Unit-VI

Introduction to special machines

Objectives:
To familiarize the students with the construction and operation of special machines
To familiarize the students with performance characteristics of special machines
Syllabus:
A.C Series motor, Performance characteristics Universal Motor Reluctance Motor,
Constructional features, Torque-Speed characteristics

Outcomes:
Students will be able to
Understand the construction, principle of operation and characteristics of different types
of special electrical machines.
AC series motor:
A DC series motor can be run from either dc or ac (single phase) supply. Let a dc series motor be
connected across a single phase ac supply. Since the same current flows through the field winding and
armature, it follows that ac reversals from positive to negative or from negative to positive, will
simultaneously affect both the field flux polarity and the current direction through the armature. This
means that the direction of torque developed will remain positive, and rotation will continue in the same
direction. The nature of torque will be pulsating and frequency will be twice the line frequency as shown
in fig. 6.1.
 Thus a series motor can run both on dc and ac. However a series motor which is specifically designed for
dc operation suffers from the following drawbacks when it is used on single phase ac supply:
1. The efficiency is low due to hysteresis and eddy current losses.
2. The power factor is low due to the large reactance of the field and armature windings.
3. The sparking at the brushes is excessive.
In order to overcome these difficulties, the following modifications are made in a dc series motor that is
to operate satisfactorily on alternating current:
1. The field core is constructed of a material having low hysteresis loss. T is laminated to reduce
eddy current loss.
2. The field winding is provided with small number of turns. The field pole area is increased so that
flux density is reduced. This reduces the iron loss and reactive voltage drop.
3. The number of armature conductors is increased in order to get the required torque with the low
flux.
4. In order to reduce the effect of armature reaction, thereby improving commutation and reducing
armature reactance, a compensating winding is used. This winding is put in the stator slots as
shown in fig. 6.2. The axis of the compensating winding is 90 degrees electrical with the main
 field axis. It may be connected in series with both the armature and field as shown in fig. 6.3.In
such a case the motor is conductively compensated.
The compensating winding may be short circuited on itself, in which case the motor is said to be
inductively compensated (fig. 6.4)
The armature of the AC series motor is of the same construction as ordinary series motor. In order to
minimize commutation problems, high resistance brushes with increased brush area are used. The stator
core and yoke are laminated to reduce eddy current loss.
The phasor diagram of a series motor including compensating winding has the form shown in fig. 6.5.
The current I being common to the entire circuit is chosen as axis of reference. The main flux is nearly,
but not in phase with I, the displacement being the angle of hysteresis advance. The subscripts f, c and a
refer to the main field winding, the compensating winding and the armature respectively.
The performance curves of series motor are shown below.
AC series motors are used in Traction services.

Universal motor:
The development of innumerable appliances for use in homes, offices, stores and factories, all requiring
fractional horsepower drive led to the demand for a motor adapted for use on both ac and dc circuits. The
considerations outlined in the previous article indicate that the series motor best meets the requirement of
universality, particularly because of its high starting torque which is generally three to four times its full
load torque.
Universal motors are designed for voltages ranging from 32 to 250 volts, frequencies from zero to 60
cycles and ratings below hp. The average speed is high, generally in the neighbourhood of 7000 rpm at
normal load, which accounts for the fact that in these motors the ratio of horsepower output to weight is
much higher than in ordinary motors.
Universal motors must be designed with weak fields to minimize commutation difficulties, and the stator
core must be laminated. High resistance carbon brushes are used to limit the circulating current due to the
transformer voltage in the short circuited coils. Compensated windings are sometimes used, but in motors
of small power rating they are not needed since the armature current is so small as to eliminate serious
commutation trouble and low power factor is not a serious matter.
In common to all series motors, the universal motor will race when the load is removed, but in small
motors the friction and windage losses are sufficient to limit the no load speed to safe values, though the
no load speed may rise as high as 15000 to 20000 rpm. The normal speed of 7000 rpm is too high for
some applications, and in those cases a gear reduction is built into the frame of the motor.The
characteristic curves of a 1/16 hp universal motor are shown in fig. 6.6.

Several applications of universal motors are in portable drills, hair dryers, grinders, table fans, blowers,
polishers, kitchen appliances, electric shavers, motion picture projectors etc.

Reluctance motor:
A single phase synchronous reluctance motor is basically the same as the single phase cage type induction
motor. The stator has the main winding and an auxiliary (starting) winding. In general, the stator of a
single phase reluctance motor is similar to that of any one of the single phase induction motors. The rotor
of a reluctance motor is basically a squirrel cage with some rotor teeth removed at the appropriate places
such as to provide the desired number of salient rotor poles. Fig. 6.7 (a) shows the 4 pole reluctance type
synchronous motor. Here teeth have removed in 4 locations to produce a 4 pole salient pole structure. The
rotor bars are kept intact even in the spaces from where teeth are removed. The two end rings short circuit
these bars as in a cage rotor.
When the stator is connected to a single phase supply, the motor starts as a single phase induction motor.
At a speed of about 75% of the synchronous speed, a centrifugal switch disconnects the auxiliary winding
and the motor continues to speed up as a single phase motor with main winding in operation. When the
speed is close to the synchronous speed, a reluctance torque is produced due to the tendency of the rotor
to align itself in the minimum reluctance position w.r.t the synchronously rotating flux of the forward
field. The rotor pulls into synchronism. For this to happen effectively, the load inertia must be within
limits. After pulling into synchronism, the induction torque disappears but the rotor remains in
synchronism due to the synchronous reluctance torque alone.

Fig. 6.7 Reluctance motor

Fig. 6.7 (b) shows the typical torque speed characteristic of the single phase reluctance motor. The
starting torque is dependent on the rotor position because of the salient pole rotor. The starting torque is
between 300 to 400 percent of its full load torque. At about 75% of the synchronous speed, centrifugal
switch disconnects the auxiliary winding and the motor continues to run with the main winding only.
When the speed is close to synchronous speed, the reluctance torque is developed as the synchronous
motor pulls the rotor into synchronism and rotor continues to rotate at synchronous speed.
The reluctance motor is widely used for many constant speed applications such as electric clock timers,
signalling devices, recording instruments and photographs, control apparatus etc.

Assignment-Cum-Tutorial Questions

A. Questions testing the remembering / understanding level of students

I) Objective Questions

1. Reluctance motor runs at ...... (constant / variable) speed.

2. Applications of reluctance motor are .....

3. Applications of AC series motor are ....

4. Applications of universal motor are ......

II) Descriptive Questions

1. Explain the construction, operating principle and characteristics of AC series motor.

2. Explain the operation, performance curves and applications of Universal motors.
3. Explain the construction, operation and speed torque characteristics of reluctance motor.