EXCITATION SYSTEM OF

GENERATOR

Presented By:
NIAZ AKHTAR
GTE-ELECT.
 Contents
 Types of Controls associated with Generator
 Operating modes of Generator
 Excitation System Basics
 Types of Excitation System
 Automatic Voltage Regulator
 PRISMIC A10 AVR and types
 Protections Associated with AVR
 Synchronous Generator Controller
Two types of controls associated with
synchronous generator:
1. AVR/ Excitation system Control
(Voltage, Power factor and MVAr are Controlled by AVR)
2. Governor/Turbine Control
(Speed, Frequency and MW output is controlled by
Governor)
 Generator Operating Modes

Operating Modes of
Generator

Isochronous Droop Base load

Mode Mode Mode
Speed Droop X-tics

Isochronous Vs Droop
 Sharing of Load
GENERATOR LOADING IN VARYING LOAD
LARGE GRID DISTRIBUTION
 Excitation System of Generator
 Excitation
The injection of dc in the field winding to produce magnetic field is
called excitation.
 Purpose of Excitation
 The purpose of excitation system is to monitors line voltage and
current constantly and produce proper excitation voltage
necessary to maintain terminal voltage constant under all
conditions of generator operation (no load, full load etc).
 At no load, the excitation system should only supply that much
amount of volts necessary to maintain the terminal voltage of
generator constant. when a sudden load is applied to a generator,
it’s terminal voltage decreases slightly, therefore an efficient
excitation system senses the voltage dip and increase the
excitation volts immediately and thus maintains the terminal
voltage.
 Excitation System of Generator
 Excitation System
 The system which controls the excitation in order to maintain
constant terminal voltage under normal operating conditions,
to vary the generation of reactive power and to maintain
voltage under fault conditions.

 Types of Excitation System

 Exciter with Slip Rings
 Brushless Excitation
Brushless Excitation System of GTG
Automatic Voltage Regulator

Protection
System and
Limiting

Power System
Stability

Voltage
Stability

Control
System for
MW,
Frequency

Control
System for
MVAr, p.f
 PRISMIC A10 AVR
 The PRISMIC A10 Excitation Controller is designed to control the
excitation of a brushless generator. It is a microprocessor-based
device that incorporates a wide range of features. The A10 is
normally supplied on a mounting plate that contains the auxiliary
equipment such as field suppression contactor, field suppression
resistor etc.

 Types of A10 Excitation Controller

1. Single plate A10 Excitation Controller

2. Twin plate A10 Excitation Controller
AVR Basic Description
Single A10 Plate Circuit Diagram
Twin A10 Plate Circuit Diagram
Typical V-Curve of Generator
V-Curve of GTG
 Capability Curve of GTG

Region 1
Output power is limited by stator current

Region 3
Output power is limited by Core heating
Region 2
Output power is limited by Field Current
 Under Excitation Limiter
The minimum excitation limiter (MEL) is unique in
that it is not a protective relay, but rather a control
function integral to the automatic voltage regulator
(AVR) circuitry. It acts to limit VAR flow into the
generator. During normal operation, the AVR
maintains generator voltage at a preset value. When
system conditions attempt to produce VAR flow into
the generator in excess of the MEL set point, the MEL
activates, overriding the AVR set point to increase
terminal voltage which reduces the VAR in-flow. The
voltage increase continues until VAR flow is reduced
below the MEL setting.
 Limits on Leading VAR Operation
Two limits are imposed on Under Excitation
Limiter

1. The most obvious limit to leading VAR

operation is the bottom portion of the
generator’s capability curve.

