POWER GENERATION AND EVACUATION EXCITATION SYSTEM

CHAPTER 23
EXCITATION SYSTEM

23.1 CLASSIFICATION OF EXCITERS

Excitation systems for synchronous machines can be classified as below

23.1.1 DC EXCITATION
This is the traditional method. A DC generator is mounted on the main shaft &
separately or shunt excited, the output being fed to the rotor of the main generators
through slip rings or brushgear. Commutation difficulties at high speeds have
sometimes led to geared or separately driven exciters.

23.1.2 STATIC EXCITATION

Direct current excitation can be obtained by means of a rectifier & suitable supply of
alternating voltage. By this method, the commutation limits inherent in the rotary DC
generator are avoided. With an AC exciter machine mounted on the main shaft, its field
fed from a pilot exciter whose field in turn is derived from a permanent magnet
generator, the exciter output is fed to the floor standing rectifier. The rectified current is
supplied to the main rotor winding through conventional slip rings. The rectifier unit
has no rotating parts, requires little maintenance & is immune to dust or hazardous
atmospheres.

23.1.3 SELF EXCITATION

Self-excitation can be obtained by means of a bridge connected rectifier deriving its
alternating voltage from a transformer with two primary windings per phase; one
primary is excited from the generator terminal voltage, the other from the load current
as indicated in the fig. As a result the excitation is responsive to both output voltage &
load current and is said to be compounding or self regulating. As most generators have
a residual rotor field too small to occur from a standstill start, a permanent magnet pilot
exciter is provided to establish an adequate generator terminal voltage for initiating
self-excitation. D.C excitation through batteries can also be provided till sufficient
generator terminal voltage is available.

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Self-excitation system initiated by station batteries is used for exciting the rotor
windings of Steam turbine generator (STG).

23.2 BRUSH-LESS EXCITATION SYSTEM:

The term ‘Brush-less’ is applied to a machine in which the conventional brush gear is
eliminated. An exciter with a fixed field and rotating phase windings is mounted on the
main shaft, the AC output being converted to DC by means of shaft mounted rectifiers
& fed directly to the main rotor windings; no slip-rings or brush gear being needed.

The exciter consists of:

Rectifier wheels
Three-phase pilot exciter
Three-phase main exciter
Metering & supervisory equipment.

23.2.1 COMPONENTS OF BRUSHLESS EXCITER

The 3-phase pilot exciter system has a revolving field with permanent magnet poles.
The 3-phase AC is fed to the field of a rotating armature main exciter via a stationary
regulator and rectifier unit. The 3- phase AC included in rotor of the main exciter is
rectified by the rotating rectifier bridge and fed through the DC lead in the rotor shaft.

A common shaft carries the rectifier wheels, the rotor of the main exciter and the
permanent magnet rotor of the pilot exciter. The shaft is rigidly coupled to the generator
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rotor & supported on end bearing shield. The generator & the exciter bearings are thus
supported on a total of three bearings. Mechanical coupling of the two shaft assemblies
results in the central shaft bore through the Multikontakt electrical system consisting of
plug in bolts and sockets.

23.2.2 RECTIFIER WHEEL

The main components of the rectifier wheels are the silicon diodes, which are arranged
in the rectifier wheels in a 3-phase bridge circuit. A plane spring assembly produces the
contact pressure for the silicon wafer of the diodes. The contact pressure is such that
this contact pressure is increased by centrifugal force during rotation.

One diode is mounted each in the light metal heat sink and then connected in parallel.
Associated with each diode is a fuse that serves to switch off the diode from the circuit
if it fails.

The 3-phase connection between armature and diodes is obtained via copper conductors
arranged on the shaft circumference between the rectifier wheels and the main exciter.
The conductors are attached by means of the binding clips and equipped with the
internal diode connections. One conductor is provided for each arm of Diode Bridge.
The conductors originate at a bus ring system of the main exciter.

Three Phase Pilot Exciter

The three phase pilot exciter is a six-pole revolving field unit. The frame
accommodates the laminated core with the three-phase winding. The rotor consists of a
hub with mounted poles. Each pole consists of separate permanent magnets that are
housed in a non-metallic enclosure. The magnets are braced between the hub & the
external pole shoe with bolts. The rotor hub is shrunk onto the free shaft end.

Three Phase Main Exciter

The three phase main exciter is a six-pole revolving armature unit. Arranged in the
frame are the poles with the field & damper windings. The field winding is arranged on
the laminated magnetic poles. At the pole shoe, bars are provided which are connected

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to form damper winding. Between the two poles a Quadrature-axis coil is fitted for
inductive measurement of the field current.

The rotor consists of stacked laminations that are compressed by through bolts over
compression rings. The 3- phase winding is inserted in the laminated rotor .The
winding conductors are transposed within the core length and turns of the winding are
secured with steel bands. The connections are made on the side facing the rectifier
wheels; the winding ends are run to a bus ring system to which 3- phase leads leading
to the rectifier wheels are also connected. After full impregnation with epoxy resin and
curing , the complete rotor is shrunk onto the shaft.

23.3 AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE REGULATOR

23.3.1 FUNCTION
The voltage regulator is intended for the excitation & control of generators equipped
with exciters employing rotating non controlled rectifiers. Excitation control is required
to maintain:
 normal operating voltage, to vary generation of reactive power,
 the voltage during external faults,
to increase the steady state, dynamic & transient stability.

