WOLLO UNIVERSITY

KOMBOLCHA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Electrical machines and drives

Chapter Five
Synchronous Machines
 Chapter Five: Synchronous Machines
Construction
Equivalent Circuit
 Parameter Testing
 Introduction
• A synchronous machine rotates at a constant speed in the steady state.
• Unlike in induction machines, the rotating air gap field and the rotor in
the synchronous machine rotate at the same speed, called the
synchronous speed.
• Synchronous machines are used primarily as generators of electrical
power. In this case they are called synchronous generators or
alternators. They are usually large machines generating electrical
power at hydro, nuclear, or thermal power stations.
• Synchronous generators are the primary energy conversion devices of
the world’s electric power systems today.
 Cont.…

Synchronous generators or alternators are used to convert mechanical power

derived from steam, gas, or hydraulic-turbine ac electric power.
 Synchronous generators are the primary source of electrical energy we consume
today.
Large ac power networks rely almost exclusively on synchronous generators.
Synchronous motors are built in large units compare to induction motors
(Induction motors are cheaper for smaller ratings) and used for constant speed
industrial drives.
 Construction
Basic parts of a synchronous generator:
• Rotor - dc excited winding
• Stator - 3-phase winding in which the ac emf is generated
 The manner in which the active parts of a synchronous machine are cooled
determines its overall physical size and structure
Cont..
• The stator of the three-phase synchronous machine has a three-phase
distributed winding similar to that of the three-phase induction
machine.
• Unlike the dc machine, the stator winding, which is connected to the
ac supply system, is sometimes called the armature winding. It is
designed for high voltage and current.
• The rotor has a winding called the field winding, which carries direct
current. The field winding on the rotating structure is normally fed
from an external dc source through slip rings and brushes.
Synchronous machines can be broadly divided into two groups:
 Types of Synchronous Machines
Based on arrangement of the field and armature windings,
 Rotating-Armature Type: The armature winding is on the rotor and the field
system is on the stator.
Rotating-Field Type: The armature winding is on the stator and the field
system is on the rotor.
Based on shape of the field
 High-speed machines with cylindrical (or nonsalient pole) rotors.
Low-speed machines with salient pole rotors.
Cont.….
• The cylindrical or nonsalient pole rotor has one distributed winding
and an essentially uniform air gap. These motors are used in large
generators (several hundred megawatts) with two or sometimes four
poles and are usually driven by steam turbines. The rotors are long and
have a small diameter
• salient pole rotors have concentrated windings on the poles and a no
uniform air gap. Salient pole generators have a large number of poles,
sometimes as many as 50, and operate at lower speeds. The
synchronous generators in hydroelectric power stations are of the
salient pole type and are driven by water
turbines.
Synchronous generators
• From fig a Assume that when the field current 𝐼𝑓 flows through the
rotor field winding, it establishes a sinusoidally distributed flux in the
air gap.
• If the rotor is now rotated by the prime mover (which can be a turbine
or diesel engine or dc motor or induction motor), a revolving field is
produced in the air gap.
• This field is called the excitation field, because it is produced by the
excitation current 𝐼𝑓 . The rotating flux so produced will change the
flux linkage of the armature windings aa’, bb’, and cc’ and will induce
voltages in these stator windings.
• These induced voltages, shown in Fig. b, have the same magnitudes
but are phase-shifted by 120 electrical degrees. They are called
excitation voltages𝐸𝑓 .
Cont.…
• The rotor speed and frequency of the induced voltage are related by
 Cont.….
• The rms. value of the induced voltages are ( excitation voltage in rms )

