Synchronous Machine

 Synchronous Generator /
Alternator
 Synchronous Motor
Alternator

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 Working Principle of Alternator
 The working principle of an alternator is
depends upon Faraday’s law of
electromagnetic induction which says the
current is induced in the conductor inside a
magnetic field when there is a relative motion
between that conductor and the magnetic
field.

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 Construction of Alternator
1. Stator
It is the stationary part of the machine and is built up of sheet-steel laminations
having slots on its inner periphery. A 3-phase winding is placed in these slots and
serves as the armature winding of the alternator. The armature winding is always
connected in star and the neutral is connected to ground.
2. Rotor
The rotor carries a field winding which is supplied with direct current through two
slip rings by a separate DC source. This DC source (called exciter) is generally a
small DC shunt or compound generator mounted on the shaft of the alternator. Rotor
construction is of two types, namely;
(i) Salient (or projecting) pole type
(ii) Non-salient (or cylindrical) pole type

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 Construction of Alternator
Description:
(i) 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. The individual field pole windings are connected in series in such a way that when the field
winding is energized by the DC exciter, adjacent poles have opposite polarities. Low and medium-speed
alternators (120-400 r.p.m.) such as those driven by diesel engines or water turbines have salient pole type
rotors due to the following reasons:
(a) The salient field poles would cause an excessive windage loss if driven at high speed and would tend to
produce noise.
(b) Salient-pole construction cannot be made strong enough to withstand the mechanical stresses to which
they may be subjected at higher speeds. Since a frequency of 50 Hz is required, we must use a large number
of poles on the rotor of slow-speed alternators. Low-speed rotors always possess a large diameter to provide
the necessary spate for the poles. Consequently, salient-pole type rotors have large diameters and short axial
lengths.
(ii) 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 DC exciter. The regions forming the poles are usually left
unslotted. It is clear that the poles formed are non-salient i.e., they do not project out from the rotor surface.
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 Construction of Alternator
Salient Pole Rotors Non-Salient Pole Rotors

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Salient Pole Rotors
Non-Salient Pole Rotors
Practical Salient Pole Rotors

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Practical Non-Salient or Cylindrical Pole Rotors

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 Advantages of stationary armature in Alternator
The field winding of an alternator is placed on the rotor and is
connected to DC supply through two slip rings. The 3-phase
armature winding is placed on the stator. This arrangement has
the following advantages:
(i) It is easier to insulate stationary winding for high voltages for
which the alternators are usually designed. It is because they are
not subjected to centrifugal forces and also extra space is
available due to the stationary arrangement of the armature.
(ii) The stationary 3-phase armature can be directly connected to
load without going through large, unreliable slip rings and
brushes.
(iii) Only two slip rings are required for DC supply to the field
winding on the rotor. Since the exciting current is small, the slip
rings and brush gear required are of light construction.
(iv) Due to simple and robust construction of the rotor, higher
speed of rotating DC field is possible. This increases the output
obtainable from a machine of given dimensions.
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The Speed of Rotation of A Synchronous Generator
The Internal Generated Voltage of A Synchronous
Generator
(a) Plot of flux versus field current for a synchronous generator
(b) The magnetization curve for the synchronous generator
The full equivalent circuit of a three-phase synchronous generator
The full equivalent circuit of a three-phase synchronous
generator
Phasor Diagram of Synchronous Generator
(Including Armature Resistance)
 Voltage Regulation
A convenient way to compare the voltage behavior of two generators is by
their voltage regulation. The voltage regulation (VR) of a generator is defined by
the equation

Where Vnl is the no-load voltage of the generator and Vfl is the full-load voltage of the
generator. A synchronous generator operating at a lagging power factor has a fairly large positive
voltage regulation, a synchronous generator operating at a unity power factor has a small
positive voltage regulation, and a synchronous generator operating at a leading power factor
often has a negative voltage regulation
 Phasor Diagram of Synchronous Generator Phasor Diagram of Synchronous Motor
taking 𝐕Ф as a reference phasor taking 𝐕Ф as a reference phasor
Under-excited
Over-excited

Lagging pf
Lagging pf

Normally-excited
Normally-excited

Unity pf Unity pf

Under-excited Over-excited

Leading pf
Leading pf
Phasor Diagram of Synchronous Generator Phasor Diagram of Synchronous Motor
Taking 𝐈𝐀 as a reference phasor Taking 𝐈𝐀 as a reference phasor

Under-excited
Over-excited Lagging pf

Normally-excited
Normally-excited Unity pf
Unity pf

Leading pf Over-excited

Under-excited
Leading pf
 Power And Torque In Synchronous Generators

where γ is the angle between 𝑬𝑨 and IA

The power-flow diagram of a synchronous generator
 If the armature resistance RA is ignored (since XS >> RA), then a very useful
equation can be derived to approximate the output power of the generator.

The angle δ is known as the internal angle or torque angle of the

machine. Notice also that the maximum power that the generator
can supply occurs when δ = 90°. At δ = 90°, sin δ = 1
 Full-load torque angle for real generators

 Both of these quantities reach their

maximum values when the torque
angle δ reaches 90°.
 The generator is not capable of
exceeding those limits even
instantaneously.
 Real generators typically have full-
load torque angles of 20-30°
Parallel Operation of AC Generators