UNIVERSITY OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY, TARKWA

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS, MAY 2015

COURSE NO : MC 376
COURSE NAME: ELECTRICAL MACHINES
CLASS : MC III TIME: 3 HOURS

Name: …………………………………………………Index Number: …………………………..

Attempt ALL questions in Section A and THREE from Section B.

Answer Section A on the question paper and Section B in the Answer Booklet.

1. In a dc machine, the commutator and the brushes are used to

(a) increase the generated emf (c) make the generated emf unidirectional
(b) reduce the generated emf (d) make the generated emf alternating

2. Wave winding is employed in a dc machine of

(a) high current and low voltage rating (c) high current and high voltage rating
(b) low current and high voltage rating (d) low current and low voltage rating

3. In a dc machine the armature is always on the rotor unlike an ac machine where it could be either on the
stator or rotor, because
(a) commutation action would otherwise not be possible
(b) armature reaction demagnetising action would otherwise be more
(c) it would not be possible to place compensating winding in pole shoes
(d) self-starting of dc motor would not be possible otherwise.

4. The effects of armature reaction in a dc machine can be reduced by using

(a) commutating poles (c) compensating windings and commutator poles
(b) compensating windings (d) none of these

5. Power lost as heat in the armature and field windings of a dc machine is called the
(a) hysteresis loss (b) eddy current loss (c) copper loss (d) mechanical loss
6. The armature of a dc machine is made of silicon steel lamination to
(a) reduce hysteresis loss only (c) reduce the eddy current loss only
(b) increase the permeability (d) reduce both hysteresis and eddy current loss

7. Poles of dc machine are often laminated to

(a) reduce pulsation loss (c) reduce iron weight
(b) reduce armature reaction (d) dissipate more heat

8. The ill effects of armature reaction in a dc machine will help to

(a) demagnetise the field flux (c) cross-magnetise the field
(b) increase the iron losses when the machine is loaded (d) all the above

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9. The voltage generated in the armature of a dc motor (the back emf) is
(a) in the same direction as the current
(b) in a direction opposite to that of the armature current
(c) in the same direction as the applied voltage
(d) none of the above
10. The formula for the torque developed by a dc motor is
(a) b) c) d)
Preamble 1 for questions 11 – 15
An eight-pole armature is wound with 1200 conductors. The magnetic flux and the speed are such that the
average emf generated in each conductor is 1.5 V, and each conductor is capable of carrying a full-load
current of 40 A.
11. If the armature is wave-connected, the machine generates a voltage of
(a) 225 V (b) 900 V (c) 1800 V (d) 14400 V

12. If the armature is lap-connected, the machine generates a voltage of

(a) 225 V (b) 900 V (c) 1800 V (d) 14400 V

13. If the armature is lap-connected, the output current on full-load is

(a) 40 A (b) 80 A (c) 320 A (d) 480 A

14. If the armature is wave-connected, the output current on full-load is

(a) 40 A (b) 80 A (c) 320 A (d) 480 A

15. The total power generated on full load is

(a) 18 kW (b) 28.8 kW (c) 72 kW (d) 288 kW

16. The output of a dc motor depends mainly on the following two factors
(a) speed and applied voltage (c) torque and applied voltage
(b) torque and applied voltage (d) speed and torque
17. Armature torque of a dc motor is a function of which of the following factors?
i. Speed ii. Field flux iii. Armature current iv. Residual magnetism
(a) i and ii (b) i and iv (c) ii and iii (d) iii and iv

18. Series field winding of a dc machine consists of

(a) Few turns of thick wire (c) many turns of thick wire
(b) Few turns of fine wire (d) many turns of fine wire

19. This is a generator connected with the shunt field winding in parallel with both the armature and the
series field winding.
(a) Shunt wound (b) Series wound (c) Long-shunt compound (d) Short-shunt compound

20. The field current ( in a dc short-shunt compound wound generator is given as

(a) (b) (c) (d)
21. The dc series motor should never be switched on at no-load because
(a) the field current is zero (c) the speed becomes dangerously high

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 (b) the machine does not pick up (d) it will take too long to accelerate
22. In large sized machines, the frame is made of ……………………………...
(a) cast iron (b) fabricated steel (c) silicon-steel (d) cast steel

23. A dc generator has an armature emf of 120 V when the useful flux per pole is , and the speed is
800 rpm. Find the generated emf if the flux increases to and speed is increased by 25%.
(a) 150 V (b) 200 V (c) 225 V (d) 250 V

24. The speed of a dc motor can be controlled by varying

(a) its flux per pole (c) applied voltage
(b) resistance of armature circuit (d) all of the above

