PARALLELING

When two or more DC motors are required to operate in parallel - that is, to drive a common load while sharing the load equally among all motors - they should have speed-torque characteristics which are identical. The greater the speed droop with load, the easier it becomes to parallel motors successfully. It follows that series motors will operate in parallel easier than any other type. Compound motors, which also have drooping speed characteristics (high regulation), will generally parallel without special circuits or equalization. It may be difficult to operate shunt or stabilized-shunt motors in parallel because of their nearly constant speed characteristics. Modifications to the motor control must sometimes be made before these motors will parallel within satisfactory limits.