Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

For all GI-GII 3rd Year Students

Electrical Machines and Drives
Course Code: ECEng3201
Instructor: Sisay E.
 Chapter One
DC Generators
1.1 Introduction
• There are various and unlimited forms of energy in our
real world.
- Electrical, Mechanical, Solar, Heat, Chemical, magnetic
etc …
• Thus, the topic is mainly concerned with the important
devices that change mechanical energy into electrical or
Vice Versa.
• The conversion of other forms of energy into electrical
energy with the aid of electromechanical devices such as
Generators, Motors, Relays, Telephone receivers, Loud
speakers is a common practice.
Concept map of electromechanical system modelling
 DC Generator
 DC generators are dc machines used as
generators
 An electrical generator is a machine, which
converts mechanical energy into electrical
energy.
 The energy conversion is based on principle of
dynamically induced emf, whenever a
conductor cuts magnetic flux, dynamically
induced emf is produced in it (Faraday’s law).
 This emf causes a current to flow if the
conductor is closed.
 The basic essential parts of an electrical
generator are:
 A magnetic Field and
 A conductor or conductors, which can so move
as to cut the flux.
 Cont’d…
 According to Faraday’s laws of
electromagnetic induction, an
emf will be induced in the rotating
coil and is given by e=βLV.
 Hence under the given
conditions, the change in the
magnitude of induced emf with
time depends upon the magnetic
flux density distribution under the
poles.
 Emf induced in the coil varies with
time as a sine function.
 Cont’d…
Right-hand Rule
• If the machine has P poles and
the armature rotates at N
revolutions per minute, then
the frequency of the induced
emf in the armature is,

The direction of the induced emf in this case

can be determined by Fleming’s right
hand rule
 Cont’d…
 The output voltage or the current of dc generator must be
unidirectional and that too of a constant value.
 Thus to compel the above alternating current to flow in one
stipulated direction through the external load circuit, the dc
machine is furnished with a special device called the
commutator.
Direction of conductor in a magnetic flux:

Generating of ac voltage
 The 0° position of the coil is defined as in (a)
where the coil sides move parallel to the flux lines.

Figure : AC voltages obtained from above direction of

conductor
 Conductor move parallelly to lines of force0 electrom.
induction.
Conductor move perpendicularly to lines of forcemax.
 Armature Winding
 Armature Winding is classified into two types
 Lap winding
 Wave windings
 Lap Winding:
 are used in machines designed for low voltage and high
current armatures are constructed with large wire because of
high current

Eg: - are used is in the starter motor of almost all automobiles

 The windings of a lap wound armature are connected in

parallel. This permits the current capacity of each winding
to be added and provides a higher operating current.
 No of parallel path, A=P ; P = no. of poles
Cont’d…
 Wave winding:
 are used in machines designed for high voltage and low
current their windings connected in series

 When the windings are connected in series, the voltage of

each winding adds, but the current capacity remains the same

 are used is in the small generator.

 No of parallel path, A=2,

Cont’d…
 EMF Equation of DC Generator
Let  = flux/pole in Weber
Z =Total number of armature conductors
=No. of slot × No. of conductors/slot
P= No. of generator poles
a =No. of parallel paths in armature
N= Armature rotation in revolutions per minute (r. p. m)
E= e.m.f induced in any parallel path in armature
Generated e.m.f Eg= e.m.f generated in any one of the parallel paths i.e E
Average e.m.f generated/conductor = d /dt volt

