Direct Current Generator Design

Illustrative example: Design of DC Generator Armature page 41

Design an armature suitable for a dc generator provided with commutating poles to run at 1,200 rpm
and develop 230 volts on open circuit and 250 volts at full load output of 300 kw.

DESIGN OF ARMATURE WINDING AND CORE

Item 1:

f = PN / 120 P – number of poles N- speed in rpm See page 16 for p

Number of poles and usual speed limits of dyamos:

Output, Kw No. of poles Speed, rpm

200 to 500 6 or 8 Up to 1,200
500 to 1,500 8 to 12 Up to 960

f = 6 x 1,200 / 120 = 60 cps or hz

Item 2: Ratio of Pole Arc to Pole Pitch, r. Refer to Article 2 page 12

r = between 0.6 and 0.8, a common value being 0.7. When the machine is provided with commutating
interpoles, the ratio r = pole arc/pole pitch must be small in order to make room for the interpole. In
this case a figure between 0.6 and 0.64 would be selected as a suitable value for r.
The designer selected r = 0.64 after several trials made.

Items 3 and 4:Specific Loading and Air gap Density Refer to Article 2 page 12 and 11
q= 850 page 12
Bg” = 57,500 lines/in.2
These are tentative selections and will be modified to suitable values as the design proceeds.

Item 5: Line Current. I = 300,000 w / 250 v = 1,200 A

Item 6: Type of Winding. Refer to Article 6 page 20

Since the current per path should not exceed 250 to 300 Ampere, it is clear that a lap winding must be
used.
Number of parallel paths, a: Lap winding a = mp = 1(6) = 6 Wave winding a = 2m = 2(1) = 2
m – multiplicity m=1 simplex, m=2, duplex, m=3 triplex p – number of poles
Current per path, Ic = Line current, I / no. of parallel paths of current
Lap winding: Ic = 1,200 / 6 = 200 A Wave winding: Ic = 1,200 / 2 = 600 A -exceeds

Item 7: Armature Current per Circuit. The current in each armature circuit will be one-sixth of the line
current if the shunt exciting current is neglected. A table giving usual values of shunt field current,
expressed as a percentage of the output current, will be found on page 121.
Output of machine, kw Exciting current percentage of rated current
200 0.9
300 0.7
Assuming a shunt excitation of 0.7 per cent, the full load current in each armature conductor will be
about (1,200/6)(1 + 0.007) =201.4A Note: the designer used 0.9 per cent, (1,200/6)(1 + 0.009) = 201.8A

Items 8,9 and 10: Armature Diameter. Refer to Article 2 page 10 formula 7
laD2 = W (6.06x108 ) = 300,000 x 6.06x108___ = 4,843.35 ≈ 4,850
N Bg”qr 1,200 57,500x850x0.64
Using a rectangular pole face, where k = 0.71 eq 8 page 13 after several calculations made by designer
(k=0.667-1 for square pole face)
la – πDr/pk = π x 0.64 D /(6x0.71) = 0.472 D la-axial length of armature core, gross
D - armature diameter
0.472D x D2 = 4,850
D=√ 3
4,850 /0.472 = 21.74 ≈ 22 in. you may try k= 0.72 or 0.73 which yields the same value for D when
rounded off
From page 13, 0.71 = k = pole arc / la , la = pole arc / 0.71 = 1.41 pole arc or 1.4 pole arc
K=0.71 is better to choose since it yields 1.4 pole arc
la=pole arc/0.72=1.389 pole arc, or la=pole arc/0.73=1.37 pole arc
A rectangular pole face with the armature length equal to 1.4 times the pole arc is desirable in this
design because of the comparatively high speed.
For the diameter calculated, the peripheral velocity will be from page 12
V = π D N / 12 = π x22 x 1.200 / 12 = 6.900 fpm
Approximate number of Ampere-Conductors per Pole, Z Ic/p
Z Ic/p = qπD/p= 850xπx22/6 = 9,800 meets the max. limit 10,000-15,000
From page 14, Approximate values of Ampere-Conductors per Pole:
Output, KW Zic/p
100-500 10,000-15,000
Proceed with the design on the basis of 6 poles.

Items 11, 12, 13: Number of Inductors, Slots and Conductors per slot. Refer to Article 2 page 10
q=Z Ic/ πD Z = q πD/Ic = 850 x22 /201.4 = 291.697A≈ 292 A
With 4 conductors per slot, this would mean a preliminary number of slots of S = 292/4 = 73 slots, and a
slot pitch, ƛ = πD / Slots S = π x 22 / 73 = 0.945 see Article 12, page 31 and note that this is reasonable.
Next. Calculating the number of slots per poleis found to be 73/6 = 12.167 = 12 1/6. However since it is
desirable to have an odd integer of slots per pair of poles so that the slots per pole will be an integer plus
1/2 , the total number of slots will be increased to 75.
Slots per pair of poles = 75/3 = 25, Slots per pole = 75/6 = 12.5 = 12 ½
Also note that the number of slots embraced by each pole arc is an integer in this design, i.e.,
S / pole arc = Slots per pole x r = 12 ½ x 0.64 = 8. With the final value of Zfinal = 292+8 = 300,
qfinal = Z Ic/ πD = 300 x 201.4 / (π x 22) = 874.19 ≈ 875

Item 14: Axial length of Armature Core

laD2Final = 4850 x q/qfinal = 4850 x 850/ 875 = 4711.43≈ 4710
la= 4710/D2 = 4710/222 = 9.731 ≈ 9.75 in. preliminary value
This length , is however subject to correction if later flux density calculations indicate that this is
desirable.
Item 15: Flux per pole (Open Circuit): Using the value of Z determined in Item 11
From eq2 page 8, E= Z Φ N p/60 a x 108
Φ = Efp x108 / aNZ = 230 x 60 x 108 /(6 x 1,200 x 300) = 3,833,333 ≈ 3,833,000 maxwells

