Synchronous Motor: Introduction

and Principle of Working

By : Dr. Atul R. Phadke
Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering Pune
OBJECTIVES:
After watching this video you will be able to understand:
✓ the principle of working of synchronous motor
✓ Why synchronous motor is not self-starting?
✓ Opertation of synchronous motor on load with constant excitation

2
SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR:
Construction of synchronous motor is same as that of synchronous
generator.
A given synchronous machine may be used as an alternator, when driven
mechanically and it can be used as motor when supplied with electrical
energy.
Important characteristic features of synchronous motor are:
▪ It is a constant speed motor. It runs either at synchronous speed or it
will not run at all.
▪ The only way to change its speed is to change the supply frequency
120×𝑓
𝑁𝑠 = .
𝑃

▪ It is not self-starting. It has to be run near synchronous speed by

some means, before it can be synchronized to the supply.
▪ It can be operated under a wide range of power factors (lagging,
unity and leading). Hence, it can be used for power factor correction. 3
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION:
𝐴
𝑁𝑆
𝑁

𝑆
𝑆𝑆
𝐵
When a 3-phase supply is connected to 3-phase armature winding of
synchronous motor, a magnetic field of constant magnitude but rotating at
synchronous speed is produced.
Considering a 2-pole machine, there are two rotating stator poles, 𝑁𝑆 and
𝑆𝑠 , say rotating in clockwise direction.
For the rotor position shown, suppose the stator poles are situated at points
𝐴 and 𝐵 at a particular instant.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION:
𝐴 𝐴
𝑁𝑆 𝑆𝑆
𝑁 𝑁

𝑆 𝑆
𝑆𝑆 𝑁𝑆
𝐵 𝐵
Two similar poles, 𝑁 of rotor and 𝑁𝑆 of stator and 𝑆 of rotor and 𝑆𝑆 of stator
will repel each other and the rotor tends to rotate in anticlockwise direction.
Half a period later, stator poles will change their position, i.e., 𝑁𝑆 at point 𝐵
and 𝑆𝑠 at point 𝐴.
Under this condition, 𝑁𝑆 attracts 𝑆 pole of rotor and 𝑆𝑠 attracts 𝑁 pole of
rotor.
Hence the rotor tends to rotate in clockwise direction, i.e., in reverse
5
direction.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION:
𝐴 𝐴
𝑁𝑆 𝑆𝑆
𝑁 𝑁

𝑆 𝑆
𝑆𝑆 𝑁𝑆
𝐵 𝐵

Thus, the rotor is subjected to a torque which is rapidly reversing.

Due to the large inertia of the rotor, it cannot instantaneously respond to
such quickly reversing torque and the rotor remains stationary.
Thus, synchronous motor is not self-starting.

6
METHOD OF STARTING:
𝐴
𝑁𝑆
𝑆

N
𝑆𝑆
𝐵
The unexcited rotor is rotated near synchronous speed by some arrangement.
Then the field winding is excited by the dc source.
When the synchronously rotating rotor is excited, it is magnetically locked into
position with the stator.
The rotor poles are interlocked with the stator poles, and both run synchronously in
the same direction.
Due to this interlocking, the motor always runs with the synchronous speed, or it
will not run at all. 7
 SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE WORKING AS A MOTOR:
Bus-bar

When the synchronous machine is just

𝐼𝑎 = 0
synchronized with the bus-bar it is neither
𝐸 𝑉 receiving nor delivering any power.
Under this condition, the induced emf in the
synchronous machine 𝐸 will be exactly equal
and opposite to the bus-bar voltage 𝑉.
Current flowing through the armature winding 𝐼𝑎
Synchron will be equal to zero.
ous
Machine

+ −
DC Supply
8
SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE WORKING AS A MOTOR:
Now, if the prime-mover is removed, the rotor of synchronous
Bus-bar machine will fall back by some angle 𝛼1 .
However, the rotor continues to rotate at synchronous speed.
𝐸𝑟
𝐸 The phasor of induced emf 𝐸, will now lag by an angle 𝛼1 .
𝛼1 𝑉
𝐼𝑎 This will cause a resultant voltage, 𝐸𝑟 .
∅
EMF 𝐸𝑟 will cause armature current 𝐼𝑎 to flow from the bus-
bar to machine.
Current 𝐼𝑎 lags behind 𝐸𝑟 by about 900 because the
synchronous reactance is very large as compared to
Incoming armature resistance.
Generator

+ −
DC Supply
9
SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE WORKING AS A MOTOR:
Now, the synchronous machine is working as synchronous
Bus-bar motor on no-load.
The power supplied by the bus-bar to machine is 𝑉𝐼 cos ∅
𝐸𝑟 which is equal to no-load losses.
𝐸
𝛼1 𝑉 Now, if some mechanical load is applied on the synchronous
𝐼𝑎 motor, its rotor axis will lag by some more angle, 𝛼2 .
∅
𝐸𝑟 This causes increase in armature current and increase in the
𝐸
power taken from the bus-bar.
𝛼2 The power taken from the bus-bar = Mechanical output of
𝑉 motor + Losses in motor.
Incoming 𝐼𝑎
Generator ∅

+ −
DC Supply
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SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE WORKING AS A MOTOR:
Interlocking between stator and rotor poles is not
𝐸𝑟 Stator Pole rigid.
𝐸 𝑁𝑆
𝛼1 𝑉 As the load on the motor is increased, the rotor falls
𝐼𝑎 back in phase by some angle 𝛼.
∅ Rotor Pole
𝑆 It is called as load angle or coupling angle and it
Light load depends on the amount of load on the motor.
𝛼1 In other words, the torque developed by the motor
depends on this angle 𝛼.
Depending upon the magnitude of load, the rotor will
adjust its rotor axis such that the power drawn
𝐸 𝐸𝑟 Stator Pole balances the power output.
𝑁𝑆
𝛼2
Rotor Pole
𝐼𝑎 𝑆
∅
Increased load
𝛼1 11