Chapter 5

Synchronous Machines
5.1 Salient-pole machine analysis using direct and quadrature axis theory
5.2 Power/load angle characteristics of synchronous machines.
5.3 Stability, hunting and damper windings of synchronous machines.
5.4 Starting of synchronous motors and power factor correction by SMs

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Introduction to synchronous machines
❑ A synchronous machine is an AC rotating machine whose speed, under
steady-state, depends on the frequency of the armature currents and the number
of field poles. 2f
ns = , in rps
P
120 f
Ns = , in rpm
P

❑ A 3-phase synchronous machine is a doubly-excited ac machine, because its

field winding is energized from a dc source, and its armature winding is
connected to ac source.
❑ When it works as a motor, the armature takes ac power from ac source. When it
works as a generator, it delivers or exports ac power and it is called alternator.
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❑ Synchronous machines are commonly used as generators especially for large
power systems, such as turbine generators and hydroelectric generators in the
grid power supply.
❑ Since the reactive power generated by a synchronous machine (Synch. Motors)
can be adjusted by controlling the magnitude of the rotor field current, unloaded
synchronous machines are also often installed in power systems solely for power
factor correction or for control of reactive kVA flow.
❑ Such machines, known as synchronous condensers, may be more economical in
the large sizes than static capacitors.

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❑ If the stator excitation of a permanent magnet motor is controlled by its rotor
position such that the stator field is always 90o (electrical) ahead of the rotor, the
motor performance can be very close to the conventional brushed dc motors,
which is very much favored for variable speed drives.
❑ Synchronous machines are of two types depending up on the geometrical
structure of the rotor,
➢ Salient-pole type and
➢ Cylindrical-rotor, round rotor or non-salient pole type
❑ The field winding on the salient poles is a concentrated winding.
❑ In case of cylindrical rotor the field winding is distributed winding housed in the
rotor slots.
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❑ The salient pole synchronous machines have non-uniform air gap, under pole
center it is minimum, and in between poles the air gap is maximum.
❑ In cylindrical rotor synchronous machine the air gap is uniform throughout ,
neglecting the slot openings.
❑ The stators of both types of synchronous machines are similar to induction motor
stator. That is, the synchronous machine stator consists of a cast iron, stator
frame, a cylindrical laminated and uniformly slotted stator core, a 3-phase
distributed winding (placed in the stator slots), end covers, base etc.
❑ The stator frame and end covers serves merely as mechanical support to the
stator core and are not designed to carry the magnetic flux.

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 (a) Salient pole type (b) Cylindrical (round) rotor

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❑ In synchronous machines, the armature winding either exports ac power
(synchronous generator) or imports ac power (synchronous motor) where as the
field winding is always energized from dc source.
❑ In other words the synchronous machines are doubly excited energy conversion
devices.
❑ The generation of emf, in general, depends on the relative motion between the
field flux and armature winding.
❑ Given this, an alternator may have either,
➢ rotating field poles and stationary armature or
➢ rotating armature and stationary field pole.

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❑ Synchronous machines are constructed with high power armature winding on the
stator and low-power field winding on the rotor, though small synchronous
machines with the reverses arrangement may also be built.
❑ The dc power supply required for excitation usually is supplied through a dc
generator known as exciter, which is often mounted on the same shaft as the
synchronous machine. Various excitation systems using ac exciter and solid
state rectifiers are used with large turbine generators.
❑ Generally, round rotor structure is used for high speed synchronous machines,
such as steam turbine generators, while salient pole structure is used for low
speed applications, such as hydroelectric generators.

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Salient pole Synchronous Machines

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Rotating Magnetic Fields
❑ The magnetic field distribution of a distributed phase winding can be obtained by
adding the fields generated by all the coils of the winding.
❑ If the permeability of the iron is assumed to be infinite, by Ampere's law, the mmf
across each air gap would be 𝑁𝑖𝑎/2, where 𝑁 is the number of turns of the coil
and 𝑖𝑎 the current in the coil.
❑ Assuming cylindrical rotor, the mmf distribution along the air gap is a square
wave.
❑ Because of the uniform air gap, the spatial distribution of magnetic field strength
is the same as that of the mmf.

