Basic Electric

Propulsion System
Functional block diagram of a
typical electric propulsion system
Classification of electric motor
drives for EV and HEV applications
DC Motor
DC Motor Drives
 Types of DC motor

DC Motor

Separately
Self-Excited
Excited

Shunt Series Compound

DC Motor
Drives
Performance of DC motors
• Following are the three important characteristics of a DC motor
1. Torque and Armature Current Characteristics
✓ It is the graph plotted between the armature torque (τa) and the armature current (Ia) of a DC
motor. It is also known as electrical characteristics of the DC motor.
2. Speed and Armature Current Characteristics
✓ It is the graph plotted between the speed (N) and the armature current (Ia) of a DC motor.
This characteristic curve is mainly used for selecting a motor for a particular application.
3. Speed and Torque Characteristics
✓ The graph plotted between the speed (N) and the armature torque (τa) for a DC motor is
known as the speed-torque characteristics. It is also known as mechanical characteristics of
DC motor.

17 March 2025 Department of EECE, GIT IEVT 8

Characteristics of DC series Motor

Torque – Armature current characteristics

• As the field winding is connected in series with the armature winding(φ α Ia), an
increase in field flux will increase the armature current.
• The torque equation for DC motor is given by, T α φ Ia
• At light load, the armature current will be less, and so the flux produced will be
proportional to the armature current (φ α Ia). Hence the torque increases as the
square of the current (T α Ia2). This relation gives a parabolic curve up to the
saturation point.
Torque – Armature current
characteristics of DC series
Motor

• After the saturation, the magnetic flux

will be independent of the armature
current.
• From this point of time, torque will be
proportional to the armature current
(T α Ia).
• Now the obtained curve will be a
straight line. It is shown in the figure
below.
Torque – Armature current
characteristics of DC series
Motor

• From the characteristics, it can be

understood that the torque exerted by
the motor is proportional to the square
of the current, until saturation.
• It implies that the DC series motor has
a high starting current.
• Hence the series motor is used where
high starting torque is required as in
hoists, electric traction, trolleys, etc.
Speed- Armature current
characteristics of DC series
Motor

• From the speed equation of a DC

motor(N α Eb/φ), it is clear that speed is
proportional to back emf and inversely
proportional to the flux.
• With the increase in armature current,
the voltage drop due to armature and
series field resistance increases
(Eb = V – Ia(Ra + Rse)).
• Therefore, the back emf decreases. Since
the drop is quite small, it can be
neglected. So speed is inversely
proportional to the flux.
Speed- Armature current characteristics of
DC series Motor

• When a heavy load is given to the motor, the

armature current will be high which increases
the flux. It will result in a reduced speed of the
motor.
• When the load is reduced or no load is given,
the flux will be less but the speed will be
dangerously high.
• Hence, a series motor should never be started
without some mechanical load on it.
• If the motor is started without load, the motor
gets damaged due to the high centrifugal force
produced at the speed of rotation.
Torque – Speed characteristics of
DC series Motor

• It is drawn between the torque and speed of

rotation of a DC Motor. The obtained curve
clearly shows that the speed drops when the
load torque is increased. At higher loads, the
speed drops linearly.
• Hence series motors are used for applications
where the motor is directly connected to the
load.
Characteristics of DC Shunt motor
Torque – Armature current characteristics

• We have the torque equation of a DC

shunt motor as, T α φIa. Since in the
case of DC shunt motor, the flux per
pole is considered to be constant.
Hence Torque is proportional to the
armature current.

• With the increase in armature load

current, the torque increases, which
gives a linear relationship. The obtained
characteristic is a straight line passing
through the origin O.
Characteristics of DC Shunt motor
Speed- Armature current characteristics

• For the shunt motor, the flux is considered to be

constant. Hence the speed equation becomes, N α Eb.
Practically, Eb is constant, and therefore speed is also
constant.
• However, when the load current is increased, both the
back emf and flux per pole decreases. Comparatively,
back emf decreases more than the flux, and hence there
will be a small drop in speed, as shown below.
• Generally, a shunt motor is called a constant speed
motor, as there is no appreciable change in the motor
speed from no load to full load.
• Due to its characteristics, the DC shunt motor is used for
applications such as machining tools, lathes, wood-
working machines, etc..
Characteristics of DC Shunt motor
Torque – Speed characteristics

• The torque-speed characteristics of the

DC shunt motor are drawn from the
above two characteristics.
 Characteristics of DC Compound motor

Compound motors have both series field winding and shunt field
winding. Based on the excitation, they are of two types, namely
cumulatively compound and differentially compound motors.

In a cumulative compound motor, the magnetic flux produced by

both the windings is in the same direction.

In a differential compound motor, the flux produced by the series

field windings is opposite to the flux produced by the shunt field
winding.
Characteristics of DC Compound motor
Speed-Armature Current Characteristics
Torque and power
limitations in combined
armature voltage and
field control
Induction Motor Drives
Induction Motor Drives
Rotating Magnetic Field
Rotating
Magnetic
Field
Basic Operation
Principles of Induction
Motors
Torque–slip characteristics of an induction motor
with fixed stator frequency and voltage.
Basic Principles of BLDC Motor Drives
Comparison
between
BLDC motor
and brushed
DC motor
Comparison between BLDC Motor and AC Induction Motor
BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR CONTROL
Switch Configuration and PWM
Switched Reluctance Motor Drives
SRM
classification
based on
movement
pattern, flux
path, and type
of excitation
SRM
The torque-speed of SRM
Simple SRM
Working
SRM and its power supply
Cross section of
common SRM
configurations:
(a) 6/4 SRM
and (b) 8/6
SRM
Idealized
inductance,
current, and
torque profiles
of SRM.