Module - 5

AC MACHINES AND RENEWABLE POWER

CONTENTS
2
 Three Phase Synchronous Generators: Principle of operation; Types and
constructional features; EMF equation

 Three Phase Induction Motors: Concept of rotating magnetic field; Principle of

operation, types and constructional features; Slip and its significance;
Applications of squirrel cage and slip ring motors; Necessity of a starter, star-
delta starter.

 Renewable Power Generation: Introduction to Wind, Solar, Fuel cell, Tidal and
Geo thermal.

11-Jan-24
INTRODUCTION
3  Synchronous generator or AC Generator also known as Alternators, is a machine
that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

 The generated electrical energy is in the form of an alternating current sinusoidal

output waveform.

 Generator action depends upon the relative motion of conductors with respect to
magnetic field, (an alternator is constructed with a stationary armature and a
moving field).
120 𝑓
 Alternators run at a constant speed called synchronous speed , 𝑁𝑆 =
𝑃

 This speed is usually referred to as the synchronous speed, so that AC generators

are called as synchronous generators. 11-Jan-24
Contd…..
4
 In a DC generator, by using commutator and brush assembly the induced emf is
converted to DC.

 If induced emf is taped directly outside from the armature, the nature of emf will
be AC. Such machine is called an Alternator.

 Three common types of prime movers for alternators are steam turbines, steam
engines, and water wheels. The mechanical power is usually applied to the rotor
field.

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
5
 According to the arrangement of the field and armature windings, synchronous
machines are classified as

❖ Stationary Armature – Rotating Field(Above 5KVA)

❖ Stationary Field – Rotating Armature(Below 5KVA)

Advantages of Stationary Armature – Rotating Field

• Better insulation • Noiseless running

• Collect large currents • Air gap length is uniform
• Construction is simple • Better mechanical balancing of rotor
• No sparking problems 11-Jan-24
Contd…..
6
Alternator consists of mainly two parts,
1.Stator
2.Rotor
• An alternator has 3-phase winding
on the stator and a DC field winding
on the rotor

11-Jan-24
CONSTRUCTION
7
STATOR

 Stationary part of the machine

 The stator of an alternator consists of a laminated, slotted, good magnetic steel core and
an armature winding placed in the slots.

 As the rotor field rotates inside the stator, the flux of the rotating field cuts the core of
the stator continuously and causes eddy current loss in the stator core. The stator core is
laminated and the laminations are insulated from each other with varnish.

ROTOR

 The rotor carries a field winding which is supplied with DC through slip rings by a
separate DC source (to energize Electromagnets). 11-Jan-24
Contd…..
8
 There are two types of rotors used in alternators:

✓ Salient Pole type or Projecting pole type

✓ Non Salient Pole type or Cylindrical type

1. SALIENT POLE TYPE

➢ It is used in slow and moderate speed applications.

➢ This is also called as projecting pole type, as all poles are projected out from the
surface of the rotor.

➢ All poles are mounted on a large circular steel frame which is fixed to the shaft
of the alternator. 11-Jan-24
Contd…..
9
 Field windings are connected in series

 Ends of the field windings are connected to the DC supply through slip rings

 Large diameter and short axial length

 Poles are laminated to reduce eddy current
losses
 Employed for low-medium speed
applications (120 - 500rpm)

 This cannot be used for large speed

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
10 2. NON SALIENT POLE TYPE

 It is used for high speed turbo-alternators which run at 3000 rpm or 1500 rpm.

 The field windings are accommodated in slots present in outer periphery and are
connected in series to the slip rings through which they are energized by the DC
exciter.

 Smaller diameter & larger axial length

 Better balancing, noiseless

 Used in nuclear, thermal power plants

11-Jan-24
Working Principle
11
 It works on the principle electromagnetic induction

 The rotor winding is energized from the DC exciter and magnetic field is
developed on the rotor

 When rotor is rotated by a prime mover, the stator armature conductors cut the
magnetic field of rotor poles. Thus induced an emf in the armature conductors.

 Direction of induced emf can be determined by Fleming’s right hand rule.

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
12

11-Jan-24
EMF EQUATION OF ALTERNATOR
13

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
14

11-Jan-24
Three Phase Induction Motors
15
✓ The induction motors are basically AC motors.

✓ They can operate on either single phase or three phase ac supply, however the
single phase induction motors are suitable only for few applications.

✓ In almost 85% applications the three phase induction motors are preferred.

✓ Depending on the type of rotor, the induction motor are classified into two types,
slip ring induction motors and squirrel cage induction motors.

