Basic Maintenance and Testing of DC Electric （直流电动的基本维护和测试）.pdf

Basic Maintenance and Testing of DC Electric Motors Part 2 Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP President, SUCCESS by DESIGN Introduction In Part 1, we discussed the basic makeup and operation of DC electric motors. In this article, we are going to discuss two key components of the DC motor system which are the brushes and the commutator. The key to proper operation of a DC machine is its ability to have an alternating current available in the armature such that the magnetic fields are about 90 degrees from each other. This means that there must be a contact system that acts as a ‘switch’ to allow current to flow in a specific direction such that the fields remain at 90 degrees. The switching system used to convert the incoming DC to AC, in the DC motor, are the brushes and the commutator. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the conditions that must be considered for both components of the system. The Commutator The commutator is made up of many copper/copper alloy bars with mica insulation between each bar. These bars are normally linked together with a core, or hub, that can be tightened to ensure a tight fit for the bars. When installed, the commutator should have a shiny, protective gloss that is made up of a surface film of copper oxide and graphite. The film, after the machine has been running less than 24 hours, will vary based upon the environment, but should have an appearance color of light straw to jet black. The normal color normally falls somewhere in between. Water vapor absorbed by this layer actually provides lubrication that reduces both the brush and commutator wear. A commutator that is out of round, grooved, burned, has flat spots or is in otherwise bad condition, should be