Electrical Circuits and Machines

Course No: EEE 2111

Presented by :

Sajjad Hossain
Lecturer, EEE, KUET

Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET)

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DC Generator

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DC Generator

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DC Generator

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DC Generator
A DC generator is an electromechanical energy conversion device that converts
mechanical power into DC electrical power through the process of electromagnetic
induction.
A DC generator operates on the principle of electromagnetic induction i.e. when the
magnetic flux linking a conductor changes, an EMF is induced in the conductor. A DC
generator has a field winding and an armature winding.
The EMF induced in the armature winding of a DC generator is alternating one and is
converted into direct voltage using a commutator mounted on the shaft of the
generator. The armature winding of DC Generator is placed on the rotor whereas the
field winding is placed on the stator.

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DC Generator
Here is the schematic diagram of a DC Generator

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DC Generator
Construction
YOKE:
The yoke or outer frame provides coverage to a dc Generator. It is made up of cast
steel for large dc Generator.
A) It provides mechanical support to poles.
B) Acts as a protective cover against mechanical damage.
C) And provides a passage for the magnetic flux produced by the poles of the machine.
Magnetic Field System:
The magnetic field system of a DC generator is the stationary part of the machine. It
produces the main magnetic flux in the generator. It consists of an even number of pole
cores bolted to the yoke and field winding wound around the pole core. The field system
of DC generator has salient poles i.e. the poles project inwards and each pole core has a
pole shoe having a curved surface. The pole shoe serves two purposes
•It provides support to the field coils.
•It reduces the reluctance of magnetic circuit by increasing the cross-sectional area of it.
The pole cores are made of thin laminations of sheet steel which are insulated from each
other to reduce the eddy current loss. The field coils are connected in series with one
another such that when the current flows through the coils, alternate north and south
poles are produced in the direction of rotation.
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DC Generator
ARMATURE CORE
The armature core is the rotating part of a DC/AC machine.
Its main purpose is to offer a low reluctance path to the magnetic flux. And to house
the armature conductors.
ARMATURE WINDING
Armature winding is composed of coils embedded in armature core slots.
COMMUTATOR
A commutator periodically changes the direction of the current between the rotor and
the external circuit.
BRUSHES
Brushes are usually made of rectangular carbon blocks housed in brush holders. The
function of brushes in DC Generators is to collect the current from the commutator.

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DC Generator
Consider a single loop DC generator (as shown in the figure), in this a single turn
loop ‘ABCD’ is rotating clockwise in a uniform magnetic field with a constant speed.
When the loop rotates, the magnetic flux linking the coil sides ‘AB’ and ‘CD’ changes
continuously. This change in flux linkage induces an EMF in coil sides and the
induced EMF in one coil side adds the induced EMF in the other.

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DC Generator

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DC Generator
The EMF induced in a DC generator can be explained as follows
1) When the loop is in position-1, the generated EMF is zero because, the movement of coil
sides is parallel to the magnetic flux.
2) When the loop is in position-2, the coil sides are moving at an angle to the magnetic flux
and hence, a small EMF is generated.
3) When the loop is in position-3, the coil sides are moving at right angle to the magnetic flux,
therefore the generated EMF is maximum.
4) When the loop is in position-4, the coil sides are cutting the magnetic flux at an angle, thus
a reduced EMF is generated in the coil sides.
5) When the loop is in position-5, no flux linkage with the coil side and are moving parallel to
the magnetic flux. Therefore, no EMF is generated in the coil.
6) At the position-6, the coil sides move under a pole of opposite polarity and hence the
polarity of generated EMF is reversed. The maximum EMF will generate in this direction at
position-7 and zero when at position-1. This cycle repeats with revolution of the coil.