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❑ It can be shown analytically that the fundamental component is the major
component when the square wave mmf is expanded into a Fourier Series, and it
can be written as:
4 Nia
Fa1 = cos
 2
❑ 𝜃 is the angular displacement from the magnetic axis of the coil.
❑ When the field distributions of a number of distributed coils are combined, the
resultant field distribution is close to a sine wave.
❑ The fundamental component of the resultant mmf can be obtained by adding the
fundamental components of these individual coils, and it can be expressed as

4 K d Nia
Fa1 = cos
 2
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 The mmf of a concentrated full-pitch coil
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❑ In some windings, short pitched coils (the distance between two sides of coil is
smaller than that between two adjacent magnetic poles) are used to eliminate a
certain harmonic, and the fundamental component of the resultant mmf is then
expressed as 4 K w Nia
Fa1 = cos , K w = K p  K d
 2
❑ Let 𝑖𝑎 be 𝐼𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝜔𝑡), and then

4 K w N ph I m 4 K w N ph I m
Fa1 = cos t cos = Fma1 cos t cos , where Fma1 =
 P  P
❑ Hence, the mmf of a distributed phase winding is a function of both space and
time. When plotted, it is a pulsating sine wave; therefore, it is called a pulsating
mmf. A pulsating mmf is composed of two sinusoidally distributed pulses of same
amplitude which rotate at constant speed of elect.

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 cos ( −  ) + cos ( +  )
❑ Because cos  cos  =
2
❑ The fundamental component of resultant mmf
becomes:
cos (t −  ) cos (t +  )
Fa1 = Fma1 + Fma1 = F+ + F−
2 2
❑ It can be shown that the first term in the above
equation stands for a rotating mmf in the +𝜃
direction and the second a rotating mmf in the
− 𝜃 direction.
❑ That is, a pulsating mmf can be resolved into
two rotating mmfs with the same magnitudes
and opposite rotating directions.
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SALIENT POLE SYNCHRONOUS MACHINES
❑ Low-speed multi-polar synchronous machines have salient poles and non
uniform air gaps. The magnetic reluctance is low along the poles and high
between poles.
❑ Therefore, a particular armature reaction mmf will produce more flux if it is acting
along the pole axis, called the d-axis, and less flux if it is acting along the inter-
polar axis, called the q-axis.
❑ In the cylindrical rotor synchronous machine, the same armature reaction mmf
produces essentially the same flux irrespective of the rotor position because of
the uniform air gap.

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❑ It is therefore obvious that the magnetizing reactance 𝑋𝑎𝑟, which represents the
armature reaction flux in the cylindrical machine, can no longer be used to
represent armature reaction flux in a salient pole machine.
❑ Consider the following figure, in which the stator current 𝐼𝑎 is shown in phase
with the excitation voltage 𝐸𝑓.
❑ The field mmf 𝐹𝑓 and flux 𝜙𝑓 are along the d-axis and the armature mmf 𝐹𝑎 and
flux 𝜙𝑎𝑟 are along the q-axis.

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❑ Now the stator current 𝐼𝑎 is considered to lag the excitation
voltage 𝐸𝑓 by 90⁰. The armature reaction mmf 𝐹𝑎 and flux 𝜙𝑎𝑟 act
along the d-axis, directly opposing the field mmf 𝐹𝑓 and flux 𝜙𝑓.
❑ Note that the same magnitude of the mmf 𝐹𝑎 now acting along
the d-axis (axis of high permeance) produces more armature
reaction flux than that when 𝐼𝑎 was in phase with 𝐸𝑓 and its mmf
was acting along the q-axis.
❑ The magnetizing reactance is more if 𝐼𝑎 lags 𝐸𝑓, than if 𝐼𝑎 is in
phase with 𝐸𝑓. Therefore, the magnetizing or armature reaction
reactance is not unique in a salient pole machine but depends
on the power factor of the stator current.
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❑ Now let the armature current lags excitation emf by time-phase angle 𝜓 degrees.
❑ The internal power factor becomes cos(𝜓). The armature mmf 𝐹𝑎𝑟 lags the field
mmf 𝐹𝑓 by a space angle of 900 + 𝜓.

