Speed Control, Starting and

Braking of a DC Motor
Introduction

 A variable speed motor is required to operate the

mechanical machine smoothly. It is used in
elevators, industry and railroads.

 In this application, the motor gets rest for few times.

This kind of electrical breaking reduces the wear of
the mechanical parts of the machine and motor.
Starter
 The armature resistance of this motor is very
small and it will draw large current. This high
magnitude of current might damage the
motor itself. So, an additional device is used
to start the dc motor known as starter.
Motor Speed Controlling Parameters
 The general relationship of speed for Shunt
Motor is as follows,
N α [Vt - Ia Ra] / φ
 The speed of motor can be controlled by
controlling the following parameters,

1. Flux per pole known as flux control method.

2. Armature circuit resistance namely rheostatic
control.
3. Applied voltage known as voltage control
method.
 Flux Control Method
 In this method, the supply voltage Vt and the
armature resistance Ra are always fixed. The speed
is controlled by varying only the field current.

 The magnitude of the field current can be decreased

by setting higher value of the fiel resistance in
following way,

If = Ish = Vt
Rf
Fig : 5.1

 The flux decreases as the field current decreases.

This decreasing flux reduces the value of the back
emf and the armature current increases.
Ia = Vt - Eb
Rf
 The increasing armature current increases
the torque, which increases the speed.
Hence, the back emf increases again.
 The increases back emf decreases the
armature current, which decreases the torque
until this torque is equal to the full load torque
at a higher speed.
 The no-load speed of the motor increases
with decreases the flux. The method of speed
control is simple and permits remote control
of the speed.
Armature Rheostat Control Method
 In this method, the voltage across the
armature terminals Vt and the shunt field
current are kept constant at the rated voltage.
 Fig:5.2
 The current through the variable resistance
produces more voltage drop. As a result, a small
voltage appeared across the armature.

 The speed of the motor will be decreased because

the speed is directly proportional to the applied
voltage.

 This method is recommended by for small size

motor because the speed of the motor can be
reduced below its rated speed.
 The expression of initial speed,

N1 α Vt – Ia1 Ra

 The expression of final speed,

N2 α Vt – Ia2 (Ra + R)

N2 = Vt – Ia2 (Ra + R)
N1 Vt – Ia1 Ra
Example 5.1

 A 220V dc shunt motor takes an armature

current of 10A and runs at a speed of
900rpm. Some additional resistance is
required in series with 1ohm armature
resistance to reduce the speed to 500rpm.
For the same armature current, find the value
of the additional resistance.
Example 5.2

 A shunt motor takes an armature current of

15A from 230V supply. The armature circuit
resistance is 0.4 ohm & runs at speed of
650rpm on full load. A variable resistance of
1 ohm is connected in series with the
armature. Find the speed at the full load and
half load torque.
Practice Problem 5.1

 A 240V dc shunt motor takes an armature

current of 10A and runs at a speed of
1000rpm. Some additional resistance is
connected in series with 0.6 ohm armature
resistance to reduce the speed t 800 rpm. For
15A armature current, find the value of
additional resistance.
Practice Problem 5.2

