TO DETERMINE VOLTAGE

REGULATION OF AN ALTERNATOR
BY SYNCHRONOUS IMPEDANCE
METHOD ( EMF METHOD)

BY MR.S.R.MADIWAL
PRIOR CONCEPTS
 Defination :

The voltage regulation of an alternator is defined as

change in terminal voltage from no-load to full load
divided by full load voltage when speed and field
excitation are kept constant.

% X 100
Method of determining voltage regulation
Following methods are used to determine voltage
regulation-
1) Direct loading method - load is directly connected to
the alternator

2) Indirect loading method- load is not connected to to

the terminals of alternator
1) EMF Method (Synchronous Impedance method)
2) MMF method (Ampere Turns Method)
3) Zero pf method (Potier Method)
 EMF METHOD (Synchronous Impedance Method)
This is indirect method of finding voltage regulation
(load is absent in this method).
In this method of finding the voltage regulation of an
alternator, we find the synchronous impedance ZS (and
hence synchronous reactance Xs) of the alternator from
the O.C.C. and S.S.C. For this reason, it is called
synchronous impedance method.

TO DETERMINE VOLTAGE REGULATION BY

EMF METHOD WE REQUIRE-
1) OPEN CIRCUIT TEST DATA
2) SHORT CIRCUIT TEST DATA and
3) ARMATURE RESISTANCE VALUE
OPEN CIRCUIT TEST DATA
(open circuit characteristics)
 The alternator is run on no-load at the rated speed. The field current I
f
is gradually increased from zero (by adjusting field rheostat) until
open-circuit voltage V (phase value) is about 50% greater than the
rated phase voltage.
 Fig. shows the circuit for determining the O.C.C. of an alternator.
 From open circuit test we get following test result-
Sr. No. Field Current (I )
f Open Circuit Voltage (V )
(per phase)

 From these results Open-circuit characteristic of an alternator are

plotted.
 It is the curve between armature terminal voltage (phase value, V) on
open circuit and the field current (If) when the alternator is running at
rated speed.
 Back
Continued…

If

V
 Back
Continued…
SHORT CIRCUIT TEST DATA
(Short Circuit Characteristics)
In a short-circuit test, the alternator is run at rated speed and
the armature terminals are short-circuited through identical
ammeters (Refer fig). Only one ammeter is required to read
the current but three ammeters are used for balance.
The field current If is gradually increased from zero until the
short-circuit armature current ISC is about twice the rated
current. The SC test result are as follows-
Sr. No. Field Current (If) Short circuit current
(ISC)

The graph between short-circuit armature current and field

current gives the short-circuit characteristic (S.C.C.) as
shown in Fig.
 Back
Continued…

If ISC
 Back
Continued…
ARMATURE RESISTANCE VALUE (Ra)
The armature resistance per phase (Ra) can be
measured by voltmeter-ammeter method or
Wheatstone’s bridge method.
This is DC resistance value i.e. (Ra)dc .
The effective armature resistance (AC resistance) is
greater than DC resistance due to skin effect.
Generally AC resistance value is taken as 1.2 times
greater than DC resistance value.
Thus,
Ra = 1.2 X (Ra)dc
Procedure of EMF Method
 OCC curve

V1

Short Circuit Current (ISC)

EMF (OC)

SCC curve

I1

IF

Field Current (IF)

Calculations
 From V and I find synchronous reactance Z –
1 1 S

= ______ ohms

 we have measured armature resistance-

Ra = 1.2 X (Ra)dc = _______ ohms

 from ZS and Ra calculate XS –

= _______ ohms
 Continued…
Rated
  Current (Ia) of an alternator can be calculated from KVA
rating and rated voltage of an alternator (name plate data) –
For single phase alternator :

For three phase alternator :

Terms in following equation-

V = rated terminal voltage of alternator (per phase).
Cos Φ = power factor at which voltage regulation is to be
determined.
Ia = rated current of an alternator.
Ra = Armature resistance per phase.
Xs = synchronous reactance (calculated from graphs)
 Continued…
 
Calculate the no-load voltage at any power factor
using following equations –

At lagging power factor –

___ volts

At leading power factor –

____ volts

At unity power factor –

_____ volts
Continued…

 Now calculate percentage voltage regulation –

Drawback of EMF method -
This method is easy but it gives approximate
results. The reason is simple. The combined effect
of XL (armature leakage reactance) and XAR
(reactance of armature reaction) is measured on
short-circuit. Since the current in this condition is
almost lagging 90°, the armature reaction will
provide its worst demagnetizing effect.
This method gives a value higher than the value
obtained from an actual load test. For this reason, it
is called pessimistic method.
Thank u ...