5/11/2014 CR4 - Thread: Generator Synchronizing

Sites: GlobalSpec.com | GlobalSpec Electronics | CR4 | Electronics360

The Engineer's Place for News and Discussion® Login | Register

Previous in Forum: Calculating the Diesel Consumation of 725KVA DG on Full Next in Forum: Derive and Size Cables - 3 Phase Induction
Load ? Motors

Anonymous Generator Synchronizing

Poster 12/20/2010 2:21 PM

We have 11 KV ,20 MVA generator which is synchronised with utility power.We have AE make electromechanical type
synchroscope provided near 3 bulbs.I use to see synchroscope dial rotation and bulbs glowing and flickering but dont
exactly know when dial move clock wise or anticlockwise ,sometimes fast sometimes slow.When 2 bulbs glow
simultaneously and sometimes all three dark.

At what moment of dial position and bulb indication, Generator breaker is made on?

What will happen physically and why when breaker is made on without fulfilling basic synchronising conditions.1) only
Voltage does not match

2)only freq does not match

3)only phase angle not matched

4)phase sequence does not match

Why synchroscope should not be left in circuit after synchronising?

What is trhe indication that 1)phase seq has matched.2)voltage matched.3)phase angle matched.4)freq matched

Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to

this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Join CR4, The Engineer's Place for News and Discussion!

Comments rated to be Good Answers:

These comments received enough positive ratings to make them "good answers".

#1 "Re: Generator synchronising" by PeterT on 12/20/2010 3:36 PM (score 3)

PeterT Re: Generator synchronising

#1

Guru 12/20/2010 3:36 PM

You have multiple questions - I will try to answer them individually.

If any of the voltage / frequency / phase angle parameters are outside of acceptable differences (usually some %
voltage, 0.1 Hz or so, and +/- 5 to 10 degrees), and you close the generator breaker, you risk doing severe damage to
the generator. Depending on the "strength" of the bus to which you are syncing, the generator will in a very short time
be forced to change its speed / pole position. This has been known to (catastrophically!) throw the rotor right out of a
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Liverpool, NY
machine.
Posts: 678
Good Answers: 79 If the phase sequence does not match, someone has wired something wrong, and you will never synchronize because
your phase rotation is backwards.

A synchronizing panel usually has the sync scope, voltmeter(s), frequency meter, and two lights (not three). One light
will be connected to the generator voltage source and the other to the bus source, and two lights are connected in
series. When the generator and the bus are of opposite phase (180 degrees off), the voltages of the two sources add
and both lights are on maximum brightness; when the gen and bus are in sync, the voltages are same phase, and
cancel (lights off).

When manually synchronizing, you want to get generator voltage same (very close) to bus voltage, frequency same,
and control the speed of the gen so that the needle on the sync scope is turning very slowly. When the needle just
almost reaches top dead center, and both lights are out, is the time to close the breaker. A sync check relay properly
set, with a contact wired in the close circuit, will block operation of your manual close switch if you are too far out of
voltage/phase.

You can leave the sync scope in the circuit, but it tells you very little after synchronization because the bus will keep
the generator in sync except for an anomaly in generator operation or system conditions. The sync scope would stay
pinned at the top, the lights would be off, and the voltage and freq meters would show the bus conditions. Therefore it
is usually turned off after sync.

__________________
To get the right answers, first you need to ask the right questions.
http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/63842 1/2
5/11/2014 CR4 - Thread: Generator Synchronizing

No more Good Answers.

67model Re: Generator synchronising

#2

Guru 12/20/2010 4:54 PM

Why Synchroscope is not left in circuit? Because it, or the capacitors/resistors used with it, are not rated for
continuous energising. As the comprehensive post #1 writes, there is no purpose served by leaving Synchroscope on, it
will just wear out for no benefit.
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 790
Good Answers: 56

Reply to Forum Thread 2 comments

Back to top
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Join CR4, The Engineer's Place for News and Discussion!

Comments rated to be Good Answers:

These comments received enough positive ratings to make them "good answers".

#1 "Re: Generator synchronising" by PeterT on 12/20/2010 3:36 PM (score 3)

Previous in Forum: Calculating the Diesel Consumation of 725KVA DG on Full Next in Forum: Derive and Size Cables - 3 Phase Induction
Load ? Motors
You might be interested in: Motor and Generator Winding Services, Circuit Breakers, IC Waveform Synthesizers and Function Generators

"Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the
air." -- Georges Bernanos

All times are displayed in US/Eastern (EDT) (Register to change time zone)

©2014 IHS.
No part of this site may be copied, transmitted or stored, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of
IHS. The information contained on this site is by users for users and is provided for information purposes only and does not
constitute advice. Any views or opinions expressed by users are personal to them and do not represent the views or
opinions of IHS. You should check any information and use your own judgment or seek expert advice before doing or not
doing anything on the basis of what you read here. IHS does not verify or warrant the accuracy or completeness of any
information on this site and, to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any loss, damage or expense incurred
by reliance on it or for any dealings you have with users or other third parties that take place using or facilitated by this site.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/63842 2/2