SYNCHROS

Synchros are ac electromagnetic devices that convert a mechanical displacement into an electrical signal. Synchros are
widely used in control systems for transmitting shaft position information or for maintaining synchronism between two
or more shafts. They are used primarily to synchronize the angular positions of two shafts at different locations where it
is not practical to make a mechanical interconnection of the shafts.
There are many types of synchros and a wide variety of applications. In this section only the synchro control
transmitter (CX), synchro control receiver (CR), and synchro control transformer (CT) are discussed.
The control transmitter (CX) has a balanced three-phase stator winding similar to the stator winding of a three-phase
synchronous machine. The rotor is of the salient pole type using dumbbell construction with a single winding, as shown
in Fig. 1a. If a single-phase ac voltage is applied to the rotor through a pair of slip rings, an alternating flux field is
produced along the axis of the rotor. This alternating flux induces voltages in the stator windings by transformer action. If
the rotor is aligned with the axis of stator winding 2, flux linkage of this stator winding is maximum, and this position is
defined as the electrical zero position of the rotor. Figure 8.8b shows the rotor position displaced from the electrical zero
by the angle α.
The control transformer (CT) has a uniform air gap because of the cylindrical shape of the rotor, as shown in Fig. 8.9a.
This feature is important for the control transformer, because the rotor terminals are normally connected to an amplifier
and the latter should see a constant impedance irrespective of rotor position. The electrical zero is defined as the position
of the rotor that makes the coupling with stator winding 2 zero. This position is shown in Fig. 8.9b. The stator
has a balanced three-phase winding. However, the impedance per phase is greater in the transformer than in the
transmitter. This feature allows several control transformers to be fed from a single control transmitter.

The control receiver (CR) has essentially the same basic structure as the control transmitter, that is, three-phase stator
winding and single-phase salient pole rotor. However, in the control receiver a mechanical viscous damper is provided on
the shaft to permit the receiver rotor to respond without causing the rotor to overshoot its mark.

FIGURE 1. Synchro control transformer (CX). (a) Construction. (b) Schematic diagram.

Synchro control transformer (CT).

(a) Construction. (b) Schematic diagram, rotor winding at electrical zero position.
8.2.1 VOLTAGE RELATIONS
To understand the various applications of synchros, it is necessary to know how the stator phase voltages vary with the
rotor displacement. Let us consider the schematic diagram of the control transmitter shown in Fig. 8.10. A single-phase
ac voltage is applied to the rotor winding, and the rotor is displaced by an angle a from its electrical zero position and
held fast. The rotor voltage is

action. The value of the induced stator phase voltage depends on the coupling between the stator phase and the rotor
winding. Let
effective stator turns a= ð8:12Þ

effective rotor turns

The voltages induced in the stator phases are

p ð8:13Þ
e1n = 2ffiaEr sinωtcosðα+120Þ ð8:14Þ
ð8:15Þ

e2n =p2ffiaEr sinωtcosα p

e3n = 2ffiaEr sinωtcosðα− 120Þ

The rms voltages are

E1n =aEr cosðα+120Þ ð8:16Þ
E2n =aEr cosα ð8:17Þ

E3n =aEr cosðα− 120Þ ð8:18Þ

The rms line-to-line voltages are

=
E12 =E1n − E2n p3ffiaEr sinðα− 120Þ p

ð8:19Þ
E23 =E2n − E3n = 3ffiaEr sinðα+120Þ ð8:20Þ
ð8:21Þ

E31 =E3n − E1n =p3ffiaEr sin α

These terminal voltages are shown in Fig. 8.11 as a function of the rotor shaft position. Note that each rotor position
corresponds to one unique set of stator voltages. This characteristic can be exploited to identify the angular position of
the rotor shaft.
Voltages in rotor and stator of a synchro transmitter.

FIGURE 8.11 Variation of terminal voltages in a synchro transmitter as a

function of the rotor position.

