TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

938 Aurora Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City

College of Engineering and Architecture

Department of Electronics Engineering

CHARACTERISTICS OF DC GENERATOR WITH

SHUNT-FIELD SELF EXCITATION
Experiment No. 7

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the completion of the subject
Electromechanical Energy Conversion (EEC423L1)

Submitted by:

EC41FB1

Submitted to:
Engr. A. Dela Cruz
Instructor

August 22, 2012

Date
 BEGINNER ACCEPTABLE PROFICIENT EXCELLENT
(1) (2) (3) (4)

TEAMWORK

CONTENT
OF
ACTIVITY

TIME

GRAMMAR

SKILLS
Objectives

At the end of the experiment, the students shall be able to:

1. Connect a dc generator using separate excitation.
2. Recognize the external characteristic of shunt field self-excited dc generator.
3. Determine the regulation characteristic of shunt field self-excited dc generator.
4. Evaluate the electrical losses and conventional efficiency of shunt field self-excited dc
generator.

Materials and Equipment

 DC Machine Stator with Commutator Rotor and Connected Brushes

 AC Machine Stator with Ring Rotor and Connected Brushes
 DL10016 Supply Module
 DL10060 Electrical Measurement Module
 DL10050 Mechanical Measurement Module
 DL10283 Load and Rheostat
 DL10125 Starting Rheostat and Synchronizer

Theory/Discussion

A generator is called a shunt when its field circuit is connected in parallel with armature and load.
Within the field circuit, a four-pole winding may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel. The
circuit arrangement of the field windings does not affect the classification of the generator because the field
windings as group are connected in parallel with the armature and the load. The figure shows the
schematic diagram of a self-excited shunt generator. The voltage control is obtained with a field rheostat. In
separately excited generator, there is no current in the field circuit when the armature is motionless.
Because a small amount of residual magnetism is present in the field poles, a weak residual voltage is
induced in the armature as soon as the armature is rotated. The residual voltage produces a weak current
in the field circuit. If this current is in the proper direction, an increase in magnetic strength occurs with a
corresponding increase in voltage output. The increased voltage output, in turn, increases the field current
and the field flux, which again increases the voltage output. As a result of this action, the output voltage
builds up, increasing field current to the field poles. After the fields are established, the voltage remains at a
constant level, unless the speed of the armature rotation is changed.
Circuit Diagram
Data and Results

Table 7.1 – EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTIC OF DC GENERATOR WITH

SEPARATE-FIELD EXCITATION
Load Trial Loads and Field Excitation Load Current Generator
Rheostat Current (Amp) Terminal Voltage
Configuration (Amp) (Volts)
1 0 1.0 A 0 28
2 R1 + RA 1.0 A 1.22 23.2
3 R1//R2 + RA 1.0 A 1.83 20.7
4 R1//R2 + (>RA) 1.0 A 2.20 19.3
5 R1/R2//R3 + 1.0 A 4.5
(>RA)
6 R1//R2//R3 + 1.0 A 5.0
(>>RA)
7 R1//R2//R3 + 1.0 A 5.5
(>>>RA)

Table 7.2 – REGULATION CHARACTERISTIC OF DC GENERATOR WITH

SEPARATE-FIELD EXCITATION
Load Loads and Generator Load Current Field Excitation
Rheostat Terminal Voltage (Amp) Current
Configuration (Volts)) (Amp)
1 0 35.0 0 0.97
2 R1 + RA 35.0 1.3 0.97
3 R1//R2 + RA 35.0 2.02 0.97
4 R1//R2 + (>RA) 35.0 2.47 0.97
5 R1/R2//R3 + 35.0 4.5
(>RA)
6 R1//R2//R3 + 35.0 5.0
(>>RA)
7 R1//R2//R3 + 35.0 5.5
(>>>RA)
 Table 7.3 – WINDING RESISTANCE DATA SUMMARY
Armature Winding Excitation Winding Excitation Winding
Temperature Resistance Field Winding Resistance Resistance
(A1-A2) (B1-B2) (F1-F2) (F4-F5)
Resistance 0.4 ohm 0.3 ohm 19.2 ohm 19 ohm
@ 75 deg C

