Types And Characteristics Of Dc Generator

D.C. machines are classified according to connection of field winding with the armature winding and accordingly
these are called

 1. 
Shunt

 2. 
Series

 3. 
Compound
The generators are classified according to type of field excitation i.e.

 1. 
Self excited

 2. 
Separately exited
The fields winding in shunt machines are connected in parallel with the armature winding. The schematic diagram is
shown in Figure 1 (a), excluding the interpole and compensating winding.
Figure 1. 
Self excited shunt generator, long shunt compound generator, and series generator
Field rheostat is an adjustable resistance connected in series with the shunt field to adjust the field current.
The shunt generator may be self excited/separately excited as shown in Figure 1 (a) and (b)
In series generator, as implies from the name, the field winding is connected in series with the armature winding see
Figure 1 (c).
In compound generator, the field is splitted into two parts. A part is connected in series and the other is connected in
parallel with the armature winding. The series part is called the series field and shunt part is called the shunt field.
There two types of compound generator connections. The short shunt compound and long shunt compound as
shown in Figure 1 (d) and (e).
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5.2 Load Characteristics Of Dc Generators

The steady state performance of a generator is described by its load characteristics. The voltage at the armature
terminals of a generator is given by

where
E= generated emfIa=armature currentra=resistance of the armature circuits between terminals of the armature
The generated emf is expressed by equation 2.3 which can be expressed as:

where

and
It is to be noted that the interpoles and compensating windings are considered as part of the armature circuit and the
resistance of these windings and those of the brushes are included in ra. According to equation 5.1 at constant
speed, E is proportional to the flux Ø and is therefore, a function of the field current and the armature current.

5.2.1 Separately Excited Generator

Let us consider a separately excited d.c. generator. If there were no armature reaction the E would be constant. But
due to armature reaction the generated voltage because of the demagnetizing effect of armature field would fall as
shown in Figure 2. This fall of voltage is not liner because the magnetizing vurve of the machine is not liner.
Figure 2. 
Demagnetizing affect due to armature

Since the field current of a separately excited machine is provided by an external source. The armature current is
obviously equal load current. Separately excited generators are used on loads that require a wide variation in output
voltage, such as motors that must operate through large speed ranges. The separately excited generators remain
large speed ranges. The separately excited generators remain stable even at very low field excitation, which is not
true for self excited shunt generators, as they become unstable after the terminal voltage is reduced below a critical
value which is usually still a substantial fraction of rated value. A main disadvantage of separately excited generator
is the need of separate source for excitation.
Self Excited DC Generator
These are generators in which the field winding is excited by the output of the
generator itself. As described before – there are three types of self excited dc
generators – they are 1) Series 2) Shunt and 3) Compound.

A series DC generator is shown below in fig (a) – in which the armature

winding is connected in series with the field winding so  that the field current
flows through the load as well as the field winding.Field winding is a low
resistance,thick wire of few turns. Series generators are also rarely used!

A shunt DC generator is shown in figure (b), in which the field winding is

wired parallel to armature winding so that the voltage across both are same.
The field winding has high resistance and more number of turns so that only a
part of armature current passes through field winding and the rest passes
through load.
A compound generator is shown in figure below. It has two field findings
namely Rsh and Rse. They are basically shunt winding (Rsh) and series
winding (Rse). Compound generator is of two types – 1) Short shunt and 2)
Long shunt

Short shunt:- Here the shunt field winding is wired parallel to armature and
series field winding is connected in series to the load. It is shown in fig (1)
Long shunt:- Here the shunt field winding is parallel to both armature and
series field winding (Rse is wired in series to the armature). It is shown in
figure (2)

Efficiency of DC Generator
Efficiency is simply defined as the ratio of output power to the input power. Let R = total
resistance of the armature circuit (including the brush contact resistance, at series winding
resistance, inter-pole winding resistance and compensating winding resistance). The efficiency of
DC generator is explained below in the line diagram.

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generator.html#ixzz4qB9dsDzp

 I is the output current

 Ish is the current through the shunt field
 Ia is the armature current = I + Ish
 V is the terminal voltage.

Total copper loss in the armature circuit = Ia2Rat

Power loss in the shunt circuit = VIsh (this includes the loss in the shunt
regulating resistance).

Mechanical losses = friction loss of bearings + friction loss at a commutator +

windage loss.
Core losses = hysteresis loss + eddy current loss

Stray loss = mechanical loss + core loss

The sum of the shunt field copper loss and stray losses may be considered as a
combined fixed (constant) loss that does not vary with the load current I.

Therefore, the constant losses (in shunt and compound generators) = stray loss
+ shunt field copper losses.

