Chapter 3 DC Generators

Introduction
 A DC machine is actually an alternating current machine, but
furnished with special device, called commutator which converts
ac to dc and vice-versa.
 The term generator denotes that it generates electrical energy but
actually it does not. It simply converts mechanical energy supplied
to it into electrical energy.
 A dc generator may be compared with a water force pump to make
its operation more clear
 The generator operates on the principle of the production of dynamically
induced emf i.e whenever flux is cut by the conductor, dynamically induced
emf is produced in it according to the laws of electromagnetic induction, which
will cause a flow of current in the conductor if the ckt is closed.

 Permanent magnets are used for very small capacity machines and electro-
magnets are used for large machines to create magnetic flux. Examples:

permanent magnet in bicycle dynamos.

 Common terms
Terminal voltage: as applied to DC generators, is defined as the
voltage that can be measured at the output of the generator.

counter-electromotive force: In a generator using a rotating armature,

the conductors cut the magnetic lines of force in the magnetic field.
Voltage is induced in the armature conductors. This induced voltage
acts counter to applied voltage is (CEMF).
Applied voltage: it is defined as the voltage that is delivered
across the load. This voltage should be the same as terminal
voltage; however, various circuit faults and losses may reduce the
terminal voltage.
 Construction of dc generator
Construction
• A typical DC
generator has
the following
parts
1. Armature
Assembly
2. Field frame
assembly
3. Brush holders
(rigging)
4. End frame
 Armature Assembly
Consists of laminated soft iron core mounted on steel shaft.
Insulated copper wire is wound through slots of the
armature.
The coils are held in place by nonmetallic wedges placed in
the slots.
Each end of the wire is connected to the segments of the
commutator.
Armature assembly
 Types of armature
Ring type Drum type
 Commutation

 commutation is the
mechanical conversion
from AC to DC at the
brushes of a DC machine
 Armature

 The purpose of the armature is to

provide the energy conversion in a
DC machine
 The armature converts
mechanical energy to 
electrical energy.
 Armature
 The purpose of the field in a DC
machine is to provide a magnetic
field for producing either a
voltage (generator) or a torque (mot
or).
 The field in a DC machine is
produced by either a permanent
magnet or an electromagnet.
Simple loop generator
DC from Four Armature Loops
 EMF equation
Eg  = KN (*)

Where
Eg = generated voltage;
K = P/60*Z/A (fixed constant ); P is number
of poles, Z is number of armature
conductors and A is number of parallel paths
= magnetic flux strength;
N = speed in RPM
 The magnitude of the EMF induced in a
conductor by electro-magnetic induction is dependent upon the
following factors:

 The strength of the magnetic field

 The speed at which the conductor cuts the
magnetic field
 The length of the conductor within the
magnetic field
 The angle at which the conductor cuts the
magnetic field
 The EMF induced in the armature windings of a
generator will vary directly with the speed of rotation
of the armature
 By this means the EMF induced in the generator
armature, and therefore the generator output voltage,
can be controlled regardless of generator speed or
electrical load by varying the current supplied to the
core winding of the electro-magnet.
 Essential parts of DC generator
 A basic DC generator has four basic parts:
1. A magnetic field
2. An armature
3. A commutator
4. Brushes and brush holder
 Types of D.C. Armature Winding

 D.C. winding according to how conductors are connected

lap Winding (“parallel winding")
wave winding ("multiple winding" or "parallel winding")
 In lap winding number of parallel paths are high. and here Number of parallel
path (A) = Number of poles (P). Because of this reason this winding is also called
as "multiple winding" or "parallel winding".
 In wave winding number of parallel paths is two (A=2). that's why it is also
called as "series winding".
 Lap winding is used for large d.c. currents and low voltage.
 wave winding is used for low d.c. current and high voltage.
 Advantage of using wave winding
For given number of poles and armature
conductors, it gives EMF more than lap winding.
Equalizer connections are not necessary (where
as in lap winding they are used.)
In case of wave winding, Dummy coil is used to
provide mechanical balance to the armature
winding.
 Residual magnetism
 The soft iron of the electro-magnets retains a
small amount of magnetism, known as residual
magnetism, even when there is no field current.
This residual magnetism is sufficient to induce
an EMF in the armature of the generator when it
first starts to rotate, which initiates a current
flow from the generator.
 Residual magnetism may be lost, or its
polarization reversed, due to excess heat, shock
or reversal of field current flow.
 The residual magnetism can be restored by
briefly passing a current through the field. This is
known as field flashing, or flashing the field.
 component of DC Generator
 The Yoke is a cylinder of cast iron, which supports
the pole pieces of the electromagnetic field.
 The Armature is driven by the aircraft engine, and
holds the windings (in which the output voltage of
the machine is induced) and the commutator.
 The Commutator changes the AC voltage induced in
the armature into DC voltage.
 The Suppressor reduces radio interference, which
may result from sparking between the brushes and
commutator.
The rotor coils are connected in
series through the commutator
segments.

