The process of transferring current from one connection to another within an electric

circuit. Depending on the application, commutation is achieved either by mechanical

switching or by electronic switching.

Commutation was conceived over a century ago through the invention of the direct-
current (dc) motor. When direct current is supplied to a winding on a rotor that is
subjected to a stationary magnetic field, it experiences a rotational force and resulting
output torque. As the stator north and south poles are reversed relative to the rotating
winding, the rotor current is reversed by a commutator in order to maintain the
unidirectional torque required for continuous motor action. See also Direct-current motor;
Windings in electric machinery.

The principle is illustrated in Fig. 1. In its simplest form, a single rotor winding is
connected between two segments of a cylindrical copper commutator which is mounted
axially on the rotor. Connection to the external dc supply is through sliding carbon
contacts (brushes). The segments have small insulated gaps at A and B. As A and B pass
the brushes, the current in the rotor winding reverses. In the short interval where the
brushes short-circuit the segments, the rotor current decays before building up in the
reverse direction. The angular position of the brushes is selected to reverse the current at
the appropriate rotor position. See also Commutator.

Basic commutator for a dc motor.

The same principle of commutation applies to the ac commutator motor and universal
ac/dc motor, which are common in variable-speed kitchen appliances and electric hand
tools. See also Alternating-current motor; Universal motor.

The equivalent of mechanical commutation occurs in solid-state converter circuits such

as those used for rectifying ac to dc or inverting dc to ac. Figure 2 shows a three-phase
converter widely used in industry. For simplicity, the ac supply network is represented by
equivalent phase voltages in series with the effective supply inductance. (Often this
inductance is mainly the inductance per phase of a converter transformer that interfaces
the converter and the three-phase supply.) Usually, supply resistance is relatively low and
plays a negligible role in the converter action. As shown, thyristors 1 and 2 are
conducting the dc current from phase a to phase c. A smooth dc current does not produce
a voltage across the inductance L in each phase. In the cyclic conduction sequence, the dc
current is commutated from phase a and thyristor 1 to phase b and thyristor 3. To achieve
this, thyristor 3 is gated in a region of the ac waveform when its forward voltage is
positive. Turning it on applies a reverse voltage to thyristor 1 (phase b being more
positive than phase a), which ceases conduction to complete the commutation of the dc
current. This is repeated in sequence for the other thyristors in each ac cycle. See also
Converter; Semiconductor rectifier.

Three-phase converter.

Commutation:

n.

1. A substitution, exchange, or interchange.

2.
a. The substitution of one kind of payment for another.
b. The payment substituted.
3. The travel of a commuter.
4. Electricity.
a. Conversion of alternating to unidirectional current.
b. Reversal of current direction.
5. Law. Reduction of a penalty to a less severe one.