WHITE
PAPER
WEG’s Alternator Excitation Systems -
Auxiliary Winding and Exciter equipped with Permanent
Magnets
Reference:
Technical Article
Luís Fábio Menoncin
WEG Brazil
Summary - This article is intended to provide broader and more uniform information about the excitation
system used by WEG in all brushless generators of the G and AG lines (low voltage), The complete
excitation system is composed of the main exciter equipped with permanent magnets and auxiliary coil.
1. PRESENTATION
The auxiliary coil, also called auxiliary winding or
auxiliary phase, is installed in the slots of the main
stator together with the main winding. It is totally
independent and isolated from the main winding
and works as if it were the auxiliary exciter
(permanent magnet generator). The permanent
magnets are mounted on the polar foot of the
main exciter stator, strengthening the magnetic
flux produced there.
2. OPERATION PRINCIPLE AND
CHARACTERISTICS
In order to maintain constant voltage at the
terminals, WEG alternators are equipped with a
voltage regulator, which controls the generator
excitation based on the comparison of the
measured voltage and a predetermined reference
value. In short, the auxiliary coil works as the
voltage source for the voltage regulator.
The voltage generation on the auxiliary coil
depends on the voltage and frequency at the
terminals of the alternator main stator, and on the
variations and level of current flowing on the
stator.
The alternator has the excitation for the conditions
with and without load guaranteed and it does not
lose this excitation capacity, even with the main
stator in short circuit, that is, with null generated
voltage. The G and AG lines were developed to
ensure the maintenance of the short circuit current
above the rated current. This capacity is not
guaranteed in the shunt excitation, in which the
source for the voltage regulator is the main stator.
A greater voltage drop will also be observed when
load is applied suddenly to a shunt excited
generator.
The alternator dynamic behavior which includes
the voltage drop and response time for recovery
after the sudden application of load when in
stabilized condition with no load, depends on
several factors, such as:
 Load power factor (the smaller it is, the greater
the voltage drop and recovery time).
 Current load level
 For instantaneous application of 100% of rated
load, with cos φ 0.8 and 440 V, the response
time for the voltage to reach the range of +/-
3% is approximately 500ms, this also varies
per the individual machine.
 Voltage regulator type (rectification in full wave
or half wave, analog or digital processing, etc.);
 Utilization voltage, in case of multivoltage
machine;
 Settings of the voltage regulator:
-Stability (P.I.D.)
-U/F, which provides a faster recovery of
the frequency of the prime mover speed
(Diesel engine, turbines etc.);
 Characteristics of the diesel engine: torque
curve, type and settings of the diesel motor
speed regulator (electronic or mechanical,
etc.).
WEG voltage regulators can operate with both
auxiliary coil and shunt excitation designs. As well
as with PMG if required. The auxiliary coil is a
standard feature for all G and AG low voltage
alternators. However, a PMG can be supplied
from the factory, on the customer’s request, or
even retrofit installed in the field.
The system used by WEG performs the function
of maintaining short circuit provided by the PMG
with the advantage of having a dynamic behavior
of the voltage generated on the auxiliary coil
without increasing the final length of the machine.
In the case of the PMG, the excitation or magnetic
White Paper – WEG Alternators Excitation Systems
 WHITE
PAPER

flux provided by the rotor with permanent magnets
is fixed, which results in a passive behavior in
relation to the current flow on the main stator at
the moment of load application. Furthermore, the
excitation increase imposed by the voltage
regulator will cause a voltage drop on the PMG,
seeing that the project of the PMG must consider
the minimum voltage required for the proper
operation of the voltage regulator in the desired
working condition. Also, the PMG wave form
under load may present, depending on the
project, great distortions, and thus generate
instability on the voltage regulator.
magnetism requiring an energization or flashing
from an external power source after periods of
inactivity.
This is an important factor for the reliability of the
system, especially in standby applications, in
which the generator set remains long periods on
stand-by mode and must be able to operate at
any moment.
3. ILLUSTRATIONS
3.1 BRUSHLESS SYSTEM – AUXILLARY COIL