The ends of each coil are

connected to a commutator
segment.

The commutator consists of

insulated copper segments
mounted on an insulated tube.

Two brushes are pressed to the

commutator to permit current
flow and they are placed in
neutral zone.
The rotor coils are connected
in series through the
commutator segments.

The ends of each coil are

connected to a commutator
segment.

The commutator consists of Rotation

insulated copper segments Ir_dc/2

Brush
Ir_dc Ir_dc/2
Pole

mounted on an insulated tube. Shaft

winding

|
1
2
8

Two brushes are pressed to N 7 3

S
the commutator to permit 6
5
4

current flow and they are Insulation

placed in neutral zone. Rotor
Winding
Ir_dc
Copper
segment
 Types of DC generator
 The mmf necessary to establish the flux in the
magnetic circuit of a dc generator can be
obtained by means of
1.Permanent magnet
2.Field coils excited by some external source
3.Field coils excited by the generator itself
 Self excited generator classified as
a. Series wound generator
b.Shunt wound generator
c. Compound wound generator
Series-Wound Generator
Ia  Ise  IL  I(say )
V  Eg  I ( Ra  Rse)  2Vbrush
powerdevel oped , Pg  EgI
powerdeliv ered , PL  VI
Shunt-Wound Generators
Ia  I L  Ish
Ish  V / Rsh
V  Eg  IaRa  2Vbrush
powerdeveloped , Pg  EgIa
powerdelivered , PL  VIL
Compound generator (Short Shunt)
Ia  I L  Ish, Ise  IL
Ish  Vsh / Rsh
V  Eg  IaRa  IseRse  2Vb  Eg  IaRa  IseRse  2Vbrush
powerdeveloped , Pg  EgIa
powerdelivered , PL  VIL
Compound-Wound Generators (long)
Ia  I L  Ish  Ise
Ish  V / Rsh
V  Eg  IaRa  IseRse  2Vbrush  Eg  Ia ( Ra  Rse)  2Vbrush
powerdevel oped , Pg  EgIa
powerdeliv ered , PL  VIL
 DC Generator Characteristics
 In general, three characteristics specify the
steady-state performance of a DC generators:
1. Open-circuit characteristics (Eo/If): generated
voltage versus field current at constant speed.

2. External characteristic (V/IL): terminal voltage

versus load current at constant speed.

3. Internal characteristic (E/Ia): emf actually

generated in the armature, E versus armature
current. This curve lies below OCC.
 Armature Reaction

 If a load is connected to the terminals of the dc machine, a current

will flow in its armature windings. This current flow will produce a
magnetic field of its own, which will distort the original magnetic
field from the machine’s field poles. This distortion of the
magnetic flux in a machine as the load is increased is called the
armature reaction.
 1. Characteristics of a separately excited D.C. generator

(i) Open circuit characteristic

 O.C.C at different speeds

If O.C.C is known at
speed N1, O.C.C at
another speed can easily Eg1 / Eg 2  K

be predicted as:
Eg2/Eg1=KФN2/KФN2=
N2/N1
=>Eg2=N2/N1*Eg1
(ii) Internal and External
Characteristics
 2. Characteristics of self-excited D.C. generator

a. characteristics of series generator

 Critical resistance of series generator
R1,R2,etc represent load &
winding resistance
If R1 is total resistance
voltage build up is OL
Line OC is tangent to O.C.C
& represent critical
resistance Rc for series
generator
If total resistance of ckt is
more than Rc (say line OD),
generator will fail to build
up voltage
i) O.C.C: curve 1
shows o.c.c obtain
experimentally by
disconnecting field
winding from
machine and excite
it from a separate
dc source
i) Internal characteristics: curve 2 shows the total or internal
characteristics. It gives r/n between E on load & armature
current Ia. Due to armature reaction, flux in machine will be less
than the flux at no load. Hence emf under load will be less than
emf generated at no load
ii) External characteristics: curve 3 shows external characteristics.
It gives the relation between terminal voltages & load current IL
(V=E-Ia(Ra+Rse)).

External chara. will lie below internal curve by an amout equal

to ohmic drop(i.e, =Ia(Ra+Rse))

 ii) Internal characteristics
When the generator is loaded, flux per pole is reduced due to armature.
There fore, emf E generated on load is less than the emf generated at no
load. As a result, the internal chara. (E/Ia) drops down slightly.

iii) Internal characteristics: curve 2 shows external chara. It gives the r/n
b/n terminal voltage V & the load current IL.(V=E-IaRa=E-(IL+Ish)Ra)

There fore, external chara. curve will lie below internal chara.curve by an
amount equal to drop in the armature ckt (i.e (IL+Ish)Ra)as shown
above.
Power stage