ELECTROMECHANICAL

SYSTEMS
MCT 2310
Lecture #3
Generators
 GENERATORS
AC and DC generator.
Induced voltage.
Energy conversion.
Armature reaction.
Commutation.
Shunt and compound generators.
Equivalent circuit.
Load characteristics
 Condition for voltage induced
Variable Flux (change with time) cut the
still conductor.
Or Constant flux cut the moving conductor.
Induced voltage is always AC, DC voltage
can be obtained after rectification (using
commutator)
 Creating an AC Voltage
The voltage produced in a DC
generator is inherently AC and only
becomes DC after rectification
Consider an AC generator,
consisting of a coil on the rotor and
a permanent magnet for the stator
a pair of slip rings and stationary brushes
provide a current path from the rotor to
the external environment
a load would be connected to the
brushes, x and y

Figure 4-1 Schematic diagram of an

elementary ac generator turning at 1
revolution per second.
 Inducing a Voltage

An external prime mover provides a

torque that spins the rotor
the coil revolve inside the magnetic
field
as the individual conductors cut
through the flux, a voltage is
Figure 4-2 Voltage induced in the ac
induced generator as a function of the angle of
maximum instantaneous voltage rotation.
appears across x and y when the
coil is passing through the
horizontal plane
no flux is cut when the coil is
passing through the vertical plane,
resulting in a zero voltage across x
and y

Figure 4-3 Voltage induced in the ac

generator as a function of time.
 DC Generation
A unidirectional pulsating dc
voltage can be generated by
switching the brushes from one
slip ring to the other every time
the polarity changes at the
zero crossing
one brush x would always be
at a positive potential
the other brush y would always
be at a negative potential
A commutator provides the
crossover rectification process
a commutator is a single slip
ring split into two halves with
each segment insulated from
the other
 DC Generation
The commutator revolves with
the coil
voltage between the two
segments is picked up by the
brushes
the voltage between brushes x
and y pulsate but never change
polarity
the commutator acts as a
mechanical reversing switch
the alternating voltage in the
coil is rectified by the
commutator
the constant polarity between x
and y causes the current in the
external load to flow in the
same direction
 AC & DC Generator Differences
The elements of the AC and DC generators are essentially
the same and are assembled together in the same way
the basic operating principle is also the same: a coil rotates
inside a magnetic field between the poles of a magnet, and
develops a ac voltage
The machines only differ in the way the coils are connected
to the external circuit
an ac generator used slip rings
a dc generator uses a commutator

Figure 4-6 The three armatures (a), (b), and (c) have identical windings. Depending upon how they are
connected (to slip rings or a commutator), an ac or dc voltage is obtained.
 Improving the Voltage Waveshape
By increasing the number of coils to
four, oriented at right angles to each
other, and dividing the commutator into
four segments, the voltage waveshape
is improved
the voltage pulsates but never falls
to zero
all four coils are identical Figure 4-7 Schematic diagram of a dc
generator having 4 coils and 4 commutator bars.

Figure 4-9 The actual physical construction of the

Figure 4-8 The voltage between the
generator shown in Fig. 4.7. The armature has 4 slots, 4
brushes is more uniform than in Fig. coils, and 4 commutator bars.
4.5.
 Improving the Voltage Waveshape
Coils A and C (conversely, B
and D) experience the same
flux but are traveling in opposite
directions
the polarities of ea and ec (eb
and ed) are therefore opposite
at all times: consequently, no
current will flow in the closed
loop formed by the four coils
the voltage between the brushes
varies between ea at 0 and ea+
ed at 45
Figure 4-10 Position of the coils
when the armature of Fig. 4.9 has
rotated through 45.
 Induced Voltage
By increasing the number of
coils and commutator segments,
the DC voltage waveshape can
have smaller ripples
When the coils are rotated, the
voltage E induced in each
conductor depends upon the flux
density and the rate at which it
cuts:
because the cutting of flux density
in the air gap varies from point to
point, the value of induced voltage Figure 4-11b Schematic diagram of the
armature and the voltages induced in the 12
per coil depends upon its coils.
instantaneous position E= Blv
 Neutral Positions
At times, when a brush sits over two
commutator segments that are
connected to a coil
the brush short-circuits the coil
however, the coil is not cutting
through any flux and the induced
voltage is momentarily zero
no current will flow through the
short-circuit of the brush
Brushes are placed in the neutral
position where short circuits occur
during momentarily zero induced
voltage Figure 4-12 Moving the brushes off
the neutral point reduces the output
Shifting the brush positions from the voltage and produces sparking.
neutral axis produces sparks and
reduces output voltage
Calculating the Induced Voltage
The peak voltage, E0, induced between the brushes in a DC
generator having a lap winding is given by E0 = Zn/60
where
Z = total number of conductors on the armature
n = speed of rotation [rpm]
= flux per pole [Wb]
Example
the armature of a 6-pole, 600 rpm generator has 90 slots
each coil has 4 turns and the flux per pole is 0.04 Wb
calculate the value of the induced voltage

Sol:
Z= 90 coils X 4 turns/coil X 2 conductors/turn = 720
n= 600rpm, = 0.04Wb
Eo = 720 X 600 X 0.04 / 60 = 288V
 Generator under Load
Under loading conditions, some
fundamental flux and current relationships
take place that are directly related to the
mechanical-electrical energy conversion
process
the current delivered by the generator
also flows through all the armature
conductors
the current carrying conductors are
subjected to a force according to
Lorentzs law
the forces on each conductor result in a
torque that acts opposite to the direction
of rotation (counter-torque)
To keep the armature of the generator
turning in the given direction of rotation Figure 4-13 The energy conversion
process. The electromagnetic torque
a torque must be applied to the shaft to due to F must be balanced by the
overcome the opposing electromagnetic applied mechanical torque.
torque (the drive torque)
the resulting mechanical power is
converted into electrical power that is
delivered to the load
1.Even in neutral zone contains flux which voltage and short circuite
current in the brass and create sparking

2. Flux due to armature current opposes the main flux as a result it r

Main flux.
decrease