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EE―250: Electric Machinery Fundamentals

Chap―4: Synchronous Generators

Dr. Umar Tabrez Shami

Chapter 4 Synchronous Generator
4.1 Synchronous Generator Construction
What is Synchronous Generator?

Definition: A Synchronous machine that works like a generator is known as a synchronous

generator and also called an ALTERNATOR. The main function of this generator is to
generate commercial frequency current by converting the mechanical energy from the main
mover to an AC electrical energy at a specific frequency & voltage. These generators are used
in the power industry in thermal power, hydropower, and generation of power in nuclear &
diesel.

Synchronous Meaning :― (adjective) Existing or Occurring at the same time.

 4.1 Synchronous Generator Construction

1. In a synchronous generator, a rotor magnetic field is produced either by designing the rotor
as a permanent magnet or by applying a dc current to a rotor winding to create an
electromagnet.

2. The rotor of the generator is then turned by a prime mover, producing a rotating magnetic
field within the machine. This rotating magnetic field induces a three-phase set of voltages
within the stator windings of the generator.

3. Two terms commonly used to describe the windings on a machine are field windings and
armature windings.

4. In general, the term field windings applies to the windings that produce the main magnetic
field in a machine, and the term armature windings applies to the windings where the main
voltage is induced. For synchronous machines, the field windings are on the rotor.

5. The terms rotor windings and field windings are used interchangeably.

6. The terms stator windings and armature windings are used interchangeably.
7. The rotor of a synchronous generator is essentially a large electromagnet. The magnetic poles on the
rotor can be of either salient or non-salient construction.
8. The term salient means “most noticeable” or “prominent” and a salient pole is a magnetic pole that is
prominent out radially from the shaft of the rotor.
9. On the other hand a non-salient (cylinder rotor) pole is a magnetic pole with windings embedded flush
with the surface of the rotor.
10. Non-salient pole rotors are normally used for two- and four-pole rotors, while salient-pole rotors are
normally used for rotors with four or more poles.
11. Because the rotor is subjected to changing magnetic fields, it is constructed of thin laminations to
reduce eddy current losses.
12. A DC current must be supplied to the field circuit on the rotor if it is an electromagnet.
The Slip Rings
Since the rotor is rotating, a special arrangement is required to get the de power to its field
windings. There are two common approaches to supplying this de power:

1. Supply the DC power from an external DC source to the rotor by means of slip rings
and brushes.

2. Supply the DC power from a special DC power source mounted directly on the shaft of
the synchronous generator. Slip rings are metal rings completely.
4.2 The Speed of Rotation of a Synchronous Generator

Synchronous generators are by definition synchronous, meaning that the electrical frequency
produced is locked in or synchronized with the mechanical rate of rotation of the generator.

The rate of rotation of the magnetic fields in the machine is related to the stator electrical
frequency by following equation:
4.3 The Internal Generated Voltage of a Synchronous Generator
4.4 The Equivalent Circuit of a Synchronous Generator
The voltage (EA) is the voltage produced at a single phase of the synchronous generator.
But this is not the voltage that we get normally at output points of the generator.
The internal generated voltage (EA) can be equal to the phase voltage (Vø) when there is no
armature current is moving through the generator.
There are some factors that explain why the internally generated voltage is not like the phase
voltage (Vø).

1. The distortion of the air-gap magnetic field by the current flowing in the stator, called
armature reaction.
2. The self-inductance of the armature coils.
3. The resistance of the armature coils.
4. The effect of salient-pole rotor shapes.
What is Armature Reaction In Synchronous Generator

A. We have studied that there are 4 main facts that affect the internally generated voltage of
the synchronous generator. The armature reaction is a main factor.
B. When the rotor of the generator rotates, the field of the DC voltage at the rotor produces
a voltage (EA) in the armature winding of the stator.
C. If there is load connected with the output terminals of the generator, then the current will
flow through the armature windings of the stator.
D. This current will have its separate field, this field will interact with the field of the rotor
and effect the internal generated voltage (EA). This phenomenon is called armature
reaction.
What is Armature Reaction In Synchronous Generator

