Synchronous Motors

Introduction of Synchronous Motors:

A three-phase ac voltage is applied to the stator winding and a DC source supplies the rotor field. The rotor is assumed stationary. The stator field rotates at synchronous speed.

In order to develop a continuous torque, the two fields must be stationary with respect to each other. As we now appreciate, this occur only when the rotor is also turning at synchronous speed. It is only then when stator and rotor fields "lock in", hence the name synchronous motor. Figure shows this condition ; the south pole of the rotor will lock in with the stator north pole, and vice versa. There may be momentary fluctuations in speed, but on the average the speed is constant. If the average speed of the rotor is different from synchronous value, even by a small amount, the poles lose their "grip" and the machine will come to a standstill. The bond between stator and rotor poles is then lost, which is the essential criterion for the development of torque.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDUCTION MOTOR AND SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR:

Induction Motors 1. These motors have Synchronous Motor These motors have dc poles on

wound rotor with slip rings or a squirrel cage rotor. Rotor current is ac and 2. is induced by magnetic induction.

rotor energized by excitation system. The field current (excitation current) can be changed to vary the power factors.

These motors run at less than synchronous speed. These motors always run at 3. Full load slip is about synchronous speed without slip. 4%. These motors take 4. lagging power factor current. 5. These motors take different p.f. currents depending upon the excitation level.

These motors have These motors do not have any, inherent starting torque. inherent starting torque. These motors start unaided. These motors have to be started by suitable means and brought to synchronous speed and then synchronized. These motors are used for constant speed and constant load drives.

6.

These motors are used 7. for variable speed and variable load drives. 8.

These motors are costly due to For the same size, these additional cost of excitation motors are cheaper. system.

METHODS OF STARTING

(1) By using a starting motor:

This motor is directly coupled to the motor. It may be an induction motor which can run on a synchronous speed closer to the synchronous speed of the main motor.

(2) Starting as an induction motor:

This is the most usual method in which the motor is provided with a special damper winding on rotor poles. The stator is switched on to supply either directly or by star delta/reduced voltage

starting. When the rotor reaches more than 95% of the synchronous speed, the dc circuit breaker for field excitation is switched on and the field current is gradually increased. The rotor pulls into synchronism. Change of direction of rotation. For this a running motor may be stopped. By interchanging any two phase sequences of stator terminals, the motor will run in reverse direction.

TORQUE DEFINITIONS

(A) Synchronous torque:

It is the steady state torque required to drive the motor and the load at the synchronous speed.

(B) Pull-in torque:

It is the maximum constant load torque under which the motor will pull into synchronism at the rated rotor supply voltage and rated frequency, when the rated field current is applied.

(C) Nominal pull in torque:

It is the value of pull in torque at 95% of the synchronous speed with the rated voltage and frequency applied to the stator when the motor is running with the winding current.

(D) Pull out torque:

It is the maximum sustained torque which the motor will develop at synchronous speed for 1 minute with rated frequency and with rated field current.

(E) Pull up torque:

It is the minimum torque developed between standstill and pull in point. This torque must exceed the load torque by sufficient margin to ensure satisfactory acceleration of the load during starting.

(F) Reluctance torque:

It is fraction of the total torque with the motor operating synchronously. It results from saliency of the poles. It is approximately 30% of the pull-out torque.

(G) Locked rotor torque:

It is the maximum torque which a synchronous motor will develop at rest for any angular positions of the rotor at the rated voltage and frequency.

Losses. Various losses occurring in the motor are : 1. Armature Copper Loss Ia2Ra

2. Iron and friction losses.

Torque. In a synchronous motor, the power per phase

Pm =( Eb.V)/ Zs cos ( - ) Eb2 / Zs cos () Since the speed of the motor is always constant, above expression also expresses the torque developed by the motor.

The condition for the maximum power is =

Hence the value of maximum power

Pmax = (EbV)/ Zs E2b / Zs cos ()

When, =90o , cos () =0 so that, Pmax = (Eb . V)/ Zs

'Load angle of Power angle:

It is the space angle between the axis of stator revolving magnetic field and the rotor pole axis, both locked and running at synchronous speed.

Hunting:
Due to sudden change of load, the angle changes causing oscillations of rotor about the mean position due to inertia of the rotor. Thus hunting is usually of low frequency oscillations superimposed on normal synchronous speed.

Synchronous reactance:
A synchronous machine can be represented as an emf source in series with internal impedance of the machine. This internal impedance, Zs is called synchronous impedance. The synchronous reactance takes into account the effect of armature reactions and the flux produced by the armature current. The emf takes into account the flux produced by field excitation.

Effect of change of Excitation:

The real power is P = VI cos .The value of excitation for which back emf, E b is equal to applied voltage V, is known as 100% excitation. An over excited motor (more than 100% excitation) takes leading power factor current. An under excited motor takes lagging power factor current.

Change in excitation currents does not change the load or power output of the synchronous motor. To change the power output, the mechanical load should change.

SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR V-CURVES:

The power factor of a synchronous motor is controlled by the variation of the filed current. Increasing the field current from small value, the line current decreases until a minimum line current occurs showing that the motor is operating at unity power factor. If we go on increasing the field current, the line current increases again operating the motor at leading power factor.

(a)V curves of a synchronous motor

(b) Power Factor versus field current at different loads

OPEN CIRCUIT CHARACTERISTICS:

The open circuit characteristics of a synchronous machine is a curve of the armature terminal voltage on open circuit as a function of the field excitation, when the machine is running at synchronous speed.

SHORT CIRCUIT CHARACTERISTICS:

If the armature terminals of a synchronous machines (driven as a generator at synchronous speed) are short-circuited through suitable, ammeter, and the field current is gradually increased until the armature current has reached a maximum safe value (about 1.5 times rated current), data can be obtained from which short circuit armature current can be plotted against the field current. Such a characteristic is known as short-circuit characteristic.

SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSERS:
It is a synchronous motor used for power factor correction which is operated at no load but at greatly over excited field. Such conditions cause the motor to take a current that leads the voltage by 90 which is equivalent to a capacitor.