8.2.2 APPLICATIONS
Synchros are extensively used in servomechanism and other applications. Two major applications are discussed here.

Torque Transmission
Synchros can be used to transmit torque over a long distance without the use of a rigid mechanical connection. Figure
8.12 illustrates such an arrangement for maintaining alignment of two shafts. The arrangement requires a control
transmitter (CX) and a control receiver (CR). The rotor windings of the two synchros are to be connected to the same
singlephase ac supply and the stator windings of the two synchros are connected together, as shown in Fig. 8.12. Let us
assume that the rotor of the transmitter is displaced by an angle α and its winding is connected to the single-phase ac
supply by closing the switch SW1 (Fig. 8.12). Voltages are induced in the stator windings of the transmitter and make
currents flow in the stator windings of the receiver. These currents produce a flux field in the transmitter whose axis is
fixed by the angle α. If the rotor winding of the receiver is now connected to the singlephase supply by closing the switch
SW2 (Fig. 8.12), a flux field is created along the axis of the receiver rotor, which interacts with the flux field of the stator
windings to produce a torque. This torque rotates the receiver rotor, which is free to run, to a position of correspondence
with the transmitter rotor—that is, to the same displacement angle α, as shown in Fig. 8.12. Note that at this position the
induced stator voltages of the receiver have the same magnitudes and phases as those prevailing in the stator windings of
the transmitter. Therefore, no current flows in the stator windings and no torque is produced. However, if the transmitter
rotor, called the master, is displaced to a new position, the receiver rotor, called the slave, will take a similar position of
correspondence. Note that master–slave roles are not uniquely assigned, because a displacement of the receiver rotor will
also cause the transmitter rotor to be displaced in similar fashion.
Fig Synchro transmitter (CX) and synchro receiver ( CR ) arrangement for shaft alignment
Error Detection
Synchros can be used for error detection in a servo control system. The arrangement of the synchros for this purpose is
shown in Fig. 8.13. The synchros required are a control transmitter (CX) and a control transformer (CT). In this
arrangement a command in the form of a mechanical displacement of the CX rotor is converted to a voltage signal
appearing across the CT rotor winding.
Let the rotor winding of the transmitter be connected to a single-phase supply, and let the rotor be displaced to an
angle a, as shown in Fig. 8.13. Currents flow in the stator windings of the control transformer (CT) as a result of induced
voltages in the CX stator windings. The CT stator currents establish a flux field along a. If the CT rotor is held at its
electrical zero position, as shown in Fig. 8.13, a voltage is induced in the CT rotor winding, whose rms value is

E=Emax sinα ð8:22Þ

where Emax is the maximum rms voltage induced at α=90. In general, if αx is the position of the CX rotor and αT is the
position of the CT rotor, measured from their respective electrical zero positions, the rms voltage available at the CT
rotor winding is

E=Emax sinðαx −αTÞ ð8:23Þ

The corresponding instantaneous voltage is

=
e p2ffiEmax sinðαR−αTÞsin ωt ð8:24Þ

The application of the synchro error detector in a position servo control system is illustrated in Fig. 8.14. The objective of
this servo system is to make an output shaft follow the angular displacement of a reference input shaft as closely as
possible. The CX rotor is mechanically connected to an input shaft. As shown in Fig. 8.14, the rotor of the control
transformer is mechanically connected to the output shaft, and the rotor winding is electrically connected to the input of
an amplifier.
 The electrical zero positions for CX and CT rotors are 90 apart. Therefore, when the output shaft is 90 from the input
shaft position, error voltage e is zero, making the input voltage Va to the servomotor zero, and the motor does not turn. If
the input shaft is moved from this 90 relative position, an error voltage e is produced, which, after amplification by the
amplifier, will turn the servomotor in a direction such that the output shaft follows the input shaft until the error voltage is
zero and the 90 relative position of the input and output shafts is restored.