The compound

DC generator
ELE2217
Shashi Persaud
February 2024
The load curve
• The load curve shows the graphical relationship between the terminal
voltage Et and the load current IL
• at rated field current If and rated rotor speed nrated.
• In a self-excited DC gen, Et reduces non-linearly with increases in load
as a result of two compounding effects:
1. the armature voltage drop
Et = E0 - ILRa
and
2. The weakening of the magnetic field due to a reduction in the field
current
If = Et/RFC
Same initial (no-load) voltage
Terminal voltage (V)

Separately excited
Voltage Regulation 1

Self excited shunt

Voltage Regulation 2

No load Full load

Question
• The main advantage of a self-excited shunt generator vs a separately-
excited generator is that it eliminates the need for a separate field
power supply.
• The down side of self-excitation is greater voltage regulation due to
significant field weakening at higher loads
• How, then, can we improve the voltage regulation of the self-excited
shunt generator?
Solution - compounding
• To reduce or eliminate voltage regulation, we need to compensate
for:
• The armature voltage drop, which causes
• the weakening of the magnetic field at higher load currents.
• We can connect the series coil in series with the armature so that it
provides additional compensating mmf in proportion to the load
current .
• This connection where the series coil mmf boosts the shunt field
mmf is referred to as Cumulative Compounding
Compensating for the armature voltage drop
Terminal voltage (V)

Flat compounding with a

Cumulative Compound generator 0% Voltage Regulation

Voltage Regulation 1

Separately excited generator

No load Full load

Cumulative compounding
• Use the series coil to create a boosting mmf that offsets the voltage
drop in the armature.
• Since the armature voltage drop depends on the armature current,
the compensating coil must be connected in series with the armature:
• Two possible connections:
• Long Shunt
• Short Shunt
Sketch a cumulative compound (long shunt)
generator
Magnemotive force
Example - cumulative mmf compounding
 Long shunt cumulative compound
FCR

S1 S2 Iseries = IA
Current enters F1 A2
F1
IA Current enters S1
IF
This is a cumulative or
boosting connection

E0 Et

F2 A1
 Long shunt cumulative compound
S2
FCR

S1 Iseries = IA
Current enters F1
A1
F1
IA Current enters S1
IF
This is a cumulative or
boosting connection Et

E0

F2 A2
Short shunt cumulative compound
FCR
A2 S1 S2

F1
Iseries = IA - IF
IF IA

E0 Et

F2 A1
Over and under compounding
Terminal voltage (V)
Over compound generator

Flat compound Negative Voltage Regulation

0% Voltage Regulation
Under compound generator

No load Full load

What will happen if we reversed the series coil
only ?

• Instead of “boosting” the shunt field the series coil will now “buck”
the shunt field.
• The weakening of the magnetic field at higher load currents is now
compounded and the terminal voltage drops off very rapidly with
increases in load current.
• Because of the reduced terminal voltage, the load current cannot
increase beyond a certain value.
• This connection where the series coil mmf bucks the shunt field mmf is
referred to as Differential Compounding
Lab comparison
160

140

120
Terminal Voltage

100

80

60

Sep-Exc-Gen
40 Shunt-Gen
Cum-Compound
20
Diff-Compound

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4

Load Current
Constant voltage and constant generators
140

Voltage is
120 approximately
constant over the
100 load range
Terminal Voltage

80 Current is
approximately
60 constant over this
voltage range
40

Cum-Compound
20
Diff-Compound

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Load Current
 Long shunt differential compound
FCR

A2 S2 S1
Current enters F1
F1
IA Current enters S2
IF
This is a differential or
bucking connection

E0 Et

F2 A1
Short shunt differential compound
FCR
A2 S2 S1

F1
IF IA Current enters S2
This is a differential or
bucking connection

E0 Et

F2

A1
Question
• What are two common names for the two compound generators?

