PROJECT REPORT ON PHYSICS A.C.

GENERATOR

A.C. GENERATOR - INTRODUCTION

A.C. Generator is a device which is used to convert the mechanical

energy in to electrical energy is called electric generator.
Principle of A.C. Generator

It is based on the principle of electro magnetic induction. When a coil rotated

about on axis perpendicular to the direction of uniform magnetic field, an induced
e.m.f. is produced across it.
Construction of A.C. Generator

The A.C. Generator is consist of four main parts :

(1) THE COIL (ARMATURE) :

A rectangular coil ABCD consist of a large number of turns of copper bound over
a soft iron core is called armature. The soft iron core is used to increase the
magnetic flux.

(2) MAGNETIC FIELD :

It is usually a permanent sponge magnet having concave poles. The armature is

rotated of a magnet so that axis of the armature is perpendicular to magnetic field
lines.

(3) SLIP RINGS :

Slip rings are the magnetic rings which are connected in the terminal of the
armature. These rings are rotated with the coil and these are use to draw the current
from the generator.

(4) BRUSHES :

The brushes B1 & B2 are just touch the slip rings. They are not rotating with the
coil and these brushes leads to the output of load resistance.
Working of A.C. Generator

The coil is rotated in anti-clock wide direction. In the first half rotation the arm AB
is moving outward and CD is moving inward. So the e.m.f. is induced in the arm
AB from A to B. And in the arm CD from C to D. After half rotation (in the second
half). The arm CD is moving outward and AB is moving inward. In this time
current is induced in arm CD from D to C. And in arm AB from B to A. In the
second half rotation the current direction is changing so in this generator AC is
produced.

Expression for Instantaneous e.m.f. Produced :

Let position of the coil at any time t. It's make angle  an angle with vertical.
If  is uniform angular speed of the coil.

Then  = t

B be the strength of magnetic field n be the number of turns in the

coil and A area of the coil then magnetic flux with the coil in this position is given
by :

 = nBA Cos  = nBA Cos t.

differentiate w.r.t. time.

How Does An AC Generator Work?

The working principle of an alternator or AC generator is similar to

the basic working principle of a DC generator.
Above, figure helps you understanding how an alternator or AC
generator works. According to theFaraday's law of electromagnetic
induction, whenever a conductor moves in a magnetic field EMF gets
induced across the conductor. If the close path is provided to the
conductor, induced emf causes current to flow in the circuit.
Now, see the above figure. Let the conductor coil ABCD is placed in a
magnetic field. The direction of magnetic flux will be form N pole to S pole.
The coil is connected to slip rings, and the load is connected through
brushes resting on the slip rings.
Now, consider the case 1 from above figure. The coil is rotating clockwise,
in this case the direction of induced current can be given by Fleming's right
hand rule, and it will be along A-B-C-D.
As the coil is rotating clockwise, after half of the time period, the position of
the coil will be as in second case of above figure. In this case, the direction
of the induced current according to Fleming's right hand rulewill be along D-
C-B-A. It shows that, the direction of the current changes after half of the
time period, that means we get an alternating current.

Construction Of AC Generator (Alternator)

Salient pole type alternator

Main parts of the alternator, obviously, consists of stator and rotor. But,
the unlike other machines, in most of the alternators, field exciters are
rotating and the armature coil is stationary.

Stator: Unlike in DC machine stator of an alternator is not meant to serve

path for magnetic flux. Instead, the stator is used for holding armature
winding. The stator core is made up of lamination of steel alloys or
magnetic iron, to minimize the eddy current losses.

Why Armature Winding Is Stationary In An Alternator?

