Experiment No.

3- Voltage regulation of a 3-phase alternator by ZPF

and ASA method.

Aim: To calculate the voltage regulation of 3ᴓ alternator by ZPF and ASA method.

Apparatus:

Sr. No. Equipment Ratings Quantity

1 DC Shunt Motor 3HP, 220V, 12A & 1500 rpm 1
2 3ᴓ Alternator 3KVA, 415V & 4.3A 1
3 DC Voltmeter 0-300V 1
4 DC Ammeter 0-20A 1
5 AC Voltmeter 0-600V 1
6 Rheostat 35 Ω, 8.5A 1
1140 Ω, 1.2A 1
7 Tachometer 0-3000 rpm 1
8 Zero p.f. load

Theory:

1. ZPF Method:
During the operation of the alternator, IaRa drop and IaXl drop are actually
emf quantities and armature reaction reactance is a mmf quantity. To
determine the voltage regulation by this method O.C.C., S.C.C. and ZPF tests
are conducted.
O.C. and S.C. tests are conducted and O.C.C. and S.C.C. are drawn. ZPF test
is conducted by connecting the alternator to ZPF load and exciting the
alternator in such a way that the alternator supplies the rated current at rated
voltage running at rated speed.
To plot ZPFC, only two points are required. One point is corresponding to
zero voltage at rated current that can be obtained from S.C.C. and other at
rated voltage and rated current under ZPF load.

2. ASA Method:
(American Standard Association Method)
ASA method of finding voltage regulation is modification of the mmf method,
which requires the value of Xl. Therefore, O.C.C. and ZPF tests are conducted
and Xl is determined from Portier triangle.
 Connection Diagram:

Procedure:

For ZPF Method-

1) Plot OCC and SCC curve and draw the air-gap line.
2) Conduct ZPF test at full-load for rated voltage and fix the point B.
3) Draw the line BH with length equal to field current required to produce full-load
current on short-circuit.
4) Draw HD parallel to air-gap line so as to cut OCC.
5) Draw DE parallel to HB.
6) Now, DE represents the voltage drop IaXl and BE represents the field current
required to overcome the effect of armature reaction.
7) Triangle BDF is called the Portier Triangle and Xl is the Portier Reactance. Find E
from V, IaRa, IaXl.
8) Find field current corresponding to E.
9) Draw FG with magnitude equal to BE at angle 90+ Ø from If axis where Ø is the
phase angle of current from E.
10) The resultant field current is given by OG. Mark this length on field current axis
from OCC. Find corresponding Ea and regulation.

For ASA Method-

1) Repeat the steps from 1 to 10 of the ZPF method.
2) After calculating E, draw a line horizontal to E which is intersecting air-gap line at
point P and OCC at point M.
3) Measure distance PM and add it to OP to get final field excitation required to
produce Ea corresponding to If from OCC.
4) See the corresponding voltage Ea and calculate percentage voltage regulation.

Calculations:
Results:
Percentage voltage regulation by ZPF method:
For 0.8 pf lagging, % voltage regulation= 18.94%
For 0.6 pf leading, % voltage regulation= -4.84%
For unity pf, % voltage regulation= 11.02%

Percentage voltage regulation by ASA Method:

For 0.8 pf lagging, % voltage regulation= 12.69%
For 0.8 pf leading, % voltage regulation= -2.33%
For unity pf, % voltage regulation= 8.1%

Graph: For ZPF Method Scale: On x-axis: 1cm=0.1A

On y-axis: 1cm=20V
For ASA Method

Conclusion: ZPF method gives voltage regulation close to the actual value while the
ASA method gives the accurate voltage regulation because drop due to
saturation effect is also considered so it is the most accurate method.