• Cumulative compound = constant voltage generator

• Differential compound = constant current generator
Review question
Identify the DC generator configurations
from its Et vs IL characteristic
Et
a)

Curve Generator b)

a) Cumulative (over-compound)
b) Flat compound
c)
c) separate
e)
d) shunt
e) differential
IL d)
Question 1

A 30 kW, 115 V, long-shunt DC compound generator supplies a load current of

250 A at rated voltage. The machine has rotational losses of 1.2 kW and a shunt
field current of 8A. The series field resistance is 15 m and the armature
resistance is 60 m. Determine the generator efficiency. (Ans: 80.17%)
A 30 kW, 115 V, long-shunt DC compound generator
supplies a rated load current at rated voltage. The
machine has rotational losses of 1.2 kW and a shunt field
current of 8A. The series field resistance is 15 m and
the armature resistance is 60 m. Determine the
generator efficiency. (Ans: 80.17%)
Power flow
Cumulative compound generator
Short shunt
RS
+
+ -
Series coil

IF IA

IL
RFC RA
Et
+ +
PL
Shunt coil E0 Armature

-
-

-
 Solution 1 – currents and
voltages
𝑃𝐿(𝐹𝐿) 30𝑘𝑊
𝐼𝐿(𝐹𝐿) = = = 260.87𝐴
𝐸𝑡(𝐹𝐿) 115𝑉
15m

8A 𝐼𝐴 = 𝐼𝐿 + 𝐼𝐹 = 260.87 + 8𝐴 = 260.87𝐴
268.87A
115V 260.87A
RFC 60m 𝐸0(𝐹𝐿) = 𝐸𝑡(𝐹𝐿) + 𝐼𝐴(𝐹𝐿) (𝑅𝐴 + 𝑅𝑆 )
= 115𝑉 + 268.87𝐴 𝑥 (0.06 + 0.015)Ω
PL = 135.165𝑉
135.165V
 Solution 8 - powers
𝑃𝐿 = 𝐸𝑡 𝐼𝐿 = 115𝑉 𝑥 260.87𝐴 = 30𝑘𝑊

15m 𝑃0 = 𝐸0 𝐼𝐴 = 135.165𝑉 𝑥 268.87𝐴

= 36.342𝑘𝑊
8A
268.87A 𝑃𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ = 𝑃0 + 𝑃𝑅𝑜𝑡
115V 260.87A = 36.342𝑘𝑊 + 1.2kW = 37.542𝑘𝑊
RFC 60m

PL
𝑃𝐿
135.165V %𝐸𝑓𝑓 = 𝑥 100%
𝑃𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ
30𝑘𝑊
= 𝑥 100% = 79.91%
37.542𝑘𝑊
 Power flow diagram – compound generator

𝑷𝑹𝒐𝒕 = 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑷𝑨 = 𝑰𝟐𝑨 𝑹𝑨 𝑷𝑭 = 𝑰𝟐𝑭 𝑹𝑭 = 𝑬𝒕 𝑰𝑭 𝑷𝑺 = 𝑰𝟐𝑺 𝑹𝑺

= 𝑭𝑾 + 𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 = 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 = 𝒔𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 = 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔
+ 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

𝑷𝒎𝒆𝒄𝒉 = 𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓

𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑷𝑳 = 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓

𝑷𝒐 = 𝑬𝟎 𝑰𝑨
= 𝑫𝑪 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆
 Power flow diagram
𝑃𝐹 = 𝐸𝑡 𝐼𝐹 = 8𝐴 𝑥 115𝑉 = 0.92𝑘𝑊

𝑃𝐴 = 𝐼𝐴2 𝑅𝐴 = (268.87𝐴)2 𝑥 0.06Ω = 34.337𝑘𝑊

𝑃𝑆 = 𝐼𝐴2 𝑅𝑆 = (268.87𝐴)2 𝑥 0.015Ω = 1.084𝑘𝑊

1.2kW 4.337kW 1.084kW 0.92kW

36.342 kW
37.542 kW 28.75 kW
Question 2 - HW

A 20 kW, 115 V, long-shunt compound generator has series field

resistance of 18 m, shunt field resistance of 55.3 , and armature
resistance of 150 m. The generator rotational losses are 680W.
Determine the generator full-load efficiency. (Ans: 77%)
 Armature reaction is the
distortion of the stator
magnetic field that
results from the flux
created by the armature
conductor currents.

