DC Drives

INTRODUCTION
The speed of a given machine (DC) has to be controlled for the required speed variations of an
operation. Either armature voltage or field current can be varied or controlled. A separately
excited motor is a versatile variable speed motor. The speed control using the variation of the
armature voltage can be used for constant torque application in the speed range from zero to base
or rated speed. The speed control using the field weakening can be used for constant power
application in the speed range from zero to above base or rated speed.

EXPRESSION FOR SPEED FOR A DC MOTOR

Speed N = k (V-IaRa)  Where V = Terminal Voltage in volts Ia = Armature current in Amps Ra
= Armature resistance in ohms = flux per pole.

Solid state Speed Control of DC Motor:

The DC Motor speed can be controlled through power semiconductor switches. The power
semiconductor switches are SCR, MOSFET, IGBT etc., this type of speed control is called static
ward Leonard Drive.

Types of DC Drives:
➢ Phase controlled rectifier fed DC drives
➢ Single phase rectifier fed DC drives
➢ Three phase rectifier fed DC drives
➢ One quadrant converter
➢ Two quadrant converter
➢ Four quadrant converter
➢ Chopper fed DC drives
➢ One quadrant Chopper drives
➢ Two quadrant Chopper drives
➢ Four quadrant Chopper drives

3.1 Speed control and torque control of DC drive (separately excited dc motor) using
A. Single phase SCR Drives
a) Semi control and Full controlled converter
Speed Control of Separately Excited DC Motor

The power circuit diagram for speed control of separately excited DC motor is shown in the figure
A.
• The armature of DC motor is connected to the semi converter.
• The DC supply to the field winding is given by controlled or uncontrolled rectifier.
• When the semi converter is used, the power flows from supply to load side.
• As the power flows from load to supply is not possible, the DC motor regenerative action
is not possible.
• The operation of semi converter due to flow of armature current is possible in the following
modes.
Continuous mode
• The armature current becomes continuous as shown in the figure G.
• The SCR T1 and SCR T2 turns on at firing angle of α and π + α during positive and negative
half cycle of alternating supply.
• The DC motor gets supply through SCR T1 and diode D1 through path P – SCR T1 – R –
L – Armature – D1 – N during α < ωt < π.
• The energy stored in the inductor gets dissipated through diode Dfw during negative half
cycle of alternating supply during π < ωt < π + α . The voltage across armature becomes zero
during π < ωt < π + α.
• The SCR T2 and diode D2 conducts during negative half cycle of alternating supply and
load current flows through path N – SCR T2 – R – L – Armature – D2 – P path during π + α < ωt
< 2π.
• The power flows through supply to load during both positive and negative half cycles. The
armature current becomes continuous when the firing angle becomes small.
Discontinuous mode
• When the firing angle becomes large, the armature current becomes discontinuous due to
high speed and low torque operation.
• The speed regulation becomes poor when the no load speed of DC motor becomes high
and operation of DC motor armature in the discontinuous mode.
• Therefore the operation of the DC motor is always done in the continuous conduction
mode.
• The waveform of the discontinuous armature current is shown in the figure G.
• The DC motor gets supply through SCR T1 and diode D1 during 0 < ωt < π. The armature
short circuited through freewheeling diode after positive half cycle of alternating supply.
• The armature current becomes zero at angle β before SCR T2 is turned on.

Speed control of separately excited DC motor Full controlled converter

The technique of DC motor speed control Figure 3 shows a separately excited DC motor fed
through single phase half wave converter. It offers only one quadrant drive. Such type of drives,
are used up to about 0.5 kW DC motor.

The average armature voltage in armature circuit for single phase full converter drive is given by
Eq.
𝑉𝑚
𝑉𝑜 = 𝑉𝑟 = 2 (1 + cos 𝛼 ), 𝑓𝑜𝑟 0 < 𝜋
𝜋
A single phase full converter drive offers a two quadrant drive operation and is limited to
applications up to 15kW, which is shown in figure 5. The armature converter gives +Vo or –Vo
and allows operation in the first and fourth quadrant. The converter in the field circuit could be
semi, full or even dual converter. The reversal of the armature or field voltage allows operation in
the second and third quadrant.
The single phase full converter is a fully controlled bridge controlled rectifier using thyristor
connected in the form of a full wave bridge configuration. All the thyristors are controlled switches
which are tuned on at a appropriate times by applying suitable gate trigger signals. The single
phase full converter is extensively used in industrial power applications where two quadrant
operations is required.

B. Three Phase SCR Drives

a) Semi control and Full controlled converter

Figure above shows the phase voltage waveforms applied to the converter. Convenient references
for the thyristor firing angles are ωt1, ωt2, ωt3 … spaced 120° apart. Let the firing angle be α. The
three thyristors fire in sequence with a time spacing of 120° as shown in the figure. After Th 1 fires,
diodes D2 or D3 conducts depending upon which voltage is more positive of VAB and VAC. For the
value of α chosen, it may be immediately seen from Fig. (a) that diode D2 conducts up to 90°
beyond which D3 conducts till Th2 fires. Then D3 and D1 conduct till Th3 fires followed by D1,
D2 conducting in sequence. This process then repeats resulting in the voltage waveform of v a as
shown in Fig. (b). For this value of α, the freewheeling diode is not called upon to conduct the
armature current. The armature current ia and line current iA are shown in Figs. (c) and (d)
respectively. The fundamental iA1 of the line current lags by a small angle Φ1 resulting in less than
unity power factor.
For a firing angle α = 60°, only one diode conducts during the conduction period of a thyristor.
The conduction sequence is now Th1D3, Th2D1, Th3D2. For larger values of α, VAC becomes
negative before Th2 fires resulting in interruption of line current so that ia flows through DFW,
the free-wheeling diode.
If the free-wheeling diode is not used, free-wheeling takes place through the diode and thyristor of
a given branch, e.g. after D3 stops conducting, free-wheeling occurs through Th1D1.

