CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Electric Drives

➢ Concept of electric drive

➢ Advantages of electric drives

➢ Parts of an Electric Drive

➢ Types of electric drives

➢ Basic elements

➢ Factors influencing electric drives

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➢ Background
Motion control is required in large number of industrial and
domestic applications. Systems employed for getting the
required motion and their smooth
control are called Drives.
Drives require prime movers like Diesel or petrol
engines, gas or steam turbines, hydraulic motors or electric
motors.
These prime movers deliver the required mechanical energy
for getting the motion and its control.
Drives employing Electric motors as prime movers for
motion control are called electric Drives.

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➢ Concept of electric drive
o Whenever the term electric motor or electrical
generator is used, we tend to think that the speed of
rotation of these machines is totally controlled only by
the applied voltage and frequency of the source
current.
o But the speed of rotation of an electrical machine can
be controlled precisely also by implementing the
concept of drive.
o The main advantage of this concept is, the motion
control is easily optimized with the help of drive.
o In very simple words, the systems which control the
motion of the electrical machines, are known as
electrical drives. 3
➢ Concept of electric drive
o A typical drive system is assembled with a electric
motor (may be several) and a sophisticated control
system that controls the rotation of the motor shaft.
o Nowadays, this control can be done easily with the help
of software.
o So, the controlling becomes more and more accurate
and this concept of drive also provides the ease of use
o This drive system is widely used in large number of
industrial and domestic applications like factories,
transportation systems, textile mills, fans, pumps,
motors, robots etc
o Today almost everywhere the application of electric
drives is seen. 4
➢ Advantages of electric drives
o The steady state and dynamic performance can be easily
shaped to get the desired load characteristics over a wide
range of speeds and torques.
o Efficient starting /braking is possible with simple control
gear.
o With the rapid development in the field of Power
Electronics and availability of high speed/high power
devices like SCRs, Power MOSFETs, IGBTs etc., design
of efficient Power Converters to feed power to the
electric drives has become simple and easy.
o With the rapid development in the computer’s HW & SW,
PLCs and Microcontrollers which can easily perform the
control unit functions have become easily available. 5
➢ Advantages of electric drives
o Electric motors have high efficiency, low losses, and
considerable overloading capability.
o They have longer life, lower noise and lower
maintenance requirements.
o They can operate in all the four quadrants of operation in
the torque/speed plane.
o The resulting electric braking capability gives smooth
deceleration and hence gives longer life for the
equipment.
o Similarly regenerative braking results in considerable
energy saving.
o They are powered from electrical energy which can be
easily transferred, stored and handled. 6
➢ Parts of an Electric Drive
➢ Load
Can be any one of the systems like pumps, machines etc to
carry out a specific task. Usually the load requirements are
specified in terms of its speed/torque demands

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➢ Parts of an Electric Drive
➢ Power Converter:
Performs one or more of the following functions.
oConverts electrical energy from the source into a form
suitable to the motor. Such as AC to DC for a DC
motor and DC to AC for an Induction motor.
oControls the flow of power to the motor so as to get the
Torque Speed characteristics as required by the load.
oDuring transient operations such as starting, braking,
speed reversal etc, limits the currents to permissible
levels to avoid conditions such as Voltage dips,
Overloads etc.
oSelects the mode of operation of the motor i.e motoring
or braking 8
➢ Parts of an Electric Drive
➢ Control unit/Sensing unit:
The control unit controls the operation of the Power
converter based on the input command and the feedback
signal continuously obtained from a suitable point at the
load end so as to get the desired load performance.
The sensor unit gets the feedback on voltage and current
also to operate the motor within its safe operating
conditions.
➢ Electrical Motors:
Most commonly used motors are DC motors – Shunt,
Series, Compound etc., AC motors- Squirrel cage & Slip
ring induction motors, Special motors like brushless DC
motors, stepper motors etc. 9
➢ Parts of an Electric Drive
➢ Control unit/Sensing unit:
The control unit controls the operation of the Power
converter based on the input command and the feedback
signal continuously obtained from a suitable point at the
load end so as to get the desired load performance.
The sensor unit gets the feedback on voltage and current
also to operate the motor within its safe operating
conditions.

➢ Electrical Motors:
Most commonly used motors are DC motors – Shunt,
Series, Compound etc., AC motors- Squirrel cage & Slip
ring induction motors, Special motors like brushless DC
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motors, stepper motors etc.
➢ Parts of an Electric Drive

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Assignment
Depending on the type of function, converters can be divided into
5 types -
1. AC to DC converters
2. AC regulators
3. Choppers or DC - DC converters
4. Inverters
5. Cycloconverters

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