 A shunt motor takes an armature current of

10A from 220V supply. The armature circuit
resistance is 0.2 ohm and runs at a speed
950rpm on full load. A variable resistance of
1.5 ohm is connected in series with the
armature. Find the speed at the full load
torque.
Armature Voltage Control Method
 In this method, the voltage across the
armature terminals is varied for changing the
speed of the motor.
 A variable voltage is supplied to the motor
armature by a suitable variable transformer
and switchgear.
 The speed is approx. proportional to the
applied voltage.
 This method is rarely used as it is expensive.
Speed Control of Series Motor
 For increasing the speed, a small value of the
resistance named diverter is connected in
parallel with the series field.
 Fig : 5.3
 Some portion of the field current pass
through the diverter and less current will flow
through the series field winding, so less flux
will be produced.
 This reduce flux will increase the speed of the
series motor.
N α 1/φ
 The field flux will also be increased if the
current through the diverter is zero. Hence,
the speed will be decreased.
 The speed of the series motor may also be
decreased by connecting a resistance in
series with the series field.
 The supply voltage across the armature
terminals will be reduced due to total resistive
drop, which reduces the speed of the series
motor.
 Fig: 5.4
 Armature diverter method
 In this method, the diverter resistance is
connected in parallel to the armature. For a
given load, the armature current is reduced
by the diverter resistance. This reduced
armature current increases the flux which will
decrease the speed of the series motor.
 Fig: 5.5
Example 5.3
 A variable resistance R is connected in series
with the armature of a 230V series motor to
adjust its speed. Total resistance of the
armature and the field is 0.2ohm. For a
certain load, consider R=0, armature current
is 10A and motor speed is 1000rpm. For
other loads, the armature current is found 8A
when R=2ohm. Find the new speed when the
flux in the second case is 80% of the flux in
the first case.
Example 5.4
 A 4-pole and 4 parallel paths dc series motor
runs at 1100rpm and draws 15A from 220V
dc supply. The value of series field resistance
is 0.6ohm and the armature resistance is
0.9ohm. The new line current is found 25A
when two series field coils are connected in
parallel with other two series field coils. The
flux for 25A current is 80% of the flux for 15A
current. Determine the speed for second
case.
Practice Problem 5.3
 A variable resistance R is connected in series
with the armature of a 220V series motor to
adjust its speed. Total resistance of the
armature and the field is 0.03ohm. For a
certain load, consider R=0.2ohm, armature
current is 15A and motor speed is 1100rpm.
For other loads, the armature current is found
10A when R=4ohm. Find the new speed
when the flux in the second case is 90% of
the flux in the first case.
Practice Problem 5.4
 A 2-pole and 4 parallel paths dc series motor
runs at 900rpm and draws 10A from 250V dc
supply. The value of series field resistance is
0.4ohm and the armature resistance is
0.7ohm. The new line current is found 20A
when two series field coils are connected in
parallel with other two series field coils. The
flux for 20A current is 95% of the flux for 10A
current. Determine the speed for second
case.
Ward Leonard System
 This system uses a motor generator (M-G)
set to control the speed of the dc motor.
 Here, 3-phase induction motor is connected
with the separately excited dc generated.
 The generator armature is connected directly
to the motor armature is connected directly to
the motor armature.
 The field of the generator and motor is
connected across the dc voltage source.
 Fig 5.7
 The variable resistance is connected in series
with the generator field winding. The output of
the generator is changed by changing the
generator field resistance. The generator
output is being connected to the motor
armature, thereby changes the speed of the
motor.
Half Wave Rectifier
Fig: 5.11

 At the positive half cycle of the input voltage,

the diode is forward biased and conducts
current.
 During the negative half cycle, the diode is
reversed biased and does not conduct
current.
 Fig: 5.12

 The rms value of the current

Irms = Im / 2
Full Wave Rectifier
 In the full wave rectifier, both half of the input
voltages use to produce the dc output. For
full wave rectifier, the following two basic
connections are used.

 Center tap full wave rectifier

At the positive half cycle of the input voltage,
point A is positive w.r.t. point C. Hence, diode
D1 will conduct and D2 will not.
 When point B is positive w.r.t. point C, diode
D2 will conduct and D1 will be non-
conducting.

 Fig:5.13

 Fig 5.14
 Bridge rectifier
At the positive half cycle of the secondary
voltage, point A is positive w.r.t. point B. in
this polarity, diodes D4 and D2 will conduct.
In the reverse polarity, diodes D3 and D1 will
conduct.
 The rms value of current

Irms = Im / 2
Fig : 5.15
Speed Control by SCR and Diode

 SCR stands for Silicon Controlled rectifier.

