De La Salle University Dasmarias

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Engineering Department Electrical Engineering






EXPERIMENT NO. 1:
THE THREE PHASE ALTERNATOR




Name: Algara, Onofre Jr. E. Date Performed: November 13, 2013
CYS: EEE41 Date Submitted: December 9, 2013
Professor: Engr. Juancho O. Natividad



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OBJECTIVES
1. To obtain the no-load saturation curve of the alternator
2. To obtain the short-circuit characteristics of the alternator

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The terms alternating current generator, synchronous generator, synchronous alternator
and generator are commonly used interchangeably in engineering literature. Because
synchronous generator are so much commonly used than inductor generators, the term alternator,
as often used, and as used here, applies only to synchronous generator. Alternators are, by far,
the most important source of electric energy. Alternators generate an AC voltage whose
frequency depends upon the rotation. The generated voltage value depends upon the speed, the
DC field excitation and the power factor of the load.
As the DC field excitation of an alternator is increased, its speed being held constant, the
magnetic flux, and hence the output voltage, will also increase in direct proportion to the current.
However, with progressive increase in DC field current, the flux will eventually reach a high
enough value to saturate the iron in the stator.
Saturation in the iron means that there will be smaller increase in flux for a given increase
in field current. Because the generated voltage is directly related to the magnetic flux intensity, it
can be used as a measure of the degree of saturation.

EQUIPMENTS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED
Synchronous Motor/Generator Module
Squirrel-Cage Inductor Motor Module
Power Supply Module
Connection Leads
Timing Belt

PROCEDURE AND RESULTS
1. Connect the circuit shown in Figure 1. The squirrel-cage motor will be used to drive the
synchronous motor/generator as an alternator. Its speed will be assumed constant during
the laboratory experiment. Note that the squirrel-cage motor is connected to the fixed
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208V, 3 output of the power supply, terminals 1, 2, and 3. The rotor of the alternator is
connected to the variable 0-120 Vdc output of the power supply terminals 7 and N.
2. a) Couple the alternator to the squirrel-cage motor using the timing belt.
b) Set the alternator field rheostat of its full CCW position (for zero resistance).
c) Set the power supply voltage control at its full CCW position (for zero DC voltage).
3. a) Turn on the power supply. The motor should be running.
b) With zero DC excitation measure and record E1, E2 and E3.
E1 = 2.191Vac E2 = 2.198Vac E3 = 2.175 Vac
c) Explain why there is an AC voltage generated in the absence of the DC excitation.
This excitation voltage can be produced by the generator itself or it can be
supplied by an outside source. Self-excitation is possible only if the field pole pieces
have retained a slight amount of permanent magnetism, called RESIDUAL
MAGNETISM. When the generator starts rotating, the weak residual magnetism
causes a small voltage to be generated in the armature. This small voltage applied to
the field coils causes a small field current. Although small, this field current
strengthens the magnetic field and allows the armature to generate a higher voltage.
The higher voltage increases the field strength, and so on. This process continues
until the output voltage reaches the rated output of the generator.

4. a) If the motor has a switch. Close it at this time.
b) Gradually increase the DC excitation from zero to 0.1 Adc.
c) Measure and record in Table 1 the three generated voltages E1, E2 and E3.
d) Repeat (b) for each of the DC currents listed in Table 1.
e) Return the voltage to zero and turn off the power supply.







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Table 1
I1
(A)
E1
(V)
E2
(V)
E3
(V)
Eac
(AVE.)
0 7.598 7.615 7.505 7.573
0.1 51.55 51.70 50.86 51.37
0.2 97.47 97.88 96.36 97.24
0.3 137 137.7 135.8 136.83
0.4 168.2 169.2 166.9 168.1
0.5 192.8 194.0 191.5 192.77
0.6 211.4 212.7 210.0 211.37
0.7 225.3 226.9 223.9 225.97
0.8 235.0 236.5 233.5 235
0.9 244.2 245.9 242.8 244.3

