A Method to Determine Load Conditions for
Salient Pole Synchronous Machine Quadrature Axis
Parameters Determination
Mateus Giesbrecht
DSIF-FEEC-UNICAMP
mateus@fee.unicamp.br
Abstract—In this paper a new method to determine load
conditions for the load rejection tests for salient pole synchronous
machines q-axis parameters determination is introduced. The
method is based on the solution of a non linear system that
is deduced from the equations of active and reactive power as
functions of the different angles defined in the salient pole syn-
chronous machine phasor diagram. With the proposed method, a
time consuming trial and error procedure and the installation of
a power angle measuring devices are not necessary, making the
load rejection test easier and faster to perform, what is desirable
to test large power plant units.
To test the results obtained with the method described in this
paper, some rejections of loads satisfying the calculated conditions
are simulated and the results show that the armature currents
are on the q-axis, allowing the determination of the salient pole
synchronous machine q-axis parameters.
The method presented in this paper is an extension of the
method already developed and published by the author to solve
a similar problem for round rotor synchronous machines.
I. I NTRODUCTION
The determination of the synchronous, transient and sub-
transient parameters of generators is fundamental for the
simulation of the power systems transient conditions. In the
countries where the power generation is based on hydro
energy, the salient pole synchronous machines are responsible
for the greatest part of the generated energy. For this reason,
the efforts to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the tests to
determine the parameters of this kind of machine are important
contributions.
The behavior of salient pole synchronous machines changes
depending on the windings that are under flux variation. In the
steady state condition, although there is a small variation of
the rotor windings flux linkage due to the difference between
the stator teeth and slots reluctances, the most significant flux
variations are on the stator windings. Thus, to find a mathe-
matical model of the machine, it is necessary to determine the
characteristics of the magnetic circuit where stator winding
linkage flux flows. Due to the rotor saliency, the magnetic
circuit reluctance changes depending on the rotor position
relative to the armature flux. To compensate this effect, the
two-axis theory was developed in the second quarter of the last
century [1], [2]. The application of this theory to the steady
state analysis of salient pole synchronous machines can be
found in standard textbooks such as [3], [4].
l-))) 
In transient conditions, the field and the amortisseur wind-
ings are under significant flux variations and it is necessary
to take into account the inductances of those windings to
obtain an accurate mathematical model able to reproduce
the machine behavior. The resultant model can be analyzed
in frequency domain with transfer functions [5] or in the
time domain, using the state space models [6], [7]. These
models are parameterized, meaning that its structure is the
same for machines with the same constructive characteristics.
Each particular machine is then differentiated by the numerical
values of its parameters.
There are two main approaches to determine the parameters
of salient pole synchronous machines. The first one, generally
used by manufacturers to predict the parameters of a new
design, is based on the calculation of the reluctances of all
magnetic circuits from the machine geometry and the materials
characteristics. These calculations can be based either on
analytical equations, such as the ones developed in [8], [9] or
[10], or on finite element models [11]. The second approach
is the determination of the parameters by tests. This approach
can be used to determine the parameters of a machine that has
already been built and is the most recommended for the final
users since does not depend on the knowledge of the machine
geometry details. There are many tests to determine machine
parameters, such as sudden short circuits [12], load rejections
[13], frequency responses and DC decay methods [14], [15],
[16]. Those tests are widely described in literature and are also
part of standards [17], [18]. In [19] a summary of parameters
determination tests is presented.
From those tests, the load rejection test presents favorable
characteristics, since does not depend on special equipments
and does not produce hazardous forces in the machine [13].
To determine the quadrature axis (q-axis) parameters with
this test, the machine must be in a load condition for which
the armature current is aligned with the rotor q-axis. This
corresponds to the condition in which the absolute values of
the angles between armature currents and voltages (φ) and
between internal and terminal voltages (δ), defined as power
angle, are the same. If no sensor capable of measuring δ is
available, this condition must be reached by a trial and error
procedure [13]. In large power plant units the installation of a
precise power angle measurement system or the trial an error
procedure can represent considerable costs if the profit losses
during the time that the machine is not generating are taken
into account.
In this work a new method is presented to calculate the
load condition for which the salient pole synchronous machine
armature current is on q-axis. This method is an extension of
the method developed by the author in [20] and is based on
the solutions of a non-linear equation system obtained from
the power equations of the machine. From the solutions, it is
possible to calculate a pair of active power and internal voltage
that imply on the desired condition. These variables are chosen
as the results of the method because are easily controlled by
speed and voltage regulators installed in power plants. The
tests to obtain the q-axis parameters can be done in a faster
way with this method, reducing the time that the machine is
not producing profits.
As a initial evaluation of the method accuracy, some load
rejections were simulated with a salient pole synchronous
machine in conditions of active power and internal voltage
calculated with the equations derived in this work. The results
show that, with the calculated power and internal voltage,
the machine operates in a condition for which the q-axis
parameters can be determined.
This paper is structured as follows: In the next section, the
steady state and transient salient pole synchronous machine
models are discussed. In the section III, the load rejection
tests are presented, and the necessity for a method to find
the condition for the q-axis parameter determination test is
discussed. The following section presents the method proposed
in this paper and in the section V the results are shown. Finally
the conclusions are presented and the future works are listed.
II. S ALIENT POLE SYNCHRONOUS MACHINES MODELS
The dynamic behavior of salient pole synchronous machines
can be simulated using mathematical models that reproduce
the physical phenomena that occur with machine fluxes, volt-
ages, currents and rotor speed. The starting point to build
those models is the analysis of the machine magnetic circuits.
From it, the electric relations can be derived, and a model
with resistances and reactances can be created to reproduce
the physical phenomena.
In this work the two axes model defined by Park [1] is
considered. According to this model, the machine stator and
rotor circuits are transformed into equivalent circuits in d-axis
(line along the poles center line) and q-axis (line along the
space between two poles). Each one of the three stator winding
phases currents presents a direct and a quadrature component
according to the angle between the stator currents and the poles
flux. The rotor excitation flux is represented in the d-axis and
the amortisseur windings present components in direct and
quadrature axes.
If the salient pole synchronous machine is analyzed in
the steady state and the stator phases voltages and currents
are supposed balanced, the rotor follows the rotating flux
generated by stator currents and its windings are not submitted
to any significant flux variation. Consequently no significant
voltages are induced on them. For this condition, just the