Table 7.4 SEPARATELY-EXCITED DC GENERATOR POWER LOSSES AND

CONVENTIONAL EFFICIENCY DATA SUMMARY
Parameter Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6

Load Current 0 1.22 1.83 2.20 5.00 6.125

Load Voltage 28 23.2 20.7 19.3

Load Power 0 28.304 37.381 42.46

Generated Power 30 30 30 30

Exciting Current 1.0 A 1.0 A 1.0 A 1.0 A 1.0 A 1.0 A

Constant Loss 40 W 40 W 40 W 40 W 40 W 40 W

Excitatin Winding Loss 19.2 19.2 19.2 19.2

Field Winding Loss 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Additional Loss 0 0.28304 0.37881 0.4246

Graphical Sketch
SEPARATE-FIELD
 Characteristic Graph Interpretation

Vo vs IL As the output voltage increases its corresponding load current

decreases.

Ie vs IL The exciting current is the same as the load current increases.

Interpretation of Data and Results

Observation/Findings

Conclusion
Question(s)/Problem(s)

1. Identify the three (3) essential factors needed so the output voltage in dc generator can be
developed?

The DC voltage generated by a DC dynamo is governed by three factors, and each factor
has limitations.

1) Number of turns of wire on the armature.  This value is fixed by the physical size of the
armature, and by the size of the wire.  The more turns, the higher the voltage.  The larger
the wire, the higher the current.
2) Magnetic field developed in the field coil.  This depends upon the number of turns of wire
and the current passing through the wire.  The output voltage will rise until the magnetic
saturation of the pole piece is reached. A regulator works by increasing and decreasing the
current through the field, depending on rpm of armature and load demand.
3) The rotational speed of the armature, which is governed by the engine speed.

2. Differentiate conventional and electrical efficiency of dc generator.

The conventional efficiency of DC motor can be calculated using: Friction and ventilation
losses, at rated speed. No-load iron losses, at rated voltage and speed. Joule effect losses in
inductor windings and in rheostats, at rated voltage and power. Joule effect losses in armature
windings. Electric losses due to brush contacts. Additional losses.

The electrical efficiency is power available in load circuit over total power generated.

Electrical Efficiency Conventional Efficiency

3. What will happen to the output voltage if the field excitation voltage is increased?
 This principle is very useful for voltage control: if the system voltage is low, excitation can
be increased; if the system voltage is high, excitation can be decreased. Once an alternator is
synchronized, its voltage is set by the bus. Increasing or decreasing the excitation on one
generator will only change the POWER FACTOR on that unit. The bus voltage is the result of
the reactive load contribution of all sources, generators and power lines. Only if the reactive
load contribution of all sources is increased or decreased is voltage affected significantly.
However, if the overall load is CAPACITIVE, there is a tendency for the voltage to RISE
due to self excitation and lowering the generator field excitation may make the problem worse!
That is why it is important to have an INDUCTIVE load and power factor on the bus at all
times. All generators should run at the same power factor. Running generators at unequal
power factors may cause generator trips when a fault occurs, due to loss of synchronizing
torque.

4. Differentiate separately excited and self-excited dc generator.

The separately excited dc generator, the field winding is connected to a separate source of
dc power. This source may be another dc generator, a controlled rectifier, or a diode rectifier,
or a battery. A d.c. generator whose field magnet winding is supplied current from the output of
the generator itself is called a self-excited generator. There are three types of self-excited
generators depending upon the manner in which the field winding is connected to the
armature, namely; series, shunt and compound generator.

For large, or older, generators, it is usual for a separate exciter dynamo to be operated in

conjunction with the main power generator. This is a small permanent-magnet or battery-
excited dynamo that produces the field current for the larger generator.

Modern generators with field coils are self-excited, where some of the power output from
the rotor is used to power the field coils. The rotor iron retains a residual magnetism when the
generator is turned off. The generator is started with no load connected; the initial weak field
creates a weak voltage in the stator coils, which in turn increases the field current, until the
machine "builds up" to full voltage.

5. If the zero-load voltage of a separately excited dc generator is 110 volts at 1350 rev/min, what
will be the voltage if the speed increases to 1600 rev/min? and if the speed decreases to 110
rev/min?