Parallel Operation of D.C.

Generators:

The generators in a power plant are connected in parallel through bus-bars. The bus-
bars are heavy thick copper bars and they act as +Ve and –Ve terminals. The positive
terminals of the generators are connected to the +Ve side of bus-bars and negative
terminals to the -Ve side of bus-bars. Fig. below shows shunt generator 1 connected to
the bus-bars and supplying load. When the load on power plant increase beyond the
capacity of this generator, the second shunt generator 2 is connected in parallel with
first to meet the increased load demand. The procedure for paralleling generator 2 with
1 is as under:

1- The prime mover of generator 2 is brought up to the rated speed. Now switch S4
in the field circuit of the generator 2 is closed.
2- Next C.B.2 is closed and the excitation of G2 is adjusted till it generates voltage
equal to the bus-bars voltage.
3- Now G2 is ready to parallel with G1 . the main switch S3 is closed thus putting
G2 in parallel with G1 . Note that G2 is not supplying any load because the
generated e.m.f. is equal to bus-bars voltage. The generator is said to be
"floating".
4- If G2 is to deliver any current e.m.f should be greater than the bus-bars voltage
V. in that case, current supplied by it where Ra the resistance
of armature circuit. By increasing the field current (and hence E) the generator 2
can be made to supply proper amount of load.
5- The load may shifted from one shunt generator to another merely by adjusting
the field excitation.

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 Load sharing:

1/ Linear Characteristics: This method is used when the external characteristics is

linear (neglecting the effect of AR).

V = E1 – Ia1Ra

V = E2 – Ia2Ra

I1 = Ia1 – If1

I2 + I1 = IL

2/ Non linear Characteristics:

If the total load current IL, and the external characteristics are non linear, then the
procedure is as follow to obtain the total characteristics.

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Example: The external characteristics of two d.c. generators 220V and 110kW and
connected in parallel are given as the following:

Output current A 0 200 400 500 700 900

V1 G1 229.5 226.5 222.5 220 213 205.5
V2 G2 224 223 221 220 217.5 214
Find the load sharing of 1500A. What is the terminal voltage.

V= 215V

G1 gives 650A

G2 gives 850A

Example: A d.c. shunt generator gave the following open-circuit characteristic when
driven at 750 r.p.m.

Field current 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

(A)
e.m.f. (V) 50 84 105 120 131
1- If the machine is run as a shunt generator at 750 r.p.m., to what voltage will it
excite with shunt field resistance equal to 70Ω?
2- What is the critical value of shunt field resistance?
3- What is the critical speed when the shunt field resistance is 70Ω?
4- With shunt field resistance equal to 55Ω. What reduction in speed be made to
make the open-circuit voltage equal to 100V?

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Solution:

1- The line OA intersect the O.C.C. at point B, therefore the voltage is OC =

105V.
2- Draw line OE tangent to O.C.C. the slope of this line represent the critical
resistance = 100/1= 100Ω.
3- Take any convenient point F on an x-axis then
then
4- Draw 55Ω line. With 55Ω shunt field resistance, then the open circuit is OD =
128V. To generate 100V with Rf = 55Ω, the operating point should be at M
then .