Now, flux cut/conductor in one revolution d  = P wb

 Cont’d…
No. of revolutions/sec=N/ 60
Time for one revolution , dt= 60 /N sec
According to Faraday’s Law of electro magnetic induction
E.M.F generated/conductor = d= PN volts
dt 60
No. of conductors (in series) in one parallel path= Z / a
E.M.F generated/path=  PN × Z Volts
60 a
Generate E.M.F, Eg= Z N × P Volts
60 a
For
i) Wave winding a = 2
ii) Lap winding a = P
In general, the Generated emf
Example 1.1 A 4 pole, lap winding dc generator has 42 coils with 8 turns
per coil. It is driven at 1120 rpm. If useful flux per pole is 21 mWb,
calculate the generated emf. Find the speed at which it is to be driven to
generate the same emf as calculated above, with wave wound armature.
Example 1.2 A wave wound , 6 pole DC generator has 600 armature
conductors. The generator is driven at 300 rpm. Calculate the emf
generated if the flux/pole is 0.060 Wb. If now, the generator is required to
produce emf of 550 V at a reduced value of flux/pole is 0.055 Wb,
calculate the speed at which the armature of the generator must be driven.
Example 1.3 A 12 pole DC generator has simple wave wound armature
containing 144 coils of 10 turns each. The resistance of each turn is 0.011
ohm. Its flux per pole is 0.05 Wb and it is running at a speed of 200 rpm.
Obtain the induced armature voltage and the effective armature resistance.
 Types of DC Generators
 The field winding and the armature winding can be interconnected
in various ways to provide a wide variety of performance
characteristics.
 This can be taken as outstanding advantages of a dc machines. A
dc machine can work as an electromechanical energy converter
only when its field winding is excited with direct current, except
for small dc machines employing permanent magnets.
 According to the method of their field excitation dc generators are
classified into the following group:
 Separately excited and
 Self excited
 DC machines may have one or more field windings and their
method of excitation, determines the performance characteristics
of the dc machines
 Separately Excited
 Its field winding consists of several hundreds turns of fine wire and
is connected to a separate or external dc source
 Field winding are energized from an independent external sources
of dc current.
 The voltage of the external dc source has no relation with the
armature voltage, i.e. the field winding energized from a separate
supply, can be designed for any convenient voltage
 Cont’d…

Eg = Generated emf
Ia = Armature current,
IL = Load current,
Vt = Terminal voltage,
Voltage drop in the armature = Ia × Ra
Pg = Eg . Ia
Eg = Vt + IaRa + Drop in brush
PL = Vt .IL
 Self-excited DC Generators
 When the field winding is excited by its own armature, the
machines is said to be a self excited dc machine.
 In these machines, the field poles must have a residual
magnetism, so that when the armature rotates, a residual voltage
appears across the brushes.
 This residual voltage should establish a current in the field
winding so as to reinforce the residual flux.
 According the connection of the field winding with the armature
winding, a self-excited dc machine can be subdivided as
follows:
 Cont’d…

Series Excitation

Shunt Excitation

Compound Excitation
 Series Excitation
 The field winding consists of a few turns of thick wire and is
connected in series with the armature.
 In other words, the series field current depends on the
armature current and in view of this; a series field may be
called a current operated field.

Series excited dc machine

 Shunt Excitation
 The field winding consists of a large number of turns of fine
wire and is connected in parallel (or in shunt) with the
armature.
 Therefore the voltage across the armature terminals and the
shunt field is the same and it is for this reason that a shunt field
may be called voltage operated field.