Fig. 1. Salient pole synchronous machine phasor diagram for underexcited
generator operation
armature reaction and the stator leakage flux influence the
machine behavior. This situation is defined as synchronous.
If any signal, such as voltage, rotor speed or current, varies,
the rotor windings will be subjected to a time varying flux
and a voltage will be induced on them, affecting the machine
behavior. This situation, defined as the transient period.
In the figure 1 the typical salient pole synchronous machine
steady state phasor diagram for an underexcited generator
operation condition is shown. This diagram is drawn based
on the two axes theory and represents voltages and currents
in the two machine axes for a given load condition, under
the hypotheses that voltages, currents and fluxes are purely
sinusoidal and the stator resistance is small and can be
neglected.
The variable Ef is the voltage induced by the poles flux,
and is defined as internal voltage. As the voltage is defined as
minus the flux derivative, and the poles flux is on the d-axis,
the internal voltage is on the q-axis. This internal voltage is
reduced by the combined effect of armature reaction and stator
leakage flux. The armature reaction is divided on the d and q
axis components, resulting on the voltage drop due to the d-
axis current, which is given by jXd Id , where Xd is the d-axis
synchronous reactance and Id is the component of Ia on the
d-axis; and the voltage drop due to the q-axis current, given
by jXq Iq , where Xq is the q-axis synchronous reactance and
Iq is the component of the armature current Ia on the q-axis.
Subtracting jXd Id and jXq Iq from the internal voltage Ef the
result is the voltage Vt , that is the voltage in stator terminals,
considering that the armature resistance is negligible.
In the phasor diagram shown in figure 1, three fundamental
angles are presented. These are φ, that is defined as the angle
between Vt and Ia , δ, that is defined as the angle between
Ef and Vt and is called power angle, and ψ, that is the angle
between Ia and the q-axis. These angles are essential for the
definition of the load condition in which the stator current
has just q-axis components, that is condition from which a
load rejection will reveal all the machine quadrature reactances
and time constants. For the underexcited generator condition,
φ < 0 since Ia leads Vt , and δ > 0 since Ef leads Vt . Taking
into account that φ is negative, it is possible to verify from
the phasor diagram that ψ = δ + φ.
 From the phasors shown in the figure 1 it is possible to
determine equations for the active power P and the reactive
power Q as functions of φ or δ. Neglecting the stator resistance
and considering that Ef leads Ia , those equations are the
following [3], [4]:
P (φ) = |Vt ||Ia | cos(φ)
|Vt ||Ef | |Vt |2 (Xd − Xq )
P (δ) = sin(δ) + sin(2δ)
Xd 2Xd Xq
Q(φ) = |Vt ||Ia | sin(φ)
 
