Chapter 4

Synchronous
Generators

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Basic Topology

• In stator, a three-phase winding similar to the one

described in chapter 4. Since the main voltage is
induced in this winding, it is also called armature
winding.

• In rotor, the magnetic field is generated either by a

permanent magnet or by applying dc current to rotor
winding. Since rotor is producing the main field, it is also
called field winding. Two rotor designs are common:

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

o Salient-pole rotor with “protruding” poles

o Round or Cylindrical rotor with a uniform air gap

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Exciter Systems for Large Generators

Figure 4-3
Brushless exciter circuit.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

Figure 4-5
A brushless excitation scheme that includes a pilot exciter. The permanent magnets of
the pilot generator produces a field current of the exciter which in turns produces the field
current of the main machine.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

The Speed of Rotation of a Synchronous Generator

nm P
fe 
120

Where

fe = electrical frequency, in Hz

nm = mechanical speed of magnetic field, in rpm

= rotor speed, in rpm

P = number of poles

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

The Internal Generated Voltage of a Synchronous Generator

• It was shown previously, the magnitude of the voltage

induced in a given stator phase was found to be
N
E  2 N  f  A
 C
C

2
• The induced voltage is proportional to the rotor flux for a
given rotor angular frequency in electrical Radians per
second.

• Since the rotor flux depends on the field current IF, the
induced voltage EA is related to the field current as
shown below. This is generator magnetization curve or
the open-circuit characteristics of the machine.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Figure 4-7
(a) Plot of flux versus field current for a synchronous generator. (b) The magnetization
curve for the synchronous generator.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 The Equivalent Circuit of a Synchronous Generator

• When generator is not loaded, the internal generated

voltage EA is the same as the voltage appearing at the
terminals of the generator, V.

• When generator is loaded, a balanced 3-phase current

will flow which results in the stator rotating magnetic field
BS. The net air gap flux density is the sum of the rotor
and stator magnetic fields:

Bnet  BR  BS

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

• The voltage induced in the armature would be the sum of
the voltages induced by rotor field (EA) and the voltage
induced by the stator field (EAR, or armature-reaction
voltage).
Enet  E A  E AR

Two other voltage drops must be considered:

o Self (or leakage) inductance of the armature coils.
o Resistance of the armature coils
• The armature-reaction voltage may be represented by
an inductive voltage drop across an armature–reaction
reactance XAR, as shown here.
jX AR jX RA

+ EAR - + IA
+
EA Enet V
-
-

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• The two reactances may be combined into a single
reactance called the synchronous reactance of the
machine:

XS  X AR  X

Figure 4-12
The per phase equivalent circuit of a synchronous generator.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 The Phasor Diagram of a Synchronous Generator

• The Kirchhoff’s voltage law equation for the armature

circuit is
E A  V  I A (RA + jX S )

• The phasor diagrams for unity, lagging, and leading

power factors load are shown here:

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Power and Torque in Synchronous Generators

Figure 4-15
The power-flow diagram of a synchronous generator

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

• The input mechanical power is given by
Pin   appm

• The power converted from mechanical to electrical

power is given by
Pconv   indm  EAI ACos( )

• The real and reactive electrical output power is given by

POUT  3V I ACos( )

QOUT  3V I ASin( )

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

• If the armature resistance is ignored (Since RA << XS),
E ASin( )
I ACos( ) 
XS
3V  E ASin( )
PCONV POUT 
XS

Figure 4-16

Simplified phasor diagram with armature resistance ignored

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

• Induced torque of the generator is given by

3V  E ASin( )
 
ind
m X S

• Note that this equation offers an alternative form for the

induced torque presented before by
  KB B Sin( )
ind net R

• Since Bnet produces V (assuming negligible RA and

leakage reactance) and BR produces EA, power angle

  V· , E ; B
· ,B
A net R

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Measuring Synchronous Generator Parameters
• Open-circuit and short-circuit tests to obtain
magnetization characteristics and synchronous
reactance of the generator.

o Open-circuit test: With loads disconnected, generator

is driven at rated speed. The terminal voltage is
measured as field current varied.

o Short-circuit test: Armature terminals shorted,

generator is driven at rated speed and the armature
current is measured as field current varied.

