CHAPTER FOUR

Synchronous Machines
Synchronous machine is one of the most important three types of machines (i.e B-types are
induction, DC motor and synchronous machine). The bulk of electricity for everyday use is
generated by polyphase synchronous generators. Small generating sets are however single-
phase machine. The polyphase synchronous machine is the largest single unit electric
machine of several power rating e.g MVA. They are called synchronous machines because
they operate at cosA speed and frequencies under steady state condition. Synchronous
machines are capable of operating both as motor and generator. They are used as motor with
constant speed drives e.g pump-storage system.

Motor during light load

If carrying heavy load, it
becomes a generator

Spinning
Reserve

Busbar

Fig. 1
Lake

With approximate frequency charges they can operate at different speeds ( ).

As generators, they can be operated as parallel sharing loads with one another. As some other
time one of the generators can be allowed to float on the line as synchronous motors on no
load, i.e (fig 1)

Slip ring/
brushless
contact

Rotating disorder

Contactor

Disadvantages:
1. wears away
2.high current
density

The two basic parts of synchronous machines are the magnetic field structure carrying the
D.C excitation and the armature. Almost all synchronous machines have stationary armature

1
field (field on rotor). The rotating field rotor is connected to an external force through the slip
ring and brushes.
Construction Features
The following factors dictate the form of construction:
1. FORM OF EXCITATION: The rotor carries the d.c field structure whose winding
produces the necessary magnetic flux. The d.c excitation may be produced by self-excited d.c
synchronous machine. The d.c generator is fed to the synchronous field winding. In slow
speed machine with light load (e.g., hydro electric generator), the excitor may not be self-
excited. In this case a pilot excitor which may be self-excited or have a permanent magnet or
have battery as base excitor. E.g.

OR

Battery

Pilot Excitor

Excitor
Pilot excitor
Self-excitor

Battery performs the following

i. exciting the field.
ii. exciting the excitor.
iii. exciting the pilot excitor.
In small single-phase machines or generators, the machine is mechanically driven to the
speed, the output rectified and fed to the field coil to form the excitation. In small single-
phase machines or generators, a battery form excitor which is flat charged by the generated
and rectified current.
2. FIELD STRUCTURE AND SPEED OF MACHINES: Since the machine is a constant
speed machine the synchronous speed Ns = 120f/p. hence for the 50Hz 2 poles machine the
Ns = 3000rpm and a 12 poles machine will run at 500rpm while a 50-poles machine will run
at 125rpm.
NOTE: Turbo generator which are high speed machines are round or cylindrical rotor
construction.
Two types of rotors are:
i. cylindrical (round) rotor.
ii. salient pole rotor.

2
 Field flux

High speed
− +

− +

−
+

Fig. 1: Cylindrical (round) rotor

N
+

− +
−
− +
− + +
−

S
S

− − − ++ + +
−
− +

+
N

Salient pole rotor

Hydro-electric generator running at slow speed has salient pole rotor construction. The salient
pole rotor is less expensive to fabricate than cylindrical rotor. They are however not suitable
for high-speed machines because of excessive centrifugal forces and stresses that develop at
high speed i.e., about 3000rpm.
Mounting
Hydro
Turbo generator electric
generator

3
A cylindrical rotor turbine driven machine is horizontally mounted while a water driven
machine is vertically mounted.
3. STATOR: The stator of the polyphase synchronous machine is similar to that of armature
of inductor machine. There is not much difference between stator of cylindrical rotor machine
and salient pole rotor. The stator of a hydro electric generator has larger diameter armature
coils compare to the other generators. In general, they consist of punching of high-quality
lamination having slot embedded winding e.g.,silicon, steel-aluminium.
4. COOLING: Synchronous machine carry large current about order of 10A/mm2 in well
design machines. The magnetic loading of the core is such that it reaches saturation in many
regions. This magnetic and electric loading produce heat that must be needed for cooling. In
addition to air, some coolants used are water, hydrogen, helium, etc.
5. DAMPER BAR: A synchronous machine, like other machines undergoes transient during
starting and abnormal condition. In this transient state, the rotor may undergo mechanical
oscillations and its speed therefore deviate from synchronous speed. This is undeterrable. To
overcome this, an additional set of winding resembling the cage of rotor is mounted on the
rotor. If the speed is not synchronous, current is induced in this damper winding acts as a
cage rotor of an induction metre producing a torque to restore the synchronous speed. The
damper bar also provides a means of starting the synchronous motor which is otherwise not
self-excited (or not self-starting).

