EE 3103L – Laboratory Manual

LAB ACTIVITY 3: LOAD CHARACTERISTICS OF A SEPARATELY

EXCITED DC GENERATOR
Name: Gallego, Lorenz Clint A. Grade
Del Castillo, Brien
Medina, Jeremy

Program & Year: BSME -3

Course Code & Group No.: MEA 3103L-Group 5

Objectives

To determine the load characteristics of separately excited DC generator.

Theory
The magnetic interaction between the field and the armature windings is stronger when a separately
excited DC generator is loaded. The speed is slowed and the torque is raised as a result of this interaction.
Since Eg I f N, the generated voltage will drop as the speed lowers. This causes a large decline in the
generator's terminal voltage, which can be attributable to two factors: lower terminal voltage and higher
current. The ohmic drop in the armature circuit and the armature reaction drop increase as the current
increases. The load characteristic is the line drawn between the terminal voltage Vt and the armature current
IL, as shown in Fig 3.1.

Figure 3.1 – Loaded characteristic of a separately-excited DC generator. Circuit

Diagram

Figure 3.2 – Circuit Diagram for an actual experimental setup

© Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City,
Philippines Page 1 EE 3103L – Laboratory Manual

Procedures

As we started the experiment, we launched MATLAB online and ran the script for this experiment
Figure 3.3. There was a text under the Workspace Figure 3.4, after that we then opened Simulink and started
the process, aimed to get the result of 1750 rpm for the final results of the experiment Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.3

Figure 3.4
 Figure 3.5

After we have adjusted the correct rated speed (1750 rpm), we then set the value of the rheostat
(cyan) that the terminal voltage is at 240V Figure 3.6. We also made sure that Ia is approximately
equal to 0 A. We ran the simulation repeatedly for Ia @ 0, 1, 2,…, 10 A.

Figure 3.6
Record the actual value of the armature current in the observation table. Record as well the corresponding
terminal voltage, speed, and torque. Plot the terminal voltage with respect to the armature current, terminal
voltage with respect to the speed, and the torque with respect to the armature current.

Observation Table
Armature Terminal Speed (w) Torque (T)
Current (Ia) Voltage (Vt) rad/sec N.m
amperes volts
0 0 0 0
1 240.2 117.8 1.041
2 255.2 117.8 1.041
- 0 117.8 1.041
10 117.8 1.041

Discussions
1. Explain thoroughly the three plots in Procedure 8.
From what we have gathered and observed from the table and the graph above, we can see that
speed and torque is directly proportional, and as the Armature current increases the Terminal
voltage also increases.

© Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City,
Philippines Page 2