UNIT – V Synchronous motor – operation, starting and performance

Synchronous motor principle and theory of operation – phasor diagram – starting torque –
variation of current and power factor with excitation – capability curves - synchronous
condenser – mathematical analysis for power developed – hunting and its suppression –
methods of starting – applications.

Synchronous motor-operation
Introduction: It may be recalled that a d.c. generator can be run as a d.c. motor. In like manner,
an alternator may operate as a motor by connecting its armature winding to a 3-phase supply. It
is then called a synchronous motor. As the name implies, a synchronous motor runs at
synchronous speed (Ns = 120f/P) i.e., in synchronism with the revolving field produced by the 3-
phase supply. The speed of rotation is, therefore, tied to the frequency of the source. Since the
frequency is fixed, the motor speed stays constant irrespective of the load or voltage of 3- phase
supply. However, synchronous motors are not used so much because they run at constant speed
(i.e., synchronous speed) but because they possess other unique electrical properties. In this Unit,
we shall discuss the working and characteristics of synchronous motors.

Construction: A synchronous motor is a machine that operates at synchronous speed and

converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. It is fundamentally an alternator operated as a
motor. Like an alternator, a synchronous motor has the following two parts: (i) a stator which
houses 3-phase armature winding in the slots of the stator core and receives power from a 3-
phase supply [See(Fig]. (ii) a rotor that has a set of salient poles excited by direct current to form
alternate N and S poles. The exciting coils are connected in series to two slip rings and direct
current is fed into the winding from an external exciter mounted on the rotor shaft. The stator is
wound for the same number of poles as the rotor poles. As in the case of an induction motor, the
number of poles determines the synchronous speed of the motor:

Synchronous speed Ns = 120f/P

where f = frequency of supply in Hz, P = number of poles An important drawback of a
synchronous motor is that it is not self-starting and auxiliary means have to be used for starting
it. Some Facts about Synchronous Motor

Some salient features of a synchronous motor are: (i) A synchronous motor runs at
synchronous speed or not at all. Its speed is constant (synchronous speed) at all loads. The only
way to change its speed is to alter the supply frequency (Ns = 120 f/P). (ii) The outstanding
characteristic of a synchronous motor is that it can be made to operate over a wide range of
power factors (lagging, unity or leading) by adjustment of its field excitation. Therefore, a
synchronous motor can be made to carry the mechanical load at constant speed and at the same
time improve the power factor of the system. (iii) Synchronous motors are generally of the
salient pole type. (iv) A synchronous motor is not self-starting and an auxiliary means has to be
used for starting it. We use either induction motor principle or a separate starting motor for this
purpose. If the latter method is used, the machine must be run up to synchronous speed and
synchronized as an alternator.

Operating Principle: The fact that a synchronous motor has no starting torque can be easily
explained. (i) Consider a 3-phase synchronous motor having two rotor poles NR and SR. Then the
stator will also be wound for two poles NS and SS. The motor has direct voltage applied to the
rotor winding and a 3-phase voltage applied to the stator winding. The stator winding produces a
rotating field which revolves round the stator at synchronous speed( Ns= 120 f/P). The direct (or
zero frequency) current sets up a two-pole field which is stationary so long as the rotor is not
turning. Thus, we have a situation in which there exists a pair of revolving armature poles (i.e.,
NS - SS) and a pair of stationary rotor poles (i.e., NR - SR). (ii) Suppose at any instant, the stator
poles are at positions A and B as shown in Fig. (i). It is clear that poles NS and NR repel each
other and so do the poles SS and SR. Therefore, the rotor tends to move in the anticlockwise
direction. After a period of half-cycle (or ½ f = 1/100 second), the polarities of the stator poles
are reversed but the polarities of the rotor poles remain the same as shown in Fig. (6.1 (ii)). Now
SS and NR attract 295 each other and so do NS and SR. Therefore, the rotor tends to move in the
clockwise direction. Since the stator poles change their polarities rapidly, they tend to pull the
rotor first in one direction and then after a period of half-cycle in the other. Due to high inertia of
the rotor, the motor fails to start.
Hence, a synchronous motor has no self-starting torque i.e., a synchronous motor cannot start by
itself.

Application of Synchronous Motor

1. Synchronous motor having no load connected to its shaft is used for power factor
improvement. Owing to its characteristics to behave at any electrical power factor, it is
used in power system in situations where static capacitors are expensive.
2. Synchronous motor finds application where operating speed is less (around 500 rpm)
and high power is required. For power requirement from 35 kW to 2500 KW, the size,
weight and cost of the corresponding three phase induction motor is very high. Hence
these motors are preferably used. Ex- Reciprocating pump, compressor, rolling mills
etc.

