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AC Machines Alternators 1

1) Alternators use electromagnetic induction to generate AC power as a rotating magnetic field induces voltages in stationary armature windings. 2) Alternators are classified based on whether the armature or field windings rotate. Large high-voltage alternators typically have stationary armature windings and rotating field windings. 3) The rotating field is produced via DC current in the rotor windings supplied by either slip rings and brushes or a brushless exciter system to avoid maintenance of mechanical contacts.

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Vanvan Biton
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164 views

AC Machines Alternators 1

1) Alternators use electromagnetic induction to generate AC power as a rotating magnetic field induces voltages in stationary armature windings. 2) Alternators are classified based on whether the armature or field windings rotate. Large high-voltage alternators typically have stationary armature windings and rotating field windings. 3) The rotating field is produced via DC current in the rotor windings supplied by either slip rings and brushes or a brushless exciter system to avoid maintenance of mechanical contacts.

Uploaded by

Vanvan Biton
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AC Machines

Module 1: AC Generator (Alternator)

Alternator Construction,
Classification and
Operating Principle
Introduction
Basic AC Generation
• Regardless of size, all electrical generators, whether dc or ac,
depend upon the principle of electromagnetic induction. An
emf is induced in a coil as a result of
(1) a coil cutting through a magnetic field, or
(2) a magnetic field cutting through a coil.
• As long as there is relative motion between a conductor and a
magnetic field, a voltage will be induced in the conductor. That
part of a generator that produces the magnetic field is called
the field. That part in which the voltage is induced is called the
armature.
• For relative motion to take place between the conductor and
the magnetic field, all generators must have two mechanical
parts — a rotor and a stator. The ROTor is the part that
ROTates; the STATor is the part that remains STATionary. In a
dc generator, the armature is always the rotor. In alternators,
the armature may be either the rotor or stator.
Classifications of Alternator

Alternators, according to their construction, are divided


into the following two classifications:

A. Revolving - armature Type

B. Revolving - field Type


Revolving - armature Type Alternator
• It has stationary field poles and revolving armature.
• The generated ac is brought to the load unchanged by
means of slip rings.
• The rotating armature is found only in alternators of low
power rating and generally is not used to supply electric
power in large quantities.
• The field excitation must be DC, and to be supplied by an
external DC source.
Revolving - field Type Alternator
• It has a stationary armature winding and a rotating-
field winding.
• High-voltage alternators are usually of the rotating-
field type.
Principal Advantages of Revolving - field
Type Alternators:
1. The armature windings are more easily braced to
prevent deformation under the mechanical stresses due
to short-circuit currents and centrifugal forces.
2. The armature (stator) winding must be insulated for a
high voltage, while the voltage of the field circuit is low. It
is much easier to insulate the high-voltage winding when
it is mounted on the stationary structure.
3. Only small amount of power at low voltage is handled by
the slip ring contacts.
4. It is easier to build and properly balanced high-speed
rotors when they carry the field structure.
5. The armature winding is cooled more readily because
the stator core can be made large enough and with
many air passages or cooling ducts for forced air
circulation.
Alternators Construction
• A DC current is applied to the rotor winding,
which then produces a rotor magnetic field.
The rotor is then turned by a prime mover
(eg. Steam, water etc.) producing a rotating
magnetic field. This rotating magnetic field
induces a 3-phase set of voltages within the
stator windings of the generator.
• “Field windings” applies to the windings that
produce the main magnetic field in a
machine, and “armature windings” applies to
the windings where the main voltage is
induced.
• For alternators, the field windings are on the
rotor, so the terms “rotor windings” and “field
windings” are used interchangeably.
Two Components of Alternators

1) Rotor Windings or Field Windings


a. Salient Pole
- used on low and medium speed alternator
b. Non Salient Pole
- used with high speed prime mover such as
steam or gas turbines.
2) Stator Windings or Armature Windings
Salient Pole Type Rotor Windings

• Salient or projecting pole type are used on


low and medium speed alternators. It is
normally used for 4 or more poles rotor.
Non - Salient Pole Type Rotor Windings

• Non - Salient type rotor or Smooth Cylindrical


type rotor is used with high speed prime mover
such as steam or gas turbines. It is normally
used for 2 or 4 poles rotor.
Operating Principle of (Revolving - field type)

• A dc current must be supplied to the field


circuit on the rotor. Since the rotor is rotating, a
special arrangement is required to get the dc
power to its field windings. The common ways
are:
a) supply the dc power from an external dc
source to the rotor by means of slip rings and
brushes.
b) Supply the dc power from a special dc power
source mounted directly on the shaft of the
synchronous generator.
Operating Principle of (Revolving - field type)
• Slip rings are metal rings completely encircling the shaft of a
machine but insulated from it. One end of the dc rotor winding is tied
to each of the 2 slip rings on the shaft of the synchronous machine,
and a stationary brush rides on each slip ring.
• A “brush” is a block of graphitelike carbon compound that conducts
electricity freely but has very low friction, hence it doesn’t wear down
the slip ring. If the positive end of a dc voltage source is connected
to one brush and the negative end is connected to the other, then
the same dc voltage will be applied to the field winding at all times
regardless of the angular position or speed of the rotor.
Some problems with slip rings and brushes:
- They increase the amount of maintenance required on the
machine, since the brushes must be checked for wear
regularly.
- Brush voltage drop can be the cause of significant power
losses on machines with larger field currents.
Operating Principle of (Revolving - field type)

Small synchronous machines


- use slip rings and brushes.

Larger machines
- brushless exciters are used to
supply the dc field current.
Note: All synchrounous AC Generator and motors require
direct current for excitation. Excitation is supplied by a DC
Generators called an exciter.
Brushless Exciter
• A brushless exciter is a small ac
generator with its field circuit
mounted on the stator and its
armature circuit mounted on the
rotor shaft. The 3-phase output of
the exciter generator is rectified to
direct current by a 3-phase rectifier
circuit also mounted on the shaft of
the generator, and is then fed to the
main dc field circuit. By controlling
the small dc field current of the
exciter generator (located on the
stator), we can adjust the field
current on the main machine without
slip rings and brushes. Since no
mechanical contacts occur between
the rotor and stator, a brushless
exciter requires less maintenance.
Pilot Exciter
• To make the excitation of a generator completely independent of any
external power sources, a small pilot exciter can be used.
• A pilot exciter is a small ac generator with permanent magnets
mounted on the rotor shaft and a 3-phase winding on the stator. It
produces the power for the field circuit of the exciter, which in turn
controls the field circuit of the main machine. If a pilot exciter is
included on the generator shaft, then no external electric power is
required.

• Eventhough machines with brushless exciters do not need slip rings and
brushes, they still include the slip rings and brushes so that an auxiliary
source of dc field current is available in emergencies.

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