25. If the number of poles in a lap-wound generator is doubled then the generated emf will
(a) become half (b) become double (c) increase to four times (d) remain same
26. The armature resistance of a 6-pole lap-wound dc machine is . If the armature is rewound as a
wave, what is the armature resistance?
(a) (b) (c) (d)

27. The series field of a short shunt dc generator is excited by ______________ current.
(a) armature (b) shunt field (c) load (d)

28. A 4-pole dc generator is running at 1500 rpm. The frequency of current in the armature is
(a) zero (b) 25 Hz (c) 50 Hz (d) 100 Hz

29. A 220-V dc machine has an armature resistance of . If the full-load current is 20 A, the difference of
induced voltage when the machine is running as a motor and as a generator is
(a) 20 V (b) 40 V (c) 200 V (d) 240 V

30. If the flux of a dc motor approaches infinity, its speed will

(a) approach infinity (b) approach zero (c) remain unchanged (d) be between

31. The current drawn by a 220-V dc motor of armature resistance and back emf 200 V is
(a) 0.40 A (b) 4 A (c) 40 A (d) 400 A

32. In the commutation process

(a) voltage is reversed (c) current is reversed in the armature coil
(b) current is reversed in the field coil (d) both Armature current and voltage are reversed
33. A 200 V, 4000 rpm separately excited dc motor has an armature resistance of 2 Ω. If the armature draws
10 A from the source, the torque developed by the motor is
(a) 4.3 Nm (b) 6.4 Nm (c) 8.6 Nm (d) 12.8 Nm

34. At a certain speed and flux, the voltage generated by a dc generator is 200 V. If the speed is increased by
25% and the flux is simultaneously reduced by 25%, the voltage will
(a) remain the same (b) decrease by 6.25% (c) increase by 6.25% (d) increase by 25%
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35. In DC machines, the purpose of the stator is to provide the
(a) current (b) motion (c) field (d) none of these

36. Which of the following motors is best for centrifugal pumps?

(a) Shunt (b) Series (c) Differentially compounded (d) Cumulative compounded

37. For continuously running rolling mills with intermittent loading, the most suitable dc drive is
(a) dc series motor (c) dc differentially compounded motor
(b) dc shunt motor (d) dc cumulatively compounded motor

38. A 4-pole dynamo with lap wound armature has 36 slots with 20 conductors in each slot. The induced emf
is 350 V and the speed is 8750 rpm. The flux per pole will be
(a) (b) (c) (d)

39. A dc series motor develops a torque of 10 Nm at 3 A of load current. If the current is increased to 6 A,
the torque developed will be
(a) 10 Nm (b) 20 Nm (c) 40 Nm (d) 80 Nm

40. A 250 V dc shunt motor has armature and field resistances of 0.1 Ω and Ω respectively. It takes 30
A current while running at full-load. The back emf generated in the motor when running on full-load is
(a) 246.88 V (b) 247 (c) 249.88 (d) 253.13

41. Synchronous motor can operate at

(a) Lagging power factor only (c) Unity power factor only
(b) Leading power factor only (d) Lagging, leading and unity power factor only

42. In case the field of a synchronous motor is under excited, the power factor will be
(a) leading (b) lagging (c) zero (d) unity

43. The back emf set up in the stator of a synchronous motor will depend on
(a) rotor speed only (c) rotor excitation and rotor speed
(b) rotor excitation only (d) coupling angle, rotor speed and excitation.

44. A synchronous motor is a useful industrial machine on account of which of the following reasons?
I. It improves the power factor of the complete installation
II. Its speed is constant at all loads, provided mains frequency remains constant
III. It can always be adjusted to operate at unity power factor for optimum efficiency and economy.
(a) I only (b) II only (c) III only (d) I, II and III.

45. In induction motors,

(a) the greater the number of poles the greater the speed
(b) ) the greater the number of poles the lesser the speed
(c) the lesser the number of poles the lesser the speed
(d) none of the above

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46. Which type of alternator is used in hydroelectric power stations?
(a) Cylindrical-rotor alternator (c) Salient-pole alternator
(b) Turbo generator (d) Steam turbine alternator

47. A synchronous motor is operating on no-load at unity power factor. If the field current is increased, the
power factor will become
(a) leading and the current will decrease (c) lagging and the current will increase
(b) lagging and the current will decrease (d) leading and the current will increase

48. A 3-phase synchronous motor has

(a) high starting torque (c) low starting torque
(b) no starting torque (d) low starting current

49. When rotor is at standstill

(a) slip is zero (b) slip is one (c) Any slip (d) Slip is infinity

50. Speed of rotor field in space

(a) N (b) Any speed (c) (d) Slip speed

51. In a 3-phase induction motor, the resultant flux is of a constant nature and is
(a) Equal to , where is maximum flux due to any phase
(b) 1.5 times maximum value of flux due to any phase
(c) times maximum value of flux due to any phase
(d)

