Synchronous machines

• Introduction
Ac machine are classified into two main groups
➢Synchronous machine
➢Asynchronous machine
The main difference is that a Synchronous machine rotate at speed is equal
to that of the rotating magnetic field is called Synchronous speed 𝑁𝑠
120 𝑓
= where 𝑓 the frequency in Hz or c/s.
𝑃

𝑃 is the number of poles.

• The asynchronous machine is sometimes called
induction machines due to the fact that operation is
based on the induction effect.

• The construction of AC machines is simple as

compared with dc machines, where commutation
problems are avoid.

• A main difference between synchronous machines and

Asynchronous machines one is that in the first type A
DC source is required for excitation.
• Elementary synchronous machines:
The armature winding is normally on the stator while the field
winding is on the rotor.
Field winding is excited by direct current conductor to be it by
means of carbon brushes on slip rings
The elementary machines is composed of a single coil of N-
turns indicated here by the two coils side (a) and (-a) placed in
two opposite slots of the stator
𝜽 is the space angle around the air gap periphery Normally, a
synchronous machines has more than the two poles of the
elementary one if machine has P poles i.e. P/2 pair of poles, the
frequency of generator voltage is given by
𝑷 𝑵𝒔
𝒇=
𝟏𝟐𝟎
𝑵𝒔 is synchronous speed,
𝒇 is the frequency
𝑷 is the number of poles
The spatial angle is this case will different than that of only two
poles machines if we denote the mechanical angle 𝜽 𝒎 and the
𝑷 𝑷
electrical one as 𝜽 𝒆𝒍 we can write 𝜽 𝒆𝒍 = 𝜽 𝒎 𝒘 𝒆𝒍 = 𝒘 𝒎
𝟐 𝟐
Where 𝒘 𝒎 is the mechanical speed in rad/sec the rotor
of asynchronous machine can be of two forms
• Salient poles rotor or projecting construction
• non-Salient poles rotor or cylindrical rotor

(a) (b)
(a) Salient poles machines (b) non-Salient poles machines
• The salient construction is used for hydroelectric
generators where hydraulic turbine operate at
relatively low speeds and relative large number of
poles are required to produce the desired frequency.
• Normally, synchronous machines( generators) are
three phase because of the advantages of three phase
systems for generator, transmission and heavy power
utilization, for three phase system a minimum of three
coils phase displaced 120 electrical degree in space
must be used
Consider a concentrated full pitch coil as shown in the
following figure A rectangular (mmf) wave can be
resolved by Fourier series that contain a fundamental
component and a series of odd harmonics
• The fundamental component will given by
𝟒 𝑵𝒊
𝑭𝒂𝟏 = ∗ 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝛉
𝝅 𝟐
Where
N is the number of coils turns
i is the coil current
𝛉 is the angle measured
The peak value is then given by
𝟒 𝑵𝒊
𝑭𝟏 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 = ∗
𝝅 𝟐
• For a distribution AC windings, the winding
coefficient 𝑲𝒘 introduced in chapter (2)
𝟒 𝑵𝒑𝒉
𝑭𝒂𝟏 = ∗ 𝑲𝒘 𝒊𝒂 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝛉
𝝅 𝑷
Where
𝑵𝒑𝒉 is the total turns in series per phase
𝒊𝒂 is the current of phase (a)
for a three phase system drawn in the following figure
phase currents could be written as time function