|Vt ||Ef | sin(δ)2 cos(δ)2
Q(δ) = cos(δ) − |Vt |2 + (4)
Xd Xq Xd
where | ∗ | represents the module of ∗.
These equations are the starting point to the method intro-
duced in this paper, which is described in the section IV.
If the machine is in a transient condition, the rotor windings
are subjected to significant magnetic flux variations, voltages
are induced and transient currents flow on them producing
MMF and fluxes. Consequently, these windings influence the
machine behavior and must be modeled. Due to constructive
characteristics, the amortisseur windings time constants are
smaller than the field winding time constant. For this reason,
if the machine is subjected to a transient situation, for a short
time interval its behavior will be influenced by stator, field and
amortisseur. This interval is defined as subtransient period.
Once the amortisseur effect vanishes, the machine behavior
will be influenced by stator and field winding transient effects
in a period defined as transient. After the field winding tran-
sient effect vanishes, the machine will be back to the steady
state condition. For each period, transient and subtransient
reactances and time constants are defined. Those constants
imply on a parametric model that can be used to simulate
any salient pole synchronous machine. The method described
in this paper allows the simplification of the tests to determine
the q-axis constants. Further details about the transient model
can be found in references such as [5], [6] and [7].
III. L OAD REJECTION TESTS
The parameters that define the machine behavior in any
condition can be determined from the machine response to
transient phenomena intentionally created, such as short cir-
cuits [12], full load rejections [13] or partial load rejections.
It is also possible to derive the parameters from the analysis
of frequency response or DC-decay tests [14], [15], [16]. The
calculation methods vary from the analysis of time domain
responses and frequency domain responses. To analyze this
data, classical optimization algorithms [21], [22] and also
artificial intelligence techniques [23] have already been used.
From the parameter determination tests, the load rejection
tests are advantageous, as discussed in [20]. Those tests are
executed in two load conditions. In the first, the machine is in
a steady state conditon in which the stator currents have just
d-axis components and in the second just q-axis components.
After the desired condition is reached, the load is rejected
and from the transient response it is possible to determine
the machine parameters. In this paper the main interest is on
steady state condition for which the current is completely on
(1) the q-axis, from which a pure q-axis load rejection can be
performed. For this reason, that condition is detailed in the
sequence.
To determine the q-axis reactances and time constants using
(2)
the load rejection method, it is necessary to reach a steady
state load condition in which the armature current has just the
(3) quadrature component. In this condition, the absolute value of
the angles φ, between armature voltages and currents, and δ,
between internal and terminal voltages, are the same. It is also
desirable that the machine is underexcited to avoid dangerous
voltage levels. Since in this condition δ > 0 and φ < 0, and
the absolute values of those angles are the same, ψ = 0.
The angle φ can be easily found from armature voltage
and current waveforms, but to find the angle δ experimentally
is not an easy task if specific sensors are not available. For
this reason, it is difficult to determine experimentally the
condition for which |φ| = |δ|. In the original work in which
the test is proposed [13], the suggestion is that successive load
rejections must be performed for different load conditions until
no variation in field current is observed. This is the condition
for which the armature currents are on the q-axis, since the
variation of them do not produce any effect on the field current,
that is in a winding located on the d-axis. An alternative to
this procedure is to measure the angle δ, but this depends on
the installation of special devices as encoders on shaft or flux
sensors on the stator core, what may not be practical for large
units already installed.
In this paper a new method to find the steady state condition
for which the salient pole synchronous machine stator current
is only on q-axis is proposed. With this method it is not
necessary to measure the angle δ nor to execute various load
rejections to find the required operation point. The derivation
of the proposed method is presented in the next section.
IV. D ETERMINATION OF LOAD CONDITIONS FOR PURE
Q - AXIS STATOR CURRENTS
The method to determine the conditions for which the steady
state stator current is on the q-axis is based on the equations
1 to 4. Since for this condition φ = −δ, from the equations 1
and 2 it is possible to write:
|Vt ||Ef | |Vt |2 (Xd − Xq )
|Vt ||Ia | cos(−δ) = sin(δ) + sin(2δ)
Xd 2Xd Xq
(5)
and from the equations 3 and 4:
 
|Vt ||Ef | sin(δ)2 cos(δ)2
|Vt ||Ia | sin(−δ) = cos(δ)−|Vt |2 +
Xd Xq Xd
(6)

