DC Machine

Construction

Introduction
Introduction
Electro-mechanical or Electro-magnetic device and Power
Converter
Converts
Mechanical
Electrical
Generator
Electrical
Mechanical
Motor
Emf in Generator /Motor: based on Faraday's law of
electromagnetic Induction,
Force in Generator /Motor : based on Amperes law
Hence the basic essentials for an electrical generator are: (i) Magnetic field
(ii) Conductor or conductors and
(iii) Relative motion between magnetic field and conductors.
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Construction
Construction-wise both DC generator and DC motor are same
Any d.c. generator can be run as a d.c. motor and vice-versa
A DC machine has four essential parts:
(a) Field system (Stator)
(b) Armature system
(c) Commutator
(d) Brushes & Bearings

Cutaway view of DC Machine

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2 Pole Machine in Schematic

Armature
Teeth
Yoke
thickness

Armature
slot

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2 Pole Machine in Schematic

In the neutral zone, in the middle
between the poles, commutating poles
are placed to reduce sparking of the
commutator. The commutating poles
are supplied by dc current.
Compensating windings are mounted
on the main poles. These shortcircuited windings damp rotor
oscillations.

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Field Systems
In DC machines, the field magnets provide uniform magnetic
field surrounding the armature. Generally, electromagnets are
preferred in DC machines in place of permanent magnets. The
field magnet consists of four parts:
(a) Yoke or Frame
(b) Pole Cores and Pole Shoes
(c) Magnetic Coils/ Field Winding

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Field Systems
The function of the field system is to produce uniform
magnetic field within which the armature rotates.
It consists of a number of salient poles (of course, even
number) bolted to the inside of circular frame (generally
called yoke).
Field coils are mounted on the poles and carry the d.c.
exciting current. The field coils are connected in such a way
that adjacent poles have opposite polarity.
The m.m.f. developed by the field coils produces a magnetic
flux that passes through the pole pieces, the air gap, the
armature and the frame (See Fig).
Practical d.c. machines have air gaps ranging from 0.5 mm to
1.5 mm. Since armature and field systems are composed of
materials that have high permeability, most of the m.m.f. of
field coils is required to set up flux in the air gap. By
reducing the length of air gap, we can reduce the size of field
coils (i.e. number of turns).
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Frame or Yoke
This cylindrical yoke is the outer part of the DC
machine and are made out of forged or solid cast iron
or cast steel. Cast steel has very good magnetic
properties and provides closed magnetic circuit.
The motor housing supports the iron core, the brushes
and the bearings.
It provides the mechanical supports for the poles and
acts as a protecting cover for the whole machine.
Material of yoke possess high permeability and it
provides the path to the flux
The modern process of forming the yoke consists of
rolling a steel slab round a cylindrical mandrel and
then welding it at the bottom.
The feet and the terminal box etc. are welded to the
frame afterwards.
Such yokes possess sufficient mechanical strength
and have high permeability.

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Pole Core & Pole Shoe

The field magnet consists of pole cores and pole
shoes.
Pole core has circular section and it carries the field
magnets. Usually pole cores are made of iron and
casted with yoke. Pole pieces are composed of
stacked laminations.
The pole shoes are attached to pole core and act as
support to the field coils. The pole shoes are formed
by laminated sheets of steel and bolted to the pole
cores.
The pole shoes serve two purposes:
(i) They spread out the flux uniformly over the
armature periphery in the air gap and also being the
larger cross section reduced the reluctance of the
magnetic path.
(ii) They support the exciting coils.
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Field Pole & Field Winding

A wound field pole of a dc machine

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Magnetic Coils/Field Winding

To set up the flux in magnetic circuit of DC machine the magnetomotive force

or MMF is required.

An electromagnet is formed by field or magnetic coils, which are supported by

the pole core.

The magnetic flux produced by MMF is developed in these magnetic coils.

The field coils or pole coils, which consist of copper wire, are former-wound
for the current dimension. Then the former is removed and the wound coil is
put into place over the core.

In series field machines, the field coil is made of thick wire of copper with less
turns.

For a shunt field coil, many turns of fine wire are used.

