• Introduction

• Construction of a DC Machine
• Working Principle of a DC Generator
• A dc generator is an electrical machine
which converts mechanical energy into
direct current electricity.
• This energy conversion is based on the
principle of production of dynamically
induced emf
• A DC generator can be used as a DC motor
without any constructional changes and
vice versa is also possible.
• Thus, a DC generator or a DC motor can be
broadly termed as a DC machine.
• These basic constructional details are also
valid for the construction of a DC motor
• Yoke
– outer frame of a dc machine
– made up of cast iron or steel
– not only provides mechanical
strength to the whole
assembly but also carries the
magnetic flux produced by the
field winding.
• Poles and pole shoes
– Poles are joined to the yoke
with the help of bolts or
welding.
– carry field winding and pole
shoes are fastened to them.
– Pole shoes serve two purposes
• support field coils
• spread out the flux in air gap
uniformly.
• Field winding
– usually made of copper
– Field coils are former wound and placed on
each pole and are connected in series
– are wound in such a way that, when energized,
they form alternate North and South poles.
• Armature core
– the rotor of the machine
– cylindrical in shape with slots to carry
armature winding
– built up of thin laminated circular steel disks
for reducing eddy current losses.
– may be provided with air ducts for the axial
air flow for cooling purposes.
– keyed to the shaft.
• Armature core
• Armature core
• Commutator and brushes
– Physical connection to the armature winding is
made through a commutator-brush
– Commutator
• to collect the current generated in armature
conductors in a dc generator
• helps in providing current to the armature
conductors in a dc motor.
• Commutator and brushes
– Physical connection to the armature winding is
made through a commutator-brush
– Commutator
• consists of a set of copper segments which are
insulated from each other
• The number of segments is equal to the number of
armature coils.
• Each segment is connected to an armature coil and
• also keyed to the shaft.
• Commutator and brushes
– Physical connection to the armature winding is
made through a commutator-brush
– Commutator
• Commutator and brushes
– Physical connection to the armature winding is
made through a commutator-brush
– Brushes
• are usually made from carbon or graphite.
• rest on commutator segments and slide on the
segments when the commutator rotates keeping the
physical contact to collect or supply the current.
• Commutator and brushes
– Physical connection to the armature winding is
made through a commutator-brush
– Brushes
• Commutator and brushes
• Commutator and brushes
• Armature winding
– usually a former wound copper coil which rests
in armature slots.
– The armature conductors are insulated from
each other and also from the armature core.
– multi-layer winding means that each armature
slot carry many different coils
• Regarded as multiplicity factor
– Simplex (one-layer)
– Duplex (two-layer)
– Triplex (three-layer)
• Armature winding
– can be wound by one of the two methods
a. Lap Winding
– winding in which successive coils overlap each other.
– named "Lap" winding because it doubles or laps back with
its succeeding coils.
– the finishing end of one coil is connected to one
commutator segment and the starting end of the next coil
situated under the same pole and connected with same
commutator segment
• Armature winding
– can be wound by one of the two methods
a. Lap Winding
• Armature winding
– can be wound by one of the two methods
a. Lap Winding
– Advantages
» necessarily required for large current application
because it has more parallel paths.
» suitable for low voltage and high current generators.
– Disadvantages
» less emf compared to wave winding. This winding
requires more no. of conductors for giving the same
emf, it results high winding cost.
» It has less efficient utilization of space in the
armature slots.
• Armature winding
– can be wound by one of the two methods
b. Wave Winding
– forms a wave with its coil
– end of one coil is connected to the starting of another coil
of the same polarity as that of the first coil
– a coil side (A-B) progress forward around the armature to
another coil side and goes on successively passing through
N and S pole till it returns to another conductor (A1-B1)
lying under the starting pole
• Armature winding
– can be wound by one of the two methods
b. Wave Winding
• Armature winding
– can be wound by one of the two methods
b. Wave Winding
– Advantage
» for a given no of poles and armature conductors it
gives more emf than that of lap winding. Hence wave
winding is used in high voltage and low current
machines.
» gives sparkless commutation because it has multiples
of two parallel paths irrespective of no of poles of the
machine
– Disadvantage
» cannot be used in the machines having higher current
rating because it has less parallel paths than lap
winding
• Armature core and winding
• field coils produce an electromagnetic field
and the armature conductors are rotated
into the field and an electromagnetically
induced emf is generated in the armature
conductors.
• According to Fleming’s right hand rule, the
direction of induced current changes
whenever the direction of motion of the
conductor changes. Thus, the direction of
current in every armature conductor is
alternating
• with a split ring commutator, connections
of the armature conductors also gets
reversed when the current reversal occurs.
• And therefore, we get unidirectional
current at the terminals