 Taking into account that, for this load condition, the follow- TABLE I
ing equation is valid: M ACHINE RATED VALUES
 Parameter Value
|Vt |2 − |Ef |2
|Ia | = (7) Aparent power 126 MVA
Xq Voltage 13.8 kV
Frequency 60 Hz
after some algebraic manipulations it is possible to rewrite the Poles 16
equation 5 as the following second order equation in |Ef |: Rated power factor 0.9

Pp (|Ef |) = ap2 (δ)|Ef |2 + ap1 (δ)|Ef | + ap0 (δ) = 0 (8) TABLE II

S ALIENT POLE SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE PARAMETERS
where:
Parameter Value
 2 2
 Xd 1.071 pu
cos(δ) sin(δ)
ap2 (δ) = |Vt |2 + (9) Xd 0.2481 pu
Xq2 Xd2 Xd 0.1775 pu
Xq 0.6326 pu
|Vt |3 (Xd − Xq ) sin(δ) sin(2δ) Xq 0.2426 pu
ap1 (δ) = (10) 
Td0 8.953 s
Xd2 Xq 
Td0 0.0977 s

Tq0 0.1844 s
|Vt |4 (Xd − Xq )2 sin(2δ)2 |Vt |4 cos(δ)2 Ra 0.0012 pu
ap0 (δ) = 2 − (11)
4Xd Xq2 Xq2
Similarly, the equation 6 can be rewritten as:
problem is solved and all other variables, such as P and Q,
can be easily determined.
Pq (|Ef |) = aq2 (δ)|Ef |2 + aq1 (δ)|Ef | + aq0 (δ) = 0 (12) To obtain the value of δ for any desired |Ef |, the solutions
obtained with the former procedure are linerarly interpolated.
where:
  V. S IMULATIONS AND RESULTS
2 sin(δ)2 cos(δ)2
aq2 (δ) = |Vt | + (13) To validate the method described in this paper, the calcula-
Xq2 Xd2
tions were performed for a salient pole synchronous machine
  with the rated data shown in the table I. The parameters of
2|Vt |3 sin(δ)2 cos(δ)2 the equivalent circuit informed by the supplier are shown in
aq1 (δ) = − cos(δ) + (14)
Xd Xq Xd the table II.
For the rated terminal voltage |Vt | = 1, and for the minimal
 2 
sin(δ)2 cos(δ)2 sin(δ)2 and maximum admisible values of voltages according to the
4
aq0 (δ) = |Vt | + − (15) standard [24], which are |Vt | = 0.92 and |Vt | = 1.08, the roots
Xq Xd Xq2
of the equations 8 and 12 were calculated for δ varying from
The equations 8 and 12 form a nonlinear system with two 1◦ to 89◦ in steps of 2◦ .
equations and two unknowns (|Ef | and δ). The other variables In the figure 2, the roots calculated for |Vt | = 1 and each δ
are |Vt |, that is easily measured, Xd and Xq , that can be in the interval are ploted as function of δ. From the figure it
estimated from the machine manufacturer datasheets, from is possible to notice that the seconds roots of the equation 8
simple tests such as the determination of the open circuit are equal to the firsts roots of the equation 12 for all δ. Thus,
and the short circuit characteristics or from typical values these are the expected solutions for the problem.
determined for machines with a similar rating. To validate the solutions found, five different load rejections
The analytical solution of the nonlinear system formed by were simulated. For each case, the proposed values of |Vt | and
the equations 8 and 12 is a non-trivial task. Fortunately, since |Ef | are presented in the second an third columns of the table
the machine operates as an underexcited generator, Ia leads III. Then, the angle δ was calculated interpolating the solutions
Vt and, consequently, − π2 < φ < 0. Thus, for the desired shown in the figure 2 for the cases in which |Vt | = 1 and
condition, the power angle varies in the range 0 < δ < π2 . The interpolating the adequate solutions for the cases in which
method consists on the discretization of the interval 0 < δ < π2 |Vt | = 0.92 or |Vt | = 1.08. The calculated values of δ are
in a sufficient number of points. Each point is a δ for which the presented in the fourth column of the table. Finally, the active
|Ef | must be determined. To do so, the parameters defined in power P was calculated from Vt , Ef , δ and the values of Xd
the equations 9 to 11 and 13 to 15 are calculated and the roots and Xq presented in the table II using the equation 2. This
of the second order equations 8 and 12 are evaluated. Then the value is shown in the last column of the table.
roots obtained for each δ are compared and the final solution The values of |Ef | and P presented in the table III were
for |Ef | is defined as the root that satisfies both equations for given as inputs to the model shown in the figure 3 and
the same δ. With the determination of the pair (δ, |Ef |), the the load rejection tests were simulated. In that figure, the


