R13 SYLLABUS ELECTRICAL MACHINES III

UNIT- I: SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR

Principle and construction features of salient pole and Round rotor Machine Armature
windings Integral slot and Fractional slot windings pitch, Distribution, winding factors
EMF equation Harmonics in generated EMF space and slot harmonics Elimination of
Harmonics Armature reaction Synchronous reactance and impedance - Load curves phasor
diagram
---------------x----------------Def: Synchronous generators (or) alternators are synchronous machines used to convert
mechanical power to ac electrical power.
The most commonly used machine for generation of electrical power for commercial purpose is
synchronous generator.
Synchronous generator is also referred to as an alternator as it generates alternating
voltage
Synchronous generators are by def. synchronous, meaning that electrical frequency
produced is locked in (or) synchronized with mechanical rate of rotation of the generator.
AC generators (Or) alternators work on principle of Electromagnetic Induction
A synchronous generator like any other electrical rotating machine has two parts
(1) Stator
(2) Rotor
Two terms commonly used to describe the windings on a machine are
(1) Field winding
(2)Armature winding
Armature winding is placed in stator slots (where) in which voltage is induced.
The rotor carries field winding that (which) produce main field in the machine.
Difference b/w AC generators & DC generators:
In DC generators, armature rotates & field system stationary. The arrangement in alternators
is just reverse of it.
A synchronous machine works as a generator when its rotor carrying field system is rated
by a prime mover.
The same machine will work as a synchronous motor when three phase voltage is applied
across armature winding placed on stator slots.
CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF A 3 PHASE SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE

(In other words) A synchronous machine works as a generator when rotor is rotated & as motor
when 3 phase supply is connected across its armature.
In almost all commercial synchronous machines,

Rotating field system

Stationary armature system is used

Advantages of Rotating field & stationary Armature system:

The following are the main reasons which favor a stationary armature and rotating field
system used in commercial applications.
1) Better Insulation to armature:
It is easier to insulate stationary winding for high voltages for which the
alternators are usually designed.
Reason: It is because they are not subjected to centrifugal forces and also extra space is available
due to stationary arrangement of the armature.
2) Number of slip rings required:
When Armature winding is made rotating, at least three slip-rings are needed to
receive the generated power. For large synchronous machines rated in MVAs and voltage ratios
in KV (Generally 11KV) transferring power through brush and slip-ring arrangement may cause
some problems. It is also difficult to insulate slip-rings from the rotating shaft for high voltage.
With stationary armature and rotating field arrangement only two slip rings of much
smaller size are required to supply excitation current to the rotating / rotor windings as
power required is much less and supplied at a low voltage [110v to 220v dc]
The stationary 3 phase armature can be directly connected to load without going
through large unreliable slip rings and brushes.
3) Ease of construction:
For large 3 phase synchronous machine, armature winding is more complex
than the field winding. The coil and phase connections (including bracing) of the windings can
be done more easily and securely on a stationary structure
4) Reduced rotor weight and Rotor inertia:
*The weight of field system placed on the rotor is comparatively much lower
than armature placed on the stator
*Rotor inertia is also reduced.
{Reason: Field windings are made with thinner wires and required to be insulated for a lower
voltage.}

*Due to simple and robust construction of the rotor, higher speed of rotating dc
field is possible.

5) Improved Ventilation Arrangement:

Arrangement for forced air cooling (or) hydrogen cooling for large
machines can be easily made on stationary armature by enlarging stator core and providing
radial air ducts and ventilation holes.
[Stationary armature winding can be cooled more efficiently, then permitting construction of
large synchronous machines say 1000 MW or above.
NOTE: All alternators above 5KVA employ stationary armature and rotating field system.
Field winding on the rotor requires less amount of copper and insulation. This reduces overall
weight of rotor and its inertia.
--- Reduced rotor weight allows the use of low priced bearings and also their longer life
because of minimal wear and tear.
CONSTRUCTION FEATURES:
The construction of a synchronous generator depends upon the type of prime mover used to
rotate the rotor.
1. In thermal or nuclear power station, a steam turbine is used to drive the alternator.
Steam turbines are designed to rotate at a high speed (3000 rpm)
2. In Hyde power stations, hydraulic turbines of different types are used.
Hydraulic turbines are of three types.
(i) Pelton wheel
(ii) Francis turbine
(iii) Kaplan
The type of turbine to be used depends upon the water head available in the power station.

Kaplan turbines are used up to water head of 50m.

Francis turbines are used up to a water head of 380m.
Pelton wheels are used for higher heads.

