Electromechanical Automation

Name

Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

UTS Engineering
48531 Electromechanical Automation
Laboratory CB01.18.16

Lab 1: Electromechanical Energy Conversion

EACH STUDENT ATTENDING THIS LAB SHOULD READ CAREFULLY THE
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS BELOW, SIGN THIS COVER SHEET AND RETURN IT TO
YOUR LAB TUTOR

STUDENTS ARE WARNED OF POSSIBLE ELECTRIC SHOCK RISK AND

FIRE RISK IN THE LAB AREA.
STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR STOUT SHOES OR BOOTS WITH
ENCLOSED TOES. BARE FEET, THONGS, OPEN TOE SANDALS AND HIGH
HEELS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. TUTORS AND LAB STAFF MAY REFUSE
ADMITTANCE TO THE LAB TO STUDENTS WITH INADEQUATE
FOOTWEAR
NO FOOD OR DRINK IS ALLOWED IN THE LAB.
THIS EXPERIMENT INVOLVES THE ASSEMBLY AND RUNNING OF AN
ELECTRIC MOTOR. WHEN ENERGISED AND ROTATING THE MOTOR
REPRESENTS A HAZARD IF FINGERS OR OTHER OBJECTS ARE INSERTED
INTO THE MACHINE. LONG HAIR AND LOOSE CLOTHING MAY BECOME
CAUGHT IN THE MACHINE AND CAUSE INJURY. LONG HAIR MUST BE
APPROPRIATELY RESTRAINED. NO LOOSE CLOTHING TO BE WORN.
JEWELLERY SHOULD NOT BE WORN. TUTORS AND LAB STAFF MAY
REFUSE ADMITTANCE TO THE LAB TO STUDENTS WITH
INAPPROPRIATE CLOTHING OR UNRESTRAINED LONG HAIR
AS THE BENCH POWER SUPPLIES HAVE 150 V AC AVAILABLE, THE TESTS
COVERED IN THIS LAB CAN BE LETHAL IF A MISTAKE IS MADE.
FIND OUT THE LOCATION OF YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY STOP
BUTTON BEFORE STARTING.
DO NOT TURN ON THE SUPPLY UNTIL YOU HAVE DRAWN THE CIRCUIT
DIAGRAM AND YOUR CONNECTIONS HAVE BEEN CHECKED BY YOUR
TUTOR.
DO NOT DISCONNECT ANY LEADS WHILE THE SUPPLY IS ON.
ALWAYS SET THE VARIABLE VOLTAGE TO ZERO BEFORE TURNING ON
THE SUPPLY.
RETURN THE VOLTAGE TO ZERO BEFORE SWITCHING OFF, UNLESS
THERE IS AN EMERGENCY.
REMEMBER TO DIAL 6 FOR EMERGENCY.
REMEMBER TO DIAL 0000 FOR AMBULANCE.

I have read these precautions and shall carry them out.

Signed:

(Please sign)

Lab Supervisors Name:

(signature)
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Electromechanical Automation
Name

Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

Aims
To measure the magnetic flux and torque in a singly excited electromagnetic system.
To calculate the flux and torque and compare with measurement.
To be familiar with Op-Amp circuits and to use a fluxmeter.
Methodology
A 2-pole variable reluctance rotating machine is used as a singly excited electromagnetic
system. Calculations of flux variations with rotor angle, based on the machine dimensions
and excitation, are used to study the variation in stored energy and hence the machine torque.
Flux and torque measurements are performed and the calculated performance is compared
with measured performance. The variation of the coil self inductance with rotor position is
also noted.
In general an electromechanical system has an electrical part, a mechanical part and a control
part. The electrical part may be electrostatic or electromagnetic; the latter will be considered
here. In general, an electromagnetic device will have several coils, an electromagnetic circuit
with a moving part, and permanent magnets. To form an electrical model we need:
The resistance of each coil (at the operating temperature)
The self inductance or self flux linkage of each coil and its variation with position of the
moving part and with the coil current
The mutual inductance or mutual flux linkage between all coils and the variation with
moving part position and coil currents
The induced voltage in each coil due to motion of the permanent magnets relative to the
coils
To simplify the example, we consider a system with one excited winding (formed of two coils
in series) on a 2-pole solid iron stator, and a moving 2-pole solid iron rotor. This is a singly
excited variable reluctance machine. (There are coils on the rotor, but these are not used in
this experiment.) This machine forms the basis for electronically controlled, variable
reluctance stepping motors, and recently developed switched reluctance motors. The
switched reluctance motor is electronically controlled with closed loop position feedback,
whereas the stepping motor is an open loop positioning device.
Reading
1. Lecture notes on Electromechanical Energy Conversion, Electronic devices and VR &
Stepping Motors
2. Guru and Hiziroglu Electric Machinery and Transformers, Chapter 3,
3. Cetinkunt Mechatronics, Chapter 8,
4. Slemon "Electrical machines and drives", Chap. 3
5. Fitzgerald "Electric machinery", Chap. 3
6. El-Hawary Principles of electric machines with power electronic applications, Chap. 4
7. Hughes "Electric Motors & Drives : Fundamentals Types & Applications"
8. Kenjo "Stepping Motors"
9. Many other books in the library on electric machines
Equipment
Provided by UTS in Room 1816
Lybotec bench with power supplies,
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Electromechanical Automation
Name

Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

Lybotec 2-pole variable reluctance rotating machine. The machine has 2-pole salient pole
stator with a rated coil current of 2 A, and 2-pole salient pole rotor, shown in Figure 1. The
rotor coils are not used in this lab.

Rotor

Stator
Stator poles

Search
Coil

to Fluxmeter

Figure 1
Shaft locker, shaft encoder, shaft encoder counter, commutator-mounted torque arm, and
Salter 10N spring balance.
Fluxmeter (electronic integrator), reversing switch,
Connecting leads with retractable shrouds on the plugs
Note: The spring balance for force measurement may be calibrated in gram weight. (1 g wt =
9.8 10-3 newton). Torque = force radius, whose SI unit is newton-metre, Nm.
Provided by student:
Graph paper, further writing paper.
Theory (Calculations and graphs to be completed before the laboratory)
i. Use the B-H curves shown in Figure 2 to determine the maximum permeability of the cast
iron forming the magnetic path.
ii. Assuming no fringing and that the iron parts have the permeability calculated above,
sketch the magnetic equivalent circuit and derive ideal expressions for the flux linking the
stator winding for rotor angles of 0 to 90, where 0 is the angle of the rotor when
aligned with the stator poles. The dimensions of the machine are given in Figure 3.
(Hint: Assume that the magnetic path inside the poles and rotor has the cross sectional
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Electromechanical Automation
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Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

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area of the outside limbs of the stator (i.e. 2 24 25.5 mm2) and that the stator winding
is formed by connecting the two stator coils in series to give a total winding of N turns (
988, adjust for your machine), each carrying current I).

Figure 2
iii. Using Excel or similar spreadsheet program, plot the flux variation with rotor angle over
0 to 90 range for I=1.5 A DC (75% of its rated value).
iv. From the analytic expression calculated in point 2. for the flux, derive an expression for
the derivative of the flux with respect to rotor angle over 0 to 76.
v.

From the flux derivative, calculate and plot the torque for I = 1.5 A DC, over the range of
rotor angles from -76 to +76. Note that for >0, the torque will take a negative value
and vice versa.
(Hint: You may refer to reading materials posted online in relevance to this lab. From the
equivalent magnetic circuit for this singly-excited system, an expression for the torque can
N 2 I 2 Rg
be obtained as T ( ) =
sign( ) ,
2[ Rg + R f (2 )]2
where R f =

lf

, Rg =

2l g

, and 2 = 76 0 = 1.33 radians.

2 0 r wd
0 rd
Also note that sign(x) = +1 if x>0, or -1 if x<0; abs(x) = |x|= x if x>0, or -x if x<0 ).

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Electromechanical Automation
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Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

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Figure 3
vi.

On a graph paper, sketch flux and torque variation with rotor position over a 360 range,
making sensible assumptions as to machine symmetry.

vii.

How would the torque differ if 1.5A AC was used instead of 1.5A DC?

viii. How could a unidirectional torque be produced for 0 < < 360 ?
Take a note of your derived expressions or photocopy your results for future use in Lab
2.
Fluxmeter
The fluxmeter is basically an electronic integrator. It consists of a low drift operational
amplifier with capacitance feedback. An input voltage proportional to the rate of change of
flux with time is obtained in this experiment by winding a 10-turn search coil around the
magnetic path carrying the unknown flux to be measured. By Faraday's Law, the search coil
voltage is 10 times the rate of change of flux with time. To obtain a change of flux, the
exciting current is reversed, producing a change of flux equal to twice the flux amplitude.
The output voltage is equal to the integral of the input voltage with respect to time, and is thus
the flux change times the number of search coil turns (10), which is 10x2 = 20 times the flux
amplitude. But note that the coil shown in Figure 1 in this experiment links only half the total
stator flux so the final factor is 10.

