Synchronous Alternator

ns = n
Generators of electrical power
High stator currents & voltages
Generated Voltage Frequency:
• f = (pn/2) / 60, where p is the
• number of poles, n is the rpm speed and 60
shows 60 seconds in a minute.
• = np/120
• Given angular velocity:
• f = ωp/4π
Synchronous machines can be broadly divided into two
groups as follows:

 High-speed machines with cylindrical (or non-salient)

rotors.

 Low-speed machines with salient pole rotors.

Example
An alternator is to generate 60Hz.
How fast must its shaft turn if it has 4 poles.
How many poles must it have if it is turned at
90rad/sec.
• Solution
• a) n = 120f/p
• = 120 * 60 / 4
• = 1800rpm
•
• b) p = 4πf/ω
• = 4π * 60 / 90
• = 8.38
• number of poles should be even so we will
take the closest even number, hence p = 8.
• Example
• A single phase aircraft alternator generates 54V
rms at 400Hz.The armature has 120 turns. Find
the required flux per pole.
•
• Solution
• Φ = Ep/4.44Nf
•
• = 54 / (4.44 * 120 * 400)
• = 023 * 10-3Wb
•
 Stator is a stationery armature
Φ𝑎 = Φ𝑎𝑟 + Φ𝑎𝑙 =armature reaction flux + leakage
stator flux
Each flux induces a voltage in stator
𝐸𝑟 = 𝐸𝑎𝑟 + 𝐸𝑓 = armature reaction voltage +
field flux voltage
𝐸𝑓 = −𝐸𝑎𝑟 + 𝐸𝑟
In phasor form:
𝐸𝑓 = −𝐸𝑎𝑟 + 𝐸𝑟
𝐸𝑓 = 𝐼𝑎 𝑗𝑋𝑎𝑟 + 𝐸𝑟
𝑋𝑎𝑟 = reactance of armature reaction or
magnetizing reactance
• 𝑅𝑎 is effective resistance and is 1.6 times the
dc resistance. (dc resistace + temp. +skin effect)
Ra is quite small as compared to xs, typically 10
or more times less.
For some reasons, the effective per phase
resistance, rp, is 40% more than the measured
value. Hence:
rp = 1.4rp’
Here rp =R1 and ra = Rdc
• i.e. rp = 3ra/2
• For star connected alternator, rp = ra/2
• Reactance Measurement
• It is determined using two tests: the short
circuit test and the open circuit test.
•
• Short Circuit Test
• The generator terminals are short circuited and
the generator is run. Field current is increased
until rated current flows in the terminal lines of
the generator. The field current is measured and
the line current are also measured. The average
line current, Isc, is determined from the measured
line currents.
•
Open Circuit Test
The alternator terminals are left open and the
generator is run at rated speed with the field current
set to the same value as one required for line
current to be rated current in the short-circuit test.
The open circuit voltages are measured and used to
obtain the average open circuit voltage, Voc
Reactance Calculation
The per phase Isc and Voc are determined from
the connection of the alternator (delta or
star).
Per phase synchronous impedance is given by:
Zs = Voc/Isc