NOTE: 1. Francis (or) Kaplan turbines are normally used, since water heads generally available
are not very high.
2. Diesel Engines are used as prime movers for low rating synchronous generators.
Diesel engines are of low speeds compared to steam turbines.

Salient means: portending (or) sticking out.

Salient pole is a magnetic pole that sticks out from the surface of the rotor. (4 or more)
Non salient pole is a magnetic pole constructed (flush with) on the surface (2 or 4 poles) of
rotor
CONSTRUCTION OF ALTERNATOR:
A Synchronous generator has two main parts: (1) Stator
(2) Rotor
1) Stator: It is a stationary part of the machine and built-up of sheet steel laminations having slots
on its inner periphery.

A 3 phase winding is placed in these slots and serves as armature winding of the
alternator.
The armature winding is always connected in star and neutral is connected to ground.

2) Rotor: Rotor construction depends upon the type of prime mover used to drive the
synchronous generator.
Synchronous machines are of two types
(1) Salient type (or) Projected pole type
(2) Non salient type (or) smooth cylindrical type (or) round rotor type
1) SALIENT TYPE ROTOR:
Salient pole rotor is also called projected pole type rotors as all the poles are projected out
from the surface of the rotor.
In this type, projecting poles are mounted on a large circular steel frame which is fixed to
the shaft of alternator.
The poles are built up of thick steel laminations. The poles are bolted to the rotor as
shown in fig.
2) SMOOTH CYLINDRICAL TYPE ROTOR:
The rotor consists of smooth solid steel cylinder, having slots on its outer periphery to
accommodate field coil. The unslotted portions of the cylinder itself acts as the poles.
The poles are not projecting out and surface of the rotor is smooth which maintains
uniform air gap between stator & rotor.
The field windings are embedded in these slots and are connected in series to slip rings
and brushes through which they are energized by the d.c exciter.

The regions forming poles are usually left unslotted as shown.

High speed alternators driven by steam turbines will have non salient (or) cylindrical
rotors due to following reasons.
I) Cylindrical type construction is very strong and gives noise less operation at high
speeds.
II) Flux distribution around the periphery is nearly a sine and here better emf is obtained.
(Than in case of salient pole type)
NOTE:
1) High speed alternators ranging from1500 rpm to 3000 rpm. High speed alternators are also
called Turbo alternators.
2) Cylindrical type rotors have small diameters and large axial lengths.
3) Prime movers used to drive cylindrical type rotor are generally steam Turbines, electric
motors.

 The individual field windings are connected in series in such a way that when the field
winding is energized by the d.c exciter, adjacent poles have opposite polarities.
Alternators driven at low speeds by prime mover like water turbines (or) Diesel engines
will have salient pole rotors due to the following reasons.
1) Salient field poles would case an excess sine windage loss if driven at high speed and
would tend to produce noise.
2) Salient pole construction cannot be made strong to withstand stressed to which they
may be subjected at higher speeds.
Since the frequency of generated emf of 50 HZ is required. We must use large no.of poles on the
rotor of slow speed alternators (since f = NP/120)
NOTE:
1) Low speed alternators ranging from 125 rpm to 500 rpm.
2) Low speed alternators always possess a large diameter to provide necessary space for poles.
Consequently, salient pole type rotors have large diameters and small axial lengths.
* FREQUENCY:
The frequency of induced emf in the armature conductors depends upon speed and no. of
poles.
Let
N = Rotor speed is rpm
P = No. of rotor poles
f = frequency of emf
Consider a stator conductor that is successfully swept by N and S poles of the rotor.
One complete cycle of emf is generated in the conductor as a pair of poles passes it. i.e.,
one N pole and the adjacent following s-pole/
No. of cycles/revolution = No. of pairs of poles = p/2
No. of revolutions/second = N/60
No. of cycles/second = (P/2) (N/2) = NP/120
No. of cycles of emf per second is its frequency.
f = NP/120
NOTE:
1) If a +ve voltage is induced when N Pole sweeps across the conductor, a similar
negative voltage is induced when S pole sweeps across conductors

2) For a given generator, the no. of rotor poles fixed and therefore alternator must be run
at synchronous speed to given an output of desired frequency. For this reason, an
alternator is sometimes called synchronous generator.
RELATION BETWEEN MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ANGLE:
In a 2 pole alternator, one mechanical revolution corresponds to one electrical cycle of an
induced emf.
360 degree mechanical = 360 degree electrical

In a 4 pole alternator, one mechanical revolution corresponds to two electrical cycles of an

induced emf.
360 degree mechanical = 720 degree electrical
360 degree mechanical = 360 * (p/2) electrical
1 degree mech = ( p/2) electrical.