52. In Ghana, the maximum possible speed of a 3-phase squirrel cage induction motor running at a slip of
5% is
(a) 950 rpm (b) 2850 rpm (c) 2880 rpm (d) 3000 rpm

53. In an induction motor, if the air gap is increased

(a) its speed will reduce (c) its efficiency will improve
(b) its power factor will reduce (d) its breakdown torque will reduce

54. The rotor of an induction motor never runs at synchronous speed, because then the relative speed
between the rotating flux and motor will be
(a) maximum and hence, torque will be maximum
(b) maximum and hence, torque will be zero
(c) zero and hence, torque will be maximum
(d) zero and hence, torque will be zero

55. Frequency of current in rotor is

(a) supply frequency (c) greater than supply frequency
(b) less than supply frequency (d) slip frequency

56. The stator of a three phase 4-pole slip-ring induction motor is fed from 50 Hz source and its rotor from
30 Hz source. The motor will run at
(a) 600 rpm (b) 900 rpm (c) 1500 rpm (d) 2400 rpm
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57. An induction motor having 8 poles runs at 727.5 rpm. If the supply frequency is 50 Hz, the emf in the
rotor will have a frequency of
(a) 1.5 Hz (b) 5.15 Hz (c) 48.5 Hz (d) 75 Hz

58. A voltmeter gives 120 oscillations per minute when connected to the rotor of an induction motor. The
frequency is 50 Hz. The slip of the motor is
(a) 2% (b) 4% (c) 5% (d) 25%

59. A centre zero ammeter connected in the rotor circuit of a 6-pole, 50 Hz induction motor makes 30
oscillations in one minute. The rotor speed is
(a) 970 rpm (b) 990 rpm (c) 1000 rpm (d) 1010 rpm

60. A 12-pole, 3-phase induction motor runs at 480 rpm on a 50 Hz supply. What is the slip?
(a) 0.02 (b) 0.03 (c) 0.04 (d) 0.4

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 SECTION B
Attempt Question one (1) and any other two. All questions carry equal marks.
Question 1
(a) Supply phrasal answers or very short sentences to the following questions:
(i) Why are electromagnets preferred to permanent magnet for use in large dc machines?
(ii) How do you reverse the direction of rotation of a dc shunt motor?
(iii) Which motor would be best for a printing press?
(iv) A synchronous motor runs at Ns rpm at full load. What will be its speed if the load is reduced
to half the full-load?
(v) For a synchronous machine the stator moves at a speed which bears a constant relationship to
the frequency of currents in the armature winding. True/False
(vi) All generating machines at power stations are synchronous generators. True/False
(vii) List two reasons why 3-phase ac motors are preferred to single-phase motors. 10 marks
(b) With the aid of appropriate equations, briefly explain one means of controlling the speed of a dc
motor. 4 marks
(c) A 6 – pole induction motor runs at 950 rpm. Find the rotor frequency if the supply frequency is 50
Hz. 6 marks
Question 2
(a) List any two types of single-phase motors 2 marks
(b) With the aid of a well-labelled circuit diagram, derive a relation for the mechanical power developed,
in a shunt wound motor. 8 marks
(c) An 8-pole dc shunt generator has 778 wave-connected armature conductors running at 500 rpm,
supplies a load of 12.5 Ω resistance at a terminal voltage of 250 V. The armature resistance is 0.24 Ω
and the field resistance is 250 Ω. Find:
(i) the armature current (ii) the induced emf and (iii) the flux per pole.
10 marks
Question 3
(a) What is a synchronous compensator? 2 marks
(b) A dc shunt generator driven by a belt from an engine runs at 750 rpm while feeding 100 kW of
electric power into 230 V mains. When the belt broke, it continued to run as a motor drawing 9 kW
from the mains. Given armature and field resistances as 0.08 Ω and 115 Ω respectively, at what speed
would it run? 18 marks
Question 4
(a) What are the two types of 3-phase induction motors?
(b) Why are induction motors called “asynchronous”?
(c) When is a rotating magnetic field produced?
(d) A 3-phase, 50 Hz induction motor has 6 poles and operates with a slip of 5%at a certain load.
Determine
(i) the speed of the rotor with respect to the stator
(ii) the frequency of rotor current
(iii) the speed of the rotor magnetic field with respect to rotor
(iv) the speed of the rotor magnetic field with respect to stator and
(v) the speed of the rotor magnetic field with respect to the stator magnetic field.
20 marks
Examiner: Seth Ofori/ F. Mumuni

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