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
16 Advantages and Applications

Advantages of induction motors over DC Applications of induction motors

motors 1. Fans
1. Low maintenance 2. Pumps
2. Ruggedness, smaller size and weight 3. Extruders
3. Low cost 4. Conveyors
4. They can operate in dusty and explosive 5. In food and chemical industries
environment 6. Paper and sugar industries etc.
5. They can operate at much higher speed 7. Chemical, textile, mines and traction
6. It can produce sufficient torque etc.
7. Speed control by using thyristors can give
a wide range of speeds 11-Jan-24
CONCEPTS OF ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD
17
 The induction motor operates on the principle of rotating magnetic field (RMF)
which is produced by the stator winding of the induction motor in the air gap
between the stator and the rotor.

 The stator is a three phase stationary winding which can be either star connected
or delta connected.

 Whenever the AC supply is connected to stator winding, line current IR, IY and IB
start flowing and these line currents are 1200 phase shifted with respect to each
other.

 Due to each line current a sinusoidal flux is produced in the air gap. These fluxes
are also 1200 phase shifted with respect to each other. 11-Jan-24
Contd…..
18  Let the flux produced by line current IR be øR, that produced by IY be øY and that
produced by IB be øB.

 Mathematically
øR = øm sin ωt
øY = øm sin (ωt-1200)
øB = øm sin (ωt-2400)

The effective or total flux (øT) in the air gap between the stator and rotor is equal to the
phasor sum of the three component fluxes øR, øY and øB .

∴ øT = øR + øY + øB

 The resultant field will be rotating in nature, which rotates with a speed known as
synchronous speed(Ns).
11-Jan-24
Principle of Operation
19
 When the 3-phase stator windings are fed by 3-phase supply then a rotating
magnetic field of constant magnitude is produced in the airgap between stator
and rotor. This field rotates at synchronous speed (Ns).

 This rotating flux cuts the stator conductors which are stationary and due to
relative speed between the rotating flux and the stationary conductors, an emf is
induced according to Faraday’s law of Electro-magnetic induction.

 The frequency of the induced emf is the same as the supply frequency.

 The rotor currents and the stator magnetic field interact with each other to
produce a torque and hence the rotor rotates
11-Jan-24
Construction of Induction Motor
20
 An induction motor consists of two main parts:

1.Stator 2. Rotor

STATOR

 The stationary frame called stator and the rotating armature called rotor.
11-Jan-24
Contd…..
21 ROTOR

 Two types of rotor construction are possible.

1.Squirrel cage type 2.Slip ring / Wound rotor type

1. Squirrel cage type Rotor

 90% of induction motors are squirrel-cage type, because this type of rotor has
the simplest and most rugged construction.

 The rotor consists of a cylindrical laminated core with parallel slots for carrying
the rotor conductors consist of heavy bars of copper, aluminium or alloys.

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
22
 The rotor bars are permanently short-circuited on themselves. Hence, it is not
possible to add any external resistance in series with rotor circuit for starting
purposes.

 The rotor slots are usually not quite parallel to the shaft but are purposely given a
slight skew.

11-Jan-24
Contd…..
23 2. Slip ring/Wound rotor type

 This type of rotor is provided with a three-phase distributed winding consisting

of coils.
 The terminals of the rotor winding
are brought out and connected to
three insulated slip-rings mounted
on the shaft with brushes resting
on them. These three brushes are
externally connected to a three-phase
star-connected rheostat.
11-Jan-24
Contd…..
24
 At the time of starting, the entire resistance is included in the rotor circuit and
this resistance is gradually cut out as the rotor picks up speed. When running
under normal conditions, the entire external resistance is cut out and the wound
rotor is short-circuited on itself. The slip-ring induction motors are used only
when speed control or high starting torque is required.

11-Jan-24
Slip (s)
 In practice, the rotor can never reach the speed of the stator field. If, the rotor can reach
25
the speed of the stator field then there would be no relative movement between the
stator field and rotor conductors, hence no EMF and no current induced in rotor and so
on no torque to maintain rotation. Hence, rotor speed is always less than the speed of the
stator field.

 The difference between the synchronous speed Ns and the actual speed N of the rotor is
called slip ( Ns –N).

 It is usually expressed as a percentage of the synchronous speed.

𝑁𝑠 −𝑁
%𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑝, %𝑠 = ( ) *100
𝑁𝑠

 The actual speed N can be expressed in terms of s as, N = Ns (1-s)

 The value of slip will vary between 0 and 1 for motoring operation.
11-Jan-24
Star- Delta Starter
26
 Here the stator winding of the motor is connected in star configuration at the
time of starting. This reduces the voltage across each winding to 1/√3 of the
rated voltage.
 When the motor accelerates, the stator
is connected in delta configuration, to
apply the rated voltage to the winding.
 The starting torque reduced as the
torque is proportional to square of
voltage and there is jerk while
switching from star to delta. 11-Jan-24