OMAR FARUK
AIUB
COURSE
SOLUTION
ELECTRICAL MACHINES LAB REPORT-02
Title: The Alternator under Load
Introduction:
As the load on an alternator is varied, its terminal voltage is also found to vary as in DC
generators. This variation in terminal voltage V is due to the following reasons: Voltage drop
due to armature resistance, Ra; Voltage drop due to armature leakage reactance, XL, and
Voltage drop due to armature reaction.
The main objectives of this laboratory are:
1) To determine the voltage regulation characteristics of the alternator with
resistive, capacitive and inductive loading.
2) To observe the effect of unbalanced loads on the output voltage.
Theory and Methodology:
The output voltage of an alternator (ac generator) depends essentially on the total flux in the air-gap.
At no load, this flux is established and determined exclusively by the dc field excitation.
Under load, however, the air-gap flux is determined by the ampere-turns of the rotor and the
ampere-turns of the stator. The latter may aid or oppose the MMF (magnetomotive force) of the rotor
depending on the power factor of the load. Leading power factors assist the rotor and lagging power
factors oppose it.
Because the stator MMF has such an important effect on the magnetic flux, the voltage regulation of
alternators is quite poor. That is why the dc field current must continuously be adjusted to keep the
voltage constant under variable load conditions.
If one phase of a three-phase alternator is heavily loaded, its voltage will decrease due to the IR and
IXL drops in the stator winding. This voltage drop cannot be compensated for by modifying the dc
field current because the voltages of the other two phases will also be changed. Therefore, it is
essential that three-phase alternators do not have loads that are badly unbalanced.
The alternator voltage regulation can be described as:
E0 −VTR
% regulation = ×100
V
TR
Where E0 is no load voltage and VTR is rated terminal voltage.
Pre-Lab Homework:
Study about armature reaction for different power factor.
© Dept. of EEE, Faculty of Engineering, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) 1
Apparatus:
Description Model
DC Motor/Generator 8211
Synchronous Motor/Generator 8241
Variable Resistance 8311
Variable Inductance 8321
Variable Capacitance 8331
DC Voltmeter/Ammeter 8412
AC Ammeter 8425
AC Voltmeter 8426
Power Supply 8821
Hand Tachometer 8920
Connection Leads 8941
Timing Belt 8942
Precautions:
Warning: High voltages are Present in the Laboratory Experiment! Do not make any connections
with the power on! The power should be turned off after completing each individual
measurement!
Experimental Procedure:
1. Using Synchronous Motor/Generator, Induction Motor, Variable Resistance, Power
Supply, DC Voltmeter/Ammeter, AC Ammeter and AC Voltmeter, the circuit was
connected as shown in Figure 2-1. It was noted that the balanced resistive load was wye
connected to the three-phase output of the alternator. The alternator rotor was connected
to the variable 0-240 V dc output of the Power Supply, terminals 7 and N. The dc shunt
motor winding was connected to the fixed 240 V dc output of the Power Supply,
terminals 8 and N.
2. a) The Induction Motor was coupled to the Synchronous Motor/Generator with the
Timing Belt.
b) The field rheostat of the Induction Motor was set at its full cw position (for minimum
resistance).
c) Each resistance section was adjusted for a resistance of 1200 Ω.
3. a) The Power Supply was turned on and using Hand Tachometer, the Power Supply dc
output voltage was adjusted for a motor speed of 1200 r/min.
b)Adjust the dc excitation of the alternator was adjusted until the output voltage E1 = 415
V ac. the values of I1 and I2was measured and recorded at full load.
I1= 0.235A ac I2= 0.33__A dc
c) The three resistance loadswitches was opened for no load on the alternator and the
values of E1 and I2was measured and recorded at no load.
E1 = 478 V ac I2= 0.35 A dc
d) The voltage was returned to zero and the Power Supply was turned off.
e) The alternator regulation was calculated with resistive loading. Alternator regulation =
((No load – Full Load)/Full Load)*100%
= ((478-415)/(415))*100%
= 15.18%
4. a)Using Variable Inductance, the resistive load was replaced with an inductive load.
b) Each inductance section was adjusted for a reactance XL of 1200 Ω.
c) Procedure 3 wasrepeated and the full load values of I1 and I2 was recorded.
I1= 0.24 A ac I2 = 0.40 A dc
d)The no load values of E1 and I2 measured and recorded.
E1 = 480 V ac I2= 0.35 A dc
e) The alternator regulation was calculated with inductive loading.
Alternator regulation = ((No load – Full Load)/Full Load)*100%
= ((480-415)/(415))*100%
= 15.66%
5. a) Using Variable Capacitance, the inductive load was replaced with a capacitive load.
b) Each capacitance section was adjusted for a reactance XC of 1200 Ω.
c) Procedure 3 was repeated and the full load values of I1 and I2 was recorded.
