ENGINEERING ARTICLES

A wound-rotor motor (Slip Ring Motor) is a type of induction motor where the rotor windings are connected through slip rings to external resistances. Adjusting the resistance allows control of the speed/torque characteristic of the motor. Wound-rotor motors can be started with low inrush current, by inserting high resistance into the rotor circuit; as the motor accelerates, the resistance can be decreased. Squirrel Cage Motors have a heavy winding made up of solid bars, usually aluminum or copper, joined by rings at the ends of the rotor. When one considers only the bars and rings as a whole, they are much like an animal's rotating exercise cage, hence the name. PROPERTY SQUIRREL CAGE MOTOR SLIP RING MOTOR Rotor Construction Bars are used in rotor. Squirrel cage motor is very simple, rugged and long lasting. No slip rings and brushes Winding wire is to be used. Wound rotor required attention. Slip ring and brushes are needed also need freq...

Transformers reduce the voltage of the electricity supplied by the utility to a level suitable for use by the electric equipment. Since all of the electricity used by a company passes through a transformer, even a small efficiency improvement will result in significant electricity savings. High-efficiency transformers are now available that can reduce total electricity use by approximately 1 percent. Reduced electricity use provides cost savings for a company. Two types of energy losses occur in transformers: load and no-load losses. Load losses: result from resistance in the copper or aluminum windings. Load losses (also called winding losses) vary with the square of the electrical current (or load) flowing through the windings. At low loads (e.g. under 30 percent loading), core losses account for the majority of losses, but as the load increases, winding losses quickly dominate and account for 50 to 90 percent of transformer losses at full load. Winding losses can be reduce...

1) KNOW THE LOAD CHARACTERISTICS For line-operated motors, loads fall into three general categories: constant torque, torque that changes abruptly, and torque that change gradually over time. Bulk material conveyors, extruders, positive displacement pumps, and compressors without air unloaders run at relatively steady levels of torque. Sizing a motor for these applications is simple once the torque (or horsepower) for the application is known. Load demands by elevators, compactors, punch presses, saws, and batch conveyors change abruptly from low to high in a short time, often in a fraction of a second. The most critical consideration for selecting a motor in these cases is to choose one whose speed-torque curve exceeds the load torque curve. Loads from centrifugal pumps, fans, blowers, compressors with unloaders, and similar equipment tend to be variable over time. In choosing a motor for these conditions, consider the highest continuous load point, which typically occurs a...

MOTOR A motor is an extended version of a transformer. Here we can introduce the analogy between a transformer and a motor that is a motor is like a transformer with a moving secondary. The primary that is not moving is called stator and the secondary that is moving is called rotor. The type of motor that is used worldwide with a greater percentage is the three phase induction motor. The principle is somewhat like a transformer. If we place three coil at 120 degree physical alignment and also apply three phase ac supply which is also with 120 degree electrical phase relation, then the resultant flux, that is created from the vectorial space summation of the three phase fluxes, will rotate at the frequency of the supply voltage. Here the magnitude of the flux is same throughout the rotation. Now this revolving flux will cut the rotor and there will be an induced voltage across the rotor as well. As the rotor is short circuited there will be a flow of current through the short cir...

To perform the economical analysis of transformer, it is necessary to calculate its life cycle cost, sometimes called total cost of ownership, over the life span of transformer or, in other words, the capitalized cost of the transformer. All these terms mean the same – in one formula, costs of purchasing, operating and maintaining the transformer need to be compared taking into account the time value of money. The concept of the ‘time value of money’ is that a sum of money received today has a higher value – because it is available to be exploited – than a similar sum of money received at some future date. In practice, some simplification can be made. While each transformer will have its own purchase price and loss factors, other costs, such as installation, maintenance and decommissioning will be similar for similar technologies and can be eliminated from the calculation. Only when different technologies are compared e.g. air cooled dry type transformers with oil cooled transfor...