❑ According to two-reaction theory, the sinusoidal armature mmf 𝐹𝑎𝑟 is resolved

into two sinusoidal components; 𝐹𝑎𝑑 along d-axis and 𝐹𝑎𝑞 along q-axis.
❑ 𝐹𝑎𝑑 experiences minimum but constant reluctance, and 𝐹𝑎𝑞 experiences
maximum but constant reluctance.
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❑ 𝐹𝑎𝑑 and 𝐹𝑎𝑞 are taken to be produced by 𝐼𝑑 and 𝐼𝑞
respectively. From the phasor diagram shown,
I d = I a sin , I q = I a cos
❑ Terminal voltage 𝑉𝑡 lags 𝐸𝑓 by load angle 𝛿.
❑ Since reluctance along the field-pole axis is less than
that along the q-axis, the component fluxes 𝜙𝑎𝑑 (𝐹𝑎𝑑
divided by reluctance along d-axis) and 𝜙𝑎𝑞 ( 𝐹𝑎𝑞
divided by reluctance along q-axis) are not in the
same ratio as the component mmfs. Hence 𝜙𝑎𝑑 and
𝐹𝑎𝑑 are not in phase. Phasor diagram of salient pole
ad Fad synchronous machine based on two
 reaction theory
aq Faq
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❑ Assume 𝑋𝑎𝑑 and 𝑋𝑎𝑞 be d-axis and q-axis magnetizing
reactances (armature-reaction reactances) of the salient-
pole synchronous machine.
❑ And 𝑥𝑎𝑙 is leakage reactance included to account for
the leakage flux produced by the armature current.
❑ Then the d-axis and q-axis synchronous reactances
become:
X d = X ad + xal , X q = X aq + xal

❑ The phasor diagram is redrawn for salient-pole

synchronous generator as shown and the voltage
equation is given by:
E f = Vt + I a ra + jI d X d + jI q X q
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(a) Two-reaction theory phasor
diagram for salient-pole synchronous
generator, (b) its simplified version
20
❑ For a salient-pole synchronous motor, the voltages
(terminal voltage) and the currents are input currents.
Hence, the terminal voltage leads the excitation
voltage by load angle 𝛿.
❑ The phasor diagram is redrawn as shown and using
phasor sum, the voltage equation becomes:

Vt = E f + I a ra + jI d X d + jI q X q

Simplified two-reaction theory

phasor diagram for salient-pole
synchronous motor

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Power-load angle characteristics of synchronous machine
❑ In this topic, power expressions are derived in terms power-angle 𝛿 from phasor
diagrams of cylindrical-rotor and salient-pole synchronous machines.
❑ Armature resistances of synchronous machines are usually small, therefore they
are neglected in this topic.
A. Cylindrical-rotor synchronous machine
❑ Consider a synchronous generator is feeding an infinite bus of constant voltage
𝑉𝑡 as shown by the following single line.

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❑ Its phasor diagram for a lagging power factor and with zero
armature resistance is shown.
❑ The power factor is cos𝜃.
❑ The following equation gives the per phase power delivered to
the infinite bus. P = Vt I a cos

bc oc
❑ From sine rule, =
sin boc sin obc
Ia X s Ef
= , sin ( 90 +  ) = cos 
sin  sin ( 90 +  )
Ef
I a cos = sin 
Xs
EV
❑ Hence, the per phase power becomes: P = f t sin 
Xs
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❑ Hence, the power versus load angle curve will have a sinusoidal shape and is
usually called the power-angle characteristics of the cylindrical-rotor
synchronous machine.
❑ The power 𝑃 is taken positive for generator, and therefore, it is negative for
motor.

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B. Salient-pole synchronous machine
❑ Consider a synchronous generator is connected to an infinite
bus with constant terminal voltage, 𝑉𝑡.
❑ For lagging power factor and zero armature resistance, the
phasor diagram is also drawn as shown.
❑ Since components of terminal voltage 𝑉𝑡 (𝑉𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛿 and 𝑉𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛿)
are in phase with 𝐼𝑑 and 𝐼𝑞, respectively, the per phase power
deliver to the bus is given by:
P = I dVt sin  + I qVt cos 
❑ From the phasor diagram, Vt sin  = ab = dc = I q X q
Vt
Iq = sin 
Xq
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 Vt cos  = oa = od − bc = E f − I d X d
E f − Vt cos 
Id =
Xd
❑ The power becomes:
 E f − Vt cos   Vt 2
P= Vt sin  + sin  cos 
 Xd  Xq
❑ After simplification,
E f Vt Vt 2  1 1 
P= sin  + sin 2  − 
Xd 2 
 Xq Xd 
❑ The power versus load-angle curve is drawn as shown on
the left. The first term is called the electromagnetic power
since its existence depends on the existence of both the
armature winding (with 𝑉𝑡) and field winding (with 𝐼𝑓 or 𝐸𝑓).
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❑ The second term exists even when 𝐼𝑓 is zero (𝐸𝑓 is zero). It is called reluctance
power since it depends on the different reluctances along the d- and q-axes.
❑ Positive values of 𝛿 corresponds to generator operation where 𝐸𝑓 leads 𝑉𝑡.
❑ For motor operation with zero armature resistance, power-angle characteristics
are of the same shape, except 𝐸𝑓 lags 𝑉𝑡 and 𝛿 is taken as negative.
❑ The condition for maximum power is obtained by equating derivation of the
power with respect to the load angle to zero with constant 𝑉𝑡 and 𝐸𝑓.
❑ For cylindrical-rotor machine,
dP E f Vt
= cos  = 0
dt Xs
cos  = 0 or  =90
❑ Hence, maximum power occurs at 𝛿 = 90⁰ for cylindrical-rotor machine.
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❑ For salient-pole machine,
dP E f Vt  1 1 
= cos  + Vt 
2
−  cos 2 = 0, cos 2 = 2cos  2 − 1
dt Xd 
 Xq Xd 
Ef Xq 1 Ef Xq
cos  = −  +
4Vt ( X d − X q ) 2 4Vt ( X d − X q )