Making Synchronous Motor Self-Starting

A synchronous motor cannot start by itself. In orderto make the motor self-starting, a squirrel
cagewinding (also called damper winding) is providedon the rotor. The damper winding consists

of copper bars fig above . Embedded in the pole faces of the salient polesof the rotor as shown
in Fig. (6.4) The bars are short-circuited at the ends to form in effect a partial squirrel cage
winding. The damper winding serves to start the motor. (i) To start with, 3-phase supply is given
to the stator winding while the rotor field winding is left unenergized. The rotating stator field
induces currents in the damper or squirrel cage winding and the motor starts as an induction
motor. (ii) As the motor approaches the synchronous speed, the rotor is excited with direct
current. Now the resulting poles on the rotor face poles of opposite polarity on the stator and a
strong magnetic attraction is set up between them. The rotor poles lock in with the poles of
rotating flux. Consequently, the rotor revolves at the same speed as the stator field i.e., at
synchronous speed. (iii) Because the bars of squirrel cage portion of the rotor now rotate at the
same speed as the rotating stator field, these bars do not cut any flux and, therefore, have no
induced currents in them. Hence squirrel cage portion of the rotor is, in effect, removed from the
operation of the motor.

It may be emphasized here that due to magnetic interlocking between the stator and rotor poles, a
synchronous motor can only run at synchronous speed. At any other speed, this magnetic
interlocking (i.e., rotor poles facing opposite polarity stator poles) ceases and the average torque
becomes zero. Consequently, the motor comes to a halt with a severe disturbance on the line.
Note: It is important to excite the rotor with direct current at the right moment. For example, if
the d.c. excitation is applied when N-pole of the stator faces N pole of the rotor, the resulting
magnetic repulsion will produce a violent mechanical shock. The motor will immediately slow
down and the circuit breakers will trip. In practice, starters for synchronous motors arc designed
to detect the precise moment when excitation should be applied.

Phasor diagram of cylindrical rotor motor:

Fig(a) lagging pf fig(b) UPF Fig(c) leading pf

Variation of current Ia and power factor with excitation If:

V curve is a plot of the stator current versus field current for different constant loads. The Graph
plotted between the armature current Ia and field current If at no load the curve is obtained known
as V Curve. Since the shape of these curves is similar to the letter “V”, thus they are called V curve
of synchronous motor.
The power factor of the synchronous motor can be controlled by varying the field current If. As we
know that the armature current Ia changes with the change in the field current If. Let us assume that
the motor is running at NO load. If the field current is increased from this small value, the armature
current Ia decreases until the armature current becomes minimum. At this minimum point, the motor
is operating at unity power factor. The motor operates at lagging power factor until it reaches up to
this point of operation.

If now, the field current is increased further, the armature current increases and the motor start
operating as a leading power factor. The graph drawn between armature current and field current is
known as V curve. If this procedure is repeated for various increased loads, a family of curves is
obtained.

The V curves of a synchronous motor are shown below.

The point at which the

unity power factor occurs is at the point where the armature current is minimum. The curve
connecting the lowest points of all the V curves for various power levels is called the Unity Power
Factor Compounding Curve. The compounding curves for 0.8 power factor lagging and 0.8 power
factor leading are shown in the figure above by a red dotted line.

The loci of constant power factor points on the V curves are called Compounding Curves. It shows
the manner in which the field current should be varied in order to maintain constant power factor
under changing load. Points on the right and left of the unity power factor corresponds to the over
excitation and leading current and under excitation and lagging current respectively. The V curves
are useful in adjusting the field current. Increasing the field current If beyond the level for minimum
armature current results in leading power factor. Similarly decreasing the field current below the
minimum armature current result results in lagging power factor. It is seen that the field current for
unity power factor at full load is more than the field current for unity power factor at no load. The
figure below shows the graph between power factor and field current at the different loads.

It is clear from the above figure that, if the synchronous motor at full load is operating at unity power
factor, then removal of the shaft load causes the motor to operate at a leading power factor

Synchronous Condensor is also known as Synchronous Compensator or Synchronous Phase

Modifier. A synchronous condenser or a synchronous compensator is a synchronous motor running
without a mechanical load. It can generate or absorb reactive volt-ampere (VAr) by varying the
excitation of its field winding. It can be made to take a leading current with over-excitation of its
field winding.In such a case it delivers inductive or absorbs capacitive Volt-ampere reactive. If it is
under the excited condition, it draws the lagging current and, therefore, supplies capacitive or absorbs
inductive volt-ampere reactive. Thus, a current drawn by a synchronous capacitor or condenser can
be varied from lagging to leading smoothly by varying its excitation.When the motor power factor is
unity, the DC excitation is said to be normal. Over-excitation causes the motor to operate at a leading
power factor. Under excitation causes it to operate at a lagging power factor. When the motor is
operated at no load with over-excitation, it takes a current that leads the voltage by nearly 90 degrees.

Thus, it behaves like a capacitor and under such operating conditions, the synchronous motor is
called a synchronous capacitor.

Since a synchronous condenser behaves like a variable inductor or a variable capacitor, it is used in
power transmission systems to regulate line voltage
Advantages (i) By varying the field excitation, the magnitude of current drawn by the motor can be
changed by any amount. This helps in achieving stepless control of power factor. (ii) The motor
windings have high thermal stability to short circuit currents. (ii) The faults can be removed easily.

Disadvantages (i) There are considerable losses in the motor. (ii) The maintenance cost is high.
Hunting and its suppression methods