SCHOOL OF MECHATRONICS

Date: 17/9/2025

Course Title: Electrical Machines

Year & Section: Second Year and A&B
Subject: Question Bank for Tutorial Sessions
Module: M2 – DC Motors
Course Instructor: Dr. Nageswara Rao Atyam
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1. Explain the working principle of a D.C. motor and describe how mechanical
energy is developed from electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.
2. Derive the torque equation of a D.C. motor and explain the relationship between
torque, flux, and armature current.
3. Define back electromotive force (back EMF) and derive its expression. Discuss
its role in the self-regulating action of a D.C. motor.
4. Classify D.C. motors based on the method of excitation, and explain the
constructional features of each type.
5. Compare and contrast the characteristics (speed-armature current, torque-
armature current, and speed-torque) of D.C. shunt, series, and compound
motors.
6. Enumerate and explain the different losses in a D.C. motor, and derive the
condition for maximum efficiency.
7. Explain why starters are necessary for D.C. motors, and describe the
construction and working of 3-point and 4-point starters with neat diagrams.
8. Describe the methods of speed control in D.C. motors, highlighting field control
and armature voltage control methods with their advantages and limitations.
9. Explain the method of reversing the direction of rotation of a D.C. motor. What
precautions should be taken during reversal?

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10. Discuss the performance characteristics and practical applications of
D.C. shunt, series, and compound motors in various industrial fields.
11. 220 V shunt motor takes a total current of 20 A. The shunt field resistance
is 250 ohms while armature resistance is 0·3 ohms. Calculate the back e.m.f.
[214.26V]
12. The armature of a d.c. machine has a resistance of 0·1 ohms and is
connected to a 230 V supply. Calculate the back e.m.f. when it is running (i) as
a generator giving 80 A (ii) as a motor taking 80 A. [(i) 238 V (ii) 222 V]
13. A 4-pole d.c. motor is connected to a 500 V d.c. supply and takes an
armature current of 80 A. The resistance of the armature circuit is 0·4 ohms.
The armature is wave wound with 522 conductors and useful flux per pole is
0·025 Wb. Determine the speed of the motor. [1075 r.p.m.]
14. A 4-pole motor is fed at 440 V and takes an armature current of 50 A.
The resistance of the armature circuit is 0·28 ohms. The armature winding is
wave-connected with 888 conductors and useful flux per pole is 0·023 Wb.
Calculate the speed of the motor. [626 r.p.m.]
15. A 220 V d.c. machine has an armature resistance of 0·5 ohms. If the full-
load armature current is 20 A, find the induced e.m.f. when the machine acts
as a generator and as a motor. [230 V; 210V]
16. A 250 V, 4-pole, wave-wound series motor has 782 conductors on its
armature. It has armature and series field resistance of 0·75 ohms. The motor
takes a current of 40 A. Find its speed and gross torque developed if it has a
flux per pole of 25 mWb. [338 r.p.m.; 249 N-m]
17. A 220 V shunt motor takes 105 A. The armature resistance is 0·08 ohms
and shunt field resistance is 44 ohms. The motor runs at 950 r.p.m. If iron and
friction losses are equal to 2 kW, find (i) b.h.p. (ii) total torque (iii) shaft torque.
[(i) 25·74 h.p. (ii) 212·5 N-m (iii) 192·8 N-m]
18. The armature winding of a 200 V, 4-pole series motor is lap-connected.
There are 280 slots and each slot has 4 conductors. The current is 45 A and
the flux per pole is 18 mWb. The field resistance is 0·3 ohms; the armature
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 resistance 0·5 ohms and the iron and friction losses total 800 W. The pulley
diameter is 0·41 m. Find the pull in newton at the rim of the pulley. [634 N]
19. 4. The output of a certain shunt motor is 5 b.h.p. when taking 50 A at
100 V and running at 750 r.p.m. Armature resistance is 0·06 ohms, shunt field
resistance is 50 ohms. Find (i) iron and friction losses (ii) armature torque (iii)
shaft torque. [(i) 932 W (ii) 59·2 N-m (iii) 47·4 N-m]
20. A 500 V, 37·3 kW, 1000 r.p.m. d.c. shunt motor has on full-load an
efficiency of 90%. The armature circuit resistance is 0·24 ohms and there is a
total voltage drop of 2 V at the brushes. The field current is 1·8 A. Determine
(i) full-load line current (ii) full-load shaft torque (iii) the total resistance in motor
starter to limit the starting current to 1·5 times the full-load current. [(i) 82·9 A
(ii) 356 N-m (iii) 3·825 ohms]
21. A 200 V shunt motor - armature resistance 0·2 ohms, shunt field
resistance 100 ohms takes 7 A when running light. Find the iron and friction
losses. Assuming these losses to remain constant, find the b.h.p. when taking
a current of 52 A. [995 W; 11·4 h.p.]
22. 7. A 250 V shunt motor giving 20 h.p. at 1000 r.p.m. takes an armature
current of 75 A. The armature resistance is 0·25 ohms and the load torque
remains constant. If the flux is reduced by 20% of its normal value before the
speed changes, find the instantaneous value of armature current and the
torque. Determine the final value of armature current and speed. [260 A; 459
N-m; 93·7A; 1225 r.p.m.]
23. A d.c. series motor takes a current of 100 A and runs at 1000 r.p.m. The
total resistance of the motor is 0·1 ohmsand the field is unsaturated. Calculate
the speed and the percentage change in torque if the load is so altered that the
motor current is 50 A. [2050 r.p.m.; 75%]
24. A 4-pole, 250 V d.c. shunt motor has a lap-connected armature with 960
conductors. The flux per pole is 2 *102 Wb. Calculate the torque developed by
the armature and the useful torque when current taken by the motor is 30 A.