Synchronous reactance can be obtained from

the synchronous impedance and resistance as
follows:
xp = (Zs2 – rp2)
• Example
• A three-phase synchronous generator rated at
50kVA, 220V, 60Hz is star-connected. Tests on
it give the following:
• Resistance test: V = 2V; I = 22A
• Short circuit: I1 = I2 = I3 = rated current;
If = 22A
• Open circuit: If = 22A; V = 95V;
• Find rp, Zp and xp.
•
• Solution
• ra = V/I
• = 2/22
• = 0.091Ω
• rp’ = ra/2 (generator is star
connected)
• = 0.091/2
• = 0.045Ω
• rp = 1.4rp’
• = 1.4 * 0.045
• = 0.064Ω
• open circuit phase voltage = (measured open
circuit voltage)/ 3
• = 95/ 3
• = 54.8V
• open circuit phase current = measured
open circuit line current
• = rated current
• = KVAs/ 3VL
• = 50000/( 3 * 220)
• = 131.22A
• Zs = Voc/Isc
• = 54.8 / 131.22
• = 0.419Ω
•
• xp = (Zs2 – rp2)
• = (0.4192 – 0.0642)
• = 0.414Ω
• Voltage Regulation
• From the per phase equivalent circuit of an alternator,
given full load voltage, VFL then:
• 𝑉 2 NL = generated voltage
• = Ep
• = VFL + IpZs
• = ((Iprp + VFLcosθ)2 + (Ipxp ± VFLsinθ)2),
+ for lagging power factor
• - for
leading power factor
•
• Voltage regulation is then given by:
• VR = (VNL – VFL) / VFL
• When calculating voltage regulation, care should be
taken to use per phase quantities.
Phasor Diagram (Synchronous Generator)
• Example
• A 100kVA, 1200V, three phase alternator is
star-connected. Its resistance per phase is
0.12Ω and its reactance is 1.5Ω. find its
voltage regulation if it supplies rated load at:
• a) power factor of 1
• b) power factor of 0.9 lagging
• c) power factor of 0.9 leading
• Solution
• Ip =IL
• = rated current
• = kVAs/ 3VL
• = 100000/( 3 * 1200)
• = 481V
• Vp = VL/ √3
• = 1200/ √ 3
• = 693V
• 𝑉 2 NL = ((Iprp + VFLcosθ)2 + (Ipxp ± VFLsinθ)2),
• a) at PF = 1 cosθ = 1 and sinθ = 0
• VNL = ((481 * 0.12 + 693 * 1)2 + (481 *
1.5 + 693 *0)2)
• = 1041.2V
• VR = (VNL – VFL) / VFL
• = (1041.2 – 693) / 693
• = 50.2%
• b) at PF = 0.9 lagging, cosθ = 0.9 and sinθ =
0.44
• VNL = √ ((481 * 0.12 + 693 * 0.9)2 + (481
* 1.5 + 693 *0.44)2)
• = 1232V
• VR = (VNL – VFL) / VFL
• = (1232 – 693) / 693
• = 77.75%
• c) at PF = 0.9 leading, cosθ = 0.9 and sinθ =
0.44
• VNL = ((481 * 0.12 + 693 * 0.9)2 + (481 *
1.5 - 693 *0.44)2)
• = 798.67V
• VR = (VNL – VFL) / VFL
• = (798.67 – 693) / 693
• = 15.2%
•
• Efficiency
• Pout = Pin – Pmech – PCu - Pcore, where Pout is the output
electrical power, Pin is the input mechanical power,
Pmech is the mechanical losses, PCu is the copper losses
and Pcore is the core losses
• Then efficiency, η = Pout/Pin * 100%
•
• Maximum Efficiency
• It occurs when the fixed losses equal the variable
losses. In an alternator, mechanical, field and core
losses are constant, hence for maximum efficiency:
• k2 PCu = Pcore + Pmech + Pfield, where k is the
fraction of the load rating.
• Synchronous Motor

• The stator is wound just like the stator of a synchronous alternator or induction
machine. The rotor is wound for the same number of poles as the stator.

• Theory of Operation

• When a three-phase voltage is supplied to the stator, a rotating magnetic field is

