transformer for the following conditions:
(i) full-load, unity power factor
(ii) 0.8 full-load, unity power factor
(iii) half full-load, 0.8 power factor Assume that iron losses are 200 W and the full-load copper loss is 300
W. [(a) 96.77% (ii) 96.84% (iii) 95.62%]

19. A 300 kVA transformer has a primary winding resistance of 0.4 and a secondary winding resistance
of 0.0015 . The iron loss is 2 kW and the primary and secondary voltages are 4 kV and 200V respectively.
If the power factor of the load is 0.78, determine the efficiency of the transformer (a) on full load, and (b)
on half load. [(a) 96.84% (b) 97.17%]

20. A 250 kVA transformer has a full load copper loss of 3 kW and an iron loss of 2 kW. Calculate (a) the
output kVA at which the efficiency of the transformer is a maximum, and (b) the maximum efficiency,
assuming the power factor of the load is 0.80. [(a) 204.1 kVA (b) 97.61%]

Advantages of auto transformers

The advantages of auto transformers over doublewound transformers include:
1. a saving in cost since less copper is needed
2. less volume, hence less weight
3. a higher efficiency, resulting from lower I2R losses
4. a continuously variable output voltage is achievable if a sliding contact is used
5. a smaller percentage voltage regulation.

Disadvantages of auto transformers

The primary and secondary windings are not electrically separate, hence if an open-circuit occurs in the
secondary winding the full primary voltage appears across the secondary.

1. What is a transformer?
2. Explain briefly how a voltage is induced in the secondary winding of a transformer
3. Draw the circuit diagram symbol for a transformer
4. State the relationship between turns and voltage ratios for a transformer
5. How is a transformer rated?
6. Briefly describe the principle of operation of a transformer
7. Draw a phasor diagram for an ideal transformer on no-load
8. State the e.m.f. equation for a transformer
9. Draw an on-load phasor diagram for an ideal transformer with an inductive load
10. Name two types of transformer construction
11. What core material is normally used for power transformers
12. Name three core materials used in r.f. transformers
13. State a typical application for (a) a.f. transformers (b) r.f. transformers
14. How is cooling achieved in transformers?
15. State the expressions for equivalent resistance and reactance of a transformer, referred to the
primary
16. Define regulation of a transformer

17. Name two sources of loss in a transformer

18. What is hysteresis loss? How is it minimised in a transformer?
19. What are eddy currents? How may they be reduced in transformers?
20. How is efficiency of a transformer calculated?
21. What is the condition for maximum efficiency of a transformer?
22. What does ‘resistance matching’ mean?
23. State a practical application where matching would be used
24. Derive a formula for the equivalent resistance of a transformer having a turns ratio of N1:N2 and
load resistance RL
25. What is an auto transformer?

26. State three advantages and one disadvantage of an auto transformer compared with a double-
wound transformer

27. In what applications are auto transformers used?

28. What is an isolating transformer? Give two applications

29. Describe briefly the construction of a threephase transformer
30. For what reason are current transformers used?
31. Describe how a current transformer operates

32. For what reason are voltage transformers used?33. Describe how a voltage transformer operates

1. The synchronous speed of a 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor is 60 rev/s. Determine the frequency of
the supply to the stator windings.
[120 Hz]

2. The synchronous speed of a 3-phase induction motor is 25 rev/s and the frequency of the supply to
the stator is 50 Hz. Calculate the equivalent number of pairs of poles of the motor. [2]
3. A 6-pole, 3-phase induction motor is connected to a 300 Hz supply. Determine the speed of rotation
of the magnetic field produced by the stator. [100 rev/s]

Problem 4. The stator of a 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor is connected to a 50 Hz supply. The rotor
runs at 1455 rev/min at full load. Determine (a) the synchronous speed and (b) the slip at full load.

Problem 5. A 3-phase, 60 Hz induction motor has 2 poles. If the slip is 2 per cent at a certain load,
determine (a) the synchronous speed, (b) the speed of the rotor, and (c) the frequency of the induced
e.m.f.’s in the rotor.

Problem 6.A three-phase induction motor is supplied from a 50 Hz supply and runs at 1200 rev/min
when the slip is 4 per cent. Determine the synchronous speed.
Problem 6. A three-phase induction motor is supplied from a 50 Hz supply and runs at 1200 rev/min
when the slip is 4 per cent. Determine the synchronous speed.

Problem 1. A three-phase two-pole induction motor is connected to a 50 Hz supply. Determine the

synchronous speed of the motor in rev/min.

