ac Machinery

Engr. Richard Dean Briones

Alternator on load
As the load on an alternator is varied, its terminal voltage is also found to vary as
in direct current
generators. This variation in terminal voltage V is due to the following reasons

voltage drop due to armature resistance Ra

voltage drop due to armature leakage reactance XL
voltage drop due to armature reaction
Armature Resistance Ra
The armature resistance/phase Ra causes a voltage drop/phase of IaRa which is
in phase with the armature current Ia. However, this voltage drop is practically
negligible

Armature Leakage Reactance XL

When current flows through the armature conductors, fluxes are set up which do
not cross the air-gap, but take different paths. Such fluxes are known as leakage
fluxes.
Armature Reaction (Xar)
As in d.c. generators, armature reaction is the effect of armature flux on the main
field flux. In the case
of alternators, the power factor of the load has a considerable effect on the
armature reaction. Three
cases arise:

when load of power factor is unity

when power factor is zero lagging
when power factor is zero leading

The above facts have been summarized briefly in the following paragraphs where
the matter is
discussed in terms of “flux” rather than m.m.f. waves.
unity power factor
In this case as shown in Figure, the armature flux is cross-magnetizing. The result is that the flux at the leading tips
of the poles is reduced while it is increased at the training tips. However, these two effects nearly offset each other
leaving the average field strength constant. In other words, armature reaction for unity power factor is
distortional.
Zero Power Factor Lagging
As seen from Figure, here the armature flux (whose wave has moved backward by 90º) is in direct opposition to
the main flux. Hence, the main flux is decreased. Therefore it is found that armature reaction, in this case is wholly
demagnetizing, with the result, that due to weakening of the main flux, less e.m.f. is generated. To keep the value
of generated e.m.f. the same, filed excitation will have to be increased to compensate for this weakening
Zero Power Factor Leading
In this case, shown in Figure ©, armature flux wave has moved forward by 90º so that it is in phase with the main
flux wave. This result in added main flux. Hence, in this case, armature reaction is wholly magnetizing, which
results in greater induced e.m.f. To keep the value of generator e.m.f. the same, field excitation will have to be
reduced somewhat.
 Synchronous Reactance
The sum of armature leakage reactance (XL) and reactance of armature reaction (XAR) is called synchronous reactance Xs.

Xs = XL + Xar

Note that all quantities are per phase.

The synchronous reactance is a fictitious reactance employed to account for the voltage effects in the armature circuit
produced by the actual armature leakage reactance and the change in the air-gap flux caused by armature reaction. The
circuit then reduces to the one shown in Fig
Synchronous IMpedance
The synchronous impedance is the fictitious impedance employed to account for the voltage effects
in the armature circuit produced by the actual armature resistance, the actual armature leakage
reactance and the change in the air-gap flux produced by armature reaction

Zs = Ra + jXs
Voltage Regulation
It is clear that with change in load, there is a change in terminal voltage of an alternator. The
magnitude of this change depends not only on the load but also on the load power factor.
The voltage regulation of an alternator is defined as “the rise in voltage when full-load is removed
(field excitation and speed remaining the same) divided by the rated terminal voltage”.

Therefore,
Alternator power and efficiency
The efficiency of an alternator is calculated in exactly the same manner as was the efficiency of d-c
generators. It will be recalled that it is first necessary to determine the various losses in the machine;
with the alternator operating under load, these losses include:

Rotational losses = Stray Power Loss

a. Friction and windage
b. Brush friction at the field collector rings
c. Ventilation to cool the machine (if necessary)
d. Hysteresis and eddy currents in the stator (Core Loss)
Electrical losses
a. Field winding = VfIf = If^2Rf
b. Armature winding = nIa^2Ra
c. Brush contacts (negligible)
Losses in the exciter used for field excitation
Stray-load loss
Alternator power and efficiency
Short circuit test on alternator
The armature terminals are short circuited while a small field current is applied. Adjustments maybe
made such that Ip is approximately equal to the rated load armature current per phase.

A = ammeter reading during test

open test on alternator
The armature terminals are open circuited and the field current is made equal to the field current
during the short circuit test.