Manual control of an exciter field rheostat suffices for very small machines, but
otherwise the use of automatic voltage regulators (AVR) is universal.

23.3.2 TYPES OF AVR

The AVR may be of the following types.

Carbon Pile Regulator –

For very small machines makes use of the resistance variation of a pile of carbon plates
with variation of comprehensive force, the mechanical pressure being provided by an
electromagnet energized from the supply to be controlled.

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Torque-motor Regulator –
Is a sensitive quick acting device comprising multi tapped resistors connected into the
exciter field circuit & brought out to closely spaced rows of silver contacts. Short
circuiting sectors roll over the contacts in accordance with the torque of a small split
phase disc motor against spring loading & eddy current damping. Voltage setting is
simple, & droop & compounding effects can be adjusted independently.

Vibrator Regulator –
Is the type of AVR in which the exciter field rheostat is rapidly switched in & out of
circuit to correct deviations from nominal voltage setting. A control magnet is
energized from the voltage to be regulated & its main contacts are closed by a spring. If
the voltage rises, the pull of the spring is overcome & the contacts open, inserting the
field rheostat into circuit. The resulting fall in voltage causes the contacts to re-close.
The cyclic process takes place rapidly & repeatedly, holding the voltage within the
limits prescribed.

High Speed Regulators –

The above mentioned electromechanical regulators are unsuitable for large machines
owing to large field currents required for the main exciter. High-speed regulators are
required that can give rapid response rates with the largest generators. Such an
automatic voltage regulator comprises error detecting, follow up, under excitation
limiter & under voltage protection units, with appropriate amplifiers.

23.4 DESCRIPTION OF HIGH SPEED REGULATORS

The automatic voltage regulator is a fast response, transistorised, dual channel type
regulator with the provision of application of negative ceiling voltage across the field
windings of the turbo generator.

The main parts of the regulator equipment are two closed loop control systems
including a separate gate control set and thyristor set each, field discharge circuit, an
open loop control system for exchanging signal between the regulator equipment and
the control room, and the power supply circuits.

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The closed loop control systems are

AUTO mode
MANUAL mode

The AUTO control system performs the following functions

 Generator voltage control
 Field forcing limiter - undelayed limiting control for the output current of thyristor
set.
 Under-excitation limiter
 Over-excitation limiter-delayed limiting control
 Automatic field suppression during shutdown of generator.
 Stator current limiter- delayed limiting control
 V /Hz limiter.(Over fluxing protection)

For optimum utilization of inductive & capacitive load capabilities of the generator, the
A.V.R is provided with Rotor current limiter and Rotor angle limiter. The MANUAL
control system controls the excitation current in the main exciter field winding.
Normally, the automatic voltage regulation system (AUTO) is operative, including the
start-up & shutdown of the machine. The set point adjuster of the excitation current
control (MANUAL) is possible at any time. Under certain emergency & fault
conditions, the changeover from AUTO to MANUAL mode is initiated automatically.
Correct operation of the follow-up control is monitored & can also be observed on a
matching instrument (null voltmeter) in the control room. This instrument also permits
manual matching.

23.5 LIMITERS
Under Excitation Limiter –
It ensures that, in the under-excited range the minimum excitation required for stable
parallel operation of the generator with the system is available & the under-excited
reactive power is limited accordingly. The response characteristic is formed on the
basis of the generator reactive current, active current & terminal voltage & can be
matched to generator and system data.

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Stator Current Limiter –

Ensures delayed reduction of the excitation current in the over-excited part of the
capability diagram. The delay time depends on the magnitude by which the limit has
been exceeded. Lowering of generator excitation in the under-excited area of the
capability diagram would increase the stator current instead of limiting it. Therefore the
limiter is disabled by a limit monitor, when the reactive current falls short of an
adjustable reactive current limit.

V / Hz Limiter –
Prevents excessive magnetic flux increase and thermal stressing of the unit transformer
& of the generator. The function of the V / Hz limiter is to issue a signal to the voltage
regulator, to reduce the excitation current when a pre-set V / Hz limit value is
increased.

Field Forcing Limiter –

With the voltage regulation calling for maximum excitation, the thyristor set supplies a
higher voltage to the field winding of the main exciter than that actually required for
exciting the main exciter to the ceiling voltage.(maximum excitation voltage of
generator). Yet the output current of the thyristor set is limited by the field forcing
limiter to the ceiling voltage.

Automatic Field Suppression –

On shutdown of the generator by a reverse power relay or speed dependent, or in fault
conditions, by the generator protection equipment Field discharge commands drive the
thyristor set to the maximum negative output voltage (inverter operation)via the gate
control set. This causes the main exciter to be de-excited in less than 0.5-sec. Generator
de-excitation follows depending on the generator time constant. The main exciter field
breaker is tripped after the inverter operation of the thyristor set. The field breaker & its
discharge resistor is suitably rated to effect field suppression even in case of failure of
electronic field suppression.

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Rotor Current Limiter –

If the generator is operating with a rotor current more than the permitted value, the
magnitude of the rotor current can be brought back to a safe permitted value by
increasing the firing angle & decreasing output of thyristor bridges.

Rotor Angle Limiter –

If the generator is operating on capacitive mode with a rotor angle (load angle) more
than the permitted value, the magnitude of the rotor angle can be brought back to a safe
value by decreasing firing angle of firing pulses & thereby increasing output from
thyristor bridges.

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