UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF

ENGINEERING
Bachelor of Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Machines-II
Sub. Code: 21ELT-213

Synchronous Motor DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

 Syllabus (Synchronous Motor)
• Module-2
• Synchronous machine-armature reaction, voltage regulation (zpf, mmf,
synchronous impedance method), power angle characteristic, v-curves.

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• TEXT BOOKS:
• Electric Machines: I.J. Nagrath and D.P. Kothari, TMH, New
Delhi.
• Electric Machinery, Fitzgerald & Kingsley, MGH.

• REFERENCE BOOKS:
• Theory of alternating current machinery, A.S. Langsdorf,
TMH.
• Electrical Machinery, P. S. Bimbhra, Khanna Publishers
Delhi.
• Generalized theory of Electrical Machine, P. S.Bimbhra,
Khanna Publishers Delhi.
Synchronous motor Principle of operation
 The stator is wound for the similar number of poles as that of rotor, and fed with three phase AC supply. The 3
phase AC supply produces rotating magnetic field in stator. The rotor winding is fed with DC supply which
magnetizes the rotor.
 Now, the stator poles are revolving with synchronous speed (let’s say clockwise). If the rotor position is such that,
N pole of the rotor is near the N pole of the stator (as shown in first schematic of above figure), then the poles of
the stator and rotor will repel each other, and the torque produced will be anticlockwise.
 The stator poles are rotating with synchronous speed, and they rotate around very fast and interchange their
position. But at this very soon, rotor cannot rotate with the same angle (due to inertia), and the next position will
be likely the second schematic in above figure. In this case, poles of the stator will attract the poles of rotor, and
the torque produced will be clockwise.
 Hence, the rotor will undergo to a rapidly reversing torque, and the motor will not start.
 But, if the rotor is rotated up to the synchronous speed of the stator by means of an external force (in the
direction of revolving field of the stator), and the rotor field is excited near the synchronous speed, the poles of
stator will keep attracting the opposite poles of the rotor (as the rotor is also, now, rotating with it and the position
of the poles will be similar throughout the cycle). Now, the rotor will undergo unidirectional torque. The opposite
poles of the stator and rotor will get locked with each other, and the rotor will rotate at the synchronous speed.
Characteristic features of a synchronous motor

 Synchronous motor will run either at synchronous speed or will not run at all.
 The only way to change its speed is to change its supply frequency. (As Ns =
120f / P)
 Synchronous motors are not self starting. They need some external force to bring
them near to the synchronous speed.
 They can operate under any power factor, lagging as well as leading. Hence,
synchronous motors can be used for power factor improvement.
V and inverted V curve of synchronous motor
 Graphs of armature current vs. field current of synchronous motors are called V curves and are
shown in Figure below for typical values of synchronous motor loads. The curves are related to
the phasor diagram shown in figure below, and illustrate the effect of the variation of field
excitation on armature current and power factor. It can be easily noted from these curves that an
increase in shaft loads require an increase in field excitation in order to maintain the power factor
at unity.

 The points marked a, b, and c on the upper curve corresponds to the operating conditions of the
phasor diagrams shown. Note that for P = 0, the lagging power factor operation is electrically
equivalent to an inductor and the leading power factor operation is electrically equivalent to a
capacitor. Leading power factor operation with P = 0 is sometimes referred to as synchronous
condenser or synchronous capacitor operation. Typically, the synchronous machine V-curves are
provided by the manufacturer so that the user can determine the resulting operation under a given
set of conditions.
Contd..
Hunting
 Sudden changes of load on synchronous motors may sometimes set up oscillations
that are superimposed upon the normal rotation, resulting in periodic variations of a
very low frequency in speed. This effect is known as hunting or phase-swinging.
Occasionally, the trouble is aggravated by the motor having a natural period of
oscillation approximately equal to the hunting period. When the synchronous motor
phase-swings into the unstable region, the motor may fall out of synchronism
Damper winding
 The tendency of hunting can be minimized by the use of a damper winding. Damper windings are
placed in the pole faces. No EMFs are induced in the damper bars and no current flows in the damper
winding, which is not operative.