❑ From the above equation, only the positive sign is taken. The load-angle will be
less than 90⁰. Hence, for salient-pole machine, maximum power will occur for a
load angle less than 90⁰.

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Stability, hunting and damper winding of SM
Stability of synchronous machines
❑ Any machine is said to be stable if, under steady state, it is operating in
equilibrium (perfect poer balance between input and output powers) and
disturbance does not effect the stable operation.
❑ A synchronous machine connected to infinite bus is said to be working in a stable
operation if it is in synchronism or in step with the bus. Unstable operation
denotes loss of synchronism or falling out of step.
❑ Infinite bus is a 3-phase supply of constant voltage and frequency independent of
the load.

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❑ Stability – the tendency of a synchronous machine to develop forces so as to
maintain synchronism and equilibrium.
❑ Stability limit – represents the maximum power flow possible when the
synchronous machine is operating with stability.
❑ The above two terms apply to both steady-state and transient operations.
❑ Steady-state stability limit – pertains to the maximum power flow possible
through a particular point without loss of stability, when power is increased very
gradually.
❑ Assume a load on a SM is gradually increased, until point C of maximum power
is reached. If additional load is put on the motor, the load angle 𝛿 would increase
as demanded by the load.
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❑ But with increase of the load-angle beyond that given
by point C, the electrical power decreases.
❑ Since, with increase of the shaft load, the electrical
power has decreased, the motor gets retarded more
quickly.
❑ As a consequence, the load angle increases further
and motor pulls out of step or losses synchronism.
❑ Thus Pm given by the point C is steady-state (static)
stability limit.
Power-angle characteristics
❑ The region to the left of point C is stable region. of (a) salient pole SM and
(b) cylindrical rotor SM

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❑ The steady-state stability limit can be improved upon as follows:
i. Synchronous machine excitation should be increased so 𝐸𝑓 becomes more.
ii. Reactance should be reduced, for example, to transmission lines in parallel.
iii. Series capacitors to reduce line reactance.
❑ Transient stability limit – refers to maximum power flow possible through a
point without loss of stability, when a sudden disturbance occurs, for example, a
sudden increment of load.
❑ Disturbances usually occur due to a fault, or by switching in or out some circuits
in a supply system, or by a sudden increment of shaft load.
❑ It is more important since it is lower than steady-state stability limit and the
transient disturbances are more common (known).
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Hunting
❑ If the mechanical speed of the rotor is equal to the stator field speed, a
synchronous machine operates satisfactorily. Departure from this condition
results in synchronizing forces which tend to maintain this equality.
❑ For Unloaded synchronous motor where all losses are neglected, the load angle
𝛿 is assumed and taken to be zero.

❑ If the shaft load is increased on the synchronous motor in small steps, the load angle
would increase gradually from zero. For any shaft load 𝑃1, the load angle would be 𝛿1,
armature current 𝐼𝑎1.
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❑ For cylindrical-rotor machine, under steady state,
E f Vt
P1 = sin 1 = Pm1 sin 1
Xd

❑ As the load gradually increased, the operating point travels from ‘0’ to ‘a’ to P1.