After proper winding of coils these are dipped in insulating varnish to provide
mechanical strength and better insulating properties.
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Armature System
It consists of

Commutator

Armature or Rotor
Armature or Rotor
winding
Commutator

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Armature/Rotor
Armature is the drum shaped rotating
part of DC machine.
The armature core is keyed to the
machine shaft and rotates between the
field poles.
It houses the armature conductors or
coils and causes them to rotate and hence
cut the magnetic flux of the field
magnets. Its most important function is
to provide a path of very low reluctance
to the flux through the armature from
North Pole to South Pole.
It consists of slotted soft-iron/high grade
steel laminations (about 0.3 to 0.6 mm
thick) that are stacked to form a
cylindrical core as shown in Figure.
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 The laminations are individually coated with a thin insulating film so that they do
not come in electrical contact with each other.
The purpose of laminating the core is to reduce the hysteresis and eddy current
loss. Thinner the lamination, greater will be resistance offered to the induced emf
and hence smaller the current. And thus the loss is also small.
The laminations are slotted to accommodate and provide mechanical security to
the armature winding and to give shorter air gap for the flux to cross between the
pole face and the armature teeth.
There is a small air gap between armature and pole shoes of field magnets to avoid
any rubbing in DC machine. This air gap should be kept minimum.
On the outer periphery the slots are formed by die cut or punch as shown in
Figure.
Also some air ducts are provided for proper ventilation.

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Armature/Rotor Winding
The slots of the armature core hold insulated conductors with several
turns and these are connected in a suitable manner. This is known as
armature winding.
This is the winding in which working e.m.f. is induced.
The armature conductors are connected in series-parallel; the conductors
being connected in series so as to increase the voltage and in parallel
paths so as to increase the current.
The armature winding of a d.c. machine is a closed-circuit winding; the
conductors being connected in a symmetrical manner forming a closed
loop or series of closed loops.

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Armature/Rotor Winding
The armature conductors carry the
current and are insulated using
several layers of paper or mica
insulation.
Figure depicts a slot containing
two coil sides, each consisting of a
single conductor. Two sides of one
coil are housed approximately one
pole pitch apart i.e. 180 electric
degrees.
One side occupies top layer and
another side occupies the bottom
layer of the respective slots.
In a multi-turn coil, each coil side
consists of as any conductors as
the number of turns in the coil
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Armature/Rotor Winding

It is generally former wound. These are first wound in the form of flat rectangular
coils and then are pulled into their proper shape in a coil puller.

Depending upon the manner in which the armature conductors are connected to the
commutator segments, there are two types of armature winding in a d.c. machine

Lap winding
In lap winding finish end of one coil is connected to a commutator segment and to the
start end of the adjacent coil situated under the same pole and similarly all coils are
connected. Since the successive coils overlap each other and hence the name Lap
winding.
Wave winding
It is also called as series winding. In this winding, the coil side is not connected back
but progresses forward to another coil sides. In this way the winding progresses,
passing successively every N pole and S pole till it returns to coil side from where it
was started. As the winding shape is wavy, the winding is, therefore, called wave
winding.
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Commutator

Mounted on the shaft of the machine

It has cylindrical shape and approximately same

diameter as armature.

The commutator is made of wedge shaped

segments of drop forged and hard drawn high
conductivity, copper segments insulated from
each other by mica sheets

The commutator, whose function is to facilitate

the collection of current from the armature, is
cylindrical in structure.

A commutator is a mechanical rectifier which

converts the alternating voltage generated in the
armature winding into direct voltage across the
brushes or vice -versa.
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Commutator
The armature conductors are
soldered to the commutator
segments in a suitable manner to
give rise to the armature winding.
The armature coils are connected
with the commutator, which in turn
gets connected to external circuit
through carbon brushes sliding on
commutator.
Great care is taken in building the
commutator
because
any
eccentricity will cause the brushes
to bounce, producing unacceptable
sparking. The sparks may bum the
brushes and overheat and carbonize
the commutator.

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Commutator

The commutator switches the current from one rotor coil to the adjacent coil.
The switching requires the interruption of the coil current. The sudden
interruption of an inductive current generates high voltages .
The high voltage produces flashover and arcing between the commutator
segment and the brush.
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Brushes and Accessories

The purpose of brushes is to ensure

electrical connections between the
rotating commutator and stationary
external load circuit and to collect
current from the commutator.
These are rectangular in shape, made of
carbon normally. These brushes are
housed in brush holder usually of the box
type variety and rest on the commutator.
The brush pressure is adjusted by means
of adjustable springs. If the brush
pressure is very large, the friction
produces heating of the commutator and
the brushes. On the other hand, if it is too
weak, the imperfect contact with the
commutator may produce sparking

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Brushes and Accessories

Multipole machines have as many brushes as they
have poles. For example, a 4-pole machine has 4
brushes. As we go round the commutator, the
successive brushes have positive and negative
polarities. Brushes having the same polarity are
connected together so that we have two terminals
viz., the +ve terminal and the -ve terminal.
Generally ball bearings are employed due to their
reliability but for heavy duty, roller bearings are also
used. The balls and rollers are generally packed in
hard oil for quieter operation. Sleeve bearings are
also used where low wear is required.

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