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SIMPLE D.C GENERATOR

Simple d.c generator produces d.c which stands for direct current. Direct current is current which
flows in one or same direction.

COMPONENTS OF A SIMPLE D.C GENERATOR

The components of a simple d.c generator are the same as those for a simple a.c generator except
that in a simple d.c generator, the slip-ring is replaced with a split-ring or commutator.

STRUCTURE OF A SIMPLE D.C GENERATOR

OPERATION OF A SIMPLE D.C GENERATOR

1. No current (emf) is induced when the coil is in vertical position.

2. C u r r e n t ( e m f ) i s
front in side B and from back to front in side A. So current enters the coil carbon brush X and
leaves the coil through carbon brush Y.

B A

x
Y
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3. As the returns to vertical position with side B uppermost and side A bottom, induced emf is
zero and the contacts between the split-ring and commutator is broken.

A
X
Y

4. As the coil continues to rotate, sides of the coil swaps. When side A is at north pole while
side B at south pole, current flows from front to back in side A and from back to front in side
B while in carbon brush Y, current still leaves the coil just as in side A current still enters the
coil. Hence current flows in the same direction at the carbon brushes even if it reverses
direction inside the coil.

A B

X Y

The graph below shows variation of induced emf during revolution of the coil
Emf

Revolution
0 1/4 1/2 3/4 1
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A.C AND D.C GENERATOR

1. A.C generators produces a.c supply while d.c generators produces d.c supply.
2. A.C generators uses slip-ring while d.c generators uses a split-ring or commutator.

SIMILIRATIES BETWEEN A.C AND D.C GENERATOR

1. Both generator have a coil.

2. Both generators have magnets.
3. Both generator have carbon brushes.

CIRCUIT RECTIFIER

These are circuits which convert a.c supply to d.c supply. The process of converting a.c supply to d.c
supply is called rectification.

There are mainly two ways of rectification namely;

1. Half-wave rectifier circuit, and

2. Full-wave rectifier circuit.

HALF-WAVE RECTIFIER CIRCUIT

This type of rectifier uses one diode. A diode is a device which allows current to flow through it in
one direction only.

A diode and a resistor are connected in series with the power supply. In this way only the current
flowing in the same direction as the diode is allowed to flow. The current which flows in reverse or
opposite direction to the diode does not flow through the circuit. Below is the diagram for the half-
wave rectifier.
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MUTUAL INDUCTION

 Mutual induction is the effect caused when a changing current in a coil induces an e.m.f in another coil close
to it.
 This can be demonstrated by winding two coils (A) and (B) around an iron rod in which one coil is
connected to the power source while the other coil to a galvanometer as shown.

a.c

A B Soft Iron rod

 When the switch is

turned on and off, the
galvanometer needle in the
second circuit moves slightly. This shows that when a current is changed in coil A, a current is induced in
coil B.
 This effect happens also when two coils are very close to each other as shown below.

 When a switch is closed, current in coil A goes from

zero to maximum value within a short time. The
magnetic flux in coil A linking with turns of coil B increases
from zero to maximum value A B in the same interval of time.

 When the magnetic flux linking with coil B changes, an

e.m.f is induced in it causing current flow, hence a
deflection in the galvanometer.

 Mutual induction finds its application in a device called transformer.

TRANSFORMERS

 A transformer is an electrical device that uses the principle of mutual induction between the primary coil and
the secondary coil to either step-up or step-down voltage.

THE STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF A TRANSFORMER

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 The basic structure of a transformer consists of a primary coil and a secondary coil wound on a soft iron core
as shown below.

 The principle operation of a transformer is that an alternating voltage supplied to the primary coil creates an
alternating current in that coil, which induces an alternating magnetic field in the iron core. This changing
magnetic field induces an e.m.f, which creates a current in the secondary coil.
 There is no electrical connection between the primary and secondary coil.
TYPES OF TRANSFORMERS

 There are two types of transformers namely:

1. Step up transformer
2. Step down transformer
STEP UP TRANSFORMER

 A step-up transformer has more windings (turns) on the secondary coil than on the primary coil. This means
that: Ns > Np , where Ns: number of turns in the secondary coil (output coil)
Np: number of turns in the primary coil (input coil)

