EXPERIMENT NO.: 1.

To Study the Variation of Speed and Load Test on Schrage Motor

1. Theory

Secondary
Winding

Supply
a b

Tertiary
Commutator
Winding

Primary
Winding

c
f

e d

Slip Rings Schematic Diagram

Fig. 1. Schrage Motor:

Stator Secondary
Winding

Tertiary
Rotor
Winding
Primary
Winding
Fig. 2. Arrangement of Three Windings
 The speed and power factor of slip ring induction motor can be controlled by injecting slip
frequency voltage in the rotor circuit. If resultant rotor voltage increases, current increases, torque
increases and speed increases. Depending on the phase angle of injected voltage, power factor can
be improved. In 1911, K. H. Schrage of Sweden combined elegantly a SRIM (WRIM) and a
frequency converter into a single unit. This machine is known as Schrage motor.
Schrage motor is basically an inverted polyphase induction motor, with primary winding on
the rotor and secondary winding on the stator. The primary winding on the rotor is fed through three
slip rings and brushes at line frequency; secondary winding on the stator has slip frequency voltages
induced in it. In addition to these two windings, there is a third winding called tertiary or adjusting
winding, which is housed in the same rotor slots of the primary, as shown in Fig. 2. The tertiary
winding is connected to the commutator on which there are three sets of movable brush pairs, to
collect the required emf for injection into the secondary circuit for speed and pf control. The
secondary phase winding on stator are not connected to each other but are connected to brushes a, b,
c, d, e, f as shown in Fig. 1. Alternate brushes a, c, e, 120 electrical degrees apart, are mounted on
one brush rocker and brushes b, d, f on the second brush rocker. The angle between brushes ab, cd,
and ef can be controlled by means of rack and pinion arrangement and one hand wheel provided
outside the motor frame. Thus Schrage motor incorporates the function of polyphase induction
motor and frequency converter.
If the primary and secondary windings are interchanged, the performance of three phase
induction motor is unaffected, but in a Schrage motor, it is essential to have primary winding on the
rotor and secondary winding on the stator.
At standstill, if three phase supply is given to primary winding, a magnetic field is produced,
rotating at synchronous speed Ns with respect to primary and secondary conductors. Now as per
induction motor action, rotor must rotate at a speed N r, in a direction opposite to the synchronously
rotating magnetic field since primary winding is on the rotor. As a result of it, the rotating field
speed in the air gap becomes (Ns – Nr) i.e. slip speed. This air gap flux rotating at slip speed with
respect to stator induces slip frequency emfs E2 in the stator winding. Since the brushes are
stationary, slip frequency emfs Ej are picked up by these brushes. Due to the equal slip frequency,
brush emfs are suitable for voltage injection into the secondary winding i.e. stator winding.
The tertiary and primary windings, beings in the same slots, are mutually coupled. Therefore,
the emfs induced in the tertiary winding are by transformer action and are always at line frequency f,
at all the rotor speed.
At the time of start, the brush pairs ab, cd, and ef are shorted, similar to shorted secondary
winding of induction motor and the Schrage motor operates as an ordinary induction motor at
subsynchronous speed almost equal to synchronous speed. The shorted secondary winding (brush
angle zero) is also condition for starting the Schrage motor. Now brushes a & b, c & d, e & f are
separated by an angle θ such that the injected voltage E j is opposite to E2 and resultant secondary
voltage decreases. Due to less secondary voltage current decreases, torque decreases and speed
decreases. If the injected voltage Ej is in phase with E2, resultant secondary voltage increases. Due
to more secondary voltage current increases, torque increases and speed increases
(supersynchronous speed). Now let, brushes a & b, c & d, e & f be moved bodily, such that the two
centers of E2 and Ej are not coincident and have an angle ρ. This angle ρ, shifts the secondary current
and reflected primary current in the phasor diagram, to control the power factor. Thus speed and
power factor are controlled by changing the angle between the brushes.
2. Circuit Diagram

300V, 10A
Main Switch
Wattmeter
(MCB)
10A 10A
R (L1) M L
A A
V
C 1000 Ω
300V R A 2A
V
300V L
F
N
G V O
A
D
440V,50Hz, 3-PhaseSupply

B (L3)
B Y FF
AA
Y (L2)

Schrage Motor DC Generator

Fig. 3. Experimental set up for Studying the Variation of Speed and Load Test on Schrage Motor
3. Apparatus Required
1. Schrage Machine: Rating:……………………………
2. DC Shunt Generator: Rating……………………
3. AC Ammeter: one, 0-10 amps.
4. AC Voltmeter: one, 0-300 volts.
5. Wattmeter: one, 300V, 10A
6. DC Ammeter: one, 0-10 amps.
7. DC Voltmeter: one, 0-300 volts.
8. Rheostat: one, 1000 ohms, 2 amps.
9. Tachometer or speedometer: one
10. Rheostatic Load: 7.5kW, 230V.

4. Procedure
Speed Test
1. Make the connection as shown in Fig. 3.
2. Put the DC generator field rheostat at maximum resistance point.
3. Keep the brush angle pointer at zero (condition for starting the Schrage motor).
4. Switch on AC supply to Schrage motor by I. L. T. P. switch. Press green button of ILTP to
start the motor.
5. Note down speed for zero brush angle.
6. Now increase brush angle from zero to 360 0 gradually at regular intervals and note down the
speed for each interval.

Load Test
7. Run the Schrage motor at rated speed of DC shunt generator.
8. Excite the DC shunt generator by decreasing the field rheostat resistance and build up to its
rated voltage. Maintain this voltage CONSTANT through out the experiment.
9. Increase the load gradually and note down the speed and meters readings for each load.
5. Observation and Calculations
Speed Test
Angle θ Speed N

20

40

Load Test

Schrage Motor DC Generator Efficiency

PF m , (to be Output of of Motor
N V Im W Ig V ηm
m m m Calculated) g Gen= V g I g
1A

2A

3A

6. Results
The following characteristics are drawn.
1. Speed N rpm vs Brush angle θ.
2. Speed N rpm vs Output of motor.
3. Power Factor vs Output of motor.
4. Motor Load Current Im vs Output of motor.
5. Efficiency ηm vs Output of motor.

7. Conclusions
1. The speed of motor increases as the brush angle is increased. Speed is directly proportional
to brush angle.
2. The speed of motor decreases as the load on motor is increased.
3. The power factor of motor increases or improves as the load on motor is increased.
4. The current of motor increases as the load on motor is increased.
5. The efficiency is zero at no load. It increases as the load increases and is maximum when
variable losses are equal to constant losses.
6. The efficiency at rated output is less than maximum value and the operating point is after
maximum efficiency.