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❑ Suppose the load 𝑃1 is applied suddenly to the unloaded motor shaft. The motor
slows down momentarily. As a result the load angle starts increasing from zero.
❑ As soon as load angle reaches 𝛿1 at its forward swing, electrical power 𝑃𝑚sin𝛿1
becomes equal to shaft power 𝑃1, but equilibrium is not reached since the rotor
speed is less than the synchronous speed (𝑁𝑟 < 𝑁𝑠).
❑ The rotor swings further to boost the rotor speed to 𝑁𝑠
❑ As the load angle exceeds 𝛿1, 𝑃𝑚sin𝛿1 > 𝑃1, thus the rotor gets accelerated and
at some angle 𝛿2 = 2𝛿1 the rotor attains synchronous speed and the current
increases to:
Vt − E f
Ia2 =
jX s

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❑ It can be noted that, for the rotor traveling from ‘0’to ‘a’ the rotor
decelerates(because 𝑃𝑚𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛿 < 𝑃1 ) and from ‘a’ to ’b’ the rotor accelerates
(because 𝑃𝑚𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛿 > 𝑃1).
❑ At load angle 2𝛿1, 𝑁𝑟 = 𝑁𝑠 but 𝑃𝑚𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛿 is still greater than 𝑃1, the rotor therefore
continues to accelerate even above synchronous speed.
❑ The effect of rotor speeding up above synchronous speed causes the load angle
to decrease from 2𝛿1.
❑ After some time, load angle decreases to 𝛿1, when 𝑃1 > 𝑃𝑚𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛿 and the rotor
gets decelerated. The phenomenon involving the oscillations of the rotor about its
final equilibrium position is called hunting.

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❑ Usually, a real physical system possess damping structure, and as a result the
rotor eventually settles down to stable operating point with load angle 𝛿1.
❑ Hunting of synchronous machine rotor is objectionable, particularly when it is
coupled with a system whose torque variations contain harmonics, e.g.
compressors, etc.
Effect of hunting
1. The machine may fall out of synchronism if the frequency of the torque component
happens to be equal to that of the frequency of free oscillation of the SM.
2. It produces sever mechanical stress.
3. It causes great surges in current and power flow.
4. It increases machine losses, then temperature rise.

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Causes of hunting
a. A sudden change in load
b. A fault in supply system
c. A sudden change in supply system
d. A load or drive containing harmonic torques.
Ways used to suppress hunting of SM rotors
i. By using a flywheel
ii. By designing the SM with suitable synchronizing power coefficient
iii. By employing damper windings.

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Damper windings
❑ Damper winding consists of low resistance conductor embedded in the slots in
the pole faces of salient pole machines.
❑ The ends of DWs are short-circuited by the same material.
❑ Sometimes interpolar connectors are omitted to form incomplete (non-connected,
or open) type of damper winding. When strips on both sides of the pole shoes
are joined by interpolar connectors, complete (connected) type of damper
winding is obtained.

Damper windings (a) incomplete type, (b) and (c) complete type
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❑ In salient pole motor case, damper windings may be used as starting winding.
For good starting torque, damper bars should have high resistance, whereas for
large damping effect near synchronous speed, they should have low resistance.
Therefore a compromise between good starting torque and good damping effect
should be found for satisfactory operation of synchronous motor.
❑ However, in alternators case the purpose of damper windings is merely to damp
out rotor oscillations (hunting), thus, low resistance damper winding is used.
❑ When the rotor is running at synchronous speed the relative speed between
damper bars and rotating flux is zero. Thus no flux cutting action takes place and
emf generated in damper bars is zero, and no damping torque is developed.
❑ The damper winding comes into effect during rotor hunting, i.e. when rotor speed
departs from synchronous field speed.
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Illustration how damper bars damp out hunting

❑ Assume that the rotor speed departs from the field speed by 10 rpm. If S pole of the
stator comes near the damper bar, an emf is induced on it. ( as shown in the figure)
❑ Since the bar is short circuited, the current in the bar sets up its own flux which
interacts with the S pole to produce a torque in the direction of rotation. The effect of
this torque is to accelerate the rotor tending to make the two speeds equal.
Likewise, when the rotor speed becomes greater, torque opposite to the direction of
rotation is produced, which tends to retard the rotor.
❑ The magnitude of these damping torque (generator/motor) is approximately
proportional to the slip speed.
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Starting of synchronous motors
❑ When three phase currents are flowing in the 3-phase winding on the stator of a
synchronous motor, a synchronously rotating magnetic field is set up. If the rotor
is stationary, then the relative speed between standstill rotor field and rotating
stator field is equal to synchronous speed.
❑ Consequently the torque angle between the two is a function of time.
❑ Since synchronous speed has zero average value of electromagnetic torque over
a complete cycle, it, on its own, has no net starting torque.

