Synchronous Generators

Introduction
• source of all the electrical energy
• largest energy converters
• Convert mechanical energy into electrical energy up to 1500 MW
 Commercial Synchronous Generator
• Stationary –field synchronous generator
• same appearance as dc generator
• salient poles – create the dc field, cut by a revolving armature
• Armature possesses a 3-phase winding – connected to 3 slip ring
mounted on shaft
• a set of brush sliding on the slip ring – connected to an external 3-
phase load
• as the armature rotates, 3-phase voltage is induced – depend upon a
speed of rotation and dc exciting current in the stationary poles
• frequency of the voltage – depend upon the speed and number of
poles on the field
 Commercial Synchronous Generator

• Revolving –field synchronous generator

• stationary armature called stator
• 3-phase stator winding is connected to the load
• stationary stator – easier to insulate the winding – not subjected to
centrifugal forces
 Number of poles

• Depends upon the speed of rotation and the wanted frequency

f = pn / 120
f = frequency of the induced voltage
p = number of poles on the rotor
n = speed of the rotor
Example
A hydraulic turbine turning at 200 r/min is connected
to a synchronous generator. If the induced voltage
has a frequency of 60 Hz, how many poles does the
rotor have?
 Stator – main features

• identical to that of 3-phase induction motor

• composed of cylindrical laminated core
• wye connection on windings
• voltage per phase is only 1/√3 (58%) of the voltage between the lines
• the highest voltage between a stator conductor and grounded stator
core is 58% of the line voltage
• reduce the number of insulation in the slot
• increase the cross section of the conductors – larger conductor
increases the current – increase the power output
• avoid line to neutral harmonics
 Rotor – main features

• two types:
• salient poles
• cylindrical rotors
• Salient poles
• mounted on a large circular steel frame which is fixed to a revolving
vertical shaft
• made of bare copper bars – ensure good cooling
• Cylindrical rotors
• long rotor, solid steel cylinder, contains a series of longitudinal slot
No-load saturation curve

• Ix – current to produce a flux in

the air gap
• Ix gradually increased
• small value of Ix, Eo changes
proportionally
• as the iron begins to saturate,
the voltage rises much less
No-load saturation curve
 Synchronous Reactance

• N1 and N2 is not connected as

the load is balanced
 Synchronous Reactance

• the field carries an exciting

current, produces flux as the field
revolves, the flux induces in the
stator
• each phase of the stator
possesses a resistance R and
inductance L

Xs = 2πfL

Xs = synchronous reactance
f = generator frequency
L = apparent inductance of the
stator
 Synchronous Reactance

• simplified circuit – per phase

• R (winding resistance) is neglected
• Ix – produces the flux which induces the internal voltage Eo
• E – voltage at the terminal of the generator – depend on Eo and Z
• E and Eo – line to neutral voltage
• I – line current
 Determining the value of Xs

• open circuit and short-circuit test

• the generator is driven at rated speed
• exciting current is raised until the rated line to line voltage is attained
• exciting current Ixn and line to neutral En is recorded
• the excitation is reduced to zero and the three stator is short circuited
together
• the generator is running at rated speed, the exciting current is gradually
raised to Ixn
• resulting short circuit current Isc in the stator is measured

Xs = En / Isc
Xs = synchronous reactance
En = rated open circuit line to neutral voltage
Isc = short circuit current
Example

A 3-phase synchronous generator produces an open circuit

line voltage of 6928 V when the dc exciting current is 50 A.
The ac terminals are then short circuited, and the three line
currents are found to be 800 A. Calculate

• the synchronous reactance per phase

• the terminal voltage if three 12 Ω resistors are connected in
wye across the terminals
 Synchronous generator under load

• types of load applied to the generator

• Isolated loads
• Infinite bus

• in order to construct the phasor diagram for this circuit, following fact applies:
• Current I lags behind terminal voltage E by an angle θ
• cos θ = power factor of the load
• voltage Ex across the synchronous reactance leads current I by 90o.
• Ex = jIXs
• voltage Eo generated by the flux is equal to the phasor sum of E plus Ex
• both Eo and Ex are voltages that exist inside the synchronous generator
windings and cannot be measured directly
• flux is that produced by the dc exciting current Ix
Synchronous generator under load

• lagging power factor load

•Eo leads E by δ degrees

• leading power factor load

•Eo leads E by δ degrees
Example

A 36 MVA, 20.8 kV, 3-phase alternator has a synchronous reactance of 9 Ω

and nominal current of 1 kA. No-load saturation as figure below. The
excitation is adjusted so that the terminal voltage remain fixed at 21 kV,
calculate the exciting current required and draw the phasor diagram for:

• no-load
• resistive load of 36 MW
• capacitive load 12 Mvar
 Synchronization of a generator
• Connecting two or more generators in parallel to supply a common load
• the load varies depend on power demand
• the selected generators are temporarily disconnected if the demand falls
• the generators must be synchronized
• synchronization achieved when:
• the generator frequency is equal to the system frequency
• the generator voltage is equal to the system voltage
• the generator voltage is in phase with the system voltage
• the phase sequence of the generator is the same as that of the system

• to synchronize:
• adjust the speed regulator of the turbine so that the generator frequency is
close to the system frequency
• adjust the excitation so that the generator voltage Eo is equal to the
system voltage E
• observe the phase angle between Eo and E using synchroscope
• the line circuit breaker is closed – connecting the generator to the system
Active power delivered by the generator
P = EoEsinδ/Xs
P = active power
Eo = induced voltage
E = terminal voltage
Xs = synchronous reactance
δ = torque angle between Eo and E
Example

A 36 MVA, 21kV, 1800 r/min, 3-phase generator connected to a power grid,

has a synchronous reactance of 9 Ω per phase. If the exciting voltage is
12kV (line to neutral) and the system voltage is 17.3 kV (line to line),
calculate:

• active power which the machine delivers when the torque angle is 30o
• the peak power that the generator can deliver before it falls out of step
(loses synchronization)
Power transfer between two sources
• Only interested in the active power
transmitted from source A to B or vice
versa
• E1 = E2 + jIX
• I lags behind E2 by θ
•E1 leads E2 by δ
• IX leads I by 90o
• active power absorbed by B:
P = E2Icosθ

• IX/sinδ = E1/sinψ
= E1/sin (90 + θ)
= E1/cos θ

• Icosθ = E1sinδ/X

P = E1E2sinδ/X
Power transfer between two sources
• Example

• Referring to the figure, source A generates a voltage E1 = 20 kV /50o and

source B generates a voltage E2 = 15kV / 42o . The transmission line
connecting them has an inductive reactance of 14 Ω. Calculate the active
power that flows over the line and specify which source is actually a load