Electrical Machines II

Ahmed Mortuza Saleque

Assistant Professor
American International University-Bangladesh

Fall 2015-16

Electric Machines II, Fall 2015-16- AIUB Ahmed Mortuza Saleque -1-
 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Synchronous Impedance or EMF Method
Following procedural steps are involved in this method:

1. OCC is plotted from the given data as shown in Fig.

2. Similarly, SCC is drawn from the data given by the short-circuit test. It is a straight line passing

through the origin. Both these curves are drawn on a common field-current base.

3. Take a field current If1 on the graph. Let, the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current for that

field current are E1(open-circuit voltage for If1) and I1(short-circuit for If1).

4. The impedance can be calculated as follows:

E1 (Open circuit voltage for field current If1 )
ZS =
I1 (Short circuit current for filed current If1 )

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Synchronous Impedance or EMF Method (Contd.)

5. Since Ra can be found as discussed earlier, find synchronous impedance as follows:

𝑋𝑠 = 𝑍𝑆2 − 𝑅𝑎2

6. After finding Ra and Xs vector diagrams for any load and any power factor may be drawn.

The calculation of no-load voltage fro lagging power factor is considered in Fig.

7. After knowing the no-load voltage, the voltage regulation can be calculated as follows:
𝐸0 − 𝑉
% 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = × 100%
𝑉
The results obtained by this method are too high, owing to the fact that the synchronous impedance

determined at short-circuit is too large due to a very low degree of saturation. Hence, this method is

called the ‘Pessimistic’ method.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
MMF or Ampere-Turn Method
The graphs of open and short circuit tests are used in this method.

The method is converse of the ‘EMF method’ in the sense that armature leakage reactance is treated

as an additional armature reaction.

Following procedural steps are involved in this method:

1. OCC is plotted from the given data.

2. Similarly, SCC is drawn from the data given by the short-circuit test.

3. The field current If1 is determined from OC curve to

give rated voltage Von no-load, neglecting armature

resistance drop.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
MMF or Ampere-Turn Method (Contd.)
4. The field excitation current If2 is determined from SC curve to cause short-circuit current, equal to

full-load current, on short-circuit.

• The field excitation current If2, on short-circuit, balances the impedance drop in addition armature

reaction on full-load. But since Ra and XL are small, so impedance drop can be neglected.

• Hence, power factor on short-circuit is almost zero lagging and filed ampere turns are used entirely

to overcome the alternator armature reaction.

• Therefore, If2 gives demagnetizing ampere-turns on full-load.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
MMF or Ampere-Turn Method (Contd.)
5. Now let us consider a general case when the alternator supplies full-load current at power factor of

cosφ.

(i) Draw OA representing If1 to give full-load rated voltage, V

(ii) Draw AB at an angle (90o±φ) representing If2 to give full-load current on short-circuit (+ve sign for

lagging p.f. and –ve sign for leading p.f.).

(iii) Find field current If, measuring OB, which will give open circuit emf Eo which can be determined

from OCC.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
MMF or Ampere-Turn Method (Contd.)

8. After knowing the no-load voltage, the voltage regulation can be calculated as follows:
E0 − V
% regulation = × 100%
V
Regulation given by this method is much lower than that given by the synchronous impedance
method, but it is nearer the correct value. This method is called the ‘Optimistic’’ method.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Zero Power Factor or Potier Method

This method gives more accurate results since it is based on the separation of armature leakage

reactance drop and the armature reaction effects.

The following experimental data is required in this method:

(i) No-load or open circuit curve.

(ii) Full-load zero power factor curve (not SCC).

From (ii) the reduction in voltage due to armature reaction is found out and voltage drop due to

armature leakage reactance (also called Potier reactance) XL is found from both (i) and (ii). By

combining the two, no-load voltage Eo can be calculated.

The above two curve are similar and displace horizontally by the mmf due to armature reaction in

terms of the field current.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Zero Power Factor or Potier Method (Contd.)
Draw the Zero Power Factor Characteristic Curve:

• Zero power factor, full-load voltage excitation

characteristic can be drawn by knowing two points

A and B.

• Point A is obtained from a short circuit test with full

load armature current (i.e. zero terminal voltage)

• Hence OA represents field current required to

overcome demagnetizing effect of armature

reaction and to balance leakage reactance drop at

full load.

• Point B is obtained when alternator is delivering

full load current at rated voltage at zero power

factor lagging.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Zero Power Factor or Potier Method (Contd.)

Draw the Zero Power Factor Characteristic Curve

(Contd.):
Zero power factor curve may be drawn as follows:
(i) From B draw line BH equal and parallel OA.
(ii) Through point H draw a line parallel to initial
straight part of OCC (parallel to OC), cutting the
OCC at D.
(iii) Join DH and drop a perpendicular DE on BH.
(iv) Impose the triangle BDE at various points of
OCC to obtain corresponding points on the zero
power factor curve. Triangle BDE is called
Potier Triangle.

In triangle BDE:
Length DE represents leakage reactance drop(IXL).
Length BE represents armature reactance
excitation.
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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Zero Power Factor or Potier Method (Contd.)

Potier Regulation Diagram (Contd.):

Following is procedure to draw Potier regulation

diagram:

(i) Draw OA horizontally to represent terminal

voltage V on full-load and OB to represent full

load current I at a given power factor.

(ii) Draw AC (=IRa), voltage drop due to resistance

Ra parallel to OB.

(iii) Draw CD perpendicular to AC and equal to

reactance drop IXL. Now OD represents

generated voltage E.

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 Determination of Voltage Regulation
Zero Power Factor or Potier Method (Contd.)

Potier Regulation Diagram (Contd.):

(iv) From OCC, find the field current If1 corresponding

to this generated voltage E and draw OF (equal to If1)

perpendicular to OD. Draw FG parallel to load current

OB (i.e. I) to represent the excitation (field current, If2)

equivalent to full-load armature reaction. OG gives

total field current (If) required.

(v) If the load is thrown off, then terminal voltage will be equal to generated EMF corresponding to

the excitation OG. Hence EMF Eo may be obtained from OCC corresponding to field excitation OG.

Vector OJ will lag behind OG by 900. DJ represents voltage drop due to armature reaction.

Now knowing the no-load voltage, the voltage regulation can be calculated as follows:
𝐸0 − 𝑉
% 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = × 100%
𝑉

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 References
[1] B. L. Theraja, A. K. Theraja, “A Textbook of ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY in SI Units Volume II, AC & DC Machines”,S.
Chand & Company Ltd., (Multicolour illustrativeEdition).

[2] A. F. Puchstein, T. C. Lloyd, A.G. Conrad, “Alternating Current Machines”, © 1942, Asia Publishing House, Third Edition
(Fully revised and corrected Edition 2006-07).

[3] Jack Rosenblatt, M. Harold Friedman, “Direct and Alternating Current Machinery”, Indian Edition (2nd Edition), CBS
Publishers & Distributors.

[4] A. E. Fitzgerald, Charles Kingsley, Jr. Stephen D. Umans, Electric Machinery, 5thEditionin SI units, ©1992 Metric
Edition, McGraw Hill Book Company.

[5] Irving L. Kosow, Electrical Machinery and Transformers, Second Edition, Prentice –Hall India Pvt. Limited.

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