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StandAlone
ParallelOperation
PowerLimits
(../stand_alone/sa_intro.html)
(../parallel/parallel_intro.html) (power_limits.html)

Motors
(../motors/motor_intro.html)

PowerLimits
Thereare3basictypesofphysicallimitontheoperationofasynchronousmachine"
1.Thermal
2.Mechanical
3.Electromagnetic
Tounderstandtheimpactthatthephysicallimitsofasynchronousgeneratorhaveonoperation,firstconsiderasimplifiedphasor
diagram.

ThermalLimits

Thermallimitssetthemaximumtemperatureriseandthereforethemaximumpowerlossindifferentpartsofthemachine.Begin
byconsideringtherotorthemajorcauseoflossesontherotoristhefieldwindingresistiveloss.Ifthefieldcurrentisabovea
certainlevel,theI2 Rlosseswillbetoohigh,possiblycausinginsulationfailureinthefieldwinding.Inordertomanagethermal
conditions,fieldcurrentislimitedthereforetheinducedexcitationinthearmaturewindingwillbelimited.Therotorheatinglimit
sets|E|max.Similarlyonthestator,excessivearmaturecurrentswillcausethestatortemperaturetorisebeyondasafelevel.The
statorheatinglimitsets|IA|max.Insteadystate,thislimitistheratedcurrentofthemachine.(Thismaybeexceededbyanallowed
"servicefactor".e.g.ifamachinehasaratedcurrentof100Aandaservicefactorof1.15,itmaysafelyoperatecontinuouslyat
115A).Theheatinglimitscanbedrawnaslociionthephasordiagram:

MechanicalandElectromagneticLimits

Mechanically,theinputpowertothegeneratorislimitedbythephysicalcapacityoftheprimemover.Asaresult,theprimemover
limitsetsthemaximumoutputpowerfromthegenerator,Pmax=|Esin|max.Thefinallimitisrelatedtothemechanicalinputandthe
abilityofthegeneratortoelectromagneticallycreateatorqueequalandoppositetothedrivingmechanicaltorque.Recallthatthe
torquecanbethoughtofasthecrossproductoftwoelectromagneticfieldsorafunctionofthesineoftheanglebetweenVandE.
Atagivenexcitation,ifthemechanicaltorqueincreases,therotorspeedsup,increasingandtheelectromagnetictorque.This
negativefeedbackcontinuesuntiltheelectromagneticandmechanicaltorquesbalance.However,ifthegeneratorisoperatingwith
closeto90whentherotorspeedsup,increasespast90,theelectromagnetictorquefallsandpositivefeedbackoccurs,causing
therotortoacceleratefurther,pulloutofsynchronismandresultinzerooutputpowerandpossiblycatastrophicfailure.Thestatic
stabilitylimitissetat=90.Addingtheselimitstothephasordiagram:

Powerlimits

Whiletheabovephasordiagramlimitscanbeusedtodescribethelimitsofoperationofthegenerator,itismoreusefultothinkin
termsoflimitsonpower,reactivepowerandvoltamps.Forthisreason,thephasordiagramcanbescaledby3V/XS toobtainpower
andreactivepower:

Intheabovediagram,positivepowerisontheyaxisandreactivepowerisonthexaxis.Asitismoreusualtoseepoweronthex
axisandreactivepowerontheyaxis,thediagramcanberedrawn

CapabilityDiagram

Finally,thelimitsfromthephasordiagramcanbedrawnonaPQplot,toobtainthegeneratorcapabilitydiagram.

Summary

Thesteadystatelimitsonsynchronousgeneratoroperationare:
1.RotorHeatingLimit:Sets|E|max
2.StatorHeatingLimit:Sets|S|maxand|IA|max
3.PrimeMoverLimit:SetsPmax
4.StaticStabilityLimit:=90
AndyKnight: Email(mailto:andy.knight@ucalgary.ca) WebsiteHome(http://people.ucalgary.ca/~aknigh) SchulichSchoolofEngineering
(http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/)