Andy Knight (/~aknigh/index.

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DC Machine Examples
Separately Excited

A separately excited DC motor is rotated at 1000rpm, The variation of armature terminal

voltage as a function of field current is measured under no-load conditions and tabulated
below:
IF
VT

0.0
0

0.1
30

0.2
60

0.3
85

0.4
102

0.5
115

0.6
124

0.7
130

0.8
134

The field winding supply V F = 24V and the field resistance is adjustable. The armature
winding resistance R A = 0.2 and the armature terminal voltage V T = 130V .
a. Calculate the field current if the motor is operated with no-load at 1000 rpm
b. The motor drives a load at 1200 rpm. Calculate the armature voltage at 1200 rpm if the
field resistance R F = 60
c. Calculate the torque for the above condition
d. The motor supplies a mechanical load of 4000W at 1450rpm. The mechanical rotational
losses are 160W, calculate the efficiency
Comments

This question is similar to many DC machine questions and falls into two parts. At the start of
the question, you are given a reasonable amount of data about a specific operating condition.
You need to then take useful information from this operating condition and apply it to the
new operating conditions specified in the rest of the question.
Solution

This is a separately excited motor problem:

There are two important pieces of information in the beginning of the question:
The information is being given for "no-load " conditions. No-load in machines means
no useable power flow out of the machine. If there is no power flow in a dc machine,
there is no armature current, I A = 0 and therefore the terminal voltage equals the
armature voltage: E A = V T
You are being given data on the induced armature voltage at a given speed
The data for armature voltage at a given speed allows you to find the nonlinear
relationship between flux and field current, which is independent of speed.
Knowing how the data in the question is useful is a significant part of the solution process for
DC machine questions.
a. This question requires you to read data from the table provided. Under no-load

a. This question requires you to read data from the table provided. Under no-load
conditions, V T = 130V occurs when I F = 0.7A
b. Armature voltage is given by
E A = k

i.e. voltage is a function of k and speed. Flux is a function of field current, and since
field voltage and resistance are specified in the question, a first step is to find field
current:
VF = I F RF

gives I F = 0.4A
From the table in the question, when: nm = 1000rpm and I F = 0.4A then
E A = 102V . We need to find E A for the case when nm = 1200rpm and
I F = 0.4A

There are two possible approaches:

i. In both cases, the field current is constant, therefore flux will be constant.
Armature voltage will be proportional to speed:
1200
E 1200 = E 1000

1000

Giving E A = 122.4V
ii. Using the armature voltage equation, find k :
k

IF =0.4

EA

= n m

IF =0.4

60

100
=

= 0.974

Now, at 1200 rpm armature voltage can be found directly from the armature
voltage equation:
EA

1200

= k
2

= 1200

Giving E A

60

= 122.4V

c. To find the torque, there are three possible approaches. Two of the approaches require
the calculation of k if it has not already been done, two of the approaches require the
calcualtion of the armature current. require the armature current, which can be found
from the armature loop equation
VT = E A + I A RA

IA

= 38.0A

i. Using power equations:

P conv = = E A I A

P conv = = E A I A

122.4 I A 30
1200

= 37N m

ii. Using the torque equation directly: = kI A . This approach requires the
calculation of k , if not already done in the armature voltage calculation.
iii. Rearranging the torque-speed equation:

VT
k

RA
(k)

d. The final part of the question includes mechanical losses. In this case
P conv = P out + P + rotational
=4000 + 160 = 4160W

No information is available on the flux in the machine, so armature voltage or current

cannot be directly determined from the armature voltage equation or torque equation.
The preferred approach is to consider the power in the armature circuit:
VT I A = E A I A + I
I

2
A

2
A

RA

R A V T I A + P conv = 0

Solving the quadratic for armature current results in two values, I A = 616A or
I A = 33.75A . The correct answer will be the one that results in the lowest power
loss, I A = 33.75A . The armature voltage can be found by solving the armature
circuit equation
VT = E A + I A RA
E A = 123.25A

At this point, the armature losses can be found, but this is a separately excited machine
and it is important to remember to account for power flow in the field circuit. To find
the field current that gives E A = 123.25A at 1450 rpm, it is necessary to calculate
armature voltage that would be induced at the same field current with a rotational
speed of 1000 rpm.
EA

gives E A 1000

= 85.0V

1000

= EA

1000
1450

1450

which, from the table, corresponds to a field current

I F = 0.3A

Finally, efficiency can be found from

P out
=

P out + P losses

P losses = I

2
A

4000
=

giving

= 91.0%

Series Motor Example

R A + I F R F + P rotational = 395W

4395

Series Motor Example

A series DC motor has combined armature and field resistance of R A + R S = 1.2 . When
connected to a supply of V T = 48V at standstill, the motor develops a torque of 1500Nm.
a. Calculate the armature current at standstill and combined motor constant kc
b. Calculate the torque when the speed is 500 rpm
c. Calculate the output power and efficiency when operating at 500 rpm (neglect
mechanical losses)
Solution

This is a series motor problem:

a. At standstill, the angular velocity is zero, therefore the armature voltage is zero
(E A = kcI A = \0) . The full terminal voltage is dropped across the winding
resistances and V T = I A + (R A + R S ) gives I A = 40A
Using the torque equation for a series excited DC machine,
motor constant can be found: kc

= kcI A

= 1500/1600 = 0.9375N mA

, the combined

b. To find the torque it is possible to either substitute directly into the series motor torquespeed equation, or to first find the armature currents:
i.
VT
=

kc

= n m

RA + RS
kc

2
60

50
=

Re-arranging the torque speed equation and submitting for kc and speed gives
= 0.854N m

ii. Alternately, substitute E A = kcI A into in the armature loop equation to

obtain V T = I A (kc + R A + R S ) and solve for armature current.
2
I A = 0.955A and use the torque equation = kcI
.
A
c. To find efficiency neglecting rotational losses:
=

eta = 97.0%

Andy Knight (mailto:andy.knight@ucalgary.ca)

P conv
P in

EA IA
VT I A

EA
VT