Activity No.

5 Date Performed:07/25/2021
Rating: _____________ Date Submitted: _______________

Open Circuit Saturation Curve of an Alternator

I. Objectives

1. To graph and analyse the saturation curve of an alternator.

II. Materials/Apparatus

AC Machines Trainer

III. Circuit Diagram

IV. Theory

Generally the alternator are nothing but AC generator. So the

alternators are producing AC voltages. Normally alternator rating
voltage,current, frequency and speed all are designed by
manufacturer. But the power factor of alternator cannot be designed
by manufacturer because they don’t know the nature of connecting
load. That’s why alternator always designed for KVA rating not in KW.

The alternator output current is always depend on the armature

heating loss. when the heating loss if its high it will damage the
insulation of alternators. The heating loss generally called as I2R loss
or coper loss. the output voltage of the alternator is depend on the
rotating speed of the alternators.
N= 120f/p
the speed of the alternator is already designed by the manufacturer it
can’t be changed. For small ratings of alternator rated in volt ampere
VA. Mostly all characteristics alternator ratings is build with name
plate on the alternators.

If speed of the alternator is decreased then output current of the

alternator also decreased. So speed and output current of alternators
both are directly proportional.

If speed of the alternator running lower then rated speed then

efficiency of the alternator will be reduced.

Current drop with increasing alternator temperature.

The output current of the alternator is depend on the temperature
produced by armature in the alternators. If temperature increased
then output current of alternator will be reduced. Because the output
current of alternators and temperature of armature both are indirectly
proportional.

V. Procedures

1. Connect the circuitry shown in the figure. This set-up is used to

test the synchronous machine as a motor.

2. Open the Metering instruments in the software LVDAC-EMS.

Change the current ranges for I1 and I2 to 40A on the right-hand
menu, and set up 3 displays to measure E1, I1, and I2. Change the
operating mode for the current meter for I2 accordingly.

3. Remove the lock from dynamometer. Place the DPDT switch in the
position to short the rotor to convert the motor to an induction
 rotor. Make sure that the torque meter is set to 0 Newton-meters
before energizing the synchronous motor and that it only reads
positive torques as the motor starts running. Increase the 3-φ AC
SOURCE output to 69.3VL – N. Now, place the switch in position to
the DC supply and apply 0.5 Adc to the rotor. This action brings the
machine into synchronism. Use the digital tachometer to verify
synchronous speed.

4. During the next procedures, observe the field current magnitude,

armature current magnitude and phase, and the instantaneous
line-to-neutral terminal voltage. The angle between the phase
voltage and phase current is the “power factor” angle, and it must
be calculated in Table 1. The motor terminal voltage must be
maintained at 69.3VL – N throughout these tests.

5. Set four load switches up with the field current still at 0.5 ADC.
Slowly increase the dynamometer field current (load switches “up”)
watch the dynamometer torque readout until the synchronous
motor stalls (loses synchronism) listen for the sound change. Note
the value of Iarm and Torque, reset to just below these values get a
maximum stable values for the table below at each value of Ifield.

6. To measure the delay between Vphase and Iphase, open the

Oscilloscope and select E1 and I1 as the input signals for channels
1 and 2, respectively. Change the scale for channel 2 to 1A/div. Run
the oscilloscope and use the vertical cursors to measure the time
delay between Vphase and Iphase.

VI. Data and Results

Measured values
Parameter Trials
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Torque 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
(Nm)
Voltage(V 440 440 440 440 440 440 440
)
Current 50 50 50 50 50 50 50
(A)
Power 90% 90% 90% 90% 90% 90% 90%
Factor
Speed 1355 1355 1355 1355 1355 1355 1355
(rpm)
Power 355900 355900 355900 355900 355900 355900 355900
Input (W)
 Calculated Value
Apparent 15.24 15.24 15.24 15.24 15.24 15.24 15.24
Power
(VA)
Power 117809. 117809. 117809. 117809. 117809. 117809. 117809.
Output 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
(W)

Efficiency 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2% 30.2%

(%)
Slip (s) 7.75% 7.75% 7.75% 7.75% 7.75% 7.75% 7.75%

Provide graphical presentation for the results.

VII. Computation

APPARENT POWER : S= 1.732Va/Ia

S= 1.732(440)/50=15.24 VA

Power Output (W): P= 2����

P=��(�������)=117809.7 W

Efficiency (%):n=(P2/P1)X100%
n=(355900/117809.7)X100%=30.2%

Slip (s): (Ns-Nr/Ns)x100%

s=(1355-1250/1355)x100%=7.75%

VIII. Observation/Conclusion/Generalization
An alternator is a device that transforms mechanical energy to electrical
energy in the form of alternating current(AC). A synchronous generator, AC
generator or alternators are the principal sources of electrical power
throughout the world, and range in size from a fraction of a KVA to 1500MVA.
These are the most common sources of electrical power in the world. In a
synchronous machine, the armature has an AC winding where the output
voltage flows while the field winding which can be the rotor is connected to a
DC supply for excitation. The objective of this experiment is to observe the
behaviour s of an AC synchronous generator and obtain the open circuit
saturation curve.