THREE-PHASE

ALTERNATOR
UNIT - 11

CONSTRUCTION
A four-pole alternator

An alternator has a stator and a

rotor.
DC feild winding is placed on rotor.
A three phase distributed winding is
placed on the stator.
Stator core is made up of sheet steel
laminations having slots on its inner
periphery.
The armature winding is always
connected in star and the neutral is
connected to ground.

ROTOR
Rotor construction is of two types. Namely,
a. Salient (or projecting) pole type
b. Non-salient (or cylindrical) pole type

Salient pole type:

In this type, salient or projecting poles are
mounted on a large circular steel frame
which is fixed to the shaft of the alternator.
It has large diameter and short axial
length.

The individual field pole 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 polarity.
Non-salient pole type:
In this type, the rotor is made of smooth solid
forged-steel radial cylinder having a number
of slots along the outer periphery. The field
windings are embedded in these slots and are
connected in series to the slip rings through
which they are energized by the d.c. exciter.

SALIENT POLE THREE PHASE SYNCHRONOUS

GENERATOR
F in is h

P h a s e W in d in g
N
S ta rt

S ta rt

S ta to r o f s y n c h ro n o u s
G e n e ra to r
F in is h

F in is h

S ta rt

 Stator

otor
r
e
l
o
nt-p
Salie

CYLINDRICAL ROTOR

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The rotor winding is energized from the d.c.
exciter and alternate N and S poles are
developed on the rotor.
When the rotor is rotated in anti-clockwise
direction by a prime mover, the stator or
armature conductors are cut by the magnetic
flux of rotor poles.
Consequently, e.m.f. is induced in the
armature conductors due to electromagnetic
induction.
9

PITCH FACTOR
Pitch factor is defined as:

K p cos (
)
2

180 X No. of slots for which the winding is short pitched

No. of slots / No. of poles
10

DISTRIBUTION FACTOR
The distribution factor Kd is defined
as:
e.m. f induced in a distributed winding
Kd

e.m. f induced in a concentrated winding

m
sin(
)
2

m sin( )
2

m = No. of
slots/pole/phase

Where is the slot

angle
o

180
No. of slots

Pole

11

E.M.F EQUATION
Let Z = No. of conductors or coil sides in
series
per phase
= Flux per pole in webers
P = Number of rotor poles
N = Rotor speed in r.p.m.
In one revolution (i.e., 60/N second), each
stator conductor is cut by P webers. i.e.,
d = P;
dt = 60/N
12

 Average e.m.f. induced in one stator

conductor
d

P N
P

Volts
dt 60
60
N

Since, there are Z conductors in series

P N
per phase,
X Z

60
P Z

Average

120 f
X
P
e.m.f./phase60=

= 2fZ

13

R.M.S. value of e.m.f./phase = Average

value/phase x form factor = 2fZ X
1.11
= 2.22 f Z volts

Er.m.s./Phase = 2.22 f Z volts

If Kp and Kd are the pitch factor and
distribution factor of the armature
winding, then,
Er.m.s./Phase = 2.22 Kp Kd f Z volts
Or

Er.m.s./Phase = 4.44 Kp Kd f T volts

14

PROBLEMS
1. The stator of a three-phase, 20 pole
alternator has four 4 slots/pole/phase and
each slot has 12 conductors. The air gap
flux is 0.03 Wb & the coil span of the stator
winding is 150o electrical. The speed of the
alternator is 300 r.p.m. Find the e.m.f
generated per phase.
Sol: No. of slots/pole/phase (m) = 4; = 0.03
Wb
Ns = 300 r.p.m
15

No. of slots/phase = 4 X 20 = 80
No. of conductors/phase (Z) = 80 X 12 = 960
No. of turns/phase (T) = 960/2 = 480
Short pitch angle () = 180 coil span =
180o -150o
= 30o
Pitch factor (Kp) = cos (/2) = cos 15 =
0.9659
o
o
180
180
No. of slots/pole = 4 X 3 = 12
15o
Slot angle () = No. of slots / pole 12
16

Kd

m
4 X 15
sin(
)
sin(
)
2
2

0.9756

15
m sin( )
4 X sin( )
2
2

P Ns

Frequency (f) =120

20 X 300

=
50
Hz
120

The e.m.f generated /phase E = 4.44KpKd

f T volts
E = 4.44 X 0.9659 X 0.9756 X 0.03 X
50 X 480
17