5. Calculate and record in Table 1, the average output voltage of the alternator for each of
the listed DC currents.
6. a) Turn on the power supply without touching the voltage adjust control.
E1 = 208.5Vac E2 = 209.7Vac E3 = 207.2Vac
b) Turn off the power supply without touching the voltage adjust control.
c) Reconnect the three AC voltmeter so they will measure the voltages across each of the
three stator windings.
d) Turn on the power supply, measure and record the generated voltage across each of the
WYE-connected stator windings.
E1 to 4 = 123.5Vac
E2 to 5 = 123.3Vac
E3 to 6 = 122.2Vac
e) Return the voltage to zero and turn off the power supply.
7. Using synchronizing switch, connect the circuit shown in Figure 2. Note that the switch is
wired to present a dead short across the alternator windings when it is closed.
a) Set the synchronizing switch to its open position.
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b) Turn on the power supply and adjust the excitation until E1 = 208Vac. The motor
should be running and the three lamps on the synchronizing module should be
illuminated.
c) Measure and record the DC exciting current.
I1 = 0.568 Adc
d) Apply a short circuit to your alternator by using the synchronizing switch and note the
behaviour of the AC current I2.
e) To what approximate peak value did I2 increase?
I2 = 0.559 Aac
f) What is the final steady-state value of I2 and I1?
I1 = 0.545 ADC I2 = 0.544 AacSCHEMATIC DIAGRAMS

g) Return the voltage to zero and turn off the power supply.
h) Plot your recorded average voltage vs. DC current values from Table 1.
i) Up to what value of voltage is the curve a reasonably straight line? 136.83V
j) Where would you say is the knee of the saturation curve? 136.83Vdc















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Figure 1



Figure 2


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DISCUSSION
The three-phase alternator has three single-phase windings spaced so that the voltage
induced in anyone is phase-displaced by 120 degrees from the other two. A schematic diagram of
a three-phase stator showing all the coils becomes complex, and it is therefore difficult to see
what is actually happening. A simplified schematic shows all the windings of a single-phase
lumped together as one winding, as illustrated in Figure 7-6. The rotor is omitted for simplicity.
The voltage waveforms generated across each phase are drawn on a graph phase-displaced 120
degrees from each other. The three-phase alternator is essentially three single-phase alternators
whose generated voltages are out of phase by 120 degrees. The three phases are independent of
each other.

An alternative depiction of a three winding stator along with the rotor is shown in Figure
7-7. The alternator of Figure 7-7 is shown schematically and in cross section. The wires in each
of the three windings run in and out of the page along the axis of the cylindrical rotor.

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Rather than have six leads come out of the three-phase alternator, one lead from each
phase can be connected together to form a "wye connection. The point of connection is called
the neutral, and the voltage from this point to any one of the line leads will be the phase voltage.
The line voltage across any two line leads is the vector sum of the individual phase voltages. The
line voltage is 1.73, ( sqrt of 3), times the phase voltage. Since the windings form only one path
for current flow between phases, the line and phase currents are equal.
A three-phase stator can also be connected so that the phases form a delta connection.
In the delta connection the line voltages are equal to the phase voltages, but the line currents will
be equal to the vector sum of the phase currents. Since the phases are 120 degrees out of phase,
the line current will be 1.73, (sqrt 3 ), times 3 the phase current. Both "wye" and the "delta"
connections are used in alternators. On board U. S. Navy ships, most alternators are delta
connected for ease of maintenance and better battle damage resistance. Figure 7-8 shows
schematically both types of three phase stator connections.


The frequency of the AC generated by an alternator depends upon the number of poles
and the speed of the rotor (Figure 7-9). When a rotor has rotated through an angle so that two
adjacent rotor poles (a north and a south) have passed one winding, the voltage induced in that
one winding will have varied through a complete cycle of 360 electrical degrees. The more poles
there are, the lower the speed of rotation must be for a given frequency. A two pole machine
must rotate at twice the speed of a four-pole machine to generate the same frequency. The
magnitude of the voltage generated by an alternator can be varied by adjusting the current on the
rotor which changes the strength of the magnetic field. Remember that the voltage induced on a
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wire moving through a magnetic field is proportional to the strength of the field and the velocity
of the wire.
This means that the magnitude of the voltage could also be increased by increasing the
speed of the rotor but this would have the undesirable effect of also changing the frequency of
the AC produced. Generally, the line frequency is kept constant at 60 Hz. The line frequency
depends upon the number of pairs of poles and the speed of rotation. For example, a two pole
alternator produces one electrical cycle for each complete mechanical rotation. A four pole
alternator will produce two electrical cycles for each mechanical rotation because two north and
two south poles move by each winding on the stator for one complete revolution of the rotor. In
equation form this relationship becomes: f = (nRotor)(p/2)/60 = (nRotorp)/120 where nRotor is
the speed of the rotor in revolutions per minute, p is the number of poles and f is the electrical
line frequency produced by the alternator. The speed of the rotor must be divided by 60 to
change from revolutions per minute to revolutions per second.
In an alternator the output voltage varies with the load. In addition to the IR drop, there is
another voltage drop in the windings called the IXL drop. The IXL drop is due to the inductive
reactance of the armature windings. Both the IR drop and the IXL drop decrease the output
voltage as the load increases. The change in voltage from no-load to full-load is called the
voltage regulation of an alternator. A constant voltage output from an alternator is maintained
by varying the field strength as required by changes in load.

