Synchronous Motor Working Principle

Synchronous Motors

It may be recalled that a d.c. generator can be run as a d.c. motor. In like manner, an alternator may operate as a motor by connecting its armature winding to a 3-phase supply. It is then called a synchronous motor. As the name implies, a synchronous motor runs at synchronous speed (Ns = 120f/P) i.e., in synchronism with the revolving field produced by the 3-phase supply. The speed of rotation is, therefore, tied to the frequency of the source. Since the frequency is fixed, the motor speed stays constant irrespective of the load or voltage of 3- phase supply. However, synchronous motors are not used so much because they run at constant speed (i.e., synchronous speed) but because they possess other unique electrical properties. In this chapter, we shall discuss the working and characteristics of synchronous motors.

Construction

A synchronous motor is a machine that operates at synchronous speed and converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. It is fundamentally an alternator operated as a motor. Like an alternator, a synchronous motor has the following two parts:

(i) a stator which houses 3-phase armature winding in the slots of the stator core and receives power from a 3-phase supply

 (ii) a rotor that has a set of salient poles excited by direct current to form alternate N and S

poles. The exciting coils are connected in series to two slip rings and direct current is

fed into the winding from an external exciter mounted on the rotor shaft. The stator is wound for the same number of poles as the rotor poles. As in the case of an induction motor, the number of poles determines the synchronous speed of the motor: Synchronous speed, Synchronous speed, Ns=120f/p

where f = frequency of supply in Hz

P = number of poles

An important drawback of a synchronous motor is that it is not self-starting and

auxiliary means have to be used for starting it.

Some salient features of a synchronous motor are:

(i) A synchronous motor runs at synchronous speed or not at all. Its speed is constant (synchronous speed) at all loads. The only way to change its speed is to alter the supply frequency (Ns = 120 f/P).

(ii) The outstanding characteristic of a synchronous motor is that it can be made to operate over a wide range of power factors (lagging, unity or leading) by adjustment of its field excitation. Therefore, a synchronous motor can be made to carry the mechanical load at constant speed and at the same time improve the power factor of the system.

(iii) Synchronous motors are generally of the salient pole type.

(iv) A synchronous motor is not self-starting and an auxiliary means has to be used for starting it. We use either induction motor principle or a separate starting motor for this purpose. If the latter method is used, the machine  must be run up to synchronous speed and synchronized as an alternator.

Operating Principle

The fact that a synchronous motor has no starting torque can be easily explained.

(i) Consider a 3-phase synchronous motor having two rotor poles NR and SR.

Then the stator will also be wound for two poles NS and SS. The motor has

direct voltage applied to the rotor winding and a 3-phase voltage applied to

the stator winding. The stator winding produces a rotating field which

revolves round the stator at synchronous speed Ns(= 120 f/P). The direct (or

zero frequency) current sets up a two-pole field which is stationary so long

as the rotor is not turning. Thus, we have a situation in which there exists a

pair of revolving armature poles (i.e., NS - SS) and a pair of stationary rotor

poles (i.e., NR - SR).

(ii) Suppose at any instant, the stator poles are at positions A and B as shown in Fig.It is clear that poles NS and NR repel each other and so do the poles SS and SR. Therefore, the rotor tends to move in the anticlockwise direction. After a period of half-cycle (or ½ f = 1/100 second),

the polarities of the stator poles are reversed but the polarities of the rotor poles remain the same as shown in Fig. Now SS and NR attract each other and so do NS and SR. Therefore, the rotor tends to move in the clockwise direction. Since the stator poles change their polarities rapidly, they tend to pull the rotor first in one direction and then after a period of

half-cycle in the other. Due to high inertia of the rotor, the motor fails to start.

Hence, a synchronous motor has no self-starting torque i.e., a synchronous motor cannot start by itself. How to get continuous unidirectional torque? If the rotor poles are rotated by

some external means at such a speed that they interchange their positions along with the stator poles, then the rotor will experience a continuous unidirectional torque. This can be understood from the following discussion:

(i) Suppose the stator field is rotating in the clockwise direction and the rotor is also rotated clockwise by some external means at such a speed that the rotor poles interchange their positions along with the stator poles.

(ii) Suppose at any instant the stator and rotor poles are in the position shown in Fig. It is clear that torque on the rotor will be clockwise. After a period of half-cycle, the stator poles reverse their polarities and at the same time rotor poles also interchange their positions as shown in Fig. The result is that again the torque on the rotor is clockwise.

Hence a continuous unidirectional torque acts on the rotor and moves it in the clockwise direction. Under this condition, poles on the rotor always face poles of opposite polarity on the stator and a strong magnetic attraction is set up between them. This mutual attraction locks the rotor and stator together and the rotor is virtually pulled into step with the speed of revolving flux (i.e., synchronous speed).

(iii) If now the external prime mover driving the rotor is removed, the rotor will continue to rotate at synchronous speed in the clockwise direction because the rotor poles are magnetically locked up with the stator poles. It is due to this magnetic interlocking between stator and rotor poles that a synchronous motor runs at the speed of revolving flux i.e., synchronous speed.

Making Synchronous Motor Self-Starting

A synchronous motor cannot start by itself. In order to make the motor self-starting,  a squirrel cage winding (also called damper winding) is provided on the rotor. The damper winding consists of copper bars embedded in the pole faces of the salient poles of the rotor as shown in Fig. The bars are short-circuited at the ends to form in effect a partial squirrel cage winding. The damper winding serves to start the motor.

(i) To start with, 3-phase supply is given to the stator winding while the rotor field winding is left unenergized. The rotating stator field induces currents in the damper or squirrel cage winding and the motor starts as an induction motor.

(ii) As the motor approaches the synchronous speed, the rotor is excited with direct current. Now the resulting poles on the rotor face poles of opposite polarity on the stator and a strong magnetic attraction is set up between them. The rotor poles lock in with the poles of rotating flux. Consequently, the rotor revolves at the same speed as the stator field i.e., at synchronous

speed.

(iii) Because the bars of squirrel cage portion of the rotor now rotate at the same speed as the rotating stator field, these bars do not cut any flux and, therefore, have no induced currents in them. Hence squirrel cage portion of the rotor is, in effect, removed from the operation of the motor. It may be emphasized here that due to magnetic interlocking between the stator

and rotor poles, a synchronous motor can only run at synchronous speed. At any other speed, this magnetic interlocking (i.e., rotor poles facing opposite polarity stator poles) ceases and the average torque becomes zero. Consequently, the motor comes to a halt with a severe disturbance on the line.

Note: It is important to excite the rotor with direct current at the right moment. For example, if the d.c. excitation is applied when N-pole of the stator faces N-pole of the rotor, the resulting magnetic repulsion will produce a violent mechanical shock. The motor will immediately slow down and the circuit breakers will trip. In practice, starters for synchronous motors arc designed to detect the precise moment when excitation should be applied.

Working Principle of Synchronous Motor | Video