V = voltmeter reading during test

dc resistance test on alternator

The armature terminals are open circuited and the field current is made equal to the field current
during the short circuit test.

Rt = DC resistance of the alternator between any two terminals

= ohmmeter reading during the test
Alternator parameter derived from the test
Alternator parameter derived from the test
Power developed in the armature per phase
Alternator sample problem
574. A 30 MVA, 15kV three phase alternator will have a per phase nominal impedance of?

579 A 1MVA, 11Kv, three phase wye connected synchronous generator has a synchronous reactance of 5
ohms and a negligible resistance per phase. At a certain field current the generator delivers rated loadat
0.9 lagging power factor at 11kV. For the same excitation, Wwhat is the terminal voltage at 0.9 leading
power factor full load?

581. A 1200kVA, 6600 volts, 3phase Y connected alternator has an effective resistance of 0.4 ohms and a
reactance of 6 ohms per phase. It delivers full load current at 0.8 lagging power factor at rated voltage.
What will be the terminal voltage for the same excitation and load current, if the power factor is 0.8
leading

582. A 2500 kVA, 6600 V synchronous turbo alternator is operating at full load and 0.8 pf lagging. This
machine has a synchronous reactance per phase is 10.4 ohms and a negligible resistance. Calculate the
percentage voltage regulation
Alternator sample problem
583. A 50-kVA, 550-volt single-phase alternator draws a field current 10 A at rated load. With the same
field current, the open circuit emf and short-circuit current are 300 V and 150 A. The ohmic resistance of
the armature between terminals is 0.18 ohm. The ratio of effective to ohmic resistance maybe taken as
1.5 Determine the regulation at 0.8 power factor lagging.

584. A generator is rated 100 MW, 13.8 kV and 90% power factor. The effective resistance is 1.5 times the
ohmic resistance. The ohmic resistance is obtained by connecting two terminals to a DC source. The
current and voltage are 87.6 A and 6 V respectively. What is the effective resistance per phase if
connected in delta and if connected in wye?

585. To get the armature resistance of a 100 MW, 13.8 kV and 90% power factor generator, two terminals
are connected to a DC source. The measured current and voltage are 87.6 amperes and 6 volts
respectively. What is the DC resistance per phase
Alternator sample problem
586. A 2 MVA, 2.3-kV three-phase Y-connected alternator operates at rated KVA at a power factor of 80%.
The dc armature winding resistance between terminals is 0.08 ohms. The field takes 70 A at 125 V from
an exciter equipment. Friction and windage loss is 20 kW, iron losses 36 kW and stray load losses are 2.0
kW. Calculate the efficiency of the alternator. Assume the effective armature-winding resistance is 120%
of the DC resistance.

587. Determine the efficiency of a 1500 kVA, 2300 V, 3-phase, Y-connected alternator, which operates at
rated output with a power factor of 80%. The DC armature resistance at 70 °C between terminals is 0.08
ohm. The field takes 70 A at 120 V from the exciter equipment. Friction and windage losses are 15 kW,
iron loss is 35 kW and stray load losses is 1.5 kW. Assume the effective armature winding resistance is
1.5 times the DC value.

588. A 2,500 kVA, three-phase, 60 Hz, 6.6 kV wye-connected alternator has a field resistance of 0.45 ohms
and an armature resistance of 0.05 ohms per phase. The field current at full load 0.85 pf, is 200 A. The
stray power losses amount to 82 kW. Calculate the efficiency of the alternator at full load, 0.85 pf lagging.
Alternator sample problem
589. A 6,6 kV, Y-connected, 3-phase alternator has a synchronous reactance of 6 ohms per phase and a
negligible resistance. At a certain field current the armature is known to induce 5.8 kV per phase.
Calculate the maximum power that can be developed by the alternator at this excitation.

590. An 11,000 volts three-phase wye-connected turbo alternator has a synchronous reactance of 6
ohms and a negligible resistance per phase. When the field current is 8 A, the open circuit voltage is
12,000 volts. Determine the armature current when alternator developed maximum power.

591. A three-phase, 11 kV wye connected synchronous alternator has a synchronous reactance of 8

ohms per phase but negligible resistance. If the excitation is such that the open circuit voltage is 14 kV,
determine the power factor at the maximum output.