E. To study the armature reaction, in the given diagram there is a rotor that has 2 poles and
rotating in the 3-phase stator.
F. At the stator, there is no load connected. The field of the rotor BR generates the
EA internal voltage at the stator.
G. As there is no load connected to generator there will be no armature current and the
EA will equal to the Vø.
H. The given diagram shows the assembly of no-load rotor.
What is Armature Reaction In Synchronous Generator

I. If we connect the inductive load with the generator, the current lags the voltage. See figure.
J. The current passing through the stator windings will generate a field in the stator. It is denoted
as BS and its direction can be fined by the right-hand rule and is shown in a given diagram
K. The field of the stator (BS) will generate a voltage in the stator and this voltage is represented
in the figure as Estat.
L. As there are two voltages at the stator first is the internal generated voltage EA and other
voltage due to armature reaction Estat.
M. So, the total phase voltage at the terminals of the generator will the sum of these two voltages.
Vø = EA + Estat
L. The total field at Bnet is the sum of the stator and the rotor fields.
Bnet =BR + Bs
L. As the angles of the EA and BR are identical and the angles of the EA and BS are also similar.
So, the resultant field (Bnet) will overlap with the total voltage at generator Vø.
M. You can see the resultant voltages and currents in a given figure.
N. This is the armature reaction in synchronous generator.
Equivalent Circuit of Synchronous Generator
1. To understand the Equivalent Circuit of Synchronous Generator, first, we should keep in
mind that stator voltage is Estat ninety-degree lag behind the peak current IA .
2. Another thing is to keep in mind that the stator voltage Estat is directly proportionate to
the armature current IA.
3. Let’s suppose that ‘X’ is constant, then the voltage produced due to the armature reaction
will be written as.
Estat = ― jXIA
4. The voltage at output terminal of the generator will be.
Vø = EA ― jXIA
5. See the given circuitry
6. If we apply KVL at this circuitry the value of voltage will be.
Vø = EA – jXIA
7. This equation is like the equation that describes phase voltage of the generator.
8. So, the voltage of the armature reaction can be displayed like an inductor in series with
EA.
9. The windings of the stator have some value of their self-resistance and reactance. If the
resistance is denoted as RA and reactance XA then the difference between the internal
generated voltage EA and phase voltage is given as.
Vø = EA – jXIA – jXAIA– RAIA
10. The armature reaction and self-inductance of the generator are denoted as reactance’s, so
these are written as single reactance and named as the synchronous reactance of the
generator.
XS= X + XA
11. So, the final equation for the phase voltage will be given as.
Vø= EA – jXsIA– RAIA
12. The equivalent circuitry of the 3-phase synchronous generator is given next slide
4.4 The Equivalent Circuit of a Synchronous Generator
4.5 The Phasor Diagram of a Synchronous Generator
When the voltages within a phase (EA, Vɸ, jXAIA , RAIA ) and the current IA in the phase are
plotted in such a way to show the relationships among them, the resulting plot is called a
phasor diagram.
Three Phase Wye (Y or Star ) and Delta (Δ) Voltages and Currents

Vø = VP Vø = VP

Neutral
Three Phase Wye (Y or Star ) and Delta (Δ) Voltages and Currents

Vø = VP Vø = VP
 Star to Delta & Delta to Star Conversion. Y-Δ Transformation
Delta to Star Conversion

Neutral

Star to Delta Conversion

Neutral

Source: [Link]
 4.6 Power and Torque in Synchronous Generators
The input mechanical power is the shaft power in the generator

while the power converted from mechanical to electrical form internally is given by

The real electrical output power of the synchronous generator can be expressed in line quantities
as

The phase quantities can be written as:

The Reactive Power can be written as:

Reactive Power phase quantities can be written

as:
4.6 Power and Torque in Synchronous Generators
4.7 Measuring Synchronous Generator Model Parameters
The equivalent circuit of a synchronous generator has three quantities that must be
determined in order to completely describe the behavior of a real synchronous generator:
1. The relationship between field current and flux.
2. The synchronous reactance.
3. The armature resistance.

