ALTERNATOR

AC generators or alternators operate on the same fundamental principles of electromagnetic

induction as dc generators. They also consist of an armature winding and a magnetic but there is one
important difference between the two. Whereas in dc generators, the ARMATURE ROTATES and the
field system is STATIONARY, the arrangement in alternators is just the reverse of it. In their case,
standard construction consists of armature winding mounted on a stationary element called STATOR and
field windings on a rotating element called ROTOR

Number of N and south moving past a conductor in one second ii) whose direction is given by Flemings
Right hand rule.

STATIONARY ARMATURE

CONSTRUCTION

ROTOR

ARMATURE WINDINGS

The principle of winding using the figure below shows a single-layer, one turn, full pitch winding
for a four-pole generator. There are 12 slots, giving 3 slots per pole or 1 slot/phase/pole. The pole pitch is
obviously 3. To get maximum emftwo sides of a coil should be one pole-pitch apartcoil span should be
equal to one pole pitch. If one side of the coil is under the center of a N-pole, then the other side of the
same coil should be under the center of S-pole180( electrical) apart. In that case, the emfs induced in
the two sides of the coil are added togetherIt is seen from the R phase starts at slot No. 1, passes
through slots 4,7 and finishes at 10. The Y-phase starts 1200 afterwards..from slot No. 3 which is two slots
away from the start of R-phase ( because when 3 slots correspond to 1800 electrical degrees, two slots
correspond to an angular displacement of 1200 electrical). It passes through slots 6,9 and finishes at 12.
Similarly, B-phase starts from slot No. 5, two slots away from the start of Y-phase. It passes through
slots 8,11 and finishes at slots No. 2. The end of the windings are joined to form a star point for a Yconnection.

CONCENTRIC OR CHAIN WINDINGS

For this type of winding, the number of slots is equal to twice the number of coils or equal to the
number of coil sides..

A concentric winding with two coils per group per pole. Different shpaes of coils are required for this
winding. All coil groups of phase R are connected in the same direction. It is seen that in each group, one
coil has a pitch of 5/6 and the other factor is 0.966. Such windings are used for large high-voltage
machines.

TWO-LAYER WINDING
This winding is either of wave-wound type or lap-wound ( common for high-speed turbogenerators). It is the simplest and, most commonly used not only in synchronous machines but in
induction motors as well.

For the 4-pole , 24 slots stator, the pole-pitch is 24/4 = 6. For maximum voltage, the coils should be
full-pitched. It means that if one side of the coil is in slot No. 1, the other side should be in slot No. 7, the
two slots 1 and 7 being one pole-pitch or 1800(electrical ) apart. To make matters simple, coils have been
labelled as 1,2,3 and 4 etc.
Each of the three phase has 24/3 = 8 coils, these being so selected as to give maximum voltage
when connected properly, coils 1,7,13 and 19 will add directly in phase. Hense, we get 4 coils for this
phase. To complete eight coils for this phase, the other four selected are 2,8,14 and 20 each of which is at
an angular displacement of 300, from the adjacent coils of the first. The coils 1 and 2 of this phase are said
to constitute a polar group( which is defined as the group of coils/phase/pole). Other polar groups for this
phase are 7 and 8, 13 and 14 , 19 and 20 etc. After the coils are placed in slots, the polar groups are
joined. These groups are connected together with alternate poles reversed which shows winding for one
phase.

WYE AND DELTA CONNECTIONS

For Y-connection R1, Y1 and B1, are joined together to form the star-point. Then, ends R2 , Y2 and
B2 are connected to the terminals. For delta connection, R2 and Y1, Y2 and B1 , B2 and R1 are connected
together and terminal leads are brought out from their junction.

SHORT-PITCH WINDING: PITCH FACTOR/ CHORDING FACTOR

Coil having span which is equal to one pole-pitch, spanning over 1800 ( electrical). If the coil sides are
placed in slots 1 and 6, then it is short-pitched or fractional pitched because coil span is equal to 5/6 of a
pole-pitch. It falls short by 1/6 pole-pitch or by 180/6 = 300 . Short-pitched coils are deliberately used
because of the following advantages.