• DC voltage test to obtain the armature resistance.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

Figure 4-17
(a) The open-circuit characteristics (OCC) of a synchronous generator. (b) The short-
circuit characteristics (SCC) of a synchronous generator.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Steps to obtain unsaturated synchronous reactance Xsu
at a given field current:
1. Get EA from air-gap line on OCC
2. Get the armature at the same If from SCC
E A OCC,Agline
X Su 
I A SCC

Figure 4-19
A sketch of the approximate synchronous reactance of a synchronous generator as a
function of the field current. Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza
 The Effect of Load Changes on a Synchronous
Generator Operating Alone
• At constant field current and rotor speed

Figure 4-22
The effect of an increase in generator load upon its terminal voltage. At a fixed power
factor (a) Lagging; (b) unity; (c) leading.
Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza
 Parallel Operation of Synchronous Generators
Requirements:
1. Must have the same voltage magnitude.
2. The phase angles of the two a phases must be the same.
3. The generators must have the same phase sequences.
4. The frequency of the oncoming generator must be slightly
higher than the frequency of the running generator.

Figure 4-27
(a) The two possible phase sequences of a three phase system
(b) The three-light-bulb method for checking phase sequence.
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Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza for reproduction or display.
 Frequency-Power Characteristics of a Synchronous
Generator

P  SP (fnl  fsys )

Figure 4-29
(a) The speed-power curve for a typical prime mover. (b) The resulting frequency-power
curve for the generator.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. PermissionIrneza
Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. required for reproduction or display.
 Voltage-Reactive Power Characteristics of a
Synchronous Generator

Figure 4-30
Terminal voltage versus reactive power characteristics, assuming generator’s voltage
regulator produces an output that is linear with changes in reactive power

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Operation of Synchronous Generators in Parallel with
Large Power Systems
• Since infinite bus has a constant voltage and frequency,
its f-P and V-Q characteristics are horizontal lines

Figure 4-33
(a) A synchronous generator operating in parallel with an infinite bus.(b) The f-P diagram
(or house diagram) for a synchronous generator in parallel with an infinite bus.
Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza
Figure 4-36
The effect of increasing the governor’s set point on at constant excitation (a) the house
diagram; (b) the phasor diagram.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

Figure 4-37
The effect of increasing the generator’s field current at constant power on the
phasor diagram of the machine

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Operation of Synchronous Generators in Parallel with
Other Generators of the Same Size

Figure 4-38
(a) A generator connected in parallel with another machine of the same size. (b) The
corresponding house diagrams at the moment generator 2 is paralleled with the system.
(c) The effect of increasing generator 2’s governor set point on the operation of the
system. (d) The effect of increasing generator 2’s field current on the operation of the
system
Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza
 Operation of Synchronous Generators in Parallel with
Other Generators of the Same Size

Figure 4-40
(a) Shifting power sharing without affecting system frequency. (b) Shifting system
frequency without affecting power sharing. (c) Shifting reactive power sharing without
affecting terminal voltage. (d) Shifting terminal voltage without affecting reactive power
sharing.
Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza
 Synchronous Generator Transients

• Static stability limit is the maximum power generator can

supply under gradual load change.

3V E A
Pmax 
XS

• Transient stability limit is the maximum power generator

can supply under sudden load change. The machine’s
reactance during these changes is different than the one
during steady-state condition.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Short-Circuit Transients in Synchronous Generators

i (t )  2  (I " I ')e t T ''  (I ' ISS )e t T '  ISS  Cos t  o 

Figure 4-45
The Symmetric ac component of the fault current.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

• Steady-state, transient, and subtransient short-circuit
currents when a sudden short is applied across the
terminals of an unloaded generator.

EA
ISS 
XS
EA
I' 
X'
EA
I" 
X"

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

Figure 4-46
A semilogarithmic plot of the magnitude of the ac component of the fault current as a
function of time. The subtransient and transient time constants of the generator can be
determined from such plots.

Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Synchronous Generator Ratings

• Armature heating sets the limit on the armature current,

independent of the power factor

PSCL  3I A2RA

• For a given rated voltage, the maximum acceptable IA

determines the rated KVA of the generator

Srated  3V ,rated I A,max  3VL,rated IL,max

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Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. Irneza

 Synchronous Generator Ratings

• The rotor heating sets the limit on the machine’s field

current and hence sets the maximum allowable EA and
rated power factor

Figure 4-47
The effect of the rotor field current limit on setting the rated power factor of the generator

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Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. required for reproduction or display.
 Synchronous Generator Capability Curve

Figure 4-48
Derivation of a synchronous generator capability curve. (a) The generator phasor
diagram; (b) the corresponding power limits.

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Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. required for reproduction or display.
Figure 4-50
A capability diagram

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Notes 6_SynGenerator_Dr. required for reproduction or display.