Np Ns

 A step up transformer is designed to output more voltage at the secondary coil than it takes in across the
input coil at the primary coil. This means that : Vs > Vp,
Where Vs: secondary output voltage
Vp: primary input voltage
STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER
 A step down transformer has more windings (turns) on the primary coil than on the secondary coil.
Ns < Np and Vs < Vp

Np Ns

Transformer equation
The transformer equation gives us the relationship between, Vs, Vp, Ns, and Np as follows:

V s Ns
=
V p Np
Examples
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1. What is the output voltage of a transformer if the input voltage is 240V, and number of turns on the
primary and secondary coils are 12000 and 200 respectively? Also state the type of this transformer.
2. If a 240V mains step-down transformer has 1000 turns on its primary coil and it has a 12V output, how
many turns are there on the secondary coil?

Energy conversion in a transformer

 In a transformer, electrical energy in the primary coil is transformed to electrical energy in the secondary coil.
If energy transformation is assumed to be 100%, then input power is equal to output power, i.e.
Input power (power in primary coil) = output power (power in secondary coil) or Pp = Ps.
Pp = IpVp, and Ps = IsVs, therefore, IpVp = IsVs
Vs Ip
Or =
V p Is
 Thus when the voltage is stepped up, the current is stepped down and vice versa.
Example
A step-up transformer increases the voltage of a.c. supply from 110V to 220V. The primary coil dissipates the
power of 1.1kW. And the efficiency of transformer is 100%.
(a) If the turns in the primary are 400, how many turns are in the secondary?
(b) How much current flows in each coil?
Efficiency of a transformer
power output
Efficiency of a transformer = ×100 %
power inpu
 The efficiency of a real transformer is less than 100%. There are two reasons why this is so.
1. Energy is lost in the form of heat due to resistance in the primary and secondary coils, and in the soft
iron core.
2. There is leakage of magnetic field lines between the primary and secondary coils.
 To increase the efficiency of a transformer:
1. Use low-resistance (thicker) copper wire for the primary and secondary coils so that the heating effect is
reduced.
2. Primary and secondary coils are wound on the same part of the soft iron core to reduce leakage of
magnetic flux.
Examples
1. The power applied to a primary coil of a step down transformer is 1.8kW. if the efficiency of the
transformer is 90%, what is the current in the secondary coil, if the voltage is 60V?
2. A student designed a transformer to supply current of 10 A at a potential difference of 60 V to an electric
motor from an a.c. supply of 240 V. if the efficiency of the transformer is 80%, calculate:
(a) Power supplied to the transformer.
(b) Current in primary coil.
ADVANTAGES OF HIGH ALTERNATING POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE POWER TRANSMISSION

 The advantage of using high voltage for power transmission is that it reduces the power loss as heat in the
transmission cables.
 The power loss in the cables can be calculated using the formula:
P = I2R
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IMPLICATIONS OF UNDERGROUND POWER TRANSMISSION COMPARED TO OVERHEAD LINES

 Even in the high-voltage cables, some electrical energy is converted to heat. This is the main reason why
electricity is transmitted using overhead power lines so that the heat is lost to the atmosphere to avoid
overheating of cables.
 But if the power lines carrying a lot of current run underground, they have to be cooled which is very
expensive. This is why power lines don’t run underground.
 Underground power transmission also affects the environment.
 Improper management of Transformers results into overheating, low/high voltage.

Exercises
(3) A transformer has a primary coil of 8400 turns and a secondary coil of 3500 turns. Find the output voltage if
240V is supplied to the primary coil.
(4) A power plant supplies 25kV voltage of a.c. supply. The voltage increases to 230kV through a step-up
transformer.
(a) If 15000 turns coil is in the primary, calculate the number of turns in the secondary.
(b) 230kV of voltage is transformed again through a step-down transformer. The turns ratio of the primary coil to
the secondary coil in the transformer is 115 to 6. Calculate the voltage of the secondary coil.
(5) 240V of voltage is supplied to the primary coil and 5A of current flows through it. Find the current flowing
through the secondary coil if the output voltage is 120V and the efficiency is 100%.
(6) A refrigerator that is rated at 120V 480W is connected to the transformer. The transformer is connected to
the power supply of 240V. Assuming that the efficiency is 100%. Calculate;
(a) The current through the refrigerator.
(b) The current from the power supply.
(c) If the turns in the primary are 8500, how many turns are in the secondary?