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generator.html#ixzz4qB9tGJi7

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fficiency-of-dc-
generator.html\

1. CHARACTERISTIC OF SEPARATELY EXCITED DC GENERATOR • MAGNETIC OR

OPEN CIRCUIT CHARACTERISTIC • THE CURVE WHICH GIVES THE RELATION
BETWEEN FIELD CURRENT (IF) AND THE GENERATED VOLTAGE (E0) IN THE
ARMATURE ON NO LOAD IS CALLED OPEN CIRCUIT CHARACTERISTICS • THE PLOT
OF THIS CURVE IS PRACTICALLY SAME FOR ALL TYPES OF GENERATORS,
WHETHER THEY ARE SEPARATELY EXCITED OR SELF-EXCITED. • THIS CURVE IS
 ALSO KNOWN AS NO LOAD SATURATION CHARACTERISTIC CURVE OF DC
GENERATOR.
2. 7. OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: • WHEN THE GENERATOR IS LOADED THEN THE
VOLTAGE DROPS DUE TO TWO MAIN REASONS- • 1) DUE TO ARMATURE REACTION,
• 2) DUE TO OHMIC DROP ( IARA ). INTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS: THE INTERNAL
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SEPARATELY EXCITED DC GENERATOR IS OBTAINED BY
SUBTRACTING THE DROPS DUE TO ARMATURE REACTION FROM NO LOAD
VOLTAGE. IT IS A EG VS IF CURVE. EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS: • HE EXTERNAL
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SEPARATELY EXCITED DC GENERATOR IS OBTAINED BY
SUBTRACTING THE DROPS DUE TO OHMIC LOSS ( IA RA ) IN THE ARMATURE FROM
GENERATED VOLTAGE ( EG ). • TERMINAL VOLTAGE(V) = EG - IA RA.

DC MOTOR CHARActeristics
Characteristics Of DC Series Motors
Torque Vs. Armature Current (Ta-Ia)
This characteristic is also known as electrical characteristic. We know that torque is
directly proportional to the product of armature current and field flux, T a ∝ ɸ.Ia. In DC series
motors, field winding is connected in series with the armature, i.e. I a = If. Therefore, before
magnetic saturation of the field, flux ɸ is directly proportional to Ia. Hence, before magnetic
saturation Ta α Ia2. Therefore, the Ta-Ia curve is parabola for smaller values of Ia.
After magnetic saturation of the field poles, flux ɸ is independent of armature current Ia.
Therefore, the torque varies proportionally to Ia only, T ∝ Ia.Therefore, after magnetic
saturation, Ta-Ia curve becomes a straight line.
The shaft torque (Tsh) is less than armature torque (Ta) due to stray losses. Hence, the
curve Tsh vs Ia lies slightly lower.
In DC series motors, (prior to magnetic saturation) torque increases as the square of
armature current, these motors are used where high starting torque is required.

Speed Vs. Armature Current (N-Ia)

We know the relation, N ∝ Eb/ɸ
For small load current (and hence for small armature current) change in back emf Eb is
small and it may be neglected. Hence, for small currents speed is inversely proportional to
ɸ. As we know, flux is directly proportional to Ia, speed is inversely proportional to Ia.
Therefore, when armature current is very small the speed becomes dangerously high. That
is why a series motor should never be started without some mechanical load.
But, at heavy loads, armature current Ia is large. And hence, speed is low which results in
decreased back emf Eb. Due to decreased Eb, more armature current is allowed.
Speed Vs. Torque (N-Ta)
This characteristic is also called as mechanical characteristic. From the above
two characteristics of DC series motor, it can be found that when speed is high, torque is
low and vice versa.

Characteristics Of DC Shunt Motors

Torque Vs. Armature Current (Ta-Ia)
In case of DC shunt motors, we can assume the field flux ɸ to be constant. Though at heavy
loads, ɸ decreases in a small amount due to increased armature reaction. As we are
neglecting the change in the flux ɸ, we can say that torque is proportional to armature
current. Hence, the Ta-Ia characteristic for a dc shunt motor will be a straight line through
the origin.
Since heavy starting load needs heavy starting current, shunt motor should never be
started on a heavy load.

Speed Vs. Armature Current (N-Ia)

As flux ɸ is assumed to be constant, we can say N ∝ Eb. But, as back emf is also almost
constant, the speed should remain constant. But practically, ɸ as well as Eb decreases with
increase in load. Back emf Eb decreases slightly more than ɸ, therefore, the speed
decreases slightly. Generally, the speed decreases only by 5 to 15% of full load speed.
Therefore, a shunt motor can be assumed as a constant speed motor. In speed vs.
armature current characteristic in the following figure, the straight horizontal line represents
the ideal characteristic and the actual characteristic is shown by the dotted line.