DC Machine Examples

Separately Excited
A separately excited DC motor is rotated at 1000rpm, The variation of armature terminal
voltage as a function of field current is measured under no-load conditions and tabulated
below:
IF 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
VT 0 30 60 85 102 115 124 130 134
The field winding supply VF=24V and the field resistance is adjustable. The armature
winding resistance RA=0.2Ω and the armature terminal voltage VT=130V.

a. Calculate the field current if the motor is operated with no-load at 1000 rpm

b. The motor drives a load at 1200 rpm. Calculate the armature voltage at 1200 rpm
if the field resistance RF=60Ω

c. Calculate the torque for the above condition

d. The motor supplies a mechanical load of 4000W at 1450rpm. The mechanical

rotational losses are 160W, calculate the efficiency

Comments
This question is similar to many DC machine questions and falls into two parts. At the
start of the question, you are given a reasonable amount of data about a specific
operating condition. You need to then take useful information from this operating
condition and apply it to the new operating conditions specified in the rest of the
question.
Solution
This is a separately excited motor problem:

There are two important pieces of information in the beginning of the question:
 The information is being given for "no-load " conditions. No-load in machines
means no useable power flow out of the machine. If there is no power flow in a dc
machine, there is no armature current, IA=0 and therefore the terminal voltage equals
the armature voltage: EA=VT
You are being given data on the induced armature voltage at a given speed
 The data for armature voltage at a given speed allows you to find the nonlinear
relationship between flux and field current, which is independent of speed.
Knowing how the data in the question is useful is a significant part of the solution process
for DC machine questions.

a. This question requires you to read data from the table provided. Under no-load
conditions, VT=130V occurs when IF=0.7A

b. Armature voltage is given by

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 EA=kϕω

i.e. voltage is a function of kϕ and speed. Flux is a function of field current, and since field
voltage and resistance are specified in the question, a first step is to find field current:

VF=IFRF

gives IF=0.4A
From the table in the question, when: nm=1000rpm and IF=0.4A then EA=102V. We
need to find EA for the case when nm=1200rpm and IF=0.4A
There are two possible approaches:

i. In both cases, the field current is constant, therefore flux will be constant.
Armature voltage will be proportional to speed:

E1200=E1000 (1200)/(1000)

Giving EA=122.4V

ii. Using the armature voltage equation, find kϕ:

kϕ∣∣IF=0.4 = EA/ω

ω= nm * 2π/60=100π/3=0.974

Now, at 1200 rpm armature voltage can be found directly from the armature voltage
equation:

EA∣∣1200ω=kϕω

ω = 1200 2π/60

Giving EA=122.4V

c. To find the torque, there are three possible approaches. Two of the approaches
require the calculation of kϕ if it has not already been done, two of the approaches
require the calcualtion of the armature current. require the armature current, which can
be found from the armature loop equation

VT=EA+IARA

IA=38.0A

i. Using power equations:

Pconv = τω=EAIA

Τ= 122.4×IA×30/ 1200π

τ=37Nm

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 ii. Using the torque equation directly: τ=kϕIA. This approach requires the
calculation of kϕ, if not already done in the armature voltage calculation.

iii. Rearranging the torque-speed equation: ω=VT/kϕ − RA τ /(kϕ)2

d. The final part of the question includes mechanical losses. In this case

Pconv==Pout+P+rotational= 4000+160=4160W

No information is available on the flux in the machine, so armature voltage or current cannot
be directly determined from the armature voltage equation or torque equation. The
preferred approach is to consider the power in the armature circuit:

VTIA=EAIA+IA2 RA

∴IA2 RA−VTIA+Pconv=0

Solving the quadratic for armature current results in two values, IA=616A or IA=33.75A.
The correct answer will be the one that results in the lowest power loss, IA=33.75A. The
armature voltage can be found by solving the armature circuit equation

VT=EA+IARA

EA=123.25A
At this point, the armature losses can be found, but this is a separately excited machine and
it is important to remember to account for power flow in the field circuit. To find the field
current that gives EA=123.25A at 1450 rpm, it is necessary to calculate armature
voltage that would be induced at the same field current with a rotational speed of 1000
rpm.

EA∣∣1000=EA∣∣1450 1000/1450

gives EA∣∣1000=85.0V which, from the table, corresponds to a field current IF=0.3A
Finally, efficiency can be found from

η=Pout/ Pout+Plosses=IA2 RA+IF2 RF+Protational=395

4000/4395

giving η=91.0%
Series Motor Example
A series DC motor has combined armature and field resistance of RA+RS=1.2Ω. When
connected to a supply of VT=48V at standstill, the motor develops a torque of 1500Nm.

a. Calculate the armature current at standstill and combined motor constant kc

b. Calculate the torque when the speed is 500 rpm

c. Calculate the output power and efficiency when operating at 500 rpm (neglect
mechanical losses)

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 Solution
This is a series motor problem:

a. At standstill, the angular velocity is zero, therefore the armature voltage is

zero (EA=kcIAω=\0). The full terminal voltage is dropped across the winding
resistances and VT=IA+(RA+RS) gives IA=40A
Using the torque equation for a series excited DC machine, τ=kcIA2 , the combined
motor constant can be found:kc=1500/1600=0.9375NmA−2

b. To find the torque it is possible to either substitute directly into the series motor
torque-speed equation, or to first find the armature currents:

i. ω=VT/√ kc*1√ τ – (RA+RS)/kc

ω= nm2π/60=50π/3

Re-arranging the torque speed equation and submitting for kc and speed
gives τ=0.854Nm
ii. Alternately, substitute EA=kcIAω into in the armature loop equation to
obtain VT=IA(kcω+RA+RS) and solve for armature current. IA=0.955A and use the
torque equation τ=kcIA2.

c. To find efficiency neglecting rotational losses:

η=Pconv/Pin=EAIA/VTIA=EA/VT

eta=97.0%

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