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Electromechanical Automation
Name

Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

Note: The Op-Amp integrator (see Lecture note on Electronic devices, Chapter 3) used in the
fluxmeter has a small input offset voltage (sensitive to temperature and time) which results in
a steady change in output voltage as the offset is integrated with time. An adjustment knob is
provided to approximately nullify this offset voltage. The fluxmeter also has a switch to
short-circuit the feedback capacitor in order to reset the integrator output to zero. When the
switch is returned to its normal position, the output voltage reading should be close to zero.
Method and results
Although only up to 45V DC is used in this experiment, the following tests can be lethal.
Safety precautions must be strictly observed.

Equipment setup:
Note your bench colour. You will use the same bench for the next two laboratory sessions.
In your own interest, please look after the equipment, and report any damage.
1. Plug the fluxmeter into the mains supply.
2. Wind the ten turn fluxmeter search coil onto one limb of the stator.
3. Insert the stator in the machine base and connect the stator coils in series to the DC supply
through a DC ammeter so that a N and a S pole is produced with DC excitation.
4. Excite the coils with 1.5A DC and check with a magnetic compass that a N and S pole are
produced and reverse the connections to the second coil if necessary.
5. Insert the reversing switch in the DC supply to the coils, after the ammeter.
6. Sketch the circuit diagram noting the polarity of the coil connections.

7. Rotor angle measurement:

Fit the shaft locker onto the rotor shaft of the machine and the shaft encoder to the top of
the rotor shaft and plug it into the shaft encoder counter (see Figure 4). Measure the
position output of the counter (10V dc) on a digital voltmeter. Align the poles by passing
current through the stator coils and press the Reset button on the counter. It is expected
that rotor angle 0 corresponds to zero volts on the meter. Measure the angle which
produces full scale (10.0V) output and check that the conversion factor between voltage
and rotor angle is 18 per volt. (Note that the 8-bit encoder counter resolution is only 2
degrees.)
8. Flux measurement:
Short-circuit the flux meter input, momentarily toggle the Reset Switch to Reset, and
adjust the offset knob for close to zero output drift. If the output of the fluxmeter is
drifting negative then the offset knob should be turned clockwise and vise versa. Note that
the offset control is a 20-turn device.
9. Connect the search coil to the fluxmeter input. Note the flux measured with the search
coil wound on the stator as shown in Figure 1 measures half of the flux linking the stator.
10. Adjust the stator current to 1.5A.
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Electromechanical Automation
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Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

Shaft
encoder

Shaft
encoder
counter

Shaft locker

Figure 4

Measurements:
Set the rotor to the desired angle and record the fluxmeter reading. Reverse the current with
the reversing switch and record the new fluxmeter reading. Subtract one reading from the
other to get the change in flux.
Change the rotor angle to the next desired value and measure the flux by repeating the
procedure in point 10.
Measure the flux at 9 intervals ( 0.5V steps) from -90 to +90, regularly checking the
current as tests proceed. Record the results in Table 1, plot on graph paper and make more
measurements if necessary.
Attach the torque arm and spring balance and measure the angle and force at 9 intervals from
-90 to +90, recording the results in Table 2, checking frequently that the current remains
constant as tests proceed. Note the force and rotor angle at which the torque is a maximum.
Note: With the aid of the shaft locker, a particular force can be recorded from a desired angle
of the rotor shaft.
Note the torque arm length. Plot the results and make more measurements if necessary.
Reduce the current to zero and turn off the supply.
Plot the flux and torque against rotor angle on the same graphs as the calculated values.
Return all equipment to the correct places.
Report
1. Before arriving for the laboratory, complete the calculations and graphs in the theory
section.
2. Complete the measurements and record the results above.
3. Plot the measured results on the same graphs as the calculated results.
4. Comment on the possible reasons for any differences.
5. Before leaving the laboratory, complete the results, calculations and comments. Hand in
your report. [If you do not complete the full report on the day, ask your tutor to sign and
date your recorded result pages, and hand in your report within 2 weeks].
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Electromechanical Automation
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Table 1

Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

Flux/Rotor angle measured results

Voltage
output for a
rotor angle

Rotor
angle
()

(volts)

(deg)

Initial fluxmeter
reading
(I < 0)
i
(mWb)

Final fluxmeter
reading
(I > 0)
f
(mWb)

Coil Flux
amplitude
= /10 =
(f - i)/10
(mWb)

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Electromechanical Automation
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Table 2

Laboratory 1 EM Energy conversion

Date

Torque/Rotor angle measured results

Torque arm radius r=

Voltage
output for a
rotor angle
(volts)

Rotor
angle ()

Spring balance force

(F)

Torque
(T = F*r)

(deg)

(N)

(Nm)

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