Generator & motor operations

Tapas Kumar Bhattacharya

Department of Electrical Engineering

I.I.T Kharagpur
SJanuary 2, 2019
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Tapas K Bhattacharya Generator & motor operations with a single conductor 2

Contents
1 Introduction 2
1.1 Generator Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Motor Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1 Introduction
Broadly electrical machines can be classified as Static and Rotating types. While Transformer is an
example of static machine, D.C , Induction and Synchronous machines are the examples of rotating
machines. Now before going formally to rotating machines , we shall consider the following two
classical examples in oder to introduce the concepts of generator and motor mode of operation of
electrical machines based on a single conductor moving in magnetic field.

1.1 Generator Mode

Consider a straight conductor of active length ( the length which is under the influence of the
magnetic field) l meter is placed over two friction less parallel rails as shown in the figure 1. the
conductor is moving with a constant velocity v meter/second from left to right in the horizontal
S
plane. In the presence of a vertical magnetic field directed from top to bottom of strength B W b/m2 ,
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a voltage e = Blv will be induced across the ends of the moving conductor. The magnitude of the
voltage will be constant and the polarity will be as shown in the figure 1(b). In other words the
moving conductor has become a seat of emf and one can replace it by battery symbol with an emf
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value equal to Blv Volts.

N S
i(t)
S
Rail
B Wb/m2 +
X X X X t=0 R
v R Blv
l B i(t)
X X X X −
Rail
Rail
conductor
S Rail of length l

(b) Equivalent circuit

(b) Top View
(a) Single conductor generator

Figure 1: Single conductor generator.

As no load i.e., (resistance in this case) is connected across the moving conductor, output current
hence output power is zero. Input power to the generator should also be zero which can also be
substantiated by the fact that no external force is necessary to move a mass with constant velocity
over a frictionless surface. The generator is said to be under no load condition. Let us now examine
what is going to happen if a resistance is connected across the source. Obviously the conductor
starts delivering a current i = Re the moment resistance is connected. However we know that a
current carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field experiences a force the direction of which is
decided by the left hand rule. After applying this rule one can easily see that the the direction of this
electromagnetic force will be opposite to the direction of motion i.e., v. As told earlier that to move
Tapas K Bhattacharya Generator & motor operations with a single conductor 3

the conductor at constant velocity, no external force hence prime mover is not necessary. under this
situation let us assume that a load resistance R is connected across the conductor. Without doing
any mathematics we can purely from physical reasoning can predict the outcome. The moment load
is connected, the conductor starts experiencing a electromechanical force in the opposite direction
of the motion. Naturally conductor starts decelerating and eventually comes to a stop. The amount
of energy dissipated in the load must have come from the kinetic energy stored in the conductor.
Let us now Analyse the above phenomena mathematically. Suppose,

v0 = linear velocity of the conductor in meter/sec under no load condition.

t = 0, is the instant when the load is switched on.
v = linear velocity of the conductor in meter/sec at any time t.
l = length of the conductor in meters.
m = mass of the conductor in Kg.
B = flux density in Wb/meter sq.
e = Blv, induced voltage at any time, t.
R = load resistance in Ω.
e
i = , current in A at any time, t.
S
R
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Fe = Bil, electromagnetic force in opposite direction of motion, at time, t. (1)

The dynamic equation of motion of the conductor can be written by using Newton’s law of
motion as follows:
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dv Blv
m = −Fe = −Bil = −Bl( )
dt R
dv B 2 l2
m + v = 0
dt R
dv B 2 l2
+ v = 0 dividing both sides by m . (2)
dt mR
Solving this linear simple first order differential equation and applying the boundary condition
that at t = 0, v = v0 we get the expressions for velocity, emf and current as a function of time.

B 2 l2
v = v0 e− mR t
B 2 l2
e = Blv0 e− mR t
Blv0 − B2 l2
i = e mR t (3)
R
From the above we see that in absence of any external agency for motive power, the velocity and
current decreases exponentially with a time constant τ = BmR 2 l2 down to zero, as shown in the figure

2. We can easily calculate the amount of energy WR dissipated in R and show the same to be equal
to the initial kinetic energy ( 21 mv02 ) by carrying out the following integration.

1
Z ∞
WR = i2 Rdt = mv02 (4)
0 2
Tapas K Bhattacharya Generator & motor operations with a single conductor 4

vo Io

Velocity (v)
2 2 2 2

Current (i)
τ = − mR / B l τ = − mR / B l

Time Time

Figure 2: Velocity and Current variation

1.2 Motor Mode

consider the arrangement as shown in figure 3, Suppose the conductor is initially stationary, and
battery of emf E is connected across it through a resistance R. Obviously the current right at the
time of connecting the battery i.e., at t = 0, is I = E
R
. As the current carrying conductor is placed
in a magnetic field it will experience a force BIl. and the conductor will start moving towards
right. However when the conductor starts moving a voltage is induced across the conductor the
polarity of which will be such so as to oppose the inflow of current into the conductor. Therefore
with time, both the values of the current and the electromagnetic force will decrease. To answer
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what will happen finally to the current and the speed of the conductor, we shall write the following
electrodynamic equation and solve them.
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N S
i(t)
S
Rail R
2 + +
B Wb/m X i(t) v X X X t=0 R
B i(t) E Blv
l
X X X X − _ +
Rail E
Rail −
conductor
S Rail of length l

(b) Equivalent circuit

(b) Top View
(a) Single conductor motor

Figure 3: Single conductor motor.

t =
0, is the instant when the battery is switched on.
v =
linear velocity of the conductor in meter/sec at any time t.
l =
length of the conductor in meters.
m =
mass of the conductor in Kg.
B =
flux density in Wb/meter sq.
e =
Blv, induced voltage at any time, t.
R =
resistance connected in series with the battery Ω.
E−e
i = , current in A at any time, t.
R
Fe = Bil, electromagnetic force causing motion, at time, t. (5)
Tapas K Bhattacharya Generator & motor operations with a single conductor 5

The equations of motion in case of generator mode are as follows:

dv E − Blv
m = Fe = Bil = Bl( )
dt R
dv B 2 l2 BlE
m + v =
dt R R
dv B 2 l2 BlE
+ v = dividing both sides by m . (6)
dt mR mR
Solving the above equation with the boundary condition, at t = 0, v = 0, the expressions for
velocity and current are obtained as follows:

E  B 2 l2

v = 1 − e− mR t
Bl
B 2 l2

e = Blv = E 1 − e− mR t
E−e E − B 2 l2
i= = e mR t (7)
R R
S
The figures 4 and 5 show the variation of current, velocity and emf induced in the conductor
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under motor mode condition.
Back emf or velocity

E or E/Bl E/R
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Current

Time Time

Figure 4: Variation of Velocity or emf. Figure 5: variation of current.

The readers can try to deduce how the above generator and motor will behave under loaded
conditions.