Shunt excited dc machine

 Compound Excitation
 A compound excitation involves both series-exited winding
and the shunt-excited winding.
 From the view point of connections, a dc compound machine
may have short-shunt connection or a long shunt connection.
 In short shunt connection of Figure (a) the shunt field or
voltage excited winding is connected across the armature
terminals.
 Cont’d…
• In long-shunt connection, the shunt field is connected across
• the series connection of the armature and series winding or
• the machine or line terminals as shown in Figure (b).
 Example 1.4 A separately excited DC generator , when running at 1000 rpm
supplied 200 A at 125 V. What will be the load current when speed drops to
800 rpm, if If is unchanged.
Given armature resistance = 0.40 ohm. And brush drop = 2 V.
Example 1.5 A 250 V, 10 kW, separately excited generator has an induced emf
of 255 V at full load. If the brush drop is 2 V per brush, calculate the armature
resistance of the generator.
Example 1.6 A 4 pole lap wound DC shunt generator has a useful flux/pole of
0.6 Wb. The armature winding consists of 200 turns, each turn having a
resistance of 0.003 ohm. Calculate the terminal voltage when running at 1000
rpm if armature current is 45 A.
Example 1.7 A 4-pole, lap connected DC machine has 540 armature conductors.
If the flux per pole is 0.03 Wb and runs at 1500 rpm, determine the emf
generated. If this machine driven as a shunt generator with the same field flux and
speed, calculate the terminal voltage when it supplies a load resistance of 40 ohm.
Given armature resistance as 2 ohm and shunt field circuit resistance as 450 ohm.
Also find the load current.
 Example 1.8 A DC series generator has armature resistance of 0.5 ohm and
series field resistance of 0.03 ohm. It drives a load of 50 A. If it has 6 turns/coil
and total 540 coils on the armature and is driven at 1500 rpm, calculate the
terminal voltage at the load. Assume 4 poles, lap type winding, flux per pole as
2mWb and total brush drop as 2 V.
Cont’d…
 Example 1.9 In a 110 V compound generator, the armature, shunt and series
windings are 0.06 ohm, 25 ohm and 0.04 ohm respectively. The load consists of
200 lamps each rated at 55 W, 110 V. Find the total emf and armature current,
when the machine is connected for a) Long shunt and b) short shunt.
 Losses in DC Generators
1.Cu losses
2.Iron losses
3.Mechanical losses
1.Cupper losses are mainly due to the current passing through the winding.
 Armature cu losses (30 to 40% of full load losses)
 Shunt field cu losses(20 to30% of full load losses)
 Series field cu losses
 Armature cu losses=Ia2 Ra
Ra=Armature resistance
Ia= Armature current armature cu losses
--Losses due to brush contact resistance is usually include in
 Shunt field cu losses=Ish2Rsh
Rsh=Shunt field resistance
Ish=Shunt field current
 Series field cu losses=Ise2Rse
Rse=Series field resistance
Ise=Series field current
 Con’td…
2.Iron losses (Magnetic losses)
20 to 30% of full load losses
 Hysteresis losses
 Eddy current losses
3. Mechanical losses
10 to 20% of full load losses
 Friction losses
 Windage losses
 Power Stages and Efficiency

Following are the three generator efficiencies

Mechanical efficiency
𝐵 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
ηm = = =
𝐴 𝑀𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑
𝐸𝑔 𝐼𝑎
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒
Electrical Efficiency
𝐶 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑉𝐼
ηe = = =
𝐵 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐸𝑔 𝐼𝑎
 Cont’d…
Overall or commercial efficiency
𝐶 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡
ηc = =
𝐴 𝑀𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑

It obvious that over all efficiency ηc = ηm x ηe . For good

generators, its value may be as high as 95%.

Efficiency of generator is defined as the ratio of output power

to input power
Efficiency (η) =output ×100
input
input=output+ losses (or) output=input-losses
For D.C generator input mechanical & output
electrical
Example 1.10 A shunt generator delivers 195A at terminal of P.d. of 250V.The
armature resistance and shunt field resistance are 0.02Ω and 50Ω respectively.
The iron and friction losses equal 950W.Find
a) E.M.F generated b) Cu losses C) Output of the prime motor
d) Commercial, mechanical and electrical efficiencies
Ish =250/50=5A;Ia =195+5=200A
a) Armature voltage drop=IaRa=200x0.02=4V
Generated e.m.f=250+4=254V
b) Armature Cu loss=Ia2Ra =2002 x 0.02=800W
Shunt Cu loss=V.Ish=250x5=1250W
Total Cu loss=1250+800=2050W
c) Stray losses=950W;Total losses=2050+950=3000W
Output=250x195=48750W; Input=48750+3000=51750W
Output=51750W
d) Generator input=51750W;Stray losses=950W
Electrical power produced in armature=51750-950=50800
 Cont’d…

ηm =(50800/51750)x100%=98.2%

Electrical or Cu losses=2050W

ηe=[(48750)/(48750+2050)]x100%=95.9%

ηc=(48750/51750)x100%=94.2%