2. Another limit is system stability.

 Diode Failure Detection
The PRISMIC A10 unit detects failure of a diode on the
rotating rectifier assembly of the brushless generator.
Indication is given by an LED and a digital output. Diode
or fuse failure in the rotating assembly is detected by
sensing ripple induced in the exciter field current caused
by unbalanced loading of the exciter output. A voltage
that represents the exciter field is derived across a
resistor. This voltage is fed into an amplifier whose
output is normally high, however if excessive ripple is
detected the output goes low. The output turns on a
transistor after a time delay. This results in the signal
given to a digital input port on the microprocessor being
held low.
Interesting Behaviour of GTG AVR by
changing load on One of GTG
On 8th May 2010, when both GTGs were
running in parallel with load 8.5MW each, It
was observed that when about 2.5 MW load is
shifted from GTG-A to GTG-B the power factor
of GTG-B has increased from 0.86 to 0.91 and it
was brought down manually from GCPP panel
by increasing excitation voltage. The same
behavior is observed when load is shifted back
to GTG-A and power factor of GTG-A also
increased and brought to 0.87 manually from
GCPP panel.
 Interesting Behaviour of GTG AVR by
changing load on One of GTG
Explanation:
 There are two different quantities that can be controlled:

i)The power in MW can be controlled with the gas turbine.

ii)The reactive power MVAr can be controlled with the voltage
set point of the AVR.
For parallel operation of two or more generators it is necessary
to share the reactive load.
 The control of MVAr is made possible because of the droop

line of the QCC function built in the AVR. For each of the
AVR’s, the final voltage reference is on a straight line starting
at the set point and drooping with the measured MVAr’s (Q).
At full MVAr of the generator, the line has drooped with 4%.
Reactive Droop Characteristics
 Interesting Behavior of GTG AVR by
changing load on One of GTG

GTG-A GTG-B

Ptot Qtot P Q S p.f P Q S p.f

MW MVAR MW MVAR MVA --- MW MVAR MVA ---

17 10 8.5 5 9.861 0.86 8.5 5 9.861 0.86

17 10 6 5 7.810 0.77 11 5 12.083 0.91
17 10 6 3.529 6.961 0.86 11 6.471 12.762 0.86
17 10 8.5 3.529 9.204 0.92 8.5 6.471 10.683 0.80
17 10 8.5 5 9.861 0.86 8.5 5 9.861 0.86

S=√(P2+Q2) p.f=P/S
THANK YOU
Voltage Rise above 11 KV
 Background
On March 14 when GTG-A was running alone at 14 MW
for first time at our complex. GTG-A terminal voltage
raised to 11.2 KV and they were not coming down to 11.0
KV by decreasing excitation while AVR-B was selected.
Following indications were observed on AVR-B:
 LED#1    “AUTO/MANUAL” blinks (with 2 consecutive

pulses).
 LED#2    “UE LIM”  blinks (with on pulse),

 LED#7    “UE MON” blinks (with on pulse),

 LED#10 “5V” healthy.

 LED “Out of Balance”, installed AVR panel front blinks

frequently.
 Remedy
 To find the cause the problem was
communicated to Mr. Cock Huizer and
different facts were cleared.
 There was a problem with the measurement of
the excitation current. All reading of this
current measured were too low. e.g.
 Sample Calculations
 11.1KV, 547.3A, 0.84PF, 8.81MW, 5.74MVAR,
Excitation Voltage & Current: 22V & 1.2A
 MVA = sqrt(8.81^2 + 5.74^2) = 10.51 MVA
 pf = 8.81 MW /10.51 = 0.84
 P-rated = 0.8 x 26.25 MVA = 21 MW  ==> 8.81 MW =
42%
 When we look at the V-curve of the generator, we
find for 42% power and p.f. = 0.85 an excitation
current of  3.8 A.
 So the conclusion was that meter on GEP panel
showing wrong value of current.
V-Curve of Synchronous Generator
 Cause of UE LIM blinking
Cause No 1. False connection of current transformer
 When a generator is running in parallel with the (infinite bus) public grid and the excitation is too low,
there will be a leading current.
 The under excitation limiter and under excitation monitor in fact look if the leading current does not
pass a set limit. The set point of this limit is 0,21 A In our case this current is measured on the
secondary side of the 2000:1 ratio CT. Therefore 0,21 A setting equals 420 A generator current.
 Although we are running with one generator not connected to the public grid, the UE limiter and
monitor are apparently still enabled.
 In our system if we suppose the load p.f will have been about 0,82 lagging. At 14 MW and a p.f of 0,82
lagging, the lagging current would be:
14MW at cosPhi = 0,82 gives 17,07 MVA and with S^2 = P^2 + Q^2 we find Q = 9,77 MVAr ,
which gives a lagging current of 512 A.
 This current should never give activity of the UE limiter. Unless the sign of the measured current on
the AVR is reversed and the AVR sees the actual lagging current as leading current. The value of 512A
is above the threshold of 420 A.
 The result of the activity of the limiter is increasing the excitation (trying to stop the too low
excitation). The limiter will take over from the setting of the operator. So far it looks like the behavior
can be explained from a false connection of current transformer =50+LSC-T6.2.
 But the same secondary current of  current transformer =50+LSC-T6.2 flows through both AVR-A and
AVR-B. The idea was that perhaps on AVR-A the short circuit on terminals A1:D30 to D31 was not
removed, and AVR-A would have a measured current of 0 Amps.
 Results after communication with HMI
Software
S. No. Measurement AVR-A Remarks AVR-B Remarks
Description
1 Line Volt 111.35V 111.35V

