Speed control of a dc motor using Triac

1. INTRODUCTION
Something that essential in the industrial applications to develop the motors drives to its
high performance in fact the high performance must have good dynamic speed command
tracking and load regulating response. And for long time the motors in the electric traction
have been a secondary means, because the D.C motor considered as a SISO system having
torque/speed characteristics compatible with most mechanical loads. Which made it a
controllable over a large way of speed and that is been done throw the proper adjustment of
its terminal voltage. But now a day the brushless D.C motors, induction motors, and
synchronous motors became the most common used in electric traction all over the world.
But also there is a persistent effort to make them act just like the D.C motors. Even Thoth
and throw innovative design and control strategies we can arrive to the persistent that effort
to make them act just like the dc motor. The Hence dc motors are always a good proving
ground for advanced control algorithm because the theory is extendable to other types of
motors.

For the low cost of the Speed Control of DC Motor Using TRIAC. DC motors made it the
most used in the industrial side, even more it is uncomplicated control structure, having a
wide range of speed, and torque. The world usage of power increases every day with this
increasing. The world works with a daily increased need for the power semiconductor units,
by this need the speed control of DC motor is becoming sophisticated and precise.

1.1 TRIAC

A TRIAC is a bidirectional thyristor with three Terminals. Which are designed as: 1) MT1
(main terminal 1). 2) MT2. 3) gate by G. In it by applying positive or negative voltage to
the gate with respect to the terminal 1, the Triac can be turned on in each half cycle of the
applied voltage. And for successful trigger a TRIAC, the Gate current must flow from the
main terminal 2 side of the circuit below in figure 1.

Figure 1. TRIAC equivalent circuit

2. METHODS OF SPEED CONTROL

BLDEA'S Engineering College DEPARTMENT OF EEE] Page 1

The three methods of speed control are

• Armature voltage controlled

• Armature resistance controlled
• Flux controlled

2.1 ARMATURE VOLTAGE CONTROL

The output delivered by the motor(speed) decreases with decrease in applied voltage.It is
seen that speed of the motor is inversely proportional to flux. Thus by decreasing flux speed
can be increased and vice versa. To control the flux, a rheostat is added in series with the
field winding,. Adding more resistance in series with field winding will increase the speed,
as it will decrease the flux. Field current is relatively small and hence I2R loss is small,
hence this method is quiet efficient. Though speed can be increased by reducing flux with
this method, it puts a limit to maximum speed as weakening of flux beyond the limit will
adversely affect the commutations.

2.2 ARMATURE RESISTANCE CONTROL

In this method armature circuit is provided with a variable resistance. Here the controlling
resistance is connected directly in series with the supply to the motor. The power loss in the
control resistance of dc series motor can be neglected because this control method is utilized
for a large portion of time for reducing the speed under light load condition.

This method of speed control is most economical for constant torque. This method of speed
control is employed for dc series motor driving cranes, hoists, trains.Speed of the motor is
directly proportional to the back emf Eb and Eb = V- IaRa. That is when supply voltage V
and armature resistance Ra are kept constant, speed is directly proportional to armature
current Ia. Thus if we add resistance in series with armature, Ia decreases and hence speed
decreases. Greater theresistance in series with armature, greater the decrease in speed.

2.3 FLUX CONTROL

It is seen that speed of the motor is inversely proportional to flux. Thus by decreasing flux
speed can be increased and vice versa. To control the flux, a rheostat is added in series with
the field winding. Adding more resistance in series with field winding will increase the
speed, as it will decrease the flux. Field current is relatively small and hence I2R loss is
small, hence this method is quiet efficient. Though speed can be increased by reducing flux
with this method, it puts a limit to maximum speed as weakening of flux beyond the limit
will adversely affect the commutations.

3. WORKING PRINCIPLE
During the past several years it has become well known to utilize a Triac for controlling a
power supply circuit which operates on full-wave alternating current, with the firing of the
Triac during each half of the cycle being controlled by a diac. The breakdown of the diac is,
in turn, accomplished by the charge stored on a timing capacitor which is part of an RC
circuit coupled generally in parallel with the Triac. In that well-known basic circuit the
firing of the diac, and hence of the Triac, is controlled in response to a control signal
developed as a function of either the line voltage or the voltage appearing across the Triac.

Figure 2. Block diagram of speed controller

According to the present invention Triac circuits are applied to the problem of motor speed
control. There are many applications of electric motors where the mechanical load on the
motor may vary but it is desirable to maintain the motor speed constant. Such an electric
motor may, for example, be a direct-current motor of either the permanent magnet or wound
field type, or an alternating-current motor of either the shaded pole or repulsion type. If
voltage is simply maintained as the motor load increases the result is a drop in motor speed,
and in order to maintain the speed constant it is necessary to actually increase the voltage
supplied to the motor.

4. DESIGN OF SPEED CONTROL CIRCUIT DAIGRAM

This triac-based DC motor speed controller circuit is designed for controlling the speed of
small household motors like drill machines. The speed of the motor can be controlled by
changing the setting of P1. The setting of P1 determines the phase of the trigger pulse that
fires the triac. The circuit incorporates a self-stabilizing technique that maintains the speed
of the motor even when it is loaded.

For example, when the motor of the drill machine is slowed down by the resistance of the
drilled object, the counter-EMF of the motor also decreases. This results to a voltage
increase in R2-P1 and C3 causing the triac to be triggered earlier and the speed increases
accordingly.

Figure3.TRAIC Based DC motor speed controller circuit

4.1 COMPONENTS

 Dc motor
 Triac
 Diac
 Capacitors
 C1, C2, C3,C4 =1F
 Resistors and Pot-220k
R1-180Ω
R2-68k
R3-47K

4.2 WAVE FORMS

 Figure 4.Waveforms of speed controller

5. ADVANTAGES
 In earlier days speed of the dc motor was controlled using resistor which resulted in
power loss but introduction of triac eliminated the power loss

 Armature voltage control method gives good speed regulation and high efficiency
  Gives a large speed range with any desired number of speed points

5.1 DISADVANTAGES
• Today Introduction of IGBT made the speed control of dc motor more feasible
• Commutation circuit used in the circuit makes speed control less precise

6. APPLICATION
• This method (separately excited dc motors) are used in general in some of our daily
machines like: paper machines, diesel electric propulsion of ships, In steel rolling
mills, etc.
• It is for Treadmill Application
• Printing machine
• Wheelchair
7. CONCLUSION

In this research I have tried to explain a bit about how to control the speed of a separately
excited dc motor with the help of TRIAC and DIAC. Also I had passed on the different
types of methods and how can we use the speed control of dc motor.
8. REFERENCES
[1] J.B.Gupta, publishers of engg. And computer books. 2010-11 edition.

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_motor

[3] Herman, Stephen. Industrial Motor Control. 6th ed. Delmar, Cengage Learning, 2010.

[4] William H. Yeadon, Alan W. Yeadon. Handbook of small electric motors. McGraw-
Hill Professional, 2001.s