 At high voltages, it easier to insulate stationary armature winding, which

may be as high as 30 kV or more.
 The high voltage output can be directly taken out from the stationary
armature. Whereas, for a rotary armature, there will be large brush
contact drop at higher voltages, also the sparking at the brush surface
will occur.
 Field exciter winding is placed in rotor, and the low dc voltage can be
transferred safely.
 The armature winding can be braced well, so as to prevent deformation
caused by the high centrifugal force.
Rotor: There are two types of rotor used in an AC generator / alternator:

(i) Salient and (ii) Cylindrical type

1. Salient pole type: Salient pole type rotor is used in low and medium
speed alternators. Construction of AC generator of salient pole type
rotor is shown in the figure above. This type of rotor consists of large
number of projected poles (called salient poles), bolted on a magnetic
wheel. These poles are also laminated to minimize the eddy current
losses. Alternators featuring this type of rotor are large in diameters and
short in axial length.
2. Cylindrical type: Cylindrical type rotors are used in high speed
alternators, especially in turbo alternators. This type of rotor consists of
 a smooth and solid steel cylinder havingg slots along its outer
periphery. Field windings are placed in these slots.
The DC suppy is given to the rotor winding through the slip rings and and
brushes arrangement.

Connecting an alternator in grid is called as synchronization of alternator,

read more about it at the link.

Alternating current generators[edit]

Main article: Alternator

Ferranti alternating current generator, c. 1900.

Through a series of discoveries, the dynamo was succeeded by many later

inventions, especially the AC alternator, which was capable of
generating alternating current.

Alternating current generating systems were known in simple forms

from Michael Faraday's original discovery of the magnetic induction of
electric current. Faraday himself built an early alternator. His machine was
a "rotating rectangle", whose operation was heteropolar - each active
conductor passed successively through regions where the magnetic field
was in opposite directions.[4]

Large two-phase alternating current generators were built by a British

electrician, J.E.H. Gordon, in 1882. The first public demonstration of an
"alternator system" was given by William Stanley, Jr., an employee
of Westinghouse Electric in 1886.[5]

Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti established Ferranti, Thompson and Ince in

1882, to market his Ferranti-Thompson Alternator, invented with the help of
renowned physicist Lord Kelvin.[6] His early alternators produced
frequencies between 100 and 300 Hz. Ferranti went on to design
the Deptford Power Station for the London Electric Supply Corporation in
1887 using an alternating current system. On its completion in 1891, it was
the first truly modern power station, supplying high-voltage AC power that
was then "stepped down" for consumer use on each street. This basic
system remains in use today around the world.

A small early 1900s 75 kVAdirect-driven power station AC alternator, with a

separate belt-driven exciter generator.

In 1891, Nikola Tesla patented a practical "high-frequency" alternator

(which operated around 15 kHz).[7] After 1891, polyphase alternators were
introduced to supply currents of multiple differing phases.[8] Later
alternators were designed for varying alternating-current frequencies
between sixteen and about one hundred hertz, for use with arc lighting,
incandescent lighting and electric motors.[9]

Self-excitation[edit]
Main article: Excitation (magnetic)

As the requirements for larger scale power generation increased, a new

limitation rose: the magnetic fields available from permanent magnets.
Diverting a small amount of the power generated by the generator to an
electromagnetic field coil allowed the generator to produce substantially
more power. This concept was dubbed self-excitation.
The field coils are connected in series or parallel with the armature winding.
When the generator first starts to turn, the small amount of remanent
magnetism present in the iron core provides a magnetic field to get it
started, generating a small current in the armature. This flows through the
field coils, creating a larger magnetic field which generates a larger
armature current. This "bootstrap" process continues until the magnetic
field in the core levels off due to saturation and the generator reaches a
steady state power output.

Very large power station generators often utilize a separate smaller

generator to excite the field coils of the larger. In the event of a severe
widespread power outage whereislanding of power stations has occurred,
the stations may need to perform a black start to excite the fields of their
largest generators, in order to restore customer power service.[10]

Equivalent circuit

Equivalent circuit of generator and load.

G = generator
VG=generator open-circuit voltage
RG=generator internal resistance
VL=generator on-load voltage
RL=load resistance
An equivalent circuit of a generator and load is shown in the diagram to the
right. The generator is represented by an abstract generatorconsisting of
an ideal voltage source and an internal resistance. The generator's
and parameters can be determined by measuring the winding
resistance (corrected to operating temperature), and measuring the open-
circuit and loaded voltage for a defined current load.

This is the simplest model of a generator, further elements may need to be

added for an accurate representation. In particular, inductance can be
added to allow for the machine's windings and magnetic leakage flux,[16] but
a full representation can become much more complex than this.[17]