Unlike their AC counterparts, DC machines do not have rotating magnetic fields. Rather, there are fixed magnetic field axes for the field (direct axis) and armature (quadrature axis). Even though the armature is rotating, the magnetic field axis in the armature is fixed thanks to commutation, which allows the direction of current in an armature conductor to change as it passes from the region under one main field pole to the next.

A diferencia de sus homólogos de CA, las máquinas de CC no tienen campos magnéticos rotativos. Más bien, existen ejes de campo magnético fijos para el campo (eje directo) y la armadura (eje en cuadratura). Aunque la armadura esté girando, el eje del campo magnético de la armadura está fijo gracias a la conmutación, lo que permite que la dirección de la corriente en un conductor de la armadura cambie a medida que pasa debajo de un polo de campo principal al siguiente.

Ground faults, short circuits and bad connections in interpole coils, series coils and compensating windings cause performance problems in DC machines, including brush sparking, flashover, stalling and catastrophic failure. Shunt coils have many turns of relatively small wire and are usually excited by a DC source independent of the armature. Series, interpole and compensating coils in the armature circuit usually are wound with a few turns of heavy wire as these coils carry armature current. For accurate test results, make sure windings are clean and dry. Verify connections of low resistance fields by visual inspection. Apply DC voltage to an assembled field frame and perform a thermography scan to detect problems including uneven heating and loose or corroded connections. Verify that the terminal lead markings are correct. Lead marking should conform to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) nameplate, NEMA MG1 or IEC 60034-8, whichever is applicable.

Los fallos a tierra, cortocircuitos y malas conexiones en las bobinas de los interpolos, campos serie y devanados de compensación de las máquinas de CC pueden causar problemas de funcionamiento que incluyen: Chisporroteo, flameo (flashover), frenado y fallos catastróficos. Algunas bobinas de campo shunt están bobinadas con muchas espiras y un alambre relativamente delgado y generalmente son excitadas con una fuente de CC independiente a la de la armadura. Por lo general, los campos serie, interpolos y devanados de compensación del circuito de armadura están bobinados con pocas espiras y alambre grueso, ya que por ellos circula la corriente de armadura. Para obtener resultados de prueba precisos asegúrese que los bobinados están limpios y secos y verifique visualmente las conexiones de los campos de baja resistencia. Para detectar problemas de calentamiento irregular o conexiones flojas o corroídas aplique voltaje CC a las bobinas de un estator de CC y realice una inspección termográfica. Compruebe que las marcas de los cables de salida sean las correctas. Estas deben coincidir con los datos de placa del fabricante original (OEM) o con las normas NEMA MG1 o IEC 60034-8, lo que aplique.

A conversation with two EASA members led to a method for determining whether the interpoles are connected with the correct number of circuits. Not only is this method easy, it's a refinement of the interpole polarity test we routinely perform on every repaired DC machine.

Have you ever wondered about the purpose of the shims found under the interpoles in most DC machines? Those shims are used by the manufacturer to adjust the interpole strength. If they are lost, left out or mixed up, the result will be a DC motor or generator that arcs - especially when loaded.

Covers all necessary steps for layer-winding DC field coils, how to layer-wind a shunt field coil, how to reinsulate an interpole field coil, and how to install large field coils in the frame.

Illustrates procedures for manufacturing random-wound interpole and main field coils for DC machines. Covers everything from removing old coils and taking data to installing and connecting new coils, including how to construct winding forms and jigs, how to shape coils to conform with the curvature of the field frame and how to insulate field coils. Both “wet” and “dry” winding techniques are illustrated.