• Where Φf is the flux per pole due to the excitation current If

N is the number of turns in each phase
Kw is the winding factor
 EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT MODEL
• The current 𝐼𝑓 in the field winding produces a flux ∅𝑓 in the air gap.
• The current 𝐼𝑎 in the stator winding produces flux ∅𝑎 . Part of it, ∅𝑎𝑙 ,
known as the leakage flux, links with the stator winding only and does
not link with the field winding. A major part, ∅𝑎𝑟 , known as the armature
reaction flux, is established in the air gap and links with the field
winding.
• The resultant air gap flux ∅𝑟 is therefore due to the two component
fluxes, ∅𝑓 and ∅𝑎𝑟 . Each component flux induces a component voltage
in the stator winding.
• 𝐸𝑓 is induced by ∅𝑓 , 𝐸𝑎𝑟 by ∅𝑎𝑟 , and the resultant voltage 𝐸𝑟 by the
resultant flux ∅𝑟 .
• the voltage 𝐸𝑎𝑟 , known as the armature reaction voltage, depends on ∅𝑎𝑟
(and hence on Ia).
𝐸𝑟 =𝐸𝑎𝑟 +𝐸𝑓
Cont..
• If the two reactances 𝑋𝑎𝑟 and 𝑋𝑎𝑙 are combined into one reactance, the
equivalent circuit model reduces to the form shown in Fig. 6.14e,
where
1. 𝑋𝑠 = 𝑋𝑎𝑟 + 𝑋𝑎𝑙 (called synchronous reactance)
2. Zs = Ra + jXs (called synchronous impedance)
• The synchronous reactance Xs takes into account all the flux,
magnetizing as well as leakage, produced by the armature (stator)
current.
• The values of these machine parameters depend on the size of the
machine.
Nre is the effective field winding turns
Nse is the effective stator phase winding turns
ETERMINATION OF THE SYNCHRONOUS
REACTANCE Xs
• The synchronous reactance is an important parameter in the equivalent
circuit of the synchronous machine. This reactance can be determined
by performing two tests, an open circuit test and a short-circuit test.
 The Open-Circuit Test
The open-circuit test, or the no-load test, is performed by
1) Generator is rotated at the rated speed.
2) No load is connected at the terminals.
3) Field current is increased from 0 to maximum.
4) Record values of the terminal voltage and field current value

Circuit diagram to perform open-circuit test

 Cont….
With the terminals open, IA=0, so 𝐸𝐴 = 𝑉ø . It is thus possible to construct a
plot of 𝐸𝐴 or 𝑉𝑇 vs 𝐼𝐹 graph.
This plot is called open-circuit characteristic (OCC) of a generator. With this
characteristic, it is possible to find the internal generated voltage of the generator
for any given field current.
The OCC follows a straight-line relation as long as the magnetic circuit of the
synchronous generator does not saturate.
 Since, in the linear region, most of the applied mmf is consumed by the air-gap,
the straight line is appropriately called the air-gap line.
 Cont….

Open-circuit characteristic (OCC) of a generator

 The Short-Circuit Test
The short-circuit test provides information about the current capabilities of a
synchronous generator. It is performed by
1) Generator is rotated at rated speed.
2) Adjust field current to 0.
3) Short circuit the terminals.
4) Measure armature current or line current as the field current is increased
 Cont….
SCC is essentially a straight line. To understand why this characteristic is a
straight line, look at the equivalent circuit below when the terminals are short
circuited.

Circuit diagram to perform short-circuit test eq.t ckt under short ckt
condition
 Cont….
When the terminals are short circuited, the armature current IA is

And its magnitude is:

From both tests, here we can find the internal machine impedance (EA from
OCC, IA from SCC):
 Cont….
Short Circuit Ratio
Ratio of the field current required for the rated voltage at open circuit to the field
current required for rated armature current at short circuit.
 Voltage regulation of Alternator
• The voltage regulation of an Alternator is defined as the change in terminal
voltage from no-load to load condition expressed as per-unit or percentage of
terminal voltage at load condition; the speed and excitation conditions remaining
same.

Determination of Voltage Regulation

The following are the three methods which are used to determine the voltage
regulation of smooth cylindrical type Alternators
1. Synchronous impedance / EMF method
2. Ampere-turn / MMF method
3. Potier / ZPF method
 Synchronous impedance / EMF method
• Synchronous impedance is calculated from OCC and SCC as

• A compromised value of Zs is normally estimated by taking the ratio of

(E0/Isc) at normal field current If IA normal field current If V on open
circuit.
Thankyou!