N
+

− +
−
− + +
− − +

S
S

− − − ++ + +
−
− +

+
N

QUESTION
INDUCTION MOTOR MACHINE
1) A 415v 3 phase, 6 poles, 50Hz star connected wound rotor, induction motor has the
following parameter on ohms/phase
R1=0.04, X1=0.15, R21=0.05, X21=0.15, Xm=9.85
4
Stator: rotor turns ratio per phase is 1.5. Determine;
a. The stator current and gross torque in Nm when the slip is 0.05.
b. The max gross torque. The slip at which occurs and the gross output power in these
conditions.
c. the value of external resistance to be inserted to produce 80% of max torque at stand still
and state which value wound is used.
Soln.
a. the input impedance z is given by
( )

r X X
1 1 r 21
21
X
V m r
21
s

0.04 j0.15 0.05 j0.15

V j9.85 0.05
0.05
=1

Stator current (I) = −

√

Input power =√ √
=148.2kw
Stator copper loss = 312R1=3x2222x0.4
=5.92kw
Power transferred to rotor = torque on synchronous watts
= (14.82-5.92) x 103=142.28x103

Synchronous speed Ns =

5
From gross torque

Torque in Nm

=1360Nm
b) Take theorem equivalent of stator and magnet using impedances.

Re =

Ve =

The torque will be more when (input z=load z)

/0.0394+j(0.148+0.25/=0.05/5
Slip st for max torque is given by

[( ) ]
√
From Tm =[ ]

= [ ]

( ( ))
√
Max Torque Tm=
[ ( ) ]

=24,500 Syn watts

Torque (in Syn watts) = ( )

Gross output power = Torque (syn watts) x (1-s)

=24500 x (1-0.133)
=21.2kW
c) Let external resistance referred to stator turns to be R

then from Ts = ( Syn watts

)

make s=1
( ) ( )
starting torque Ts = ( )

on solution

6
R = 0.48, or 0.19 but ratio is1.5. Actual value of external rotor existence =0.24 or 0.0849. The
smaller value of resistance R=0..0849Ω would be used and this is apparent from the torque-
slip curve shown below.

Slip

Torque-slip curve for variable rotor resistance

SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR AND MOTORS

What is meant by armature reaction?
This is the influence of stator ampere turns upon the value and the distribution of the
magnetic flux in the poles and the stator core.
Synchronous impedance:
If Xs = Synchronous reactance/phase
R= resistance/phase
Zs = synchronous impedance/phase

 Zs = √

R Xs

To Load

Fig: Equivalent circuit of an alternator

In alternator winding, Ro is usually small compared with Xs so that for many practical
purposes, Zs can be assumed to be the same as Xs.
*One method of estimating the synchronous impedance is to run the alternator on open circuit
and measure the generated emf and then short-circuit the terminals through an ammeter and
measure the short-circuit current, the exciting current and the speed being kept constant.
Since the emf generated on open cct. may be regarded as being responsible for circulating
the short circuit current, through the synchronous impedance or the winding, the value of
synchronous is given by the ratio of open circuit voltage/phase to the short circuit
current/phase

7
3- Synchronous motor: principle of action.
R

D.C Supply

Connection of 3-phase synchronous motor

𝑉 𝑉
𝑉
𝑉

𝑉
𝑉

(a) Light
load (b) hezvity load

Phasor diagram for a synchronous motor

Effect of varying load on a synchronous motor

lag by

Power/phase taken by the motor =IV

Variety of supply current and p.f will flow for a cosH power factor to a synchronous motor.

1.0

pf

supply current

Pf lagging Pf leading

Field current

The power factor of a synchronous motor can be controlled ny varying the field current, as
indicated in fig above, the actual range of pf variation being dependent upon the value of
load.

