MOTORING OPERATION OF A DC MACHINE

In the motoring operation the d.c. machine is made to work from a d.c. source and absorb electrical power. This power is converted into the mechanical form. This is briefly discussed here. If the armature of the d.c. machine which is at rest is connected to a dc source then, a current flows into the armature conductors. If the field is already excited then these current carrying conductors experience a force as per the law of interaction discussed above and the armature experiences a torque. If the restraining torque could be neglected the armature starts rotating in the direction of the force. The conductors now move under the field and cut the magnetic flux and hence an induced emf appears in them. The polarity of the induced emf is such as to oppose the cause of the current which in the present case is the applied voltage. Thus a ’back emf’ appears and tries to reduce the current. As the induced emf and the current act in opposing sense the machine acts like a sink to the electrical power which the source supplies. This absorbed electrical power gets converted into mechanical form. Thus the same electrical machine works as a generator of electrical power or the absorber of electrical power depending upon the operating condition. The absorbed power gets converted into electrical or mechanical power.