Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Asso. Prof.

, SELECT, VIT, Vellore

 Content

• Armature Reaction
• What is Armature Reaction?
• Effects of Armature Reaction
• Demagnetizing AT/pole
• Cross Magnetizing AT/pole
• Methods to overcome Armature Reaction
• Compensating winding & Interpoles

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 2
 What is Armature Reaction?

• The effect of magnetic field set up by

armature current on the distribution of
flux under main poles of a DC machine.

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 3
 Effects of Armature Reaction?

• It demagnetises or weakens the

main flux
• reduced generated voltage
• It cross-magnetises or distorts it.
• sparking at the brushes.
(a) the flux is distributed symmetrically with respect to the polar
axis, which is the line joining the centres of NS poles.
(b) The magnetic neutral axis or plane (M.N.A.) coincides with the
geometrical neutral axis or plane (G.N.A.) flux distribution of a bipolar generator
when there is no current in the
armature conductors.

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 4
 Magnetic Neutral Axis (M.N.A)

• Magnetic neutral axis may be defined as the axis

along which no e.m.f. is produced in the armature
conductors because they then move parallel to the
lines of flux.
• M.N.A. is the axis which is perpendicular to the
flux passing through the armature.
• M.N.A. is also called Axis of Commutation

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 5
 When Armature Conductors are excited

the m.m.f s. of the armature conductors combine to send flux field (or flux) set up by the
downwards through the armature. armature conductors alone

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 6
When both Field & Armature Excited

• Flux through the armature is no longer uniform and symmetrical about the pole axis, rather it has been distorted.
• The flux is seen to be crowded at the trailing pole tips but weakened or thinned out at the leading pole tips.

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 7
 Demagnetising Ampere Turns

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 8
 Cross-Magnetising Ampere Turns

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 9
Methods to overcome / Reduce Armature Reaction?

• By using Compensating Windings

• By using Interpoles

Disadvantages
• Expensive
• Suitable for large M/C’s

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 10
 Compensating Winding & Interpoles

Compensating winding:
• If we place another winding in close proximity of the armature winding and if it carries the same current but
in the opposite direction as that of the armature current, then this will nullify the armature field.
• Such an additional winding is called as compensating winding.
• It is placed on the pole faces.
• Compensating winding is connected in series with the armature winding in such a way that it carries the
current in opposite direction.

Inter poles:
• Inter poles are the small auxiliary poles placed between the main field poles.
• Winding on the inter poles is connected in series with the armature.
• Each inter pole is wound in such a way that its magnetic polarity is same as that of the main pole ahead of it.
• Inter poles nullify the quadrature axis armature flux.

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 11
 Problem-1 Armature Reaction?
• A 4-pole generator has a wave-wound armature with 722 conductors, and it delivers 100 A on full load. If the
brush lead is 8°, calculate the armature demagnetising and cross-magnetising ampere turns per pole

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 12
 Problem-2 Armature Reaction?
• An 8-pole generator has an output of 200 A at 500 V, the lap-connected armature has 1280 conductors, 160
commutator segments. If the brushes are advanced 4-segments from the no-load neutral axis, estimate the
armature demagnetizing and cross-magnetizing ampere-turns per pole.

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 13
 Problem-3 Armature Reaction?
• A 4-pole wave-wound motor armature has 880 conductors and delivers 120 A. The brushes have been
displaced through 3 angular degrees from the geometrical axis. Calculate
• (a) demagnetising amp-turns/pole
• (b) cross- magnetising amp-turns/pole
• (c) the additional field current for neutralizing the demagnetisation of the field winding has 1100 turns/pole.

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Associate Professor, SELECT, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 14
 Reference
• P. S. Bimbhra, "Electrical machinery", Seventh Edition, Khanna Publications, 2014.
• B. L. Theraja, A. K. Theraja, “Electrical Technology, Vol-2”, S. Chand Publisher.
• Chapter-27 : Pages 937 - 945

Weblinks for Armature Reaction in DC Machines

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp3rhS0CSBA

• https://circuitglobe.com/armature-reaction-in-dc-generator.html

Dr. J. Belwin Edward, Asso. Prof., SELECT, VIT, Vellore 15

THANK
YOU

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