TRANSFORMER A transformer is an extended version of an inductor. The flux that is created inside the inductor is used here to induce voltages at other coil, which is termed as secondary coil. If the rate of change of flux can induce voltage across the primary coil, from which it is created, then it is also possible to induce voltage across secondary coil, provided that we can pull the flux to flow through the other coil. The rate of change of flux will induce voltage as many turn we use. If the turn is double the turn in primary then the voltage will also be double. If we increase the number of secondary coils, then voltage will be induced in all the secondary coils according to the number of turns present in each secondary coil. We can increase or decrease the secondary voltage level according to our requirement. If the secondary voltage is increased then it is called step up transformer and for the decreasing case it is called step down transformer. Each secondary voltage will...

An autotransformer is a transformer which has part of its winding common to the primary and secondary circuits. Fig. 1(a) shows the circuit for a double-wound transformer and Fig. 1(b) that for an auto transformer. The latter shows that the secondary is actually part of the primary, the current in the secondary being (I 2 -I 1 ). Since the current is less in this section, the cross-sectional area of the winding can be reduced, which reduces the amount of material necessary. Figure 1: (a)  double-wound transformer (b)  auto transformer ADVANTAGES OF AUTO TRANSFORMERS The advantages of autotransformers over double wound transformers include: 1) a saving in cost since less copper is needed 2) less volume, hence less weight 3) a higher efficiency, resulting from lower I 2 R losses 4) a continuously variable output voltage is achievable if a sliding contact is used 5) a smaller percentage voltage regulation. DISADVANTAGES OF AUTO TRANSFORMERS The ...

The magnetic flux ϕ set up in the core of a transformer when an alternating voltage is applied to its primary winding is also alternating and is sinusoidal. Let ϕm be the maximum value of the flux and f be the frequency of the supply. The time for 1 cycle of the alternating flux is the periodic time T, where T = (1/f) seconds The flux rises sinusoidally from zero to its maximum value in (1/4) cycle, and the time for (1/4) cycle is (1/4f) seconds. Hence the average rate of change of flux = (ϕm/ (1/4f)) = 4f ϕm Wb/s, and since 1Wb/s D 1 volt, the average emf induced in each turn = 4f ϕm volts. As the flux ϕ varies sinusoidally, then a sinusoidal emf will be induced in each turn of both primary and secondary windings. For a sine wave, Form Factor = r.m.s Value / Average Value = 1.11 Hence r.m.s. value = form factor*average value = 1.11 * average value Thus r.m.s. e.m.f. induced in each turn =1.11 * 4fϕm volts =4.44fϕm volts Therefore, r.m.s. value of e....

Some small transformers for low-power applications are constructed with air between the two coils. Such transformers are inefficient because the percentage of the flux from the first coil that links the second coil is small. The voltage induced in the second coil is determined as follows. E=NdΦ/dt10 8 where N is the number of turns in the coil, dϕ/dt is the time rate of change of flux linking the coil, and ϕ is the flux in lines. At a time when the applied voltage to the coil is E and the flux linking the coils is ϕ lines, the instantaneous voltage of the supply is: Since the amount of flux ϕ linking the second coil is a small percentage of the flux from the first coil, the voltage induced into the second coil is small. The number of turns can be increased to increase the voltage output, but this will increase costs. The need then is to increase the amount of flux from the first coil that links the second coil.

Principle: An electrical generator is a machine which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The energy conversion is based on the principle of the production of dynamically induced emf, where a conductor cuts magnetic flux, dynamically induced emf is produced in it according to Faraday’s Laws of electromagnetic Induction. This emf causes a current to flow if the conductor circuit is closed. Hence, two basic essential parts of an electrical generator are (i) a magnetic field and (ii) a conductor or conductors which can so move as to cut the flux. The following figure shows a single-turn rectangular copper coil rotating about its own axis in a magnetic field provided by either permanent magnets or electromagnets. The two ends of the coil are joined to two slip-rings ‘a’ and ‘b’ which are insulated from each other and from the central shaft. Two collecting brushes (of carbon or copper) press against the slip-rings. Their function is to collect the current induced in the coi...