It is clear that the generated EMF in the loop is alternating one. It is because any coil side (say
AB) has EMF in one direction when under the influence of N-pole and in the other direction
when under the influence of S-pole. Hence, when a load is connected across the terminals of
the generator, an alternating current will flow through it. Now, by using a commutator, this
alternating emf generated in the loop can be converted into direct voltage. We then have a DC
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DC Generator

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DC Generator
Types of Generators

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DC Generator
Separately-excited generators are those whose field magnets are
energised from an independent external source of d.c. current. The
voltage generated by a separately excited DC generator depends
upon the speed of the armature rotation and the field current (i.e.
flux in the machine). The greater the speed of armature and field
current, greater is the induced EMF in the generator.

Self-excited generators are those whose field magnets are

energised by the current produced by the generators themselves.

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DC Generator

Series Wound the field windings are joined in series with the
armature conductors they carry full load current, they consist of
relatively few turns of thick wire or strips.

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DC Generator
Shunt wound The field windings are connected across or in
parallel with the armature conductors and have the full voltage of
the generator applied across them

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DC Generator

Compound Wound It is a combination of a few series and a few

shunt windings and can be either short-shunt or long-shunt. the shunt
field is stronger than the series field. When series field aids the shunt
field, generator is said to be commutatively-compounded. On the
other hand if series field opposes the shunt field, the generator is said
to be differentially compounded

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DC Generator
No-Load Magnetization Curve or O.C.C (Open Circuit Characteristics)curve

(i) When the current through the field coil is zero, there is some flux from the
field pole due to residual magnetism and a small voltage is induced which
is indicated by point 1.
(ii) As the current in the field is increased ,the flux also increases and
therefore the induced voltage increases proportionately with the field
current(from point 2 to point 3)
(iii) Beyond point 3 further increase in field current produce small increase in
Eg.
(iv) At point 4 Eg is saturated.
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DC Generator
The voltage build up process in shunt generator

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DC Generator

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DC Generator

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DC Generator
External Characteristic
It is found that if after building up, a shunt generator is loaded, then its terminal
voltage V drops with increase in load current.
Reasons:
(i) Armature resistance drop :
As the load current increases, more and more voltage is consumed in the ohmic
resistance of the armature circuit. Hence, the terminal voltage V = E - Ia Ra is
decreased where E is the induced e.m.f. in the armature under load condition.
(ii) Armature reaction drop
Due to the demagnetising effect of armature reaction, pole flux is weakened and
so the induced e.m.f. in the armature is decreased.
(iii) The drop in terminal voltage V due to (i) and (ii) results in a decreased field
current If which further reduces the induced e.m.f.

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DC Generator

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DC Generator

(i) As the load is applied to the generator, the terminal voltage drops.The drop in
terminal voltage reduces the field current,which in turn reduces the generated
voltage.(ab)
(ii) These conditions hold good till point b is reached. This point is known as
breakdown point. It is found that beyond this point (where load is maximum = OB)
any effort to increase load current results in decreased load current due to a very
rapid decrease in terminal voltage.

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Generator
Maths
(i) A shunt generator delivers 450 A at 230 V and the resistance of the shunt field
and armature are 50 Ω and 0.03 Ω respectively. Calculate the generated e.m.f.
(243.6 V )
(ii)A separately excited generator, when running at 1000 r.p.m. supplied 200 A at
125 V. What will be the load current when the speed drops to 800 r.p.m. if If is unchanged ?
Given that the armature resistance = 0.04 ohm and brush drop = 2 V.
(I = 159.4 A )
(iii) A short-shunt compound generator delivers a load current of 30 A at 220 V, and
has armature, series-field and shunt-field resistances of 0.05 Ω, 0.30 Ω and 200 Ω respectively.
Calculate the induced e.m.f. and the armature current. Allow 1.0 V per brush for contact drop.
232.56 V

(iv)A long-shunt compound generator delivers a load current of 50 A at 500 V and

has armature, series field and shunt field resistances of 0.05 Ω, 0.03 Ω and 250 Ω respectively.
Calculate the generated voltage and the armature current. Allow 1 V per brush for contact
drop. 506.16 V

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