The average value of armature voltage Va reduces continuously as α is increased.

Three phase fully Controlled Rectifier Control of DC Separately Excited Motor:

Three phase Fully Controlled Rectifier Control (6 pulse) fed separately excited dc motor drive is
shown in Fig. 5.32(a). Thyristors are fired in the sequence of their numbers with a phase difference
of 60° by gate pulses of 120°duration. Each thyristor conducts for 120, and two thyristors conduct
at a time—one from upper group (odd numbered thyristors) and the other from lower group (even
numbered thyristors) applying respective line voltage to the motor.
Transfer of current from an outgoing to incoming thyristor can take place when the respective line
voltage is of such a polarity that not only if forward biases the incoming thyristor, but also leads
to the reverse biasing of the outgoing when incoming turns-on. Thus, firing angle for a thyristor is
measured from the instant when the respective line voltage is zero and increasing. For example,
the transfer of current from thyristor T5to thyristor T1 can occur as long as the line voltage vAC is
positive. Hence, for thyristor T1, firing angle α is measured from the instant vAC = 0 and increases
as shown in Figs. 5.32(b) and (c).

Motor terminal voltage and current waveforms for continuous conduction are shown in Figs.
5.32(b) and (c) for motoring and braking operations, respectively. Devices under conduction are
also shown in the figure. The discontinuous conduction is neglected here because it occurs is a
narrow region of its operation. For the motor terminal voltage cycle from α + π/3 to α + 2π/3 (from
Figs. 5.32(b) and (c)).

b) Dual converter.
Dual three-phase fully controlled converter

3.2 Chopper Controlled DC Drives for dc series motor.

➢ Fixed DC voltage is fed to the DC chopper circuit.

➢ DC Chopper converts fixed DC into variable DC voltage.
➢ This variable DC Voltage is fed to the motor.
➢ By varying the DC voltage, the motor speed can be controlled.
➢ Self commutated devices such as MOSFET‟s, Power transistors, IGBT‟s and IGCT‟s are
used for building choppers because they can be commutated by a low power control signal
and do not need commutation circuit and can be operated at a higher frequency for the
same rating.

Speed Control of DC Series Motor By Chopper

➢ The speed control of DC series motor by using chopper is shown in the figure A.
➢ This speed control is achieved through constant frequency control or variable frequency
control.
➢ When chopper CH is switched on, the DC motor gets input supply voltage Vdc.
➢ The DC motor does not get any voltage when chopper CH is switched off.
 ➢ The load current completes its path through freewheeling diode or we can say that stored
energy of inductor dissipates in the freewheeling diode during chopper turn off time.
➢ The average output voltage across load is

▪ 𝑉 O = [ 𝑇ON / ( 𝑇ON + 𝑇OFF ) ] 𝑉dc

= ( 𝑇ON / 𝑇 )𝑉dc

▪ 𝑉 O = 𝐾𝑉dc
➢ The voltage across load can be adjusted to any value by switching chopper with suitable
time interval.

Advantages:
➢ High efficiency
➢ Light weight
➢ Flexibility in controls
➢ Small size
➢ Quick response

Applications:
➢ Battery operated vehicles
➢ Traction motors
➢ Hoists
➢ Electric braking
➢ Trolley cars
3.3 Specification of drives.

DC Motor Drives Specifications

1. Drive Type:
a. DC Brushed Motor
b. DC Brushless Motor
c. DC Servomotor
d. Linear Motor etc.
2. Integral Motion Controller or not.
3. Number of Axes / Motors
4. Resolution (if Applicable) : No. of Bits.
5. Application Categories:
a. Battery Controlled
b. Variable Speed Drive
c. Multi-axis Controller
d. Motor Speed Controller
e. Robotic Motion Controller
f. Servo Amplifier
g. Regenerative Drive
h. SCR Drive
i. PWM Drive
j. DSP-based
k. Microcontroller Based etc.
6. Maximum Output Voltage
7. Rated Power
8. Continuous Output Current
9. Peak Output Current
10. Supply Voltage (AC or DC)
11. AC Input Phase
12. AC Input Frequency
13. Operating Temperature
14. Configuration:
a. IC / PCB-Mounted
b. PC Board
c. OEM Module
d. Stand Alone
e. Panel Mount
f. DIN Rail
g. Rack Mount etc.
15. Features:
a. Soft Start
b. Dynamic Braking
c. Regenerative Braking
d. Brake Output
e. Home / Limit Switch Input
f. Auxiliary I/O
g. Alarm / Status Monitoring
h. Self-Configuration / Auto-tuning
i. Self-Diagnostics.