8
METHOD OF STARTING A 3- SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR
i. By means of damping grids in the pole’s shoes. - Suitable when the load if any is small.
ii. By means of wound motor – capable of existing large starting torque with a relatively low
starting current.
ADVANTAGE OF SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR
i. The pf can be easily controlled.
ii. The speed is cosH and independent on the load. This character is mainly in use when the
motor is required to drive another alternator to generate a supply at a different frequency-
changers.
DISADVANTAGE
i. The force per kilowatt is generally high than that of an induction motor.
ii. A d.c supply is necessary for the rotor excitation. This is usually provided by a small d.c
shunt generator carried on an extension or the shaft.
iii. some arrangement must be provided for starting and synchronizing the motor.
THE THREE PHASE AC GENERATOR
Synchronous generator Characteristics
From the operating engineers’ point of view, the most important factor about a generator is
the way the terminal voltage varies with change of load and with an ac machine with change
in power factor. when current is being supplied by a generator, there will ebavoltagae drop in
the machine due to its impedance. The impedance is made up of three items:
i. Resistance of the machine winding R(ohms).
ii. The leakage reactance of the winding X1(ohms).
iii. The effect of armature reaction which causes a change in the magnetic field with
changes of load or power factor. This causes the emf generated for a given
excitation to be different on load and at no load the effect however is similar to
that caused by the reactance and so it is often called the fictious reactance Xa.
Synchronous reactance Xs = XL +Xa
The resistance R and synchronous reactance Xs together from the synchronousimpedance of
the machine.
Synchronous impedance
( )
The synchronous generator can be represented by the circuit given by fig 7.11
When supplying a load, the load current I causes a voltage drop within the m/c.

9
 Xs
R

XL
XA

Zs
Terminal Voltage
Generated emf
E

Equivalent circuit of a synchronous generator

Two test for synchronous generator

1. Open circuit test.
2. Short circuit test.

If

Dc supply
Potentiometer Terminals

Rotor
Stator

Open Circuit Test

Open Open Circuit

Characteristics
Circuit

Current

Emf (V)

𝐼𝑓

Fig.: Open circuit Characteristics

10
 A
A
If I
sc

Dc supply
Potentiometer
Terminals
A

Rotor A
Stator

Short Circuit Test

Short Circuit
Short Circuit Characteristics
Ccurrent

𝐼𝑓 (A)

Open circuit characteristics

Short circuit characteristics

E(Volts) or Isc (Amp) or Zs (Ω)

Synchronous impedance

Field excitation curren

Relation between generated emf E, voltage drop due to synchronous impedance (12s), and
load current I can be drawn for phasor diagram (lagging load) below

11
 C

𝐸 𝐼𝑍𝑠 𝐼𝑋𝑠

V 𝐼𝑅
O A C
I
B
D

I = Load current behind terminal voltage (pd) V

E = no load emf for the same excitation.
From OAB,

OF2 = OD2 + (DF)2

E2 = (OB +BD)2 + (DC + CF)2
= (V + IR)2 + (V +1Xs)2
E = [(V + IR)2 + (V +1Xs)2]1/2
If the power factor is leading then
DF = CF – CD, that is the term V become negative. Since the -Ve sign is diminated
when (CF – CD) is squared. It is usual to make the term 1Xs negative for leading power
factor, given the equation for the open cct emf as
E = [(V + IR)2 + (V +1Xs)2]1/2
This value of E can be used in equation of

Resolution % = %

With a leading power factor, it is possible for v to be greater than E given negative
regulation. This means that there is drop in volts when the load is thrown off instead of a rise.
MOTOR
Plain Series (universal) motor
The universal is usually built in the smaller fractional hp sizes (up to about 1/8hp) and is used
for mainly domestic applications such as: cleaners, washers, dryers, central heating, pumps,
etc. the construction is that of a normal dc series motor with a totally laminated magnetic
circuit so that it can operate on either AC or DC supplies. Hence, the term universal.
Typically, the performance is shown in the figure below

12
 Speed

pf

Efficiency (ɳ)

Torque

Breaking
Induction motors may be brough to a stand still very quickly either by plugging or dynamic
breaking.
In plugging, two or three supplies to the stator are to be reversed. The current taken from the
supply during plugging is very large and machines which are to be regularly plugged must be
specially rated.
In dynamic breaking: the stator is disconnected from the a.c supply and reconnected to a dc
source as shown in fig below:
The direct current in the stator produces a stationary unidirectional field and as the rotor will
tend to align itself with the stator field, it will therefore come to stand still.

The series commutator motor

13
 Field winding

Compensating winding

The Repulsion motor

a b
a Connection diagram
b
StimulationConnecti
on diagram

14