established and it rotates at the synchronous speed. If the rotor is at rest it will try to
align with the stator field and thus tries to turn to achieve this. However, before it
aligns, the field changes polarity and it tries to turn in the opposite direction to try to a
align to it the other way. The field reverses again so that the rotor will rock forth and
back without actually turning. Hence the machine would not develop torque at start
up.
•
• If the rotor is brought to a high speed near synchronous speed
it will lock with the rotating field and rotate at synchronous
speed in the same direction as the field. It will also develop
torque. The rotor field will lag the stator field by an angle αT,
called the torque angle. The torque angle increases as the
load on the motor shaft increases until it is approximately 90º
a point at which the motor will develop maximum torque. If
the load increases further then:
• If the increase is momentary or very little, the motor will slip a
pole, thus the rotor will lose grip of the stator field and lock to
it the next time around.
• If the increase is big enough and not momentary, the motor
will lose synchronism and stall.
• The torque angle corresponding to maximum torque is equal
to the synchronous impedance angle (β) of the machine.
• β = tan-1 (xp/rp)
• β is very close to 90º since xp » rp.
• Example
• A synchronous machine with a synchronous
impedance of (0.12 + j1.5)Ω is run as a motor.
What is the torque angle corresponding to the
maximum developed torque?
•
• Solution
• Torque angle for maximum torque =β
• = tan-1 (xp/rp)
• = tan-1 (1.5/0.12)
• = 85.43º
Phasor Diagram (synchronous motor)
• The principal advantages of the
synchronous motor are:
1. The ease with which the power factor
can be controlled. An over-excited
synchronous motor having a leading
power factor can be operated in
parallel with induction motors having a
lagging power factor, thereby
improving the power factor of the supply
system.
• Synchronous motors are sometimes run on no
load for power-factor
correction or for improving the voltage regulation
of a transmission line.
In such applications, the machine is referred to as
a synchronous capacitor.
•
2. The speed is constant and independent of the
load. This characteristic is
mainly of use when the motor is required to drive
another generator to
generate a supply at a different frequency, as in
frequency-chang
• The principal disadvantages are:
1. The cost per kilowatt is generally higher
than that of an induction motor.
2. A d.c. supply is necessary for the rotor
excitation. This is usually provided by a small
d.c. shunt generator carried on an extension
of the shaft.
3. Some arrangement must be provided for
starting and synchronizing the
motor.
 TUTORIAL
• Q1. A three-phase, star-connected, 50 Hz
generator has 96 conductors per phase and a
flux per pole of 0.1 Wb. The stator winding
has a synchronous reactance of 5 Ω/ph and
negligible resistance. The distribution factor
for the stator winding is 0.96. Calculate the
terminal voltage when three non-inductive
resistors, of 10 Ω/ph, are connected in star
across the terminals. Sketch the phasor
diagram for one phase.
• Q2. A single-phase generator having a
synchronous reactance of 5.5 Ω and a
resistance of 0.6 Ω delivers a current of 100 A.
Calculate the e.m.f. generated in the stator
winding when the terminal voltage is 2000 V
and the power factor of the load is 0.8 lagging.
Sketch
the phasor diagram.
Q3. A single-phase synchronous generator has a
rated output of 500 kVA at a terminal voltage of
3300 V.The stator winding has a resistance of 0.6
Ω and a synchronous reactance of 4 Ω. Calculate
the percentage voltage regulation at a power
factor of: (a) unity; (b) 0.8 lagging; (c) 0.8
leading. Sketch the phasor diagram for each
case.
Q4. Two single-phase generators are connected in parallel,
and the excitation of each
machine is such as to generate an open-circuit emf of 3500 V.
The stator winding of
machine has synchronous reactance of 30 ohms and negligible
resistance. If there is
a phase displacement of 40 electrical degrees between the
emf's ,calculate:
(a) the current circulating between the two machines,
(b) the terminal voltage, and
(c) the power supplied (kW) from one machine to the other.
Assume that there is no external load. Sketch the phasor
diagram.
Q5. A factory takes 600 kVA at a lagging power
factor of 0.6. A synchronous motor is to be
installed to raise the power factor to 0.9 lagging
when the motor is taking 200 kW.
Calculate the corresponding apparent power (in
kVA) taken by the motor and the power
factor at which it operates .
Q6. A 74.6 kW,3-phase,6-pole,60 Hz star-connected
synchronous motor has synchronous
reactance of 10 ohms per phase. The rated terminal
voltage is 1000V /phase.
(a) Find the excitation voltage that makes maximum
torque to be 130 % of the rated
torque.
(b) The machine is operated with the excitation
voltage set as in part (a).For rated load
torque, find the armature current, the power factor
,and the torque angle.
Q7. A 74.6 kW 400 V 1200 RPM ,3-phase Y-connected
synchronous motor has an armature
resistance of 0.05 ohm per phase and a leakage reactance
of 0.5 ohm per phase. At
rated load and 0.8 pf leading current, determine,
(a) induced armature emf E per phase at rated load
(b)angle between current and E
(c) mechanical power developed within armature at rated
load.
The motor has a rated load efficiency ,excluding field loss
of 90%