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OBSERVATION
An alternator works as a generator when its rotor carrying the field system is rotated by a
prime-mover which in this case is DC shunt motor. The terminal voltage of an alternator changes
with load. It can generate an AC voltage whose frequency depends entirely upon the speed of
rotation. The generated voltage value depends upon the speed, the dc field excitation and the
power factor of the load.
As the DC field excitation of an alternator is increased, its speed being held constant, the
magnetic flux, and hence, the output voltage, will also increase in direct proportion to the
current. However, with progressive increases in DC field current, the flux will eventually reach a
high enough value to saturate the iron in the alternator. Saturation in the iron means that there
will be a smaller increase in flux for a given increase in DC field current. Because the generated
voltage is directly related to the magnetic flux intensity, it can be used as a measure of the degree
of saturation.
When an alternator delivering full rated output voltage is suddenly subjected to a short-
circuit, very large currents will initially flow. However, these large short-circuit currents drop off
rapidly to safe values if the short-circuit is maintained. The output voltage of an alternator
depends essentially upon the total flux in the air-gap. At no load this flux is established and
determined exclusively by the DC field excitation.
Under load, however, the air-gap flux is determined by the ampere-turns of the rotor and
the ampere-turns of the stator. The latter may aid or oppose the MMF (magnetomotive force) of
the rotor depending upon the power factor of the load. Leading power factors assist the rotor, and
lagging power factors oppose it.
The short-circuit test provides information about the current capabilities of a synchronous
generator. It is performed by driving the generator at its rated speed when the terminals of the
armature winding are shorted. An ammeter is placed in series with one of the three shorted lines.
The field current is gradually increased and the corresponding value of the armature current is
recorded. When the per phase short-circuit current is plotted as a function of the field current, the
graph is called the short circuit characteristic of a generator.



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CONCLUSION
It is therefore conclude that the voltage increases less rapidly as the DC current increases.
Alternators generate an AC voltage whose frequency depends upon the speed of rotation, DC
field excitation and power factor of the load. If the DC field excitation is increased; its speed
constant, the magnetic flux increased and the output voltage will also increased in direct
proportion to the current. So there are a smaller increased in flux for a given increase in DC field
current; the output voltage increases.
The open-circuit saturation curve is obtained when driving the SG at rated speed, on open
circuit, and acquiring the SG terminal voltage, frequency, and field current. The aggregated core,
friction, and windage losses may be measured as the input power for each open-circuit voltage
level reading. As the speed is kept constant, the windage and friction losses are constant. Only
the core losses increase approximately with voltage squared.
The Short-Circuit Saturation Curve is obtained when the SG is driven at rated speed with
short-circuited armature. The high current points should be taken first so that the temperature
during testing stays almost constant. The short-circuit saturation curve is a rather straight line;
because the machine is unsaturated during steady-state short-circuit.
Indeed, in open circuit test, the primary mmf of alternator (exciting flux) shouldn't be
compensated by any armature fluxes, so saturation of core due to over exciting (saturation) can
be occur, but in short circuit test, armature fluxes is operating against rotor fluxes and level of
flux density can be stay constant approximately.

REFERENCES
http://machine-lab.blogspot.com/2010/01/three-phase-alternator.html
http://www.usna.edu/EE/ee228/Admin/chap7-1
http://www.ece.umn.edu/users/riaz/animations/alternator.html
http://coep.vlab.co.in/?sub=33&brch=95&sim=1409&cnt=1