Laboratory Experiment

Synchronous Generator
Course Work

Instructed By: Mrs. S. A. P. U. Karunarathna

Name: M.P.D.S.C.Kularathna
Index No: 080246F
Group: EE 06
Department: Electrical Engineering
Date of Performed: 21/10/2010
Date of submission: 04/11/2010
 OBSERVATION SHEAT

Name : M.P.D.S.C. Kularathna

Index No : 080246F
Field : Electrical Engineering
Year : Level 3
Date of per. : 21/10/2010
Date of submission : 04/11/2010

Instructed By : Mrs. S. A. P. U. Karunarathna

Practical : Synchronous Generator
Rated Voltage of given generator : 240V
Rated Current of given generator : 6.65A

Open Circuit Test

Open circuit Voltage (V) Field Current(A)
20 0
40 0.03
60 0.055
80 0.07
100 0.1
120 0.12
140 0.140
160 0.165
180 0.2
200 0.24
220 0.30
240 0.39
260 0.5
270 0.595
Short Circuit Test

Short Circuit Current (A) Field Current(A)

0 0
1 0.015
2 0.045
3 0.07
4 0.1
5 0.13
6 0.16

Load Test (With purely Inductive Star Connected Load, where cos ∅=1)
Load Voltage(V) Load Current(A)
0 6.2
20 5.23
40 4.25
60 3.7
80 3.06
100 2.26
 115 1.7

OBJECTIVES
Part A. To determine the regulation of an alternator using following tests
Open circuit test
Short circuit test
Load test
Part B. Understanding the operation of synchronization
Synchronization using dark lamp method
APPARATUS
DC Ammeter (1.0A)
AC Ammeter (0-5-10A)
AC Voltmeter (0-150-300V)
Rheostat (1040Ω)
Inductive Load (Star connected)
THEORY
Part A.
Open circuit and Short circuit test
Open circuit and Short circuit characteristic are as following
V, I
Open circuit characteristic
VT
C’

Short circuit characteristic

Ia’ B’
Ia
A’
If Ia’ Field Current

raxa

Is/c
Eg=Vo/c
If

By the Thevenin’s equation for the circuit

V o /s 2 2
Z s= = √r a + x s
I s /c
Vo/c AC
For small r a x s= =
Is/c AB
V
Also rated voltage x s ( SAT )= t
Ia
Field current for rated open circuit voltage
S h ort circuit Ratio ( SCR ) =
Field current fro rated s h otr circuit current
If ' Ia '
SCR= =
If Ia
 Vt
But x s ( SAT )=
Ia
V t /V t I a '
Therefore in per unit quantity x s ( SAT ) pu= =
Ia '/ Ia Ia
x s ( SAT )=1/(SCR)

Load test When the Inductive load is connected as follows

raxa

Vo/c
Eg=Vo/c
If

For the circuit E=V + I (r a + x s)

By neglecting r a E=V + I x s
E=V +(Icos ∅+ jIsin ∅) j x s
E=V + jIcos ∅ x s−Isin ∅ x s
E2=(V −Isin ∅ x s)2 +( Icos ∅ x s)2
E2=V + I 2 x s2−2 VIsin∅
Part B. Understanding the operation of synchronization
When the synchronous generated output connecting to a system the system and generator
should have same frequency, same voltage, same phase angle and phase sequence in each terminal
 System sid

R’ Y’ B’
Lr Ly Lb

R Y B

Generator side

At the instance of switch connecting the system and generator, each phases of the generator should

PROCEDURE
Open circuit test
Connect the circuit as follows and run the generator in synchronous speed, by varying the output
voltage observe the field current.
A

220V V
DC

Short circuit test

Connect the circuit as follows and run the generator in synchronous speed, by varying the short
circuit current observe the field current.
 A
A

220V
DC

Load test
Connect the circuit as follows and run the generator in synchronous speed, by varying the connected
load observe the load current and load voltage.
A
A

220V V
DC

Sync
hronization using Dark lamp method

Connect the circuit as follows and run the generator in synchronous speed.

If the System side two sets of pharos have the very small relative
rotational speed (ωs) voltage across lamps will rise
and fall slowly. We can observe it by the brightness
change R’ Y’ B’ in the bulbs.
At Lr Ly Lb the correct phase position lamps are equally dark
during the middle of this period Switch (Circuit Breaker)
must be closed to cause no interruptions.

