Introduction: A Synchronousmachine is one of the important types of electric machines.

A synchronousmachine is an ac machine in whichthe rotor moves at a speed that is havingconstant relationshipwith frequency of the currents in the armature winding. SynchronousMachines

SynchronousGenerator (Alternator)

Synchronouscompensator

Synchronousmotor

Synchrnous Generator (Alternator) : Large AC networksoperatingat constant frequency of 50 Hz (or 60 Hz) depend on these machines for the supply of electrical energy Synchronous Compensator : This is used at importantpointsof the AC networksfor control of reactive power (or for controllingpf ) Synchronous Motor: These provide constantspeed industrial drives with the possibilityof power factor correction r Synchronousmachinesare generally constructed in larger sizes. Small size alternators are not economical. Now a days we build alternators of very large sizes capable of generating500 MVA or even more. Even Synhronousmotors are also of large sizes.

 Basically the operating principle of a synchronous machine is fundamentally the same as that of a dc machine But in synchronous machine there is no need to convert dc to ac by using commutator as in dc machine but instead slip rings are used. It is, in fact quite possible to use a dc generator as an alternator by using slip rings instead of commutator. Unlike DC generators, synchronous generators are to be driven at a constant speed (synchronous speed) to produce a supply of constant frequency. As the speed of the synchronous machines is synchronous speed, there by these are called with the name synchronous machine.