• Generator Principles

• Generator Construction
• Excitation System
• Operational aspects
• Generator Protections
Alternator:

An Alternator is an equipment which

converts Mechanical Energy into
Electrical Energy.
 Sources of Mechanical Energy

• Steam Turbines
• Gas Turbines
• Hydraulic Turbines
• Other sources
• This forms the basis for the conversion of
Mechanical Energy into Electrical Energy.

• This can be presented in two forms which are

applicable to the operation of Generators.
 N
R
Y
B

•When a Rotating Magnetic Field cuts the conductors,

Voltage is induced in them.
•This is applicable to the main generator
 S

+
_ N N

•When a Rotating conductor cuts the Magnetic Field ,

Voltage is induced in the conductor.
•This applicable to the Exciter.
• A DC Voltage is applied to the Rotor and it
becomes a Magnet

• When this magnet is rotated,it induces

voltage in the stator windings
• STATOR
• ROTOR
• EXCITER
• SLIP RINGS
• BRUSHES
• BEARINGS
• COOLING SYSTEM
• PROVIDED FOR EXTERNAL
EXCITATION

• USED FOR ROTOR EARTH FAULT

PROTECTION
• SLEEVE BEARINGS ARE USED

• THEY ARE MADE OF WHITE METALS

• NDE SIDE BEARING IS INSULATED

TO AVOID SHAFT CURRENT
CURRENT CIRCULATION
• Stator frame : Mild steel
• Stator core : Silicon steel laminations
• Stator windings : Copper strips
• End shield : Aluminum alloy
• Rotor poles : Alloy steel
• Rotor coils : Silver alloyed copper
• To take away the heat dissipated in the
stator and the rotor

• Maximum loading of the machine depends

on the effectiveness of cooling system.
• AIR COOLING - For low ratings

• WATER COOLING - For medium

ratings

• HYDROGEN COOLING - For higher ratings

• TO SUPPLY THE FIELD WINDING OF THE
GENERATOR WITH DC CURRENT AND
CONTROL IT
• THIS KEEPS THE TERMINAL VOLTAGE
CONSTANT
• ENSURES PROPER REACTIVE POWER
SHARING
• IMPROVES STABILITY
 STATOR
STATOR
+
ROTOR DIODE ROTOR

SHAFT

ROTOR ROTOR
- RECTIFIER

STATOR
STATOR

Powering
11 KV
RESIDUAL MAGNETISM
PT AVR
Feedback
 STATOR
STATOR
+ STATOR
ROTOR DIODE ROTOR MAGNET

SHAFT

ROTOR MAGNET
ROTOR
- RECTIFIER
STATOR
STATOR
STATOR

Feed back
11 KV
PT AVR
Powering
 AC - DC +
POWERING TO EXCITER
CONVERTER -

FIRING PULSE
Aux. power
GENERATOR

Aux. power CONTROLLER

Reference Feedback
REFERENCE FEEDBACK
PROCESSING PROCESSING
• There are two identical AVRs present
• The AVR will not come into line unless the
turbine reaches 85% of full speed
• One of the AVR will be on line and the other
one will remain as standby.
• If the main AVR fails , then the stand by
AVR will automatically come onto line
• A manual excitation control provision also
exists
 Parameters List:
• Voltage
• Frequency
• Active power
• Reactive power
• Excitation voltage / current
• Power Factor
Frequency - Real power
f

NL
FSR 3
FL FSR 2
FSR 1

P
FL
 Voltage - Reactive Power:
V

NL
IF 3
FL IF 2
IF 1

Q
FL
 TURBINE REACHES FULL SPEED

CLOSE THE FIELD BREAKER

BUILD UP VOLTAGE TO 11KV

SYNCHRONISATION

INCREASE THE LOAD

ISLAND OPERATION PARALLEL OPERATION

 6 MW GT-A

6 MW LOADS

Real and Reactive power supplied will be the amount demanded by the Load.
FIELD
GOVERNOR
CURRENT
SETDECIDES
POINT DECIDES
THE TERMINAL
THE FREQUENCY
VOLTAGE
• More load in shared condition.

• Increase in Reliability.

