compoundwound

Compound wound refers to a type of direct current (DC) machine, such as a motor or generator, that uses two separate field windings on the stator: a shunt winding connected in parallel with the armature and a series winding placed in series with the armature circuit. The combined fields produce the machine’s magnetic flux, allowing specific control of voltage and speed characteristics. The two windings can be arranged so that their magnetic effects either add to one another or oppose each other, producing different performance profiles.

In cumulatively compounded machines, the series winding aids the shunt winding, increasing flux as load current rises. This tends to improve voltage regulation and provides strong starting torque, making such machines useful where stable output under varying load is desirable. In differentially compounded machines, the series winding opposes the shunt winding, causing flux to decrease as current increases, yielding different speed and voltage behavior that can be advantageous for certain control requirements.

DC compound machines were historically favored for applications needing both the robust torque of series designs and the steadier voltage of shunt designs, such as early electric traction, industrial drives, and centralized power generation. With the advent of modern power electronics and advanced DC drives, the use of compound-wound machines has declined, but they remain of educational, historical, and some niche industrial interest.