Name __________________________

Student ID:_ _____________________

Dalhousie University
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECED 3100 Electromechanics

Final Exam

December 7, 2005
8:30 – 11:30 am

Instructor: T. A. Little, PhD, P.Eng.

Instructions: 1 ______/10

- Answer all questions on the exam paper 2 ______/10

- A formula sheet is provided, no 3 ______/10

additional materials permitted
4 ______/10
- Check for 5 questions on 11 sheets
5 ______/10
ECED 3100 2 of 7

Total _____/50
Question 1 [10 Marks ]

A 120 V, ¼ hp, dc shunt-connected motor similar to the ones used for lab experiments in
this course has a full load speed of 1800 rpm and a full load line current of 3.0 A. It has
armature and field resistances of 12  and 240  respectively. The motor draws a line
current of 832 mA at no load when connected to a dynamometer through a drive belt and
690 mA without the belt.
a) What is the full-load torque ?
b) What is the full load motor efficiency?
c) What is the no load speed when the belt is removed?
d) When the belt is connected but the dynamometer scale reads zero, what shaft
torque is being applied to the DC motor shaft by the drive belt?

Solution:
a) Pout = ¼ hp x 746 W/hp = 186.5 W
Tfl = Pout/  = 186.5 W / (2 x 1800/60) = 0.99 N-m
b) Pin = 120 V x 3 A = 360 W
efficiency =  = Pout/Pin = 186.5/360 = 51.8%
c) at full load:
k = E/ = (Vt – Ia Ra)/ = (120 V – 2.5 A x 12 )/188.5 r/s = 0.477 V-s/rad
when the belt is removed: Ia = I – If = 0.690 A – 0.5 A = 0.19 A
E = Vt – Ia x Ra =120 – 0.19 x 12 = 117.7 V
 = E/ k = 117.7/0.477 = 246.8 r/s or 2357 rpm
d) with no belt the friction load is T = k Ia =0.477 x 0.19 A = 0.091 N-m
the torque required when the belt is attached = T = 0.477 x 0.332 A = 0.158 N-m
therefore the belt friction torque is 0.158 – 0.091 = 0.067 N-m.
ECED 3100 3 of 7

Question 2 [10 Marks]

A 2000 hp, 4160V, three phase synchronous motor has a modified air gap line defined by
delivering rated open circuit voltage at a field current of 60 A. The saturated synchronous
reactance is 10 .
a) What value of field current is required to develop unity power factor at rated
motor output when operated at rated voltage?
b) What would the short circuit current be for a field current of 40 A?
c) If the field current is adjusted to make the torque angle equal to 42° at full load,
what is the line to line generated voltage ‘E’ for operation at rated terminal voltage.
d) Most of the time we neglect the stator winding resistance, if it is now included,
draw the synchronous motor phasor diagram for a power factor angle of about 30°
leading. (use a winding resistance ’Ra’ of about ¼ the value of jXs).

Solution:
a) Pout = 2000 hp x 746 W/hp = 1492000 W; V l-n = 4160/√3 = 2400 V
Ia = Pout/√3 V l-l cos  =1492000/ (√3 x 4160 x 1.0) = 207.6 A
Ia Vt
E = √{(2400 V)2 + (207.6 x 10)2 }
= 3170 V l-n
j Ia Xs
If = 60 A x (3170 V/2400 V)
= 79 A E

b) at If = 60 A
Isc = V l-n / Xs = 2400 V/10  = 240A
Therefore at If = 40; Isc = 240 A x 40/60 = 160 A

c) P = (Vt x E/Xs)sin  = 1492000 = (4160 x E/10) sin 42º ; E = 5360 V l-l

d)
Ia
Vt

Ia Ra

E j Ia Xs
ECED 3100 4 of 7

Question 3 [10 Marks]

A 208 V, three phase, 6 pole, 25 hp motor has the following per phase parameters
referred to the stator.
R1 = 0.03  X1 = 0.1  R2 =0.06  X2 = 0.1  Xm = 4 
Core and friction loss = 1650 W

a) If the rotor turns at 1150 rpm, what is the frequency of the current induced
into the rotor bars?
b) Estimate the starting current and starting power factor

This induction motor is driven from a variable frequency supply. If the full load slip for
60 Hz operation is 3% determine the following:
c) The line to line voltage required for 40 Hz operation in order to maintain the
core flux at a constant level.
d) The rotor speed at 40 Hz if the torque is kept constant at the full load value.

Solution:

a) Ns =120 f/P = 120 x 60 Hz/6 = 1200 prm

slip = Ns – Nr/Ns = 1200 - 1150/1200 = 0.0417
rotor bar frequency = sf = 0.0417 x 60 Hz = 2.5 Hz
b) Use approximate equivalent ciruit.
Is = V l-n /Zeq
R2/s = 0.06/0.0417 = 1.44 
Zeq = j Xm // (R1+R2/s +j(X1+X2) ~ j 4 //1.5 ~ 1.4/20º
Is = 120/1.4 = 85.7 A
pf =cos  = cos 20º = 0.939
c) Use constant volts per hertz ratio V = 120 x (40/60) = 80 V.
d) Since the slope of the torque – speed curve is constant, the drop below
synchronous speed is still (1200 – 1150) = 50 rpm. The new synch speed is 1200
x 40/60 = 800 rpm. Thus the full load speed at 40 Hz is 750 rpm.
ECED 3100 5 of 7

Question 4 [10 Marks]

An automotive solenoid like the one used to start you vehicle’s engine is shown below. It
is a cylinder (i.e. round in cross section). The materials are as specified and the
characteristics are as given on the accompanying sheet. The coil has 1000 turns.
Determine:
a) The current required to produce a flux of 30 Wb in the cast iron core.
b) The force acting to close the air gap between the silicon steel and the cast iron.

c) Briefly explain how a magnet picks up a thumbtack.

d) Name two important properties of permanent magnets and why they are
important.
ECED 3100 6 of 7

Question 5 [10 Marks]

a) Use Figure “a” ( next page) to show the wiring diagram for an investigation
into the efficiency and torque capability of a series wound DC motor under various
terminal voltage conditions.

As shown

b) Figure “b” shows the torque speed curve of a permanent magnet hysteresis
motor. Name two possible applications that this motor might be used for with a one
sentence justification of your answer.

i) Constant speed application (ex Clock motor) since

speed is constant over full torque range.

ii) Load that does not require high starting

acceleration but could have high inertial component

c) Two drive systems (motor and load) are identical in every way with the
exception of rotational inertia. Explain in one sentence what effect this difference will
have on:
i) steady state power consumption and ii) starting behavior

i) Increased inertia has no effect on steady state power consumption since it is an

energy storage mechanism

ii) Higher inertia will result in longer start times.

d) Explain with the help of the following sketch of motor and load torque speed
curves why the intersection of the two curves represents a stable operating point in the
face of slight speed and torque variations

If speed increases the net torque applied decreases and motor

slows. If speed decreases the net torque increases and motor
speeds up.

e) Explain how to reverse the direction of rotation of i) a permanent magnet DC

motor and ii) a three phase induction motor

i) Reverse polarity of the two leads

ii) Interchange any two phases

ECED 3100 7 of 7

Have a great Christmas break

TAL