2 Line Ampere 0.15A 0.16A

3 PF -0.818PF Red in Color 0.893PF Yellow in Color

4 PF Lead-Lag Lag Yellow in Color Lead Grey in Color, looking

disabled
5 Watts 14.3W 16.4W

6 VAr 10.2VAr 7.9VAr

7 VA 17.8VA 18VA

Field Ampere 2.62A 2.8A

GTG-A was running with AVR-A selected 4MW and Volts =11KV, Ampere = 248A, Power Factor = 0.83pf.
 Analysis of values shown on HMI
 AVR-A is showing a lagging power factor as it should be with the
actual load on the generator.
 AVR-A and AVR-B are showing very similar line Amps, and line
Volts, but the power factor of AVR-B is leading and different.
 There is only one CT to measure the current for both AVR's. so
the only possibility for a wrong connection would be a reversal.
 In that case the power factor would change from lagging to
leading, but with the same value.
 As the value also changed, there must be a wrong connection in
the three phase voltage measurement.
 The terminals E214 E234 & E254 are not in correct sequence and
they are connected as E214 E254 & E234 .So they should be
corrected.
Correction of signals of V.T going to AVR-
B
 Complete loop was checked for phase correction
instead of changing only the terminals at AVR-B.
 On checking it was found that terminals not only
at AVR-B are wrong but also in LSS (Line Side
Cubicle Secondary) terminals are in reverse
order but still the phase sequence going to AVR-
B is wrong because of which it was sensing
incorrectly and showing leading p.f. )
 In fact voltage sequence going to AVR-A is RYB
whereas it was YRB for AVR-B.
 Results shown by HMI Software after
correction
S. No. Measurement AVR-A Remarks AVR-B Remarks
Description
1 Line Volt 111.00V 110.9V

2 Line Ampere 0.17A 0.18A

3 PF -0.810PF Red in Color -0.818PF Red in Color

4 PF Lead-Lag Lag Lag

5 Watts 16.0W 16.4W

6 VAr 11.6VAr 11.6VAr

7 VA 19.8VA 20.0VA

8 Field Ampere 2.84A 3.0A

9 PMG Freq. 249.7Hz 249.6Hz

10 Line Freq. 49.91Hz 49.92Hz

11 RTD deg C 47.1degC 46.5degC

12 Run Time 4794 hrs 4796 hrs

GTG-A was running with AVR-A selected 4.6MW and Volts =11KV, Ampere = 288A, Power Factor = 0.84pf.
 Response of Mr. Cock after correction of
problem in AVR
 The main problem you noticed was that the voltage became high
and could not be lowered using the lower command. Because of
the twisted wiring AVR-B measured a leading power factor. The
sign of the measured power factor was inversed.
 When running with a single generator on the load the plant
forms, this will give lagging VAr's. The VAr' s increase with the
load power. Therefore when below say 15 MWatt  the VAr's will
be below the set limit of the Under Excitation Limiter. even with
the inverted sign.
 Only above about 15 MW the VAr' s will be sufficient to activate
the Under excitation limitter (when the measured sign is inversed
becauseing of the twisted wiring) With the corrected wiring the
correct lagging power factor is seen by the AVR and the Under
Excitation Limiter will remain NOT active.
THANK YOU