MAGNL1I2A1ICN

1yplcal magneLlzaLlon of a dc generaLor

LIIICILNC
1he overall efflclency of small permanenL magneL dc generaLors ls deLermlned by
several lndependenL facLors so Lhere ls no slngle efflclency flgure LhaL can be
speclfled for any parLlcular generaLor Lfflclencles range from 73 Lo 93 wlLh a
mean of abouL 83

Lff|c|ency |s affected by the fo||ow|ng factors

1 Moqnet type ond strenqth low cosL generaLors use ceramlc C8 magneLs and
hlgher cosL hlgher efflclency generaLors use neodymlum (rare earLh") magneLs

Moqnetic qop Lhe smaller Lhe clearance beLween armaLure poles and magneLs Lhe
beLLer Lhe magneLlc flux paLh and Lhe hlgher Lhe efflclency (buL also see wlndage" ln
lLem 3 below)

Jindinq resistonce Lhe lower Lhe lnLernal elecLrlcal reslsLance of Lhe wlndlng Lhe
less energy ls dlsslpaLed as heaL LhaL resulLs from currenL flow Lhrough Lhe wlndlng
reslsLance Accordlngly Lhe larger Lhe magneL wlre dlameLer ln Lhe armaLure
wlndlngs Lhe lower Lhe reslsLance and Lhe hlgher Lhe elecLrlcal efflclency buL Lhe
larger Lhe generaLor (Lhe same number of Lurns of Lhe larger wlre gauge are requlred
Lo generaLe Lhe same ouLpuL volLage) 1he lnLernal reslsLance and wlre gauge ls glven
ln Lhe speclflcaLlons of each generaLor Lype

neot boLh amblenL heaL and heaL generaLed by currenL flow Lhrough Lhe wlndlngs
Lhe hlgher Lhe LemperaLure Lhe hlgher Lhe reslsLance and Lhe lower Lhe efflclency
Alr coollng of wlndlngs boLh convecLlve and forced alr lmproves Lhe generaLor
efflclency

Jindoqe Lhe reslsLance Lo roLaLlon caused by alr frlcLlon around Lhe roLaLlng
armaLure ls hlgher for very narrow magneLlc gaps and ls also hlgher aL hlgher shafL
rpms as well as larger armaLure dlameLers


6 od chorocteristics Lhe naLure of Lhe generaLor load a compleLely exLernal facLor
lnfluences Lhe overall efflclency Cenerally Lhe maxlmum efflclency occurs when Lhe
source (generaLor) lmpedance ls Lhe generaLor wlndlngs lnLeracLs ln any way wlLh
Lhe load A nonlnducLlve load such as a baLLery or a reslsLance heaLer can be
consldered purely reslsLlve whlle Lhe generaLor lmpedance ls Lhen slmply lLs lnLernal
dc reslsLance

Clven LhaL Lhe flnal preclse efflclency of a dc generaLor ln a parLlcular appllcaLlon ls
affecLed ln some way by all Lhe above facLors rpm load characLerlsLlcs lnLernal
reslsLance volLage power ouLpuL and LemperaLure as well as generaLor slze magneL
Lype and magneLlc gap Lhe only way Lo deLermlne Lhe exacL efflclency ls Lo measure
lL ln Lhe appllcaLlon and condlLlons lL ls Lo be used lf Lhe lnpuL Lorque and rpm are
known or can be measured and Lhe ouLpuL power measured aL Lhe sLeadysLaLe
loaded LemperaLure ln Lhose condlLlons Lhe efflclency ls slmply Lhe quoLlenL of
lnpuL over ouLpuL power

Ca|cu|at|on of eff|c|ency L efflclency (L x 100 percenL efflclency)

1he lnpuL power 9
-
628 x shafL Lorque 1 (ln newLonmeLers) x roLaLlonal
frequency f (ln PerLz or revoluLlons per second) lf Lhe roLaLlonal frequency ls ln rpm
mulLlply by 60


! & %
!





1he ouLpuL power 9
D@
ln waLLs ouLpuL volLage I

x ouLpuL currenL

as measured
by a volLmeLer and ammeLer