Item 16,17, 18: Pole Pitch, Pole Arc and Pole Area
r = pole arc/pole pitch,τ
pole pitch,τ = πD/p = π x 22 / 6 = 11.52 in ≈ 11.5 in.
pole arc = r τ = 0.64 x 11.52 = 7.37 in.
Note that la/ pole arc = la / rτ = 9.75 / 7.37 = 1.32 instead of the value 1.4 originally assumed. See item

Pole area = pole arc x la = 7.37 x 9.75 = 71.86 sq. in. ≈ 71.8 sq. in.
8,9,10

The apparent air gap density can now be computed and compared with the assumed value in Item4.
Bg” = Φ / pole area = 3,833,000 / 71.86 = 53,384.4 ≈ 53,400 maxwells
Note that this is less than the assumed value as used in formula 7for the calculation of the output factor.

Items 19 to22: Dimension of Slots and Armature Conductors. By formula 17 page 34

Current density, Δ = k/q + v/4 =700,000/875 + 6,900/4 = 2, 525 amp./sq.in.
Δ – ranges from 1,700 to 3,500 sometimes up tp 5,000

Area of wire (cross section), Aw= Ic / Δ = 201.4 /2,525 = 0.0798 ≈ 0.08 sq. in.
k – 400,000 t 70,000 from page 37

It is now necessary to find by trial the best arrangement of 300 conductors, Item 11, in 75 slots, Item 12.
The slot pitch, (refer to Art. 12) is
Slot pitch, ƛ = πD / Slot,S = π x 22 / 75 = 0.922 in.
In order to determine the actual dimensions of the armature conductors,it will be first convenient to
assume the width of slot. This should be about 0.4 in. which makes the ratio of tooth width to slot
width, 1.305, a reasonable value.
Slot width = 0.3 to 0.5 of slot pitch see Art. 12 Slot pitch – slot width = 0.922 – 0.4 = 0.522
Tooth width/slot width = 1.1 to 1.5
Tooth width/slot width = 0.522/0.4=1.305
Since a wire having an area of 0.08 in. is rather heavy and difficult to bend and shape, it will be desirable
to use two conductors in parallel in the winding copper and arrange them as shown in Figure 17. This
suggests that the commutator segments will be twice as much as the number of slots.
Slots = 75, bars = 150 when bars/slots=2, use double coils
The width of the four side by side rectangular coils will now be determined. The slot insulation
insulation on each side of the slot, by formula 16 page 34 is
Insulation thickness in mils = 27 + E/30 = 27 + 250/30 = 35.333 or 35 mils and the cotton covering on
each conductor will add a total of about 16 mils to its thickness. The space left for each of the four
copper conductors is, therefore
Slot width – (3xcotton covering) – (2 x slot insulation) = 0.4 – (3 x 0.016) – (2 x 0.035) = 0.07 in.
4 4
Since the copper area of two conductors is 0.08 sq. in. , it follows that each conductor will have a depth
of area of cross section / 2 x space left = 0.08 sq. in. / 2 x 0.07 in = 0.572 in. or say 0.58 in.
Finally, the slot depth can be determined. Allowing about one-third of the slot width for the hard wood
or fiber wedge, or 0.135 in. that is, (0.4/3=0.1333.or 0.135) and 35 mils for each of the insulation spaces
above, below and between the coils,
Slot Depth, d = 0.135 + 2x0.58 + 3 x 0.035 = 1.4 in.
Thus in Fig. 17, slot width, s = 0.4 in, , slot depth, d = 1.4 in.

Item 23: Tooth dimensions

The width at the top of the tooth is t = slot pitch – slot width = ƛ – s = 0.922 – 0.4 = 0.522 in.
The circumference of the circle through the bottom of the slots is π (D – 2d) = π x (22 – 2x1.4) = 60.3 in.
and since the slots have parallel sides the width of tooth at the root is (60.3 /75) – 0.4 = 0.405 in.
The average tooth width , is therefore (t + 0.405)/2 = (0.522+ 0.405) /2 = 0.463in.

Item 24 and 25: Ventillating Ducts. Refer to Article 16. Not more than 3 ducts should be necessary in an
armature 9 to 11 in. long with each duct 3/8 in. wide.

Item 26: Net length of Armature. Refer to Article 16.

Ln= 0.92 (la – 3 x 3/8) = 9.75 – 3 x 0.375) = 7.94 in, preliminary

Item 27: Net Cross Section of Teeth Under Pole. The cross section of the iron in the teerth under one
pole, at the midsection, is
Ln x ave. tooth width x slots/poles x r = 7.94 x 0.463 x 75/6 x 0.64 = 29.4 sq. in.

Item 28: Flux Density in Teeth. Refer to Article 17. The apparent flux density at the center of the tooth,
under open-circuit conditions, is
Bg”t= Φ/ 29.4 = 3,833,000 /29.4 = 130,374 or 130,300 lines /sq. in.
Note that this value is above the upper limit given in the table on page 40 for 60 cycles.
Upper Limits of Flux Density in Dynamo Armatures
Frequency, f Density in Teeth, center Density in Core
2
60 cps 123,500 max/in 73,000
It will be necessary to correct (increase) the length of the armature core to bring the flux density to a
reasonable figure. After some preliminary calculations, the armature length la= 10.25 in.