Overview
Although much of the industrial world is leaning to using AC motors and controls, there are still applications where DC motors are still used effectively. There are also many older applications and installations where DC motors and controls are in place, and not likely to be replaced anytime soon. So, there is still some necessity for working engineers to have some understanding of DC motors, drives, and controls. With that in mind, this paper was written to give a brief description of the main characteristics of DC motors and controls.
After doing this course there will be a little fear and trepidation about facing the unknown. There is still a lot of power being controlled and delivered, and this in itself makes working on DC machines somewhat dangerous. With a little understanding, you can make these devices work for you, and do it safely. Even though many applications that were once done with DC motors, are now being done by AC motors, the probability of DC motors disappearing completely is very low. As long as people make and use machines, there will probably be DC power involved somewhere.
With that in mind, I developed this course so that any engineer could read and understand it, and be able to better work with DC machines the next time one appears in their lives. There is very little math involved, although I put in a simple calculus example showing how average voltage values are obtained.
The student must take a multiple choice quiz consisting of twenty questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits. It is my intention that the material presented in this course help the students be better versed in DC Motors, Drives, and Controls, and therefore be more comfortable when working with engineers, technicians, and craftsmen in the field.
To receive PDH credit, the reader must pass a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty (20) questions.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:
- There is a brief review of the history of DC motor development
- Gain an understanding of how DC motors are constructed
- Learn why DC motors need special starting techniques
- See the three ways that DC motors are wound
- Understand why field strength is important for shunt wound DC motors
- Gain a basic understanding of DC Drives and how they work
- Learn how single and three phase power is converted to a variable DC voltage to run DC motors
Course
Click on the following link to the PDF document to review the course material before taking the quiz for credit.
DC Motors, Drives and Controls
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