R Y B

Generator side

CALCULATIONS
1. Characteristic of open circuit voltage and short
circuit current with respect to field current
300

290

280

270
f(x) = 912.1 x³ − 1713.59 x² + 1130.34 x + 10.45
260

250

240

230

220

210

200

190

180

170

160

150

140

130

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20 f(x) = 36.39 x + 0.3

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

Field Current(A)
 Vo /c AC
2. when ra is negligible x s= =
Is/c AB
From the graph (short circuit current and open circuit voltages calculated using the equations of
the graphs)
Field Current(A) Short circuit Open circuit Synchronous
 current(A) voltage(V) Reactance( x s)
0.1 3.935 107.2321 27.25085
0.2 7.574 175.2268 23.1353
0.3 11.213 219.9067 19.61176
0.4 14.852 246.7444 16.61355
0.5 18.491 261.2125 14.12647
0.6 22.13 268.7836 12.14567
0.7 25.769 274.9303 10.66903
30

25

20
Synchronous Reactance xs (Ω)

15

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Field current(A)

Synchronous Reactance Vs Field current

Field current for rated open circuit voltage
3. S h ort circuit Ratio ( SCR ) =
Field current fro rated s h ort circuit current

Rated open circuit voltage=240V field current at this condition=0.367

 Rated short circuit current=6.65 field current at this condition= 0.175
(Values are taken from the graphs)
0.367
∴ S h ort circuit Ratio ( SCR )=
0.175
¿ 2.097
but x s ( sat ) pu=1/( SCR )
¿ 1/2.097
¿0.4768 pu.
∴ Xs(sat)=Zbase ×Xs (sat) in per unit
240
= ×0.4583
6.65
Xs(sat) = 16.54Ω

4. Load voltage Vs Load current graph

140

120

100

80
Load Voltage(V

60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Load Current(A)
 Load Voltage Vs Load Current
DISCUSSION
 About synchronous generator
 A synchronous machine is an ac rotating machine whose speed under steady state condition is
proportional to the frequency of the current in its armature. The magnetic field created by the
armature currents rotates at the same speed as that created by the field current on the rotor, which is
rotating at the synchronous speed, and a steady torque results. Synchronous machines are commonly
used as generators especially for large power systems, such as turbine generators and hydroelectric
generators in the grid power supply. Because the rotor speed is proportional to the frequency of
excitation, synchronous motors can be used in situations where constant speed drive is required.
Since the reactive power generated by a synchronous machine can be adjusted by controlling the
magnitude of the rotor field current,
According to the construction of the rotor of the synchronous generator there are two types. For high
speed synchronous machines cylindrical rotor constructions are used. Salient or projecting poles
construction is used in comparatively small machines and machines driven at a relatively low speed.
To study and analysis about this synchronous generator we have to consider about the flux linkage,
induced voltage, Armature resistance, synchronous reactance and the short circuit ratio, which is
known as SCR.
  Importance of SCR for synchronous reactance
SCR is given by inverse of per unit saturated synchronous reactance. Therefore, if we know SCR value
we can have an idea about the Xs. Therefore for a particular generator when use in power system this
will be useful to design parameter. This results in a significant phase angle (lagging) between the
induced Voltage and the armature current and also as the value of SCR gets higher and higher, the
Synchronous reactance reduces considerably causing a good voltage regulation at the output
terminals. In the cases of parallel operation of generators, Synchronous reactance is essential in
determining the circulating current within the two generators. As Xs is a function of SCR we can have
an idea about the circulating current by knowing the SCR.
300 30

250 25
Synchronous Reactance xs (Ω)

200 20

150 15

100 10

50 5

0 0
0 00.1 0.10.2 0.2 0.30.3 0.4
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.70.7 0.8
0.6
Field Field
Current(A)
current(A)

 Variation of synchronous reactance with field current

According to the graphs when increasing field current, Short circuit current increase proportionally.
While the open circuit voltage is showing characteristic as gradually increase and further increasing
the field current the increasing rate of open circuit voltage is slow with field current. This implies at
lower field currents synchronous reactance is increasing rapidly with field currents and higher the
field current that increasing rate is slow also at lower field current high synchronous reactance and at
high field currents low synchronous reactance can be observed.

 Synchronous Generator has characteristics of a current transformer

Let’s take that the rotor of the Synchronous generator represents the primary winding and stator
represents the secondary winding. Then the field current is the primary current and the armature
current is the secondary current. Now as the armature current is much higher than the field current,
this looks like a step up current transformer. In a current transformer when the secondary is short
circuited, that short circuit current is proportional to the primary current. From the graph of I a Vs If it
is visible that short circuited armature current is proportional to field current. Therefore in that sense
also the synchronous generator is acting as a current transformer. When a load is connected to the
secondary of a current transformer, its primary current depends on the load. In the same way, field
current of a synchronous generator is also depending on the load while it is connected to the
armature.

 Variation of terminal voltage with load current

 140
120
100

Load Voltage(V)
80
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Load Current(A)

At high field currents, the rotor flux increment is much slower with an increase in mmf and it is the
saturated state. Therefore the constant values of Xs can be expected up to unsaturated region. At the
saturated region the slow increment of flux affects to the armature reaction and the self inductance
of the armature (stator) coils. Effects of load changes on a synchronous generator are a very useful
thing to study. When we consider this variation we can say that field currents remain unchanged and
therefore the internal generated voltage is constant if mover has constant speed.