(1) By using a starting motor. This motor is directly coupled to the motor. It may be an induction motor which can run on a synchronous speed closer to the synchronous speed of the main motor. (2) Starting as an induction motor. This is the most usual method in which the motor is provided with a special damper winding on rotor poles. The stator is switched on to supply either directly or by star delta/reduced voltage starting. When the rotor reaches more than 95% of the synchronous speed, the dc circuit breaker for field excitation is switched on and the field current is gradually increased. The rotor pulls into synchronism (A) Pull-in torque. It is the maximum constant load torque under which the motor will pull into synchronism at the rated rotor supply voltage and rated frequency, when the rated field current is applied (B) Nominal pull in torque. It is the value of pull in torque at 95 percent of, the synchronous speed with the rated voltage and frequency applied to th...

1. Shunt generators with field regulators are used for ordinary lighting and power supply purposes. They are also used for charging batteries because their terminal voltages are almost constant or can be kept constant. 2. Series generators are not used for power supply because of their rising characteristics. However, their rising characteristic makes them suitable for being used as boosters in certain types of distribution systems particularly in railway service. 3. Compound generators: The cumulatively-compound generator is the most widely used dc generator because its external characteristic can be adjusted for compensating the voltage drop in the line resistance. Hence, such generators are used for motor driving which require dc supply at constant voltage, for lamp loads and for heavy power service such as electric railways. The differential-compound generator has an external characteristic similar to that of a shunt generator but with large demagnetization armature react...

Following are the three most important characteristics or curves of a dc generator: 1. No-load saturation Characteristic (E 0 /I f ): It is also known as Magnetic Characteristic or Open-circuit Characteristic (O.C.C.). It shows the relation between the no-load generated MMF in armature, E 0  and the field or exciting current I f  at a given fixed speed. It is just the magnetization curve for the material of the electromagnets. Its shape is practically the same for all generators whether separately-excited or self-excited. 2. Internal or Total Characteristic (E/I a ): It gives the relation between the MMF E actually induces in the armature (after allowing for the demagnetizing effect of armature reaction) and the armature current I a . This characteristic is of interest mainly to the designer. 3. External Characteristic (V/I): It is also referred to as performance characteristic or sometimes voltage-regulating curve. It gives relatio...

Figure shows diagrammatically auto-transformer tap changing. Here, a mid-tapped auto-transformer or reactor is used. One of the lines is connected to its mid-tapping. One end, say a of this transformer is connected to a series of switches across the odd tappings and the other end b is connected to switches across even tappings. A short-circuiting switch S is connected across the auto-transformer and remains in the closed position under normal operation. In the normal operation, there is no inductive voltage drop across the auto-transformer. Referring to Figure, it is clear that with switch 5 closed, minimum secondary turns are in the circuit and hence the output voltage will be the lowest. On the other hand, the output voltage will be maximum when switch 1 is closed. Suppose now it is desired to alter the tapping point from position 5 to position 4 in order to raise the output voltage. For this purpose, short-circuiting switch S is opened, switch 4 is closed, then switch 5 is op...

The excitation control method is satisfactory only for relatively short lines. However, it is not suitable for long lines as the voltage at the alternator terminals will have to be varied too much in order that the voltage at the far end of the line may be constant. Under such situations, the problem of voltage control can be solved by employing other methods. One important method is to use tap changing transformer and is commonly employed where main transformer is necessary. In this method, a number of tappings are provided on the secondary of the transformer. The voltage drop in the line is supplied by changing the secondary EMF of the transformer through the adjustment of its number of turns. (I) OFF LOAD TAP CHANGING TRANSFORMER Figure1 shows the arrangement where a number of tappings have been provided on the secondary. As the position of the tap is varied, the effective number of secondary turns is varied and hence the output voltage of the secondary can be changed. Thus...