I1 = 0 .235 A ac I2 = 0.125 A dc
d) The no load values of E1 and I2 was measured and recorded.
E1 = 280 V ac I2 = 0.13 A dc
e) The voltage was returned to zero and the Power Supply was turned off.
f) The alternator regulation was calculated with capacitive loading.
Alternator regulation = ((No load – Full Load)/Full Load)*100%
= ((280-415)/(415))*100%
= -32.53%
g) With capacitive loading the stator MMF aid the rotor MMF.
6. a) With a capacitive reactance load of 4800 Ω per phase, the Power Supply was turned on
and for a motor speed of 1200 r/min was adjusted.
b) The dc excitation of the alternator was adjusted until the output voltage E1 = 415 V ac.
c) The capacitive loading was increased by placing an additional reactance of 2400 Ω in
parallel with each of the 4800 Ω reactance and observed.
For increase the capacitive loading (4800||2400), The MMF was increased. The voltage
was 465V.
d) The capacitive loading was increased further by placing an additional reactance of
1200 Ω across each module and observed.
For increase the capacitive loading (4800||2400||1200), The MMF was increased. The
voltage was 500+V.
e) The voltage was returned to zero and the Power Supply was turned off.
f) Explain, if you can, the phenomenon you have just observed.
If capacitive load is used, the stator MMF aid therotor MMF. It means that in times of
capacitive load rotor flux and main fieldflux are additive. So the alternator voltage
increase with capacitance loading.
7. a) The circuit was connected as shown in Figure 2-2. It was noted that only one of the
alternator phases had a load.
b) The Power Supply was turned on and the rheostat of the DC Motor/ Generator was
adjusted for a motor speed of 1200 r/min.
c) The dc excitation of the alternator was adjusted until the voltage E1across the 2400 Ω
load was 415 V ac. The two other phase voltages E2 and E3 was measured and recorded.
E2 = 462 V ac E3 = 470 V ac
d) The Power Supply was turned off without touching any of the variable controls.
e) The three AC voltmeters was reconnected so they will measure the voltages across
each of the three stator windings.
f) The Power Supply was turned on. The voltages across each of the alternator windings
was measured and recorded.
E 1 to 4 = 238 V ac
E 2 to 5 = 285 V ac
E 3 to 6 = 280 V ac
g) The voltage was returned to zero and the Power Supply was turned off.
h) Yes, The single-phase load did produce a large unbalance.
Answer to the question:
● Explain why the alternating output voltage increases with capacitive loading?
Answer:If capacitive load is used, the stator MMF aid therotor MMF. It means that in
times of capacitive load rotor flux and main fieldflux are additive. So the alternator
voltage increase with capacitance loading.
● Could it be dangerous to connect an alternator to a long transmission line if the line had a
high capacitance?
Answer:It could be dangerous to connect an alternator to a long transmission line if the line had
a high capacitance becauseIf we connect an alternator to a transmission line of high capacitance
the line voltage will increase and caused a line voltage difference, which does not satisfied
the condition of parallel operation of same voltage rating.
● The rotor of an alternator, at rated power, dissipates more heat at a low power
factor (lagging) load than at a high power factor load. Explain briefly.
Answer:In an alternator, the load current is supplied by the stator and the excitation is applied to
the rotor. When the power factor is low (lagging), more excitation is required to maintain rated
output voltage at rated current. More excitation is also required to maintain rated output voltage
with increased output current. Increased excitation current means increased rotor losses that must
bedissipated as heat.
● If an industrial customer of an electrical power company connects a large single-phase
load to a three-phase power line, then every other user on that power line will have
unbalanced three-phase power, even if their loads are balanced. Explain it briefly.
Answer:If an industrial customer of an electrical power company connects a large single-phase
load to a three-phase power line, then every other user on that power line will have unbalanced
three-phase power, even if their loads are balanced becauseif it is an inductive load like a motor
is would make the current lag the voltage and reduce the power factor on that phase. Using a
capacitor bank to bring the power factor closer to unity would circumvent this problem.
Discussions:
In the experiment, the characteristic of alternator under different loading system was observed.
Every value was measured properly and with care. Any connection was not made with power on.
Power was turned off after completing each individual measurement.
Conclusion:
The three-phase alternator has three single-phase windings spaced such that the voltage induced
in any one phase is displaced by 120º from the other two and the frequency is NP/120. Alternator
acts different under different loading condition. The voltage regulation is very poor for resistive
loading and inductive loading and for capacitive loading, the voltage regulation is zero.
Reference:
[1] B.L.Theraja, A.K.Theraja,: A textbook of Electrical Technology, Volume- II, S. Chand
& company Ltd.
2.MACHINE -2 LAB MANUAL