Wildi, T, “Electric Machines, Drives and Power Systems”, 5th Ed., pp. 77
Wildi, T, “Electric Machines, Drives and Power Systems”, 5th Ed., pp. 78
Uniform magnetic field of a two pole stator

Neutral axis (plane)

Magnetic field of the armature
The armature flux adds
The armature flux subtracts
to the field flux in this
from the field flux in this
corner of the pole
corner of the pole
Resultant flux
Strengthened
flux

Diminished
flux

Shifted neutral plane

 Neutral plane

This is where commutation occurs

Shifted neutral plane
Wildi, T, “Electric Machines, Drives and Power Systems”, 5th Ed., pp. 78
Wildi, T, “Electric Machines, Drives and Power Systems”, 5th Ed., pp. 79
Mainpole

Interpole

https://www.mawdsleysber.co.uk/services/field-coil-repair-and-rewinds/
https://www.mawdsleysber.co.uk/services/field-coil-repair-
and-rewinds/
The neutral plane
• This is the plane between poles where the conductors
experience ZERO induced voltage
• Brushes must be adjusted so that the brushes short only
conductors that are located in the neutral plane as they
transition from coil to coil.
• This maximizes output voltage and power, and
• Minimizes damage to the commutator from arcing and
sparking
Brush adjustment
Reference mark

• The brushes are located

on a moveable yoke
• Use the yoke tab to
adjust the brushes to the
left or to the right

Shaft
AC null test
• Treat the stator and rotor as a single phase transformer
• Apply rated ac voltage to the shunt field coil
• Measure the ac voltage induced in the armature
• Adjust the brush position until the induced voltage is a minimum (0V).
• This corresponds to the neutral brush position.
What is the best testing method when setting Neutral Axis?
Wednesday, March 11, 2015

If the motor manufacturer has done the job correctly, there is a permanent match-mark
(typically like a chisel or scribe line) on both the supporting ring that stabilizes the brush arms
and some "fixed" point on the machine, usually at or near one of the clamping positions where
the support is held steady. Line these up and you _should_ be at the best commutation
setting. ……………

If you have to do it yourself, do the following:

1) Set the mechanical position of the brush contact to be as close as possible to the main pole
centerline (by eye). Apply a 120 V ac source to the main field, and using an auto-ranging
voltmeter, measure the voltage at a specific point relative to the center of the brush
contact……………. Manually move the brush rigging a very small
amount……………………Once you find the lowest point, set the rigging so that the middle of
the brush contact is over that particular point.

What is the best testing method when setting Neutral Axis? | GoHz.com
DC Motors: Common Problems and Maintenance of Brushes | Dreisilker Electric Motors
 120 V
0V
NO arcing and sparking
10 V 10 V

DC
CC EC 30 V
30 V

BC FC

AC Ebrush AC 40 V
N 40 V S

F BC

30 V EC 30 V
CC
DC

10 V 10 V
0V
 110 V + arcing and sparking
0V

10 V 10 V

DC
CC EC 30 V
30 V

BC FC

AC Ebrush AC 40 V
N 40 V S

F BC

30 V EC 30 V
CC
DC

10 V 10 V
0V
 90 V + a lot of arcing and sparking
0V

10 V 10 V

DC
CC EC 30 V
30 V

BC FC

AC AC 40 V
N 40 V
Ebrush
S

F BC

30 V EC 30 V
CC
DC

10 V 10 V
0V
 Shifted neutral plane
110 V
10 V
Some arcing and sparking
30 V 0V

DC
CC EC 10 V
40 V

BC FC

AC Ebrush AC 30 V
N 30 V S

F BC

10 V EC 40 V
CC
DC

0V 30 V
10 V
 Shifted neutral plane
110 V
10 V
Some arcing and sparking
30 V 0V

DC
CC EC 10 V
40 V

BC FC

AC Ebrush AC 30 V
N 30 V S

F BC

10 V EC 40 V
CC
DC

0V 30 V
10 V