03-03-2020

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

MODULE II

VOLTAGE REGULATION

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

VOLTAGE REGULATION : DEFINITION

 Change in terminal voltage from no-load to load condition
expressed as a fraction or % of terminal voltage at load
condition; speed and excitation conditions remaining the same.

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Regulation characteristics
 Change in voltage regulation plotted w.r.t. change in power
factor, at constant load current.
 Regulation positive for upf & lagging pf
 Regulation negative for leading pf

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Problem 1
 A 3-phase, 4-pole, star-connected turbo-alternator has a
smooth cylindrical type rotor. The effective resistance &
synchronous reactance per phase are 0.15 ohm and 2.5 ohm.
Calculate the voltage regulation when delivering 250A at 6.6kV
and 0.6 pf lagging.

 I = 150 – j 200 A
 E= 4346.72 ∟4.55˚
 EL = 7528.74 V
 % rgn = 14.07

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Problem 2
 A 3-phase, 1 MVA, 11 kV, star-connected Alternator has
resistance of 0.7Ω per phase & synchronous reactance 12Ω
per phase. Determine the percentage voltage regulation for a
load of 600kW at 0.8 pf leading and at rated voltage.

 I = 31.49 + j 23.62 A
 E = 6102.21 ∟3.71˚ V
 EL = 10.56 kV
 % rgn = -3.92

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Determination of voltage regulation

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Methods used

A. Direct Load Test

A. Indirect Methods
1. Synchronous impedance method or EMF method
2. Ampere-turn method or MMF method
3. Zero Power Factor method or Potier method

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

1. Synchronous impedance method

 Based on the concept of replacing the effect of armature
reaction by a fictitious reactance.
 E = U + Ia Zs
 Zs is measured & E is calculated
 From the values of E & U, the voltage regulation is calculated.

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Measurement of synchronous impedance

 The following tests are performed on the Alternator

a) D.C. Resistance test

b) Open-circuit test
c) Short-circuit test

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

a) D.C. Resistance Test

 Ra = (1.20 to 1.75) Rdc

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

b) Open circuit test

To obtain the open circuit characteristics the machine is driven at rated
speed without the load.
Readings of the line-to-line voltage are taken for various values of field
current.
The voltage, except in very low voltage machines, is stepped down by the
means of a potential transformer. 11

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Open circuit characteristics

Air-gap line

O.C.C

If not for the magnetic saturation of the iron, the open circuit
characteristics would be linear as represented by the air gap
line
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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

c) short-circuit test

The three terminals of the armature are short circuited

The machine is driven at approximately synchronous rated speed
measurements of armature short circuit currents are made for various
values of field currents usually up to and above rated armature current.

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Short circuit characteristics

In conventional synchronous machines the short circuit characteristics is

practically linear because the iron is unsaturated up to rated armature current
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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Calculation of zs
 O.C.C. is plotted in a graph sheet by selecting suitable voltage
scale for Y-axis, such that the O.C.C occupies the entire graph
sheet.
 With separate current scale S.C.C. is drawn on the same graph
sheet.
 The current scale should be selected in such a manner that the
extended straight line S.C.C. lies below the O.C.C.
 Zs will be equal to the open-circuit voltage divided by the short-
circuit current at that field current which gives the rated e.m.f.
per phase.
 Zs =open-circuit voltage per phase
short-circuit armature current

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Calculation of zs

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Assumptions in the synchronous

impedance metod
1. Synchronous impedance is constant
2. the flux under test conditions is the same as that under load
conditions
3. The effect of armature reaction flux can be replaced by a
voltage drop proportional to the armature current and that the
armature reaction drop is added to the armature reactance
voltage drop
4. The magnetic reluctance to the armature flux is constant
regardless of the power factor

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Problems
1. A 3-phase, 1500 kVA, star-connected, 50 Hz,2300 V
Alternator has a resistance between each pair of terminals as
measured by direct current is 0.16 Ω. Assume that the
effective resistance is 1.5 times the ohmic resistance. A field
current of 70 A produces a short-circuit current equal to full-
load current of 376 A in each line. The same field current
produces an e.m.f. of 700 V on open circuit. Determine the
synchronous reactance of the machine and its full load
regulation at 0.8 pf lagging.
Xs = 1.068 Ω
|E| = 1631
% rgn = 22.8
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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

problems
1. A 50 kVA, 415 V, 50 Hz, star-connected alternator has an
effective resistance of 0.2Ω per phase. A field current of 8A
causes an emf of 415 V on open circuit and a current of 185
Aon short-circuit. Calculate (i) the synchronous impedance, (ii)
the synchronous reactance (iii) the full-load voltage regulation
at 0.8 pf lagging and (iv) the 3/4th full-load voltage regulation
at 0.9 pf leading.
(i) |Zs| = 1.261 Ω
(ii) Xs = 1.245 Ω
(iii) 28.86 %
(iv) -4.22 %

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Ampere turn methor or mmf method

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

problems
1. A 3-phase, star-connected, 1000kVA, 2000V, 50Hz alternator
gave the following open-circuit & short-circuit test readings:
Field A 10 20 25 30 40 50
current

O.C. V 800 1500 1760 2000 2350 2600

Voltage

S.C. A 200 250 300

Current
The armature effective resistance per phase is 0.2Ω. Draw the
characteristic curves and determine the full-load %regulation
at (i) 0.8 pf lagging & (ii) 0.8 pf leading
Er = 1201.7∟-1.6˚ V
Ifr = 32∟88.4˚ & Ifa = 29∟144.13˚
If = 54.18∟114.3˚
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E = 1559 V & % rgn = 34.97