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 The armature resistance is 0·12 ohms and the field resistance is 125The
rotational losses amount to 825 W. [85·5 N-m; 75·3 N-m]
25. A 20 kW d.c. shunt generator delivering rated output at 1000 r.p.m. has
a terminal voltage of 500 V. The armature resistance is 0·1 ohms, voltage drop
per brush is 1 V and field resistance is 500 volts. Calculate the speed at which
the machine will run as a motor taking an input of 20 kW from a 500 V d.c.
supply. [976·1 r.p.m.]
26. A 220 V shunt motor takes 6 A on no-load and runs at 750 r.p.m.
Resistance of shunt field is 110 ohms and that of armature is 0·25 ohms.
Calculate the speed when loaded and taking a current of 52 A. Assume that
armature reaction weakens the flux by 4%. [740 r.p.m.]
27. A 230 V shunt motor has an armature resistance of 0·5ohms and field
resistance of 115 ohms. At no-load, the speed is 1200 r.p.m. and the armature
current is 2·5 A. On application of rated load, the speed drops to 1120 r.p.m.
Determine the line current and the power input when the motor delivers rated
load. [33 A; 8050 W]
28. A 4-pole, 200 V d.c. shunt motor has 360 wave connected conductors on
its armature. The full-load armature current is 30 A and flux per pole is 0·03
Wb. The armature resistance is 0·2 ohms and the contact drop is 1 V per brush.
Determine the full-load speed of the motor. [672 r.p.m.]
29. A 4-pole, 460 V shunt motor has its armature wave-connected with 880
conductors. The useful flux per pole is 0·02 Wb and armature resistance is 0·7
ohms. If the armature current is 40 A, calculate (i) speed and (ii) torque. [(i) 730
r.p.m. (ii) 226 N-m] 5. A 230 V d.c. shunt motor takes a no-load current of 2 A
and runs at 1200 r.p.m. If the full-load current is 40 A, find (i) speed on full-
load (ii) percentage speed regulation. Resistance of armature is 0·25 ohms. [(i)
1150 r.p.m. (ii) 4·35%]
30. A 230 V shunt motor runs at 1000 r.p.m. and takes 5 A. The armature
resistance of the motor is 0·25 ohms and shunt field resistance is 230 ohms.