 SCR is three terminals semiconductor device
namely anode, cathode and gate.
 It controls the amount of power fed to the
load by adjusting the firing angle of the gate.
 The voltage Vt across the motor armature is
controlled by adjusting the firing angle from 0
to 180 of the SCR.
 Fig: 5.18

 The approx. expression of output voltage of

SCR is
Vt α (1+cosα)
Braking of DC Motor

 The dc motor can be stopped by three

methods:

1. Plugging
2. Dynamic Breaking
3. Regenerative Braking
Plugging
 This method is used to stop the motor by
reversing the armature current. The armature
current can be reversed by changing the
armature terminals.
 Fig: 5.19
 The armature circuit in series with variable
resistance is connected across the source.

 Under normal condition, the current through

the armature is,

Ia = (Vt – Eb) / Ra
Dynamic Braking
 In this method, the armature winding is
disconnected from the supply and it is
connected in series with a variable
resistance.
 Fig: 5.20
 The back emf will produce the armature
current in the reverse direction.
 As a result of the reverse direction current, a
torque will produce in the armature winding.
 The torque opposes the rotation of the motor
and it will stop.
 The armature current
Ia = Eb = PZφ N
Ra + R 60A(Ra +R)
 The expression of braking torque
2
Tb = k3φ N

2
k3 = 1 (PZ / A) 1
2π 60 (Ra + R)

 Finally,
Tb α N
DC Motor Starter

 At the time of starting of the motor, the value

of back emf is zero.

Ia = (Vt-0)
Ra
 This high value of starting current creates the
following problems

 High current produces excessive heating,

which may burn the armature partially.
 High current produces series of sparking,
which damages the commutator and brushes.
 High current overloading the connecting
wires of the motor.
 Snapping off the shaft of the motor.
 Damaging the driven mechanical equipment.
 An additional device is used to overcome
those problems and run the dc motor safely.
This device is known as starter.

 In the starter, a variable resistance is

connected in series with the armature to limit
the high starting current.
Three-point Starter

 Fig : 5.21
 The name of the three-point starter is due to
three points within the dotted lines.
 When the arm is moved to the position 1, the
filed circuit is connected directly across the
supply and all the starting resistance are
connected in series with the armature. As a
result, large magnitude of resistance limits
the starting current.
 When the arm moves to the positions 2, 3
and 4, the speed of the motor increases.
 At position 5, the motor will run at its rated
speed.

 The electromagnetic coil is used to hold the

arm at its final position but sometimes it does
not produce enough force to hold it.
Four-point Starter
 Fig : 5.22

 In this arrangement, any change of shunt

field current does not affect the
electromagnetic force.
Starting Resistance Grading

 Fig:5.23

 The starting resistances can be cut out from

the circuit in segments by closing the
contacts 1, 2, 3 and 4.
 At position 1, the maximum value of current
is,
I1 = Vt / R1

 The minimum value is

I2 = (Vt – Eb1) / R1

 The value of current at position 2,

I1 = (Vt – Eb1) / R2
 At position 3, the maximum and minimum
values of current,
I2 = (Vt – Eb2) / R2
I1 = (Vt – Eb2) / R3

 At position 4,
I2 = (Vt – Eb3) / R3
I1 = (Vt – Eb3) / Ra

 For nth steps of the starting resistance,

n
R1 = k R a
Example 5.5

 The armature resistance of a 230V shunt

motor is 0.4ohms. At the time of starting, the
armature current does not exceed 30A
current. A three steps four stud starter is
used to run the motor. Calculate the values of
the resistances that are used in the starter
steps.
Example 5.6

 The output of 220V shunt motor is 3550W

and the efficiency is 85%.The starting current
of the motor should not exceed twice the full
load current. Find the values of resistance in
a four steps five-stud starter. Assume the
copper loss is half the total loss.
Practice Problem 5.5

 The armature resistance of a 220V shunt

motor is 0.3ohms. The armature current does
not exceed 25A during starting time. A four
steps five stud starter is used to run the
motor. Calculate the values of the resistances
that are used in the starter steps.
Practice Problem 5.6

 The output of 240V shunt motor is 4750W

and the efficiency is 88%. The starting
current of the motor should not exceed 1.5
times the full load current. Find the values of
resistances in a four steps five-stud starter.
Assume the copper loss is one third of the
total loss.