• Flexibility in Maintenance.
GT-A GT-B

LOADS ARE
ARE
ARE THE
THE
THE YES
FREQUENCIES
VOLTAGES
PHASE SAME?
SAME?
SEQUENCES SAME?
37 MW GT-A 4 MW GT-B

7 MW LOAD LOAD
LOAD DEMAND
HAS TO IS BETWEEN
BE SHARED CONSTANT
THEM
 f
GT-A GT-B

P 6 MW 3 MW 1MW 4 MW P
 TO SUMMARISE:
• Load demand is constant

• Increase in Governor set point of one Generator

increases the system frequency and Real power on
that Generator

• Increase in Field current of one Generator increases

the system voltage and Reactive power on that
Generator
Voltage and Frequency are constant i.e not in our control
f V

P Q
 WHEN INCOMING FREQUENCY IS GREATER THAN GRID:

f
APTRANSCO GT-A

P PAPTRANSCO PGT P

GT-A TAKES PART OF LOAD

 WHEN INCOMING FREQUENCY IS LESSER THAN GRID:

APTRANSCO f GT-A

P PAPTRANSCO -PGT P

GT-A ACTS AS LOAD

 WHEN THE GOVERNOR SET POINT OF GT-A INCREASES:

APSEB f GT-A

P 6 MW 4 MW 2 MW 1 MW 3 MW 5 MW P
• Voltage and Frequency are fixed by GRID

• Governor set point decides the Real Power

• Field current decides the Reactive power

• To prevent the equipment from severe
damages during fault conditions

• To continuously track the various

parameters and isolate the equipment when
they deviate from the set value
• Over current Protection
• Stator Earth Fault Protection
• Rotor Earth Fault Protection
• Differential Protection
• Unbalance Protection
• Reverse power Protection
• Loss of Excitation Protection
• Over / Under Frequency Protection
• Over / Under voltage Protection
 CTS
Winding R

Winding Y

Winding B

O/C OCCURS

I > 540 A

RELAY Relay operates in ‘ t ‘ sec

NGR
It monitors the overloading pattern of the generator
and trips incase of heavy loading
It follows an Inverse curve and so it trips in less time
for a higher current
• The set point initiates the relay typically at 540 A
t

I
 Winding R
Winding Y
Winding B
I >15.2 A or
20 A CT
RELAY
Relay operates

NGR
• The star point of the Generator is earthed
through a Resistor to limit Earth fault
current

• So whenever an Earth fault occurs , the fault

current flows through NGR

• When the neutral current exceeds the set

value , the relay operates
• This relay senses any earth fault present in the
rotor

• It measures the Earth fault resistance and

operates if it falls below set value

• The measurement of Earth fault resistance is

done through voltage injection principle
CTS CTS
Winding R
Winding Y
Winding B

RELAY I > 105 A (OR) 350 A

Relay operates
• This relay is to protect the stator winding phase wise
• This is the fastest relay available
• Under normal condition both the CT currents are same
and the differential current is zero.
• But when there exists a fault in the stator winding both
CT currents differ leading to a differential current
• When this differential current is more than set value the
relay operates
• Unbalance condition arises when the three
phase loads are not same

• This relay operates if the percentage of

unbalance exceeds the set value

• Typically 8%
• To avoid reverse flow of power i.e power
into the generator
• In this state Generator will act as a motor
• If continues to operate , this will cause
overheating of turbine
• Typically 3% ( 5% ) reverse flow
• To avoid running the machine without excitation
• It works on the principle, Impedance=V/I.
• The terminal voltage falls if a sudden heavy load
demand or AVR failure occurs, this will cause the
current to increase and the impedance falls.
• The relay is an Impedance relay and it operates
when Impedance falls below certain limit.
• UNDER VOLTAGE = 7.4 KV ; 7.5 KV

• OVER VOLTAGE ALARM = 12 KV ; 11.5 KV

• OVER VOLTAGE TRIP = 12.5 KV , 12.5 KV

• OVER FREQUENCY = 51.5 Hz , 52 Hz

• UNDER FREQUENCY = 47 Hz , 47.5 Hz

• DIFFERENTIAL RELAY ACTS

• STATOR EARTH FAULT OCCURS

• LOSS OF EXCITATION HAPPENS

• ROTOR EARTH FAULT EXISTS