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

problems
2. A 3.3 kV alternator gave the following test results:

Field 16 25 37.5 50 70
current (A)
OC Voltage 1.55 2.45 3.3 3.75 4.15
(kV)

a field current of 18 A is found to cause the full-load current to

flow through the winding during short-circuit test.
Predetermine the full-load voltage regulation at (i) 0.6 pf lag &
(ii) 0.6 pf lead by (a) EMF method and (b) MMF method

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Short circuit ratio (scr)

Another parameter used to describe synchronous generators is the
short-circuit ratio (SCR). The SCR of a generator defined as the
ratio of the field current required for the rated voltage at open
circuit to the field current required for the rated armature current
at short circuit. SCR is just the reciprocal of the per unit value of
the saturated synchronous reactance calculated by

Ef or Vt (V) Air-gap line

Isc (A)
OCC
Vrated
SCC

Isc,rated

If (A)
If_V rated If_Isc rated 23

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Potier / zpf method

Required Test Data
i. Effective resistance per phase
ii. OCC
iii. SCC

iv. Zero power factor lagging load characteristics

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Zero power factor lagging load characteristics

2 methods
1. Loading the alternator by pure inductive loads

2. Bus-bar loading at variable voltage

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

1. Loading the alternator by pure inductive

loads

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

1. Loading the alternator by pure inductive
loads
1. DPST & TPST kept open & potential divider is kept at minimum
2. Alternator is driven at synchronous speed by prime mover
3. DPST switch is closed & field current is increased in order to
get a no-load terminal voltage slightly greater than the rated
value.
4. Now TPST switch is closed to include the inductive load.
5. Load current is adjusted to the required test value.
6. Field current required to deliver desired current is noted down.
7. Terminal voltage is reduced by reducing the field current, load
current is maintained constant by adjusting the load.
8. Corresponding field current is noted.
9. Similar procedure is repeated at different levels of reduced
voltages. 27
10. For the final reading, load terminals are short circuited

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

2. Bus-bar loading at variable voltage

1. Synchronizing the Alternator with the supply.
A. Alternator voltage magnitude should be equal to supply
voltage magnitude.
B. Alternator voltage phase sequence should be equal to
supply voltage phase sequence.
C. Alternator voltage frequency should be equal to supply
voltage frequency
2. Observation of ZPF lagging characteristics

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Circuit diagram for bus-bar loading

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Parallel operation of alternators

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Generators being paralleled with a running

power system
G1 Common bus-bar
Load

G2

Gn

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

necessity
1. Many generators can supply a bigger load than
one machine by itself.
2. Having many generators increases the reliability
of the power system, since failure of any one of
them does not cause a total power loss to the
load.
3. Having many generators operating in parallel
allows one or more of them to be removed for
shutdown and preventive maintenance.
4. If only one generator is used and it is not
operating at near full load, then it will be
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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Conditions to be satisfied
1. Alternator voltage magnitude should be equal to supply
voltage magnitude.
2. Alternator voltage phase sequence should be equal to
supply voltage phase sequence.
3. Alternator voltage frequency should be equal to supply
voltage frequency

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Conditions to be satisfied

1. Can be checked with the help of Voltmeters

2. By using phase sequence meter or
synchronizing lamps
3. By using synchronizing lamps or synchroscope

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

1. The dark lamp method

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

2. Two bright and one dark lamp method

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

3. Using synchroscope

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Synchronizing power and torque

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Load sharing
Total real & reactive power delivered to the load depends on
1. Prime mover characteristics/ input

2. Excitation level

3. Percentage synchronous impedance & its R/L ratio

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

1. Prime-mover characteristics
Difference in prime-mover characteristics causes the real
power shared by the synchronous generators to change in
accordance with their characteristics
1. Two similar 500kVA Alternators operate in parallel. Their
prime-mover characteristics are such that the frequency of
Alternator 1 drops uniformly from 50Hz on no-load to 48Hz on
full-load and that of Alternator 2 from 50Hz to 48.5Hz. (i) How
will the two Alternators share a load of 400kW? (ii) what is the
maximum load at UPF that can be delivered without
overloading either Alternator?
(i) f1= 48.875Hz,P11=175.45kW, P21= 228.55kW
(ii) f2= 48.5Hz, P12 = 225kW, P22 = 300kW, P= 525kW
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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

1. Prime-mover characteristics
2. Two similar 1500kVA Alternators operate in parallel. Their
prime mover characteristics is such that the frequency of
Alternator 1 drops uniformly from 50.5Hz on no-load to 49Hz
on full-load and that of Alternator 2 from 50Hz to 48Hz. How
will the Alternators share a load of 2250kW?
f= 49Hz, P1=1500kW, P2=750kW
3. Two 50MVA, 3-phase Alternators operate in parallel. The
setting of governors in the prime-mover are such that the rise
in speed from full-load to no-load is 1% in Alternator 1 and 2%
in Alternator 2, the characteristics being straight lines in both
cases. If each Alternator is fully loaded when the total load is
100MW, what will be the load on each Alternator when the
total load is reduced to 85MW?
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N=100.2%, P1=40MW, P2=45MW

Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Effect of change in prime-mover input

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Praveesh V V, VAST Thalakkottukara

Effect of change in excitation

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