D.C. Tachogenerators ‘The dic. tachogenerator is as shown in the Fig. 3.36. Current ilingcosister Armature N Commutator Fig. 3.36 D.C. tachogenerator ‘The armature of the dc. tachogenerator is kept in the permanent magnetic field. The armature of the tachogenerator is coupled to the machine whose speed is to be meastired. When the shaft of the machine revolves, the armature of the tachogenerator revolves in the magnetic field producing an e.m.{. which is proportional to the product of the flux and speed to be measured. Now as the field of permanent magnet is fixed, the ems. generated is proportional to the speed directly. The emJ. induced is measured using moving coil voltmeter with uniform scale calibrated in speed directly. The scries resistance is used to limit the current under output short circuit condition. The polarity of output voltage indicates the direction of rotation. The commutator collecis current from armature conductors and converts internally induced ac. em. into dc. (unidirectional) em. While the brushes are used to collect current from commutator and make it available to external circuitry of the d.c, tachogenerator. Advantages : Tho advantages of dc. tachogenerator aro as follows : §) The output voltage is small enough to measure it with conventional dic. voltmeters. 4i) The polarity of output voltage directly indicates the direction of rotation. Disadvantages : The disadvantages of dc. tachogenerator are as follows. i) Because of variations in contact resistances, considerable error is introduced in the output voltage. Hence periodic maintainance of the commutator and brushes is required. 4i) Nor-lincarity in the output of the d.c. tachogenerator occurs because of distortions in the permanent magnetic field due to large armature currents, Hence input resistance of meter should be very high as compared to the output resistance of the generator.AC. Tachogenerator Ly) so g Rectifier Filter Nolmmaler a Permanent magnet Fig. 3.37 AC. tachogonorator The coil is wound on stator itself. In this tachogenerator, the magnetic field is rotating, ‘The magnetic field can be obtained by using electromagnet or permanent magnet. Due to rotation of magnet, an e.m.f. induces in the stator coil which has amplitude and frequency directly proportional to the speed of rotation. Thus the speed of rotation can be calibrated in torms of cither amplitude of frequency of the induced voltage. In the circuit shown in the Fig. 3.37, the amplitude of the induced voltage is used to measure speed. A rectifier and filter are used to get constant d.c. voltage which can be measured with the help of the moving coil voltmeter. Advantages : ‘The advantages of a.c. tachogencrator are as follows. i) The output can be calibrated in terms of two parameters namely amplitude and frequency of induced voltage. ii) Commutator and brush contact resistance problems are oliminated as the coil is wound on stator. Disadvantages : The disadvantages of ac. tachogenerator are as follows i) For very low speed rotation, the frequency of the induced voltage is also very low, thus the ripple in the output increases. To overcome this the number of poles of stator are increased, so that the frequency of the induced voltage increases even at low speeds of rotation. fi) At high speeds, the froquency of the induced voltage is also very high. Thus the coil impedance increases. This effects linearity of the output. To maintain the good linearity, the display device used should have input impedance greater than that of the coil.Eddy Current Tachometer This is the simplest form of the speed measurement. A permanent magnet with N and S poles is coupled with test shaft mechanically. An aluminium disc is placed facing the poles of the magnet as shown in the Fig. 3.38. The disc is mounted on another shaft using spring. At the end of the shaft a point is connected which gives directly speed reading. Spring Test shat a — magne! Fig. 3.38 Eddy current tachometer When the permanent magnet is rotated using test shaft, the emf. gets induced in to the disc. Due to the induced emf. in disc, the eddy currents start circulating. But these eddy currents interact with the magnetic field of the permanent magnet producing. deflecting torque. Due to this deflection torque, the disc rotates. But as it is connected with spring, the balanced condition is obtained when deflection torque is balanced by the restoring torque produced by the spring. As pointer is attached to the shaft at the end of it, it directly gives the speed of rotation. Thus the angular velocity is directly proportional to the speed of shaft ie. speed of rotation being measured. Drag Cup Rotor A.C. Tachogenerator ‘A drag cup rotor ac. tachogenerator consists a stator and rotor as shown in the Fig. 339. The stator has two windings placed perpendicular to each other. The stator windings are called 4) Excitation winding fi) Sensing winding, ‘The excitation winding is one at which ac. voltage is applied while the sensing ‘winding is that across which output is measured.‘The rotor is made up of copper or aluminium. It is of thin cylinder type which is hollow inside. It is called drag cup. This drag cup is connected to the tachometer Ghee eee et i light inertia rotor is highly conducting, Thus it acts as short circuited secondary winding. Reference coil Bisig cup ror smat mone With ac. voltage applied to the excitation winding, an altemating magnetic field is produced. Due to Fig. 3.39 Drag cup rotor a.c. tachogenerator this magnetic field, eddy currents induced in the drag cup rotor. Due to the induced eddy currents armature reaction field is produced at right angles to the field set up by the excitation winding. This field induces em4. in the output winding. When rotor is in stationary condition, the output is zero. The rotation in any direction prodisces a.c. output voltage which is frequency same as that of the excilation vollage. Only the difference is that if in one direction of rotor rotation, output voltage and excitation voltage are in phase, then for other direction, the phase of the output voltage is reversed as compared with previous. The amplitude of the output vollage is proportional to the instantaneous speed for both orientations of rotation of rotor. This indicates that the drag cup rotor a.c. tachogenerator indicates the speed of rotation and the direction of rotation. Advantages 4) Simple rugged construction. ii) Low cost instrument with less maintenance. iii) Output is ripple free. iv) The output voltage has linear relationship with speed if the input frequency is large about 400 Hz. Disadvantage: 4) It is required to maintain input excitation absolutely constant. ii) It is very difficult to calibrate tachometer. iii) At very high frequencies, above 400 Hz, the relationship between the speed and the output voltage becomes non-linear.