 Whenever any irregularity takes place in the speed of rotation, however, the polar flux moves from
side to side of the pole, this movement causing the flux to move backwards and forwards across the
damper bars. EMFs are induced in the damper bars forwards across the damper winding.

 These tend to damp out the superimposed oscillatory motion by absorbing its energy. The damper
winding, thus, has no effect upon the normal average speed, it merely tends to damp out the
oscillations in the speed, acting as a kind of electrical flywheel. In the case of a three-phase
synchronous motor the stator currents set up a rotating MMF rotating at uniform speed and if the rotor
is rotating at uniform speed, no EMFs are induced in the damper bars.
Synchronous condenser
 An over excited synchronous motor operates at unity or leading power factor. Generally, in large
industrial plants the load power factor will be lagging. The specially designed synchronous motor
running at zero load, taking leading current, approximately equal to 90 o. When it is connected in
parallel with inductive loads to improve power factor, it is known as synchronous condenser.
Compared to static capacitor the power factor can improve easily by variation of field excitation of
motor. Phasor diagram of a synchronous condenser connected in parallel with an inductive load is
given below.
Practice Questions (Competitive Exams)
• A three-phase, 50 Hz, star-connected cylindrical-rotor synchronous machine is running as a motor.
The machine is operated from a 6.6 kV grid and draw current at unity power factor (UPF). The
synchronous reactance of the motor is 30 Ω per phase. The load angle is 30°. The power delivered
to the motor in kW is________. (Give the answer up to two decimal phase).
• If a synchronous motor is running at a leading power factor, its excitation induced voltage (Ef) is
(A) equal to terminal voltage Vt (B) higher than the terminal voltage Vt (C) less than terminal
voltage Vt (D) higher than the terminal voltage Vt
• A 25 kVA, 400 V, △-connected, 3-phase, cylinder rotor synchronous generator requires a field
current of 5 A to maintain the rated armature current under short-circuit condition. For the same
field current, the open-circuit voltage is 360 V. Neglecting the armature resistance and magnetic
saturation, its voltage regulation (in % with respect to terminal voltage), when the generator
delivers the rated load at 0.8 pf leading, at rated terminal voltage is_______________.
• A three-phase, 50 Hz salient-pole synchronous motor has a per-phase direct-axis reactance (Xd) of
0.8 pu and a per-phase quadrature-axis reactance (Xq) of 0.6 pu. Resistance of the machine is
negligible. It is drawing full-load current at 0.8 pf (leading). When the terminal voltage is 1
pu,per-phase induced voltage, in pu, is _________.

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• The power consumption of an industry is 500 kVA, at 0.8 p.f. lagging. A synchronous motor is
added to raise the power factor of the industry to unity. If the power intake of the motor is 100 kW,
the p.f. of the motor is _____________
• In a synchronous machine, hunting is predominantly damped by
(A) mechanical losses in the rotor (B) iron losses in the rotor (C) copper losses in the stator
(D) copper losses in the rotor
• A non-salient pole synchronous generator having synchronous reactance of 0.8 pu is supplying 1
pu power to a unity power factor load at a terminal voltage of 1.1 pu. Neglecting the armature
resistance, the angle of the voltage behind the synchronous reactance with respect to the angle of
the terminal voltage in degrees is ________.
• The direct axis and quadrature axis reactances of a salient pole alternator are 1.2 p.u and 1.0 p.u
respectively. The armature resistance is negligible. If this alternator is delivering rated kVA at upf
and at rated voltage then its power angle is
• A three-phase synchronous motor connected to ac mains is running at full load and unity power
factor. If its shaft load is reduced by half, with field current held constant, its new power factor
will be (A) unity (B) leading (C) lagging (D) dependent on machine parameters.
• In a salient pole synchronous motor, the developed reluctance torque attains the maximum value
when the load angle in electrical degrees is (A) 0 (B) 45 (C) 60 (D) 90.

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REFERENCES

[1]
http://eeeinterviewtips.blogspot.in/2011/09/discuss-different-type
s-of-motors-their.html
[2] http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Electrical_Machines_II/pdf/1_4.pdf
[3] Electrical Machines by P.S Bhimbra
[4] Electrical Machines by Ashfaq Hussain
[5] http://www.nptel.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Electrical_Machines_II/pdf/1_8.pdf
THANK YOU

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