Speed control of d.c. Motors:Starter and Speed-control Rheostats and Starting and Speed Control of Series Motor

Starter and Speed-control Rheostats

Sometimes, for convenience, the field rheostat is also contained within the starting box as shown in Fig. 30.43. In this case, two arms are used. There are two rows of studs, the lower ones being connected to the armature. The inside starting arm moves over the lower studs on the starting resistor, whereas the outside field lever moves over the upper ones on the field rheostat. Only the out- side field arm is provided with an operating handle. While starting the motor, the two arms are moved together, but field lever is electrically inoperative because the field current flows directly from the starting arm through the brass arc to HOLD-ON coil and finally to the shunt field winding. At the end of the starting period, the starting arm is attracted and held in FULL-ON position by the HOLD-ON coil, and the contact between the starting arm and brass arc is broken thus forcing field cur-Speed-control Rheostats rent to pass through the field rheostat. The field lever can be moved back to increase the motor speed. It will be seen that now the upper row of contacts is operative because starting arm no longer touches the brass arc.

When motor is stopped by opening the main switch, the starting arm is released and on its way back it strikes the field lever so that both arms are returned simultaneously to OFF position.

Starting and Speed Control of Series Motor

For starting and speed control of series motor either a face-plate type or drum-type controller is used which usually has the reversing feature also. A face-plate type of reversing controller is shown in Fig. 30.44.

Except for a separate overload circuit, no inter-locking or automatic features are required because the operator watches the performance continuously.

As shown, the regulating lever consists of three pieces separated by strips of insulation. The outside parts form the electrical connections and the middle one is insulated from them. By moving the regulating lever, resistance can be cut in and out of the motor circuit. Reversing is obtained by moving the lever in the opposite direction as shown, because in that case, connections to the armature are reversed. Such an arrangement is employed where series motors are used as in the case of cranes, hoists and streetcars etc.

However, for adjustable speed service in connection with the operation of machine tools, a drum controller is preferred. It is called ‘controller’ because in addition to accelerating the motor to its normal speed, it provides the means for reversing the direction of the motor. Other desirable features such as safety protection against an open field or the temporary failure of power supply and overloads are frequently provided in this type of controller.

The controller consists of armature resistance grids of cross-section sufficient to carry the full-load operating current continuously and are used for adjusting the motor speed to values lower than the base speed obtained with no external resistance in the armature of field circuit. As the operating handle is gradually turned, the resistance is cut out of the armature circuit–there being as yet no resistance in the field circuit at this stage, then when resistance in the armature circuit is completely cut out, further rotation of the handle inserts resistance into the field circuit. Turning of the handle in the opposite direction starts and speeds up the motor in the reverse direction.

Grading of Starting Resistance for Shunt Motors

Tst would be small in designing shunt motor starters, it is usual to allow an overload of 50% for starting and to advance the starter a step when armature current has fallen to definite lower value. Either this lower current limit may be fixed or the number of starter steps may be fixed. In the former case, the number of steps are so chosen as to suit the upper and lower current limits whereas in the latter case, the lower current limit will depend on the number of steps specified. It can be shown that the resistances in the circuit on successive studs from geometrical progression, having a common ratio equal to lower current limit/upper current limit i.e., I2/I1.

In Fig. 30.45 the starter connected to a shunt motor is shown. For the sake of simplicity, four live studs have been taken. When arm A makes

established and at the same time the armature current immediately jumps to a maximum value I1 given by I1 = V/R1 where R1 = armature and starter resistance (Fig. 30.45).

I1 the maximum permissible armature current at the start (Imax) and is, as said above, usually limited to 1.5 times the full-load current of the motor. Hence, the motor develops 1.5 times its full- load torque and accelerates very rapidly. As the motor speeds up, its back e.m.f. grows and hence decreases the armature current as shown by curve ab in Fig. 30.46.

When the armature current has fallen to some predetermined value I2 (also called Imin) arm A is moved to stud No. 2. Let the value of back e.m.f. be Eb1 at the time of leaving stud No. 1. Then

Since R1 = V/I1 and Ra are usually known and K is known from the given values of maximum and minimum currents (determined by the load against which motor has to start), the value of n can be found and hence the value of different starter sections.

When Number of Sections is Specified.

Since I1 would be given, R1 can be found from R1 = V/I1.

n-1 Since n is known, K can be found from R1/Ra = K and the lower current limit I2 from I1/I2 = K.

Example 30.49. A 10 b.h.p. (7.46 kW) 200-V shunt motor has full-load efficiency of 85%. The armature has a resistance of 0.25 W. Calculate the value of the starting resistance necessary to limit the starting current to 1.5 times the full-load current at the moment of first switching on. The shunt current may be neglected. Find also the back e.m.f. of the motor, when the current has fallen to its full-load value, assuming that the whole of the starting resistance is still in circuit.

Example 30.54. The 4-pole, lap-wound armature winding of a 500-V, d.c. shunt motor is housed in a total number of 60 slots each slot containing 20 conductors. The armature resistance is 1.31 W. If during the period of starting, the minimum torque is required to be 218 N-m and the maximum torque 1.5 times the minimum torque, find out how many sections the starter should have and calcu- late the resistances of these sections. Take the useful flux per pole to be 23 mWb.

(Elect. Machinery-II, Bangalore Univ. 1991)