Problem 2. A stator winding supplied from a three-phase 60 Hz system is required to produce a

magnetic flux rotating at 900 rev/min. Determine
the number of poles.

Problem 3. A three-phase 2-pole motor is to have a synchronous speed of 6000 rev/min. Calculate the
frequency of the supply voltage.

Problem 4. The stator of a 3-phase, 4-pole induction motor is connected to a 50 Hz supply. The rotor
runs at 1455 rev/min at full load. Determine (a) the synchronous speed and (b) the slip at full load

1. A 6-pole, 3-phase induction motor runs at 970 rev/min at a certain load. If the stator is connected to a
50 Hz supply, find the percentage slip at this load. [3%]

2. A 3-phase, 50 Hz induction motor has 8 poles. If the full load slip is 2.5 per cent, determine
(a) the synchronous speed,
(b) the rotor speed, and
(c) the frequency of the rotor e.m.f.’s [(a) 750 rev/min (b) 731 rev/min (c) 1.25 Hz]

3. A three-phase induction motor is supplied from a 60 Hz supply and runs at 1710 rev/min when the
slip is 5 per cent. Determine the synchronous speed. [1800 rev/min]
4. A 4-pole, 3-phase, 50 Hz induction motor runs at 1440 rev/min at full load. Calculate
(a) the synchronous speed,
(b) the slip and
(c) the frequency of the rotor induced e.m.f.’s [(a) 1500 rev/min (b) 4% (c) 2 Hz]

Problem 7. The frequency of the supply to the stator of an 8-pole induction motor is 50 Hz and the rotor
frequency is 3 Hz. Determine (a) the slip, and
(b) the rotor speed. (a) From Equation (3), fr = sf .

1. A 12-pole, 3-phase, 50 Hz induction motor runs at 475 rev/min. Determine

(a) the slip speed,
(b) the percentage slip and
(c) the frequency of rotor currents [(a) 25 rev/min (b) 5% (c) 2.5 Hz]

2. The frequency of the supply to the stator of a 6-pole induction motor is 50 Hz and the rotor frequency
is 2 Hz. Determine (a) the slip, and (b) the rotor speed, in rev/min [(a) 0.04 or 4% (b) 960 rev/min]

The advantages of squirrel-cage motors compared with the wound rotor type are that they:
(i) are cheaper and more robust
(ii) have slightly higher efficiency and power factor
(iii) are explosion-proof, since the risk of sparking is eliminated by the absence of slip rings and
brushes

The advantages of the wound rotor motor compared with the cage type are that they:
(i) have a much higher starting torque
(ii) have a much lower starting current
(iii) have a means of varying speed by use of external rotor resistance.
Efficiency, η = 1 −losses/input power

Short answer questions on d.c. machines

1. A ...... converts mechanical energy into electrical energy
2. A ...... converts electrical energy into mechanical energy
3. What does ‘commutation’ achieve?
4. Poor commutation may cause sparking. How can this be improved?
5. State any five basic parts of a d.c. machine
6. State the two groups armature windings can be divided into
7. What is armature reaction? How can it be overcome?
8. The e.m.f. generated in an armature winding is given by E = 2pnZ/c volts. State what p, , n, Z and c
represent.

9. In a series-wound d.c. machine, the field winding is in ...... with the armature circuit

10. In a d.c. generator, the relationship between the generated voltage, terminal voltage, current and
armature resistance is given by E = ......
11. A d.c. machine has its field winding in parallel with the armatures circuit. It is called a ...... wound
machine

12. Sketch a typical open-circuit characteristic for (a) a separately excited generator (b) a shunt
generator (c) a series generator
13. Sketch a typical load characteristic for (a) a separately excited generator (b) a shunt generator
14. State one application for (a) a shunt generator (b) a series generator (c) a compound generator
15. State the principle losses in d.c. machines
16. The efficiency of a d.c. machine is given by the ratio (......) per cent
17. The equation relating the generated e.m.f., E, terminal voltage, armature current and armature
resistance for a d.c. motor is E = ......
18. The torque T of a d.c. motor is given by T = pZIa/πc newton metres. State what p, Z, I and c represent
19. Complete the following. In a d.c. machine
(a) generated e.m.f. ∝ ...... × ......
(b) torque ∝...... × ......
20. Sketch typical characteristics of torque/armature current for
(a) a shunt motor
(b) a series motor
(c) a compound motor
21. Sketch typical speed/torque characteristics for a shunt and series motor
22. State two applications for each of the following motors:
(a) shunt (b) series (c) compound

