What is Lap Winding?
In lap winding, the armature coils are connected in a way that they overlap each other. This means that the starting end of one coil is connected to the finishing end of the other coil. In other words, the first end of one coil is connected to the commutator segment, and the starting end of the next coil is placed under the same magnet but a different pole and then connected to the same commutator segment.
The conductors in the lap winding are connected in such a way that the number of parallel paths equals the number of poles. For example, if a machine has P poles and Z armature conductors, then there will be P parallel paths, and each path will have Z/P conductors in series. This means that the number of parallel paths is equal to the number of poles, and each path has a certain number of conductors connected in series.
The number of brushes in a lap winding machine is equivalent to the number of parallel paths. This means that if there are P parallel paths, then there will be P brushes. Half of the brushes will be positive, and the remaining half will be negative. The positive brushes will be connected to the positive end of the armature coils and the negative brushes will be connected to the negative end of the armature coils.
What is wave winding?
Wave winding is a type of armature winding in which the coils are connected in a wave-like pattern. This means that the one end of the coil is connected to the starting end of the other coil which has the same polarity. This connection is made at some distance apart. The consecutive coils in wave winding are connected in such a way that the winding looks like a wave.
In wave winding, the conductors are split into two parallel paths, regardless of the number of poles of the machine. Each path has Z/2 conductors in series. This means that the conductors are divided into two groups, and each group has a certain number of conductors connected in series. This allows for the distribution of current among the parallel paths, ensuring smooth and efficient operation of the machine.
The number of brushes in a wave winding machine is equal to 2, i.e., the number of parallel paths. This means that there are only 2 brushes, one for the positive end of the armature coils and one for the negative end of the armature coils. This is in contrast to lap winding machines, which have a brush for each parallel path.