Explain the principle, construction and working of a DC Motor.
“D.C. generator” means “Direct Current generator”. That is, a D.C. generator produces direct current and not alternating current. We will now describe the construction and working of D.C. generator or D.C. Dynamo.
Construction of a D. C. generator
A simple D.C. generator consists of a rectangular coil ABCD which cab be rotated rapidly between the poles N and S of a strong horse-shoe type magnet M. The generator coil is made of a large number of turns of insulated copper wire. The two ends of the coil are connected to the two copper half rings (or split rings) R1 and R2 of a commutator. There are two carbon brushes B1 and B2 which press lightly against the two half rings. When the coil is rotated, the two half rings R1 and R2 touch the two carbon brushes B1 and B2 one by one. So the current produced in the rotating coil can be tapped out through the commutator half rings into the carbon brushes. From the carbon brushes B1 and B2, we can take the current into the various electrical appliances like radio, T. V., electric iron, bulbs, etc. But in this figure, we have shown only a galvanometer G connected between the two carbon brushes. The galvanometer is a current detecting and current measuring instrument.
Working of a D. C. generator
Suppose that the generator coil ABCD is initially in the horizontal position. Again suppose that he coil ABCD is being rotated in the anticlockwise direction between the poles N and S of a horseshoe type magnet.
As the coil rotates in the anticlockwise direction, the side AB of the coil moves down cutting the magnetic lines of force near the N-pole of the magnet, and side DC moves up, cutting the lines of force near the S-pole of the magnet. Due to this, induced current is produced in the sides AB and DC of the coil. On applying Fleming’s right hand rule to the side AB and DC of the coil we find that the currents in them are in the direction B to A and D to C respectively. Thus, the induced currents in the two sides of the coil are in the same direction, and we get an effective induced current in the direction BADC.
Due to this the brush B1 becomes a positive (+) pole and brush B2 becomes negative (-) pole of the generator.
After half revolution, the sides AB and DC of the coil will interchange their positions. The side AB will come on the right hand side and start moving up whereas side DC will come on then the two commutator half rings R1 and R2 automatically change their contacts from one carbon brush to the other. Due to this change, the current keeps flowing in the same direction in the other circuits. The brush B1 always remaining positive terminal and brush B2 always remaining negative terminal of the generator. Thus, a D. C. generator supplies a current in one direction by the use of a commutator consisting of two, half-rings of copper. In the above discussion we have used the word D.C. generator everywhere. Please note that we can also write D.C. dynamo in place of D.C. generator.