Open-circuit Test
The first step in the process is to perform the open-circuit test on the generator. To perform
this test, the generator is turned at the rated speed, the terminals are disconnected from all
loads, and the field current is set to zero.
 Open Circuit Test of the Synchronous Generator
To accomplish this test the generator rotates at its rated speed, no-
load should be at its terminals, and the starting value of the field
winding current should be 0. After following these steps, we will vary
the field current step by step and find the terminal voltage at each
step.

1. As there is no load at the output terminals of the generator, so

there will be zero armature current.

2. Hence the internal generated voltage EA will equal to the phase

voltage Vø.

3. By using this data, we can construct the curve among the

Terminal Voltage
internally generated voltage that equals the terminal voltage and Saturated
the field current.

4. This graph between EA and the field current is known as

the open-circuit characteristic (OCC) of the synchronous Linear
generator.

5. By this graphical representation, we can find the value of internal

generated voltage EA any value of the field current.
Field Current
Open Circuit Test of the Synchronous Generator
6. You can observe from the graph that at the start the curve is a
straight line then it is not straight line it due to saturation.

7. The reluctance offered by the un-saturated region is lesser than

the reluctance of the air gap, at the start when iron is not

Terminal Voltage
saturated the field current and the terminal voltage are in Saturated
direct relation with each other.

8. When iron gets saturates, the reluctance offered by the iron

becomes larger than the increment in the flux is not directly Linear
proportional to the field current, so the curve is not straight
line after some interval.

9. The linear part of the open-circuit characteristics known as the Field Current
air gap line.
 Short circuit test of Synchronous Generator
1. To do a short circuit test first of set the value of field current
at 0 and SHORT Circuit the output terminals of the generator
by the ammeter.
2. Find the value of the armature current (IA or ISC) by changing
the field current.
3. This graph among the field current and the armature current
known as the short-circuit characteristic (SCC).
4. You can see that it is a linear graph.
5. To understand this straight-line behavior let’s have a look at
the equivalent circuit of the synchronous generator when it is
short-circuited this circuit is shown below.
6. From this circuit, you can find the value of the armature
current (IA) that is given here.
IA =EA/(RA+jXs)
7. The magnitude of the armature current is given here,
IA =EA/√(R2A+X2s) 8. The phasor diagrams of the short
circuit test of the synchronous generator are shown next.
Short circuit test of Synchronous Generator
9. The fields during the short circuit test are physically shown in
given diagram.
10. As the stator field Bs crosses the effect of the rotor magnetic
field (BR) so the total field Bnet has low value.
11. As the value of the Bnet is lesser so the generator is un-
saturated short circuit characteristic curve is linear.
12. To recognize what data these two features have output, note
from a given figure that the Vø is 0.
13. From this figure, the interior impedance of the generator is
given here.
Zs = √(R2A+X2s)
= EA/IA
14. As we know that synchronous reactance Xs is greater than the
armature resistance RA so this equation becomes.
Xs = EA/IA If the value of the internally generated voltage (EA) and
armature current (IA) is known, we can compute the
= Vø,oc/IA value of the synchronous reactance.
Short circuit test of Synchronous Generator

Xs= EA/IA

Important
Short-Circuit Ratio Synchronous Generator

A. Another parameter used to describe synchronous generators is the short-circuit ratio. The
short-circuit ratio of a generator is defined as the ratio of the field current required for the
rated voltage at open circuit to the field current required for the rated armature current at
short circuit.
B. It can be shown that this quantity is just the reciprocal of the per-unit value of the
approximate saturated synchronous reactance calculated by Equation (4-26)..
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4.8 The Synchronous Generator Operating Alone
4.9 Parallel Operation of AC Generators
The Conditions Required for Paralleling
1. The RMS line voltages of the two
generators must be equal.
2. The two generators must have the same
phase sequence.
3. The phase angles of the two a phases must
be equal.
4. The frequency of the new generator, called
the oncoming generator, must be slightly
higher than the frequency of the running
system.
480 V

4.5A
532 V

5.7A
Three Phase Wye (Y or Star ) and Delta (Δ) Voltages and Currents
Three Phase Wye (Y or Star ) and Delta (Δ) Voltages and Currents
Star to Delta & Delta to Star Conversion. Y-Δ Transformation
Delta to Star Conversion

Star to Delta Conversion