Lecture No.

16
EE-440: Electrical Machines

Chapter 4. Synchronous Generator

 Types of AC machines (single phase and three phase)

Synchronous Generator Induction (Asynchronous) Special Motors

and Synchronous Motor Motor and Generator

Salient and Squirrel cage induction Universal motors,

non-salient motor and wound rotor Stepper motors and
(cylindrical) rotor type induction motor servo-motors

Capacitor run, capacitor start, split

phase induction motor etc.
 Three phase and single phase voltages and currents

ILine = Iphase ILine = √3Iphase

VLine = √3Vphase VLine =Vphase
• Three phase voltages and currents are equal in magnitude but displaced 120
degree apart from each other i.e. phase angle is 120 degree
• V1= Vmsinωt, V2= Vmsinωt-120, V3= Vmsinωt-240
 Synchronous Generators
Synchronous Generator Construction:

A DC current is applied to the rotor winding, which then produces a rotor

magnetic field. The rotor is then turned by a prime mover (eg. Steam,
water etc.) producing a rotating magnetic field. This rotating magnetic
field induces a 3-phase set of voltages within the stator windings of the
generator.

“Field windings” applies to the windings that produce the main magnetic
field in a machine, and “armature windings” applies to the windings
where the main voltage is induced. For synchronous machines, the field
windings are on the rotor, so the terms “rotor windings” and “field
windings” are used interchangeably.
 Synchronous Generators
Generally a synchronous generator must have at least 2 components:
a) Rotor Windings or Field Windings.

i) Salient Pole ii) Non Salient Pole

b) Stator Windings or Armature Windings.

The rotor of a synchronous generator is a large electromagnet and the

magnetic poles on the rotor can either be salient or non salient
construction. Non-salient pole rotors are normally used for rotors with
2 or 4 poles rotor, while salient pole rotors are used for 4 or more
poles rotor.
 Salient Pole rotor
• The salient pole alternator has a salient pole rotor. The term ‘salient’ means protruding or
projecting, as the poles on its rotor are projected outwards as shown in the figure below.
• The salient pole rotor has many ‘salient’ poles mounted on a core made of magnetic
laminated steel or cast iron of good magnetic properties. The lamination is done to reduce the
Eddy current losses whereas the magnetic property is used to have better flux linkage and
reduce flux leakage.
• As the rotor holds field windings in the alternator, the field windings are wound across the
extruding poles. The field windings are then connected in series leaving two terminals for DC
excitation. A separate DC source is connected through the slip ring and brush configuration to
generate the necessary magnetic field and poles
Salient Rotor
The main features of the Salient Pole

• The poles are protruding and extended outward.

• It has a large number of poles about 4 to 60.
• It has a large diameter
• It has a small axial length
• It has lower mechanical strength. Therefore it is used for
only low and medium-speed applications in the range of
100 to 1500 RPM.
• Its design flaw is that it has comparatively high windage
losses.
• It cannot handle high speed due to high windage loss.
 Non salient pole rotor
• The second type of alternator is the cylindrical
pole type whose rotor has non-salient or
cylindrical poles. The rotor of such an alternator
has poles that are not protruding as shown in the
figure below.
• Non-Salient Pole Rotors are cylindrical-shaped
rotors having parallel slots on their outer
periphery to place rotor windings.
• The core of the cylindrical pole rotor is also made
of a laminated steel core that is slotted for
holding the field windings. but the portion that is
designed as poles remains unslotted as shown in
the figure.
• It has very few numbers of poles usually 2 or 4.
The diameter of the rotor is small having a longer
axial length. The design allows low windage
losses that enable high-speed operation.
Non salient rotor
The main features of cylindrical pole alternator

• It has non-salient poles or its poles are not protruding.

• It has a few number of poles i.e. 2 or 4
• It has a small diameter
• It has a longer axial length.
• Its design allows high mechanical strength making it more
durable and have very low windage losses
• It enables it to have the high-speed operation up to 3000
RPM.
• It generates no noise in the system.
 Synchronous Generators
A dc current must be supplied to the field circuit on the rotor. Since the
rotor is rotating, a special arrangement is required to get the dc power
to its field windings. The common ways are:
a) supply the dc power from an external dc source to the rotor by
means of slip rings and brushes.
b) Supply the dc power from a special dc power source mounted
directly on the shaft of the synchronous generator.
 Synchronous Generators
Slip rings are metal rings completely encircling the shaft of a machine
but insulated from it. One end of the dc rotor winding is tied to each of
the 2 slip rings on the shaft of the synchronous machine, and a
stationary brush rides on each slip ring.
 Synchronous Generators
A “brush” is a block of graphite-like carbon compound that conducts
electricity freely but has very low friction, hence it doesn’t wear down
the slip ring. If the positive end of a dc voltage source is connected to
one brush and the negative end is connected to the other, then the
same dc voltage will be applied to the field winding at all times
regardless of the angular position or speed of the rotor.
 Synchronous Generators
Some problems with slip rings and brushes:
- They increase the amount of maintenance required on the machine,
since the brushes must be checked for wear regularly.
- Brush voltage drop can be the cause of significant power losses on
machines with larger field currents.
Small synchronous machines – use slip rings and brushes.
Larger machines – brushless exciters are used to supply the dc field
current.
Synchronous Generators
A brushless exciter circuit : A small
3-phase current is rectified and
used to supply the field circuit of
the exciter, which is located on the
stator. The output of the armature
circuit of the exciter (on the rotor)
is then rectified and used to supply
the field current of the main
machine.
 Synchronous Generators
To make the excitation of a generator completely independent of any
external power sources, a small pilot exciter can be used.

A brushless excitation scheme

that includes a pilot exciter. The
permanent magnets of the pilot
exciter produce the field current
of the exciter, which in turn
produces the field current of the
main machine.
 The Speed of Rotation of a Synchronous Generator
The rate of rotation of the magnetic field in the machine is related to the stator
electrical frequency by:
 The Internal Generated Voltage of a
Synchronous Generator
•
The Internal Generated Voltage of a Synchronous Generator