SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR

 CONSTRUCTUION
 BASIC PRINCIPLE
 SPEED AND FREQUENCY
 EMF INDUCED
SYNCHRONOUS
GENERATOR
Introduction to Synchronous Generator
• Are the primary source of all electrical energy
• Synchronous generators are commonly used to
convert the mechanical power output of steam
turbines, gas turbines, hydro turbines into electrical
power for the grid
• Can be extremely large – power ratings up to
1500MW.
• Are known as synchronous machines because
they operate at synchronous speed (speed of rotor
always matches supply frequency)
 Construction Housing ,cooling ducts

Stator Rotor

Shaft

Bearing
Rotor winding
Stator winding
Connections
Construction
Iron core

Stator details Coil

• Coils are placed in Slots
slots

• Coil end windings

are bent to form
the armature
End winding
winding.
Metal frame

Laminated iron
core with slots

Insulated copper
bars are placed in
the slots to form
the three-phase
winding
Construction
Round rotor
• The round rotor is
used for large high
speed (3000rpm, 2 or
4-pole) machines.
• A forged iron core is
installed on the shaft.
• Slots are milled in the
iron and insulated
copper bars are
placed in the slots.
• The slots are closed
by wedges and re-
enforced with steel
rings.
Construction
Rotor Details
 Construction Stator with
laminated iron-core
C
Concept (two poles) A

Round Rotor Machine

Slots with
The stator is a ring winding
shaped laminated iron- B
core with slots. A -
Three phase windings are + C
placed in the slots. +
(same as induction
N S
machines)
Rotor with dc
Round solid iron rotor winding C
with slots. A
-
A single winding is placed -
in the rotor slots. Dc B
current is supplied B +

through slip rings.

Salient pole rotor

Generally for low speed generators driven by

water turbines.
Large number of poles and large diameter
Damper winding is embedded in the pole-face
 Construction
Salient Rotor Machine
• The stator has a
laminated iron-core
with slots and three B- C+
phase windings
placed in the slots. N

A+ A-
• The rotor has salient
poles excited by dc
current.
S

• DC current is supplied B+
to the rotor through C-
slip-rings and
brushes.

• The number of poles

varies between 2 -
128.
Salient Pole rotor
 Generator

Exciter
View of a two-pole round rotor generator and exciter.
• The position of the armature and the field circuit
is interchanged in synchronous generators
compared to the dc machines – Armature in Stator,
Field in Rotor

REASONS:
• The armature winding, being rated for higher power
is much larger than the field winding. Therefore, it
can be better placed in the stationary part.
• Cooling arrangement is easier if the armature is in
the stator.
• The field coils carry relatively small current and
hence the power can be supplied easily to the field
winding by slip rings.
 Field excitation
• The field is excited by two dc generators connected
in cascade: Main exciter and Pilot exciter.
• The main exciter feeds the exciting current to the
field of the synchronous generator. Pilot exciter feeds
power to the field winding of the main exciter. (Refer to
Fig.)
• Typically, a 2500 kW exciter
for 500 MVA alternator.
• This cascade arrangement is
to get quick response.
• To avoid problems due to
carbon brushes of exciters,
brushless excitation systems
are being used recently.
 DAMPER WINDING
• THE POLE SHOES OF THE GENERATOR ARE
PUNCHED WITH SLOTS HAVING COPPER BARS
WHICH ARE SHORT CIRCUITED AT BOTH ENDS
BY HEAVY COPER WINGS. THESE BARS ARE USED
TO PREVENT THE HUNTING IN GENERATORS AND
MOTORS IN SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR TO PROVIDE
THE STARTING TORQUE

• THESE BARS ARE KNOWN AS SQUIRRELCAGE

WINDINGS,DAMPER WINDING OR AMORTISSUER
WINDINGS
 AIR GAP
• The air gap length in synchronous
generators and motors is fixed by
armature reactions as in D.C. machines
• The air gap should be considerably
longer than necessory for mechanical
clearance so that the effect of armature
reactions may not be exaggerated
Principle of Operation and emf Equation
• When the generator is driven by the prime mover a revolving
field is produced by the rotor field winding.
• A three-phase voltage is induced in the three-phase winding due
to relative motion.
•Frequency of the voltage depends upon number of poles and
speed.
a
A positive voltage is
induced in the • c’
conductor when an N 3-phase b • x
N
pole voltage
sweeps across it, a
negative voltage is • S x
induced when the S pole c b’
x
sweeps by.
a’
 Every time a complete pair of poles crosses the
conductor, the induced voltage goes through one
complete cycle. Therefore, the generator frequency
is given by
p n pn
f  . 
2 60 120
f 
p n
. 
Derivation of Emf equation
pn
2 60 120

The average induced voltage in each phase


E ave N
t
where N = number of turns in the phase winding
 = change of flux in a given time, t.