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❑ With three phase currents in the 3-phase armature winding, stator
N, S poles rotate at synchronous speed.
❑ As shawn in fig.(a), stator N, S poles attract stationary rotor S, N
poles, thus producing a clockwise torque on the rotor and the rotor
is urged to rotate clockwise.
❑ After half a cycle, stator poles occupy the position shown in fig.(b).
Now the stator N, S poles repel stationary rotor N, S poles,
producing a counter-clockwise torque on the rotor and the rotor is
urged to rotate anti-clockwise. The rotor due to inertia can’t
response to such quick reversals of electromagnetic torque, and it
remains at standstill with net starting torque is zero.
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❑ Steady state electromagnetic torque is developed in a synchronous motor only
when magnetic locking between stator and rotor fields takes place. This can
happen only when relative speed between these fields is zero.
❑ In fig.(a) if stator and rotor fields rotate in the same direction as shown and at the
same speed, then rotor S pole is magnetically locked with stator N pole and rotor
N pole with stator S pole and in this manner steady state torque is developed.
❑ This means in order to produce steady state electromagnetic torque the rotor
must be brought up to a speed equal to the rotating stator-field speed. This can
be accomplished by two methods:
a. Auxiliary motor starting and
b. Induction motor starting.
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a. Auxiliary motor starting
❑ The purpose of auxiliary motor is to bring the synchronous motor speed, near to
its synchronous speed. It may be an induction motor or a d.c. motor.
❑ If 3-phase induction motor is used, then it is mechanically coupled with a
synchronous motor. Both the motors have same number of poles and are
energized from the same 3-phase supply.
❑ The induction motor brings the motor speed near synchronous speed. At this
time, the armature winding of the synchronous motor are energized from 3-phase
supply. The field winding of synchronous motor is connected to d.c. source,
hence the field poles get locked with those produced by armature winding.
❑ As a result the synchronous motor starts running at synchronous speed and the
auxiliary induction motor can now be disconnected from the supply.
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❑ If the synchronous motor is coupled with a d.c. machine, as it is usual in
laboratories, then d.c machine is first run as a d.c. motor. The main motor, now
made to operate as a synchronous generator, is synchronized with 3-phase
supply system in the usual manner. If the d.c. motor is now switched off, the main
motor starts running as a synchronous motor.
❑ The disadvantage of this method of starting that can’t be started under load; in
case it is desired to do so; auxiliary-motor rating will be large, thus increasing the
cost of the set.
❑ In view of this, the auxiliary-motor starting is used only for unloaded synchronous
motors. At the same time, the auxiliary motor has to overcome primarily inertia
unloaded synchronous, its rating is therefore much lower than rating of the
synchronous motor.

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b. Starting by damper-winding (or induction-motor starting)
❑ In order to make the motor a self-starting synchronous motor, the amortisseur or
damper winding is embedded in slots in the rotor pole faces. This winding is
short-circuited at both ends by metal rings. Thus the damper windings exactly
similar to the the squirrel cage winding of three-phase induction motors.
❑ When the armature is excited from 3-phase supply, a rotating magnetic field is
established. This field and the damper winding develop induction motor torque-
rotor is, therefore, accelerated up to about synchronous speed.
❑ Note that the synchronous motor with damper bars in its rotor pole shoes, runs
as a squirrel cage induction motor, from standstill up to near its synchronous
speed.
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❑ If the field winding is energized from a d.c. source, the rotor and stator poles will
lock together provided the rotor poles just approaching the stator poles are of
opposite polarity as shown in the figure.

❑ Instead of direct-on-line starting, the synchronous motor is sometimes started by

star delta starting, reactor starting or auto-transformer starting, in order to limit
the starting current.
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Power factor correction by synchronous motors
❑ For transmission of a.c. power to load, a low power factor would mean greater
load current which leads to greater 𝐼2𝑅 loss in the transmission lines,
transformers and alternators. Therefore the entire system would operate at a
reduced efficiency with poor voltage regulation.
❑ Thus for improved efficiency and better voltage regulation, load power factor
should be as close to unity as is economically viable.
❑ Synchronous motor has the ability to operate at leading power factors when
overexcited (increasing 𝐸𝑓 with the adjustment of its field current). Therefore it is
used to improve the power factor of an electrical system by counteracting a part
or the entire lagging kVAr of the load.

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❑ A synchronous motor used to improve the power factor of an electrical system
and with no mechanical load on it is called a synchronous condenser.
❑ A synchronous condenser, installed at the receiving end of a supply line, is used
only when static capacitors are found uneconomical.

(a) Total lagging kVAr of the load are supplied locally by synchronous condenser, (b) and (c) Phasor diagrams

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 End of Chapter 4

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