synchronous motor

A synchronous motor is one in which the rotor normally rotates at the same speed as the
revolving field in the machine. The stator is similar to that of an induction machine consisting of
a cylindrical iron frame with windings, usually three-phase, located in slots around the inner
periphery.
The synchronous speed is the constant speed at which the motor generates the electromotive
force. The synchronous motor is used for converting the electrical energy into mechanical
energy. The synchronous motor works as AC motor but here the total number of rotations made
by the shaft is equal to the integer multiple of the frequency of the applied current.

Fig showing picture of a synchronous motor

Working Of Synchronous Motor

The stator is wound for the similar number of poles as that of rotor, and fed with three phase AC
supply. The 3 phase AC supply produces rotating magnetic field in stator. The rotor winding is
fed with DC supply which magnetizes the rotor. Consider a two pole synchronous machine as
shown in figure below.

 Now, the stator poles are revolving with synchronous speed (lets say clockwise). If the
rotor position is such that, N pole of the rotor is near the N pole of the stator (as shown in
first schematic of above figure), then the poles of the stator and rotor will repel each
other, and the torque produced will be anticlockwise.
 The stator poles are rotating with synchronous speed, and they rotate around very fast and
interchange their position. But at this very soon, rotor can not rotate with the same angle
(due to inertia), and the next position will be likely the second schematic in above figure.
In this case, poles of the stator will attract the poles of rotor, and the torque produced will
be clockwise.
 Hence, the rotor will undergo to a rapidly reversing torque, and the motor will not start.
But, if the rotor is rotated upto the synchronous speed of the stator by means of an external force
(in the direction of revolving field of the stator), and the rotor field is excited near the
synchronous speed, the poles of stator will keep attracting the opposite poles of the rotor (as the
rotor is also, now, rotating with it and the position of the poles will be similar throughout the
cycle). Now, the rotor will undergo unidirectional torque. The opposite poles of the stator and
rotor will get locked with each other, and the rotor will rotate at the synchronous speed.
Construction Of Synchronous Motor

A synchronous motor it consists of a stator and a rotor. The stator core is constructed with thin
silicon lamination and insulated by a surface coating, to minimize the eddy current and hysteresis
losses. The stator has axial slots inside, in which three phase stator winding is placed. The stator
is wound with a three-phase winding for a specific number of poles equal to the rotor poles.
The rotor in synchronous motors is mostly of salient pole type. DC supply is given to the rotor
winding via slip-rings. The direct current excites the rotor winding and creates electromagnetic
poles. In some cases, permanent magnets can also be used.

Fig show the construction of a synchronous motor

Types of Synchronous Motor
Depending upon the method of magnetization of the rotor, there are two types of synchronous
motors –
 Non-excited.
 Direct current Excited

Non-excited Motor
In these motors, the rotor is magnetized by the external stator field. The rotor contains a constant
magnetic field. High retentive steel such as cobalt steel is used to make the rotor. These are
classified as a permanent magnet, reluctance, and hysteresis motors.
 In Permanent magnet synchronous motors, a permanent magnet is used along with steel
for rotor design. They have a constant magnetic field in the rotor, so induction winding
cannot be used for starting. Being used as gearless elevator motors.
 In Reluctance motor, the rotor is made up of steel casting with projecting tooted poles. To
minimize the torque ripples, rotor poles are less than stator poles. Contains Squirrel Cage
Winding to provide starting torque to the rotor. Used in instrumentation applications.
 Hysteresis motors are self-starting motors. Here the rotor is a smooth cylinder made-up of
high coercivity magnetically hard cobalt steel. These motors are expensive and are used
where precise constant speed is required. Generally used as servomotors.

Direct current Excited.

DC-Excited Synchronous Motors
 The rating of this motor is larger than one HP or one KW. The external direct current
source is connected with the rotor of these motor for excitation.
 This direct current source is connected with motor by slip ring by rectifier circuit for
rectification of supply.
 The direct current at rotor can be provided by 2 ways first one is by connecting an
external source and second is by attaching direct current generator with the shaft of the
rotor.
The speed of a synchronous motor can be calculated as
Ns=60f/P=120f/p
where, f = frequency of the AC current (Hz)
p = total number of poles per phase
P = total pair number of poles per phase.
If the load greater than breakdown load is applied, the motor gets desynchronized. The 3phase
stator winding gives the advantage of determining the direction of rotation. In case of single-
phase winding, it is not possible to derive the direction of rotation and the motor can start in
either of the direction. To control the direction of rotation in these synchronous motors, starting
arrangements are needed.

Starting of a Synchronous Motor

There are two ways to start a synchronous motor these include:

 Starting with the help of an External Prime Mover

 Starting with the help of Damper Windings
Motor Starting with an External Prime Mover

In this method, an external prime mover drives the synchronous motor and brings it to
synchronous speed. The synchronous machine is then synchronized with the bus bar as a
synchronous generator. The prime mover is then disconnected. Once operating in parallel
condition, the synchronous machine will work as a motor. Thus, the load can be connected to the
synchronous motor.
Since the load is not connected to the synchronous motor before synchronizing, the starting
motor has to overcome the inertia of the synchronous motor at no load. Therefore, the rating of
the motor which has to be started is much smaller than the rating of the synchronous motor. Now
a day, a Brushless excitation system is provided on the shafts of the large synchronous motor.
These exciters are used as starting motors.
Motor Starting with Damper Windings
Damper Windings is the most widely used method to start a synchronous motor. A Damper
Winding consists of heavy copper bars inserted in the slots of the pole faces of the rotor as
shown in the figure below.
These copper bars are short-circuited by end rings at both ends of the rotor. Thus, these short-
circuited Bars form a squirrel cage winding. When a three-phase supply is connected to the
stator, the synchronous motor with Damper Winding will start. It works as a three-phase
induction motor. As soon as the motor approaches the synchronous speed, the DC excitation is
applied to the field windings. As a result, the rotor of the motor will pull into step with the stator
magnetic field.

Applications of Synchronous Motors

synchronous motors are used for applications where precise and constant speed is required. Low
power applications of these motors include positioning machines. These are also applied in robot
actuators. Ball mills, clocks, record player turntables also make use of synchronous motors.
Besides these motors are also used as servomotors and timing machines.
These motors are available in a fractional horseshoe size range to high power industrial size
range. While used in high power industrial sizes, these motors perform two important functions.
One is as an efficient means of converting AC energy into mechanical energy and the other is
Power factor correction