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 Calculate the drop in speed when the motor takes a line current of 41 A. [40
r.p.m.]
31. A shunt generator has an output of 10 kW at 500 V; the speed being 1000
r.p.m. The armature circuit resistance is 0·5 ohms and the field resistance is
250 ohms. Calculate the speed when running as a shunt motor taking 50 kW
at 500 V. [961 r.p.m.]
32. The armature circuit resistance of a 18·65 kW, 250 V d.c. series motor is
0·1 ohms, the brush voltage drop is 3 V and the series field resistance is 0·05
. When the motor takes 80 A, speed is 600 r.p.m. Calculate the speed when
the current is 100 A. [474 r.p.m.]
33. A 4-pole d.c. shunt motor has a flux per pole of 0·04 Wb and the armature
is lap-wound with 720 conductors. The shunt field resistance is 240 ohms and
the armature resistance is 0·2 ohms. Brush contact drop is 1 V per brush.
Determine the speed of the machine when running (i) as a motor taking 60 A (ii)
as a generator supplying 120 A. The terminal voltage in each case is 480 V.[(i)
972 r.p.m. (ii) 1055 r.p.m.]
34. A 110 V d.c. series motor takes 50 A when running at 800 r.p.m. The
armature resistance is 0·25 ohms and the series field resistance is 0·15 . Iron
and friction losses amount to 800 W. Find (i) the b.h.p. (ii) the total torque (iii)
the shaft torque. [(i) 5 h.p. (ii) 53·6 N-m (iii) 44 N-m]
35. 220 V shunt motor is taking a current of 30 A. Armature and shunt field
resistances are 0·2 ohms and 100 ohms respectively. Iron and friction losses
amount to 500 W. Find the efficiency of the motor. [82·4%]
36. A shunt motor running at 600 r.p.m. takes 80 A at 250 V. The armature
and shunt field resistances are 0·1 ohms and 50 ohms respectively. Iron and
friction losses amount to 2188 W. Find (i) armature torque (ii) shaft torque (iii)
copper losses (iv) efficiency. [(i) 288 N-m (ii) 254 N-m (iii) 1812 W (iv) 80%]
37. The output of certain shunt motor is 3·73 kW when taking 50 A at 100 V
and running at 750 r.p.m. Armature resistance is 0·06 ohms and shunt field

Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Kiwale, Ravet, Pune - 412101

 resistance is 50 ohms. Find (i) iron and friction losses (ii) armature torque (iii)
shaft torque. [(i) 932 W (ii) 59·2 N-m (iii) 47·4 N-m]
38. The output of a shunt motor is 5 b.h.p. when taking 50 A at 100 V and
running at 750 r.p.m. The armature resistance is 0·06 ohms and shunt field
resistance is 50 ohms. Find (i) iron and friction losses (ii) armature torque (iii)
shaft torque. [(i) 923 W (ii) 59·2 N-m (iii) 47·4 N-m]
39. A 50 h.p. (57·3 kW), 460 V d.c. shunt motor running light takes a current
of 4 A and runs at a speed of 660 r.p.m. The resistance of the armature circuit
is 0·3 ohms and that of the shunt field circuit is 270 ohms. When the motor is
running at full-load, determine (i) the input current (ii) the speed (iii) the
armature current at which efficiency is maximum. Ignore the effect of armature
reaction. [(i) 90·2 A (ii) 624 r.p.m. (iii) 78·33 A]
40. A d.c. shunt motor running on no-load takes 5 A at 200 V. The field
resistance is 100 ohms and the armature resistance is 0·1 ohms. Find the
approximate maximum efficiency and the load current at which it occurs. [90%;
100 A]
41. A 220 V series motor takes a current of 35 A and runs at 500 r.p.m. The
armature resistance is 0·25 ohms and the series field resistance is 0·3 ohms. If
iron and friction losses amount to 600 W, find (i) armature torque (ii) shaft
torque (iii) overall efficiency. [(i) 134 N-m (ii) 122·5 N-m (iii) 83·4%]
42. A shunt machine generates 220 V at 800 r.p.m. on open-circuit. Armature
resistance is 0·4 ohms and field resistance is 160 ohms. The machine takes 5
A running as a motor on no-load at 220 V. Find the efficiency and speed of the
machine as a motor taking 45 A at 220 V. Armature weakens the field by 3%.
[81·2%; 759 r.p.m.]
43. One of the two similar 500 V shunt machines A and B running light takes
3 A. When A is mechanically coupled to B, the input to A is 3·5 A with B
unexcited and 4·5 A when B is separately excited to generate 500 V. Calculate
the friction and windage loss and core loss of each machine. [250 W; 500 W]

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44. A 100 V shunt motor is developing 6 b.h.p. and the overall efficiency at
this load is 86%. Armature resistance is 0·06 ohms and shunt field resistance
is 50 ohms Find (i) current taken (ii) copper losses (iii) iron and friction losses.
[(i) 52·05 A (ii) 350 W (iii) 379 W]

Dr. Nageswara Rao Atyam

Associate Professor
School of Defence & Aerospace Technology

Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Kiwale, Ravet, Pune - 412101