DC Drives and Control

Lecturer: L.J. Ngoma

 Electric Drive

• An electrical drive is defined as a form of

machine equipment designed to convert
electrical energy into mechanical energy and
provide electrical control of this process.

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

 Basic Electric Drive

Power Power
Motor Load
Supply Converter

Controller

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

 Power Converters

DC SMPS DC

Cycloconverters
AC AC

• SMPS – Switch Mode Power Supply

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

 DC DRIVES Vs AC DRIVES

DC drives:
• Advantage in control unit
• Disadvantage in motor

AC Drives:
• Advantage in motor
• Disadvantage in control unit

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

FOUR QUADRANT OPERATION
TORQUE
w Te w Te

RB II I FM

III IV FB SPEED
w Te w Te
RM

F: Forward R: Reverse M: Motoring B: Braking

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma
State in which quadrants a dc motor operates as:
• Generator
• Motor

A dc machine is turning clockwise in quadrant 3.

Does it develop a clockwise or counter-clockwise
torque?

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

 DC Drives
• Dc drives are still used widely because they
pose good dynamic performance and have
simple electronics control
• Dc drives are difficult to maintain due to
brushes and commutators
• Separately excited or PM machines
• Line frequency controlled AC to DC converters
or switched mode DC to DC converters

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma
Equivalent circuit of DC motor
Ra La Lf Rf

ia +
+ if +

V E Vf

_ _ _

dia di f
V  Ra ia  L E v f  R f if  L
dt dt

E  k Ew Armature back e.m.f.

Te  ktia Electromagnetic torque

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

 Torque-speed characteristics
Armature circuit:
dia
Va  Ra ia  L  ea
dt
In steady state,
Va  Ra I a  Ea

Therefore speed is given by,

Ra Va
w T 
kT 2 e
kT 
Three possible methods of speed control:

Armature resistance Ra
Field flux F
Armature voltage Va
Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma
DC Motor Speed Control

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

Torque-speed characteristics of DC motor

Speed

No load speed

Full load speed Maximum

load
Torque

Torque
Separately excited DC motors have good
speed regulation.
 DC Motor Speed Control
By Changing Ra
Speed

Ra increasing
Maximum
Torque

Torque
• Power loss in Ra
• Does not maintain maximum torque capability
• Poor speed regulation
 DC Motor Speed Control
By Decreasing Flux
Speed

Flux Decreasing Maximum

Torque

Torque
Trated

• Slow transient response

• Does not maintain maximum torque capability
 DC Motor Speed Control

Speed By Changing Armature voltage

Va increasing

Maximum
Torque

Torque
Trated
• good speed regulation
• maintain maximum torque capability
Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma
• Note that constant torque characteristics can
be maintained by armature voltage control up
to a certain speed.
• At the rated speed this would require rated
voltage to be applied to the armature voltage,
and further increase would not be possible
due to limitations of the motor such as
insulation ratings and thermal ratings.

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

• Speed increase base speed would only be
possible at the cost of a reduction in torque
and the machine will operate in the constant
power mode.
• Below base speed: Armature voltage control
(retain maximum torque capability)
• Above base speed: Field weakening (i.e. flux
reduced) (Trading-off torque capability for
speed)

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

What happens when you further increase the terminal
voltage beyond rated?

State three methods that you can use to control the

speed of a dc motor

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma

4 Quadrant DC motor operation

𝐼𝑎 𝐼𝑎
𝑅𝑎 𝑉𝑎 𝑅𝑎
𝑉𝑎
𝐸𝑔 𝐸𝑔
Braking Motoring
II I

III IV
𝐼𝑎 𝐼𝑎
𝑅𝑎 𝑅𝑎
𝑉𝑎
𝑉𝑎
𝐸𝑔
Motoring 𝐸𝑔 Braking
END

Compiled by: L.J. Ngoma