 TABLE IV
A RMATURE CURRENT COMPONENTS AND MACHINE ANGLES FOR THE
−
LOAD CONDITIONS DEFINED BY THE INPUTS IN THE TABLE III AT tf ault

δ [◦ ] φ [◦ ]
I
Case Id [pu] Iq [pu] Ia [pu] Ia
d
[%]
1 -0.00399 1.12466 1.12467 0.35480 45.32335 -45.53260
2 -0.00222 0.94712 0.94712 0.23443 36.78754 -36.92420
3 -0.00155 0.68778 0.68779 0.22599 25.77997 -25.91245
4 -0.00165 0.71697 0.71697 0.22948 29.52319 -29.64861
5 -0.00351 1.14375 1.14375 0.30661 42.03568 -42.20691

Fig. 2. Roots of the equations 8 and 12 for |Vt | = 1 as function of δ

TABLE III
S OLUTIONS OF δ AND P FOR THE PROPOSED VALUES OF |Vt | AND |Ef |

Case |Vt | [pu] |Ef | [pu] δ [rad] P [pu]

1 1.0 0.7 0.795278 0.789844
2 1.0 0.8 0.643450 0.758637
3 1.0 0.9 0.450722 0.619475
4 0.92 0.8 0.516255 0.574093
5 1.08 0.8 0.736462 0.916960
Fig. 4. Phasor diagram at the instant t−
f ault
for the case 2.

block ”Synchronous Machine pu standard” implements the

In the simulation, the machine runs at the rated speed
synchronous machine transient equations detailed in [7] with
connected to the infinite bus with the inputs given in table III
the parameters shown in the table II. The inputs to the block
and, after it reaches the steady state, the three breakers that
are the field voltage Ef and the active power P , that are the
connect the armature terminals to the infinite bus are opened at
same variables that can be controlled in a power plant through
the same time. This instant is defined as tf ault and the instant
speed and voltage regulators. Once the values in the table III
just before tf ault is defined as t−
f ault .
satisfy the equations 8 and 12, it is expected a pure q-axis
During the simulation, the armature current direct and
armature current, as explained in the section IV .
quadrature axes components were measured at t− f ault and the
percentage of the direct component in the armature current
was calculated. The angles δ and φ were also measured at
t−
f ault . The results are shown in the table IV. In the figure 4,
the phasor diagram for the load condition at t− f ault in the case
2 is presented.
From the results shown in the table IV, it can be noticed that,
for the load conditions defined in the table III, the armature
current d-axis components are not significant. In each case, the
angle δ presents a very small deviation to the angle −φ, as
expected from the calculations shown in the section IV. The
phasor diagram in the figure 4 shows graphically the same
results, since the phasor that represents Ia is visually aligned
to the phasor that represents Ef . This confirms that the load
condition calculated with the method proposed in this paper is
valid to find quadrature parameters of salient pole synchronous
machines with the load rejection tests.
To validate the load condition based on the procedure
proposed in [13], the field current If at the instant t− f ault and
Fig. 3. Model created to simulate the load rejection
at the instant just after the load rejection, defined as t+ f ault ,


 as expected, allowing the determination of the salient pole
synchronous machine q-axis parameters.
The next step in this research will be to perform load
rejections with actual salient pole synchronous machines to
test the conditions obtained with the proposed method in a
real case.
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