Ambo Institute of Technology, Hachalu

Hundessa Campus
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering

Chapter - 6
Synchronous Machines

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Group 6-Presentation
Introduction
 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.

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Synchronous Generator

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Synchronous Generator
Cntd …

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Facts
 SM are used principally in large power applications
because of their
 High operating efficiency
 Reliability
 Controllable power factor
 Rotates at constant speed in the steady state
i.e. The rotating air gap field and the rotor rotate at
the same speed.
 It is a doubly excited machine
i.e. Rotor poles are excited by a DC current
Stator are connected to the ac supply

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 DC Machines
N
+ If
Rotor
Vf If

- Stator

If S
R

 The DC excitation current in the stator generates a Resultant flux.

and induced voltage in the rotor.

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Synchronous machines N
If Rotor
+
Vf
-

If Stator

S
R

 The DC excitation current in the rotor generates a flux.

 The turbine drives the rotor and produces a rotating flux
 The rotating flux induce AC three phase voltage in the stator
winding.
 The generated power of a synchronous machine can be
adjusted by controlling the magnitude of the rotor field current.

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 Group 7-Presentation
Synchronous Machine Structures
Stator and Rotor
1. The stator is termed as stationary armature where
the generated power can be easily taken out. The
armature winding of a conventional synchronous
machine is almost invariably on the stator and is
usually a three phase winding.
2. The rotor is the rotating member of the machine
 The field winding is usually on the rotor and excited
by dc current, or permanent magnets.
 The dc power supply required for excitation usually
is supplied through a dc generator
 This dc generator known as exciter, which is often
mounted on the same shaft as the synchronous
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Rotor structures:
There are two types of rotor structures
1. Salient pole rotor
For low speed applications, such as hydroelectric
generators, Diesel Generator etc.
2. Non-Salient pole (cylindrical) rotor
For high speed synchronous machines, such as steam
turbine generators, Gas turbine, etc

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Salient pole rotor
 In this type, salient or projecting poles are mounted on a large
circular steel frame which is fixed to the shaft of the alternator
 The individual field pole windings are connected in series in such a
way that when the field winding is energized by the d.c. exciter,
adjacent poles have opposite polarities.
 Low and medium-speed alternators (120-400 r.p.m.) such as those
driven by diesel engines or water turbines have salient pole type
rotors due to the following reasons:
 The salient field poles would cause .an excessive windage loss
if driven at high speed and would tend to produce noise.
 alient-pole construction cannot be made strong enough to
withstand the mechanical stresses to which they may be
subjected at higher speeds.

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Cont’d
 Since a frequency of 50 Hz is required, we must use a large number
of poles on the rotor of slow-speed alternators.
 Low-speed rotors always possess a large diameter to provide the
necessary spate for the poles.

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Non-Salient(Cylindrical) Rotor

 In this type, the rotor is made of smooth solid forged-steel radial

cylinder having a number of slots along the outer periphery.
 High-speed alternators (1500 or 3000 r.p.m.) are driven by steam
turbines and use non-salient type rotors due to the following
reasons:
 This type of construction has mechanical robustness and gives
noiseless operation at high speeds
 The flux distribution around the periphery is nearly a sine
wave and hence better e.m.f. waveform is obtained than in
the case of salient-pole type.

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 Group 8-Presentation

 Frequency

 E.M.F. Equation of an Alternator

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Synchronous Speed

 The Synchronous speed defined as

P NS 120 f
f   NS 
2 60 P
 It can be seen that the frequency of the
induced emf is proportional to the rotor speed
and this speed is called Synchronous speed

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Contd.
 Stator coils are connected to form a three phase
winding. Each phase is able to produce a specified
number of magnetic poles.
 The windings of the three phase are arranged uniformly
around the stator periphery and are labeled in the
sequence that phase ‘a’ is 120o(electrical) ahead of
phase ‘b’ and 240o(electrical) ahead of phase ‘c’.
Phase c

120o
120o
Phase a

120o
Phase b

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 bs

Contd. vbs
 Stator windings are as'

sinusoidally distributed with cs bs

Ns equivalent turns and
their magnetic axes are as
displaced by 120o. bs' cs' vas
Where as

 Ns: the number of turns of

vcs
the equivalent sinusoidally
distributed stator windings. cs
Ns
 s: the angular mmf as  ias cos  s
2
displacement about stator
Ns
mmf bs  ibs cos s  23 
2
N
mmf cs  s ics cos s  23 
2
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Rotating Magnetic Fields
Magnetic Field of a Distributed Phase Winding
 The magnetic field distribution of a distributed phase winding
can be obtained by adding the fields generated by all the coils
of the winding.
 The mmf distribution along the air gap is a square wave.
Because of the uniform air gap, the spatial distribution of
magnetic field strength is the same as that of mmf.

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Graphical Analysis

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Group 9-Presentation
Equivalent Circuit of Synchronous Machine

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 Open- and Short-Circuit Characteristics
 The Short-Circuit -Ratio (SCR) is the
ratio of the field current Of ’=If1 Ia2=In
needed to generate rated open-
circuit Armature Voltage to the field
current Of ’’=If2 needed to produce
rated armature current
Ia1
I f1
SCR 
If2
The SCR exactly equals the per unit
Open- and short-circuit
synchronous reactance so that
characteristics of a synchronous
1 machine.
X s p .u . 
SCR
Open  cct  voltage per phase Eg 0
ZS  
Short  cct  current per phase I Sh I f

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Synchronous Motor

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 Synchronous Motor
Construction:
A synchronous motor is a machine that operates at synchronous
speed and converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

A synchronous motor runs at synchronous speed or not at all. Its speed

is constant (synchronous speed) at all loads. The only way to change its
speed is to alter the supply frequency (Ns= 120 f/P).

The outstanding characteristic of a synchronous motor is that it can be

made to operate over a wide range of power factors (lagging, unity or
leading) by adjustment of its field excitation.

Synchronous motors are generally of the salient pole type.

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 Synchronous Motor
Advantages
* By varying the field excitation, the magnitude of current drawn by the
motor can be changed by any amount. This helps in achieving stepless
control of power factor.

* The motor windings have high thermal stability to short circuit

currents.

* The faults can be removed easily.

Disadvantages
* There are considerable losses in the motor.
* The maintenance cost is high
* It produces noise
* Except in sizes above 500 KVA, the cost is greater than that of static
capacitors of the same rating.
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Applications of Synchronous Motors

Synchronous motors are particularly attractive for low speeds (< 300
r.p.m.) because the power factor can always be adjusted to unity and
efficiency is high

They are used to improve the voltage regulation of transmission lines.

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Thank you.

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