When the alternator is applied to nonlinear load

applications, it is necessary to calculate an
5
oversizing factor to define the generator output. 1
This is necessary because of the increase in the 2
temperature of the alternator because of the high 3
frequency of the load current harmonics, which 6
4
arise because of the electronic switching
(transistors, thiristors, IGBT, etc.). In terms of 8
performance of the auxiliary coil with nonlinear 9
loads, it is fully satisfactory in meeting the load
requirements as established by NEMA MG1 7 10
KIT
standard Part 32, for alternator operation: “the
maximum difference of any current harmonic in
relation to the fundamental harmonic (also of
current) is of 5%”. Figure 1: Brushless System AG10

Legend of Error! Reference source not found.:

In tests monitoring the stability of the generated 1. Main coil 6. Fuse
voltage (absence of oscillations), it was observed 2. Auxiliary coil 7. Rotating diodes
that the G and AG lines with auxiliary coil 3. Main stator 8. Main exciter stator
presented excellent performance with loads that 4. Main rotor 9. Magnet
were twice the standard specification, operating in 5. Regulator 10. Auxiliary exciter (PMG
Kit)
a stable condition with a total harmonic distortion
of 26% of current.

The permanent magnets, which are mounted on

the stator of the main exciter (position 9 in figure
1), generate a magnetic flux, in addition to the one
generated by the exciting current coming from the
voltage regulator to ensure the build-up process
on the voltage regulator (initial excitation) by
means of the generation of a residual voltage of
approximately 100 V on the main stator and 50 V
on the auxiliary coil, without any exciting current.
WEG's auxiliary winding also ensures 300% of
short circuit current up to 10 seconds.

The electrical design of the G and AG Lines

having the magnets imbedded in the main exciter
stator guarantee a generation of approximately
100V, which also insures the build-up process or
Figure 2: Diagram
initial excitation. This solves the commonly known
issue found in typical auxiliary winding designs in
which the excitation system loses residual

White Paper – WEG Alternators Excitation Systems

 WHITE
PAPER

3.3 TEST RESULT

RECORD OF SUDDEN LOAD APPLICATION

Alternator model GTA200 equipped with auxiliary
coil (standard) and permanent magnet exciter
(single-phase PMG).
Tests were performed using the same regulator,
since it was a single-phase PMG (WEG AVR-A-
OPT-06), applying one load step and
simultaneously recording the current and voltage
Auxiliary of the stator, auxiliary coil and PMG.
Coil

Figure 3: Picture of the winding

3.2 PERMANENT MAGNETS ON THE EXCITER

WEG Alternators are equipped with a robust

exciter designed to provide very fast response to
load application or rejection. Some characteristics
of the WEG Exciter include
 100% wound in copper.
 With permanent magnets providing very
fast response during motor starting.
 Guaranteed residual voltage (no need of
external source for flashing).
 Injected ABS support spool providing
extra protection on the exciter winding -
Avoid loose coils and corrosion by the
contact between coils and lamination.

Figure 4: Permanent Magnets in the Exciter Stator (right) Figure 4: Record of sudden load application
Exciter Rotor (left)

White Paper – WEG Alternators Excitation Systems

 WHITE
PAPER

4. CONCLUSIONS

 The auxiliary coil provides a constant power

source to the voltage regulator even under
short circuit condition in main phases.
 The dynamic response (alternator + AVR) is
identical when considering auxiliary coil and
external PMG system. The small difference in
the stator voltage drop between these two
systems does not affect the performance of
the alternator due to the short time response
by the AVR and very fast voltage recovery of
the auxiliary winding.
 The maintenance of the exciting stator current
under constant load is identical and for both
excitation system.
 Short circuit capabilities for both the PMG and
auxiliary winding are the same – 300% of short
circuit current up to 10 seconds.
 The maintenance of the exciting current under
constant load is similar and satisfactory for
PMG and auxiliary coil.

White Paper – WEG Alternators Excitation Systems