Electric Machines and Power

Fundamentals

EECE 370

Synchronous Generators

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 Synchronous Generators- Introduction
• Synchronous generators, or alternators, are rotating
machines that convert input mechanical power into
electrical A.C. power.
• Main units for electricity generation, generate up to
96% of world’s electricity.
• Largest machines (up to 1000MW), hence mechanical
aspects have to be considered.

• This chapter explores the characteristics and operation

of synchronous generators.

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 Synchronous Generators

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 Synchronous Generators

Early 20th century Alternator, in the power

generating hall of a hydro-electric power station.

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 Large and small ac generators

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Portable Generators- domestic usage

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 Diesel Engine Generators

Side view of a 100- kVA diesel generator.

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 Synchronous Generators- Operation

Principle of Operation
• A DC current is applied to the rotor (field) winding,
from an external source, which then produces a rotor
magnetic field.

• The rotor is turned by a prime mover (ex. Steam,

water etc.) producing a rotating magnetic field.

• This rotating magnetic field induces a 3-phase set of

voltages within the stator (armature) windings of the
generator.

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 Synchronous Generators- main parts
• Rotor: accommodates the “field winding” that
produces the main magnetic field in a machine (field
excitation).
• Stator: accommodates the “armature windings” where
the main voltage is induced.

• Brushes and slip rings: to provide a path for currents

in and out of the machine (in classical designs)

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 Slip Rings and Brushes
• Slip rings are metal rings encircling the shaft of a machine
but insulated from it. One end of the dc rotor winding is tied
to each of the 2 slip rings on the shaft of the synchronous
machine, and a stationary brush rides on each slip ring.
• A “brush” is a block of graphite-like carbon compound that
conducts electricity freely but has very low friction, hence it
doesn’t wear down the slip ring. The positive end of a dc
voltage source is connected to one brush and the negative
end is connected to the other.

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 Slip Rings

• Some problems with slip rings and

brushes:
– They increase the amount of maintenance
required on the machine, since the brushes
must be checked for wear regularly, and
must be dusted and cleaned.
– Brush voltage drop can be the cause of
significant power losses on machines with
larger field currents.

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 Rotor of a Synchronous Generator
• The rotor is a large electromagnet and the magnetic poles on the
rotor can either be salient or non- salient (round) construction.

Round
shape

Salient- pole
shape

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 Methods of Excitation
• A dc current must be supplied to the field circuit on the rotor.
Since the rotor is rotating, a special arrangement is required to
get the dc power to the field winding.

• The common ways for producing field flux are:

1. Supply the dc power from an external dc source to
the rotor by means of slip rings and brushes.
2. Supply the dc power from a special dc power
source mounted directly on the shaft of the
synchronous generator. (brushless exciters)
3. By means of permanent magnets.

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 Permanent Magnet Generators

• Permanent magnets are used to produce the magnetic fields.

• No need for a rotor winding. (no copper loss and no heat)
• No brushes or slip rings.
• For small sizes, (up to 10kVA).

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 Brushless Exciter
• A brushless exciter is a small dc generator with its field
circuit mounted on the stator and its armature circuit
mounted on the rotor shaft of the generator.
• The 3-phase output of the exciter generator is rectified to
direct current by a 3-phase rectifier circuit also mounted on
the shaft of the generator, and is then fed to the main dc
field circuit.
• By controlling the small dc field current of the exciter
generator, we can control the field current on the main
machine without slip rings and brushes.
• Since no mechanical contacts occur between the rotor and
stator, a brushless exciter requires less maintenance.

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 Brushless Exciter- ctd

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 Brushless exciter

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 Speed of a Synchronous Generator

• The speed of rotation of the magnetic field in the 3- phase

machine is related to the stator electrical frequency by:

nm P
fe 
120
or: nm = ns = 120fe/P

i.e. to maintain constant frequency, the generator of a given

pole number can run at one speed only.

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 The Internal Generated Voltage
As discussed before: E A  2 NC f e
NC
E A  Ke K
2
NC P
E A  Km K
2 2
• The internal generated voltage EA is directly
proportional to the flux and to the speed of the
machine.
• The flux itself is dependent on the current flowing in
the rotor. This means that the EA is related to the field
current.
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 The Magnetization Curve

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 Voltage Regulation

• For generator:

Vnl  V fl
VR   100%
V fl

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