UNIVERSITY OF

MAURITIUS
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

Electrical Engineering and Electronics Department

EXPERIMENT 201: Characteristics of a D.C compound

generator

Programme: BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Minor Industrial Systems)

Level 2

Module: Electrical Machinery & Measurements (ELEC 2012Y)

Laboratory: Electrical Power and Machines Laboratory

Instructor: Dr B. Rajkumarsingh

Name: Student I.D

RAMEN Kumaren 1316437

Date submitted: 30.04.16

Table of Contents
1. Aim ......................................................................................................................3
2. Theory ..................................................................................................................3
3. Equipment ...........................................................................................................5
4. Experimental Procedures ....................................................................................5
4.1. Part A- Open circuit characteristics ..............................................................5
4.2. Part B- Load characteristics ..........................................................................5
5. Tabulation of Results ..........................................................................................6
5.1. Open circuit characteristics: ..........................................................................6
5.2. Load characteristics .......................................................................................6
6. Data analysis and graph plotting .........................................................................7
6.1. Part A- Open circuit characteristics ..............................................................7
6.2. Part B- Load characteristics ..........................................................................8
7. Discussion and Conclusion .................................................................................8
8. References ...........................................................................................................8

2
1. Aim
To determine
(a) the open-circuit characteristic
(b) Load characteristic

2. Theory

Open Circuit Characteristic (O.C.C.) (E0/If)

Open circuit characteristic is also known as magnetic characteristic or no-load saturation

characteristic. This characteristic shows the relation between generated emf at no load (E0) and
the field current (If) at a given fixed speed. The O.C.C. curve is just the magnetization curve and
it is practically similar for all type of generators. The data for O.C.C. curve is obtained by
operating the generator at no load and keeping a constant speed. Field current is gradually
increased and the corresponding terminal voltage is recorded. The connection arrangement to
obtain O.C.C. curve is as shown in the figure below. For shunt or series excited generators, the
field winding is disconnected from the machine and connected across an external supply.

Now, from the emf equation of dc generator, we know that Eg = kɸ. Hence, the generated emf
should be directly proportional to field flux (and hence, also directly proportional to the field
current). However, even when the field current is zero, some amount of emf is generated
(represented by OA in the figure below). This initially induced emf is due to the fact that there
exists some residual magnetism in the field poles. Due to the residual magnetism, a small initial
emf is induced in the armature. This initially induced emf aids the existing residual flux, and
hence, increasing the overall field flux. This consequently increases the induced emf. Thus,
O.C.C. follows a straight line. However, as the flux density increases, the poles get saturated and
the ɸ becomes practically constant. Thus, even we increase the If further, ɸ remains constant and
hence, Eg also remains constant. Hence, the O.C.C. curve looks like the B-H characteristic.

3
The above figure shows a typical no-load saturation curve or open circuit characteristics for all
types of DC generators.

External Characteristic (V/IL)

An external characteristic curve shows the relation between terminal voltage (V) and the load
current (IL). Terminal voltage V is less than the generated emf Eg due to voltage drop in the
armature circuit. Therefore, external characteristic curve lies below the internal characteristic
curve. External characteristics are very important to determine the suitability of a generator for a
given purpose. Therefore, this type of characteristic is sometimes also called as performance
characteristic or load characteristic.

The above figure shows the external characteristics of DC compound generators. If series
winding amp-turns are adjusted so that, increase in load current causes increase in terminal

4
voltage then the generator is called to be over compounded. The external characteristic for over
compounded generator is shown by the curve AB in above figure.
If series winding amp-turns are adjusted so that, the terminal voltage remains constant even the
load current is increased, then the generator is called to be flat compounded. The external
characteristic for a flat compounded generator is shown by the curve AC.
If the series winding has lesser number of turns than that would be required to be flat
compounded, then the generator is called to be under compounded. The external characteristics
for an under compounded generator are shown by the curve AD.

3. Equipment
1) D.C Compound generator: Volts: 220 R.P.M:1430 Rating: 2.5 KW
2) Digital ammeter and voltmeter
3) Field regulator: 750 Ω, 0.6A.
4) Load resistor: 240V, 15A

4. Experimental Procedures
4.1. Part A- Open circuit characteristics
i. The circuit is first set up as shown in the figure below.

Figure 4.1: The dc generator

ii. Then the generator is made to run at rated power.
iii. The emf (E) is varied in suitable steps from minimum to a rated value of 220V.
iv. The emf, E(V) and the field current If (A) is then measured and recorded in the table
of results.

4.2. Part B- Load characteristics

i. The emf is now set to a constant value of 220V.
ii. The load current, IL is varied in suitable steps from 0 to 9A.
iii. The values of IL and If are measured using the digital ammeter while the potential
difference V, across RL is measured using the digital voltmeter.
iv. The rpm of the dc generator is also measured.
v. All the data obtained is then tabulated.

5
Once the above steps were completed, the following parameters were measured (with windings
still near its operating temperature).
 Shunt field resistance – 370 Ω
 Series coil resistance – 0.6 Ω
 Armature resistance – 2.3 Ω
 Field coil regulator – 140 Ω

5. Tabulation of Results
5.1. Open circuit characteristics:
Speed: 0 rpm
Table 5.1: Results for open circuit characteristics
If (A) 0.19 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.70 0.80

E (V) 116.8 146.4 163.8 183.9 198.5 213.7 224.8 233.4 241.8 253.7 265.4

5.2. Load characteristics

Table 5.2: Results for load characteristics
IL (A) If (A) V (V) Speed (rpm)

0 0.47 220 1460

1 0.45 215 1450

2 0.44 210 1440

3 0.43 205 1430

4 0.42 200 1420

5 0.41 195 1410

6 0.40 190 1400

7 0.39 185 1390

8 0.38 180 1380

9 0.37 175 1370

6
6. Data analysis and graph plotting
6.1. Part A- Open circuit characteristics

E.m.f (E) against field current (If)

300

250

200
If (A)

150

100

50

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
E (V)

Figure 6.1: Graph of emf (E) against field current (If)

Critical resistance = gradient of the line at the start of the curve
𝟐𝟕𝟎−𝟏𝟐𝟓
= 𝟎.𝟓−𝟎.𝟐

= 483.33 Ω

7
6.2. Part B- Load characteristics

Voltage V against load current (IL)

250

200

150
IL (A)

100

50

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
V (V)

Figure 6.2: Graph of voltage (V) against load current (IL)

7. Discussion and Conclusion

From the graph of emf against field current (Fig 6.1), the critical resistance was found to be
483.33 Ω which is the minimum external load resistance required to excite the shunt wound
generator.
From the graph of load voltage V against load current IL (Fig 6.2), it can be seen that the graph
has the same trend as the terminal voltage characteristic of an under-compound connected DC
compound generator when compared to the theoretical graph of “V-I characteristics of a dc
compound generator” (Fig 2.3). Thus it can be deduced that the series field winding has lesser
number of turns than for a flat compounded machine as the terminal voltage falls with increase in
load current.

8. References
- Characteristics of DC Compound Generator. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.studyelectrical.com/2014/08/characteristics-of-dc-compound-generator.html.
[Accessed on 24.04.16]
- Electrical4u. 2011. Online electrical engineering. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.electrical4u.com/characteristic-of-shunt-wound-dc-generator/. [Accessed on
24.04.16]
- P.C Sen, 1989. Principles of Electrical Machines and Power Electronics. 2nd ed. Queen's
University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada: John Wiley & Sons.