In questions 23 to 26, an electrical machine runs at n rev/s, has a shaft torque of T, and takes a current
of I from a supply voltage V
23. The power input to a generator is...... watts
24. The power input to a motor is ...... watts
25. The power output from a generator is ...... watts
26. The power output from a motor is...... watts
27. The generated e.m.f. of a d.c machine is proportional to ...... volts
28. The torque produced by a d.c. motor is proportional to ...... Nm
29. A starter is necessary for a d.c. motor because the generated e.m.f. is ...... at low speeds
30. The speed of a d.c. shunt-wound motor will ...... if the value of resistance of the shunt field regulator
is increased
31. The speed of a d.c. motor will ...... if the value of resistance in the armature circuit is increased
32. The value of the speed of a d.c. shunt-wound motor ...... as the value of the armature current
increases
33. At a large value of torque, the speed of a d.c. series-wound motor is ......
34. At a large value of field current, the generated e.m.f. of a d.c. shunt-wound generator is
approximately ......
35. In a series-wound generator, the terminal voltage increases as the load current ......
36. One type of d.c. motor uses resistance in series with the field winding to obtain speed variations and
another type uses resistance in parallel with the field winding for the same purpose. Explain briefly why
these two distinct methods are used and why the field current plays a significant part in controlling the
speed of a d.c. motor.
37. Name three types of motor enclosure
Armature reaction is the effect that the magnetic field produced by the armature current has on the
magnetic field produced by the field system. In a generator, armature reaction results in a reduced
output voltage, and in a motor, armature reaction results in increased speed.
-A way of overcoming the effect of armature reaction is to fit compensating windings, located in slots in
the pole face.

-Poor commutation results in sparking at the trailing edge of the brushes. This can be improved by using
interpoles (situated between each pair of main poles), high resistance brushes, or using brushes
spanning several commutator segments.

Further problems on losses and efficiency

1. A single-phase transformer has a voltage ratio of 6:1 and the h.v. winding is supplied at 540V. The
secondary winding provides a full load current of 30A at a power factor of 0.8 lagging. Neglecting losses,
find (a) the rating of the transformer, (b) the power supplied to the load, (c) the primary current. [(a) 2.7
kVA (b) 2.16 kW (c) 5A]
2. A single-phase transformer is rated at 40 kVA. The transformer has full-load copper losses of 800 W
and iron losses of 500 W. Determine the transformer efficiency at full load and 0.8 power factor.
[96.10%]
3. Determine the efficiency of the transformer in problem 2 at half full-load and 0.8 power factor.
[95.81%]
4. A 100 kVA, 2000V/400V, 50 Hz, singlephase transformer has an iron loss of 600 W and a full-load
copper loss of 1600 W. Calculate its efficiency for a load of 60 kW at 0.8 power factor. [97.56%]
5. Determine the efficiency of a 15 kVA transformer for the following conditions: (i) full-load, unity
power factor (ii) 0.8 full-load, unity power factor (iii) half full-load, 0.8 power factor Assume that iron
losses are 200 W and the full-load copper loss is 300 W. [(a) 96.77% (ii) 96.84% (iii) 95.62%]

6. A 300 kVA transformer has a primary winding resistance of 0.4 and a secondary winding resistance of
0.0015 . The iron loss is 2 kW and the primary and secondary voltages are 4 kV and 200V respectively. If
the power factor of the load is 0.78, determine the efficiency of the transformer (a) on full load, and (b)
on half load. [(a) 96.84% (b) 97.17%]

7. A 250 kVA transformer has a full load copper loss of 3 kW and an iron loss of 2 kW. Calculate (a) the
output kVA at which the efficiency of the transformer is a maximum, and (b) the maximum efficiency,
assuming the power factor of the load is 0.80. [(a) 204.1 kVA (b) 97.61%]

Problem 15. A 5 kVA, 200V/400V, single-phase transformer has a secondary terminal voltage of 387.6
volts when loaded. Determine the regulation of the transformer.

Problem 16. The open circuit voltage of a transformer is 240V. A tap changing device is set to operate
when the percentage regulation drops below 2.5%. Determine the load voltage at which the mechanism
operates

1. A 6 kVA, 100V/500V, single-phase transformer has a secondary terminal voltage of 487.5 volts when
loaded. Determine the regulation of the transformer. [2.5%]
2. A transformer has an open circuit voltage of 110 volts. A tap-changing device operates when the
regulation falls below 3%. Calculate the load voltage at which the tap-changer operates. [106.7 volts]