Student Name:

Lab Partner Name:

Total Grade (Out of 100 pts):
Introduction to Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators for Wind Applications
EE 448 Lab 5
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to provide a brief introduction to Synchronous Generators used in wind applications.
In this lab, you will:
Observe the change in frequency with rotational speed.
Compare the power output for two different generators as a function of rotational speed.
INSTRUMENTS and COMPONENTS:
Motor Assembly with DC-520 and DC-540 WindBlue power permanent magnet alternators
High-Power Load Box
Oscilloscope w/ 3 Probes
SAFETY GLASSES MUST BE WORN FOR THIS LAB!
THE LAB UTILIZES VOLTAGES GREATER THAN 30 V. THEREFORE, THE HIGH-VOLTAGE
SAFETY PROCEDURES DISCUSSED IN CLASS AND PROVIDED ON BLACKBOARD MUST BE
FOLLOWED. THESE GUIDELINES ARE ALSO PROVIDED AT THE END OF THIS LAB.
Procedures (80 points Based on doing the experiment and answering the questions below)_____________
Part I:
1. Each lab station will have the motor assembly pre-assembled by the TA. Each motor assembly will have a
permanent magnet DC motor set to drive either the DC-520 or the DC-540 alternator. Half of the lab
stations will have the DC-520 and half of the stations will have the DC-540. You can use either alternator
for the first part of the lab.
2. The high-power load box consists of two different sets of resistors in the delta configuration as indicated
below.

3. Describe how you could experimentally verify the resistance of each set. ___________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. With the motor off, connect the yellow, white, and blue wires from the generator (AC port) to the yellow,
white, and blue connectors on Resistor Set A (220 ).

5. With the motor still off, connect the scope probes to the bottom of the yellow, white, blue connectors on
the motor assembly. Also, clip the grounding wires to for the scope probes to the grounding wire from
the generator.
6. Now slowly turn on the motor and record the following values for each setting of the motor dial. You
may assume the white wire has its maximum peak at a phase of 0 radians. Hint These are not the best
quality synchronous generators, so the waveforms will not look sinusoidal.

Do your best to find

corresponding points on the waveforms when measuring the phase. The Stop/Run button on the scope
will help you freeze the waveforms for the measurements.
Measuring Speed with the Stroboscope:
When measuring speed of rotation with a strobe light you start with a high flash rate and then reduce the
flash rate until the shaft appears stationary. You MUST reduce the flash rate because the shaft will
appear stationary when the flash rate is the actual speed as well as 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc the actual speed. For
optimal speed measurements, you should have a clearly identifiable feature that is visible from all
direction on the shaft. This will help you find the speed because when the flash rate is 2x the actual
speed, you will see 2 images of the feature on opposite sides of the shaft as shown in the figure below.

DC Motor
Setting

Motor Speed
(rpm)

Approximate Yellow Wire

Frequency
(Magnitude)
(Hz)
(Phase)

White Wire
(Magnitude)
(Phase)

Blue Wire
(Magnitude)
(Phase)

20

30

40

50
7. Demonstrate the measurements for one motor setting to the TA.
8. What happens to the frequency from the generator as the speed of the motor increases? _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

9. How might this be a problem if we wanted to connect this generator to the power grid? _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. What happens to the magnitude and phase of the voltages as the speed of the motor increases? _________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Part 2:
1. The waveforms found in Part 1 are not very clean with a large amount of harmonic distortion. These
wind generators were designed to charge DC batteries after rectifying the signal (i.e., converting the AC
signals into DC signals). Therefore, we will now use the rectified signal to compare the power output of
the two generators.
2. With the motor off, disconnect the white, green, and blue wires from the AC output terminals.
3. With the motor still off, connect the DC output terminals to the yellow and blue terminals on Resistor Set
A (220 ). Do not connect anything to the white terminals.
4. With this resistor configuration, what is the load resistance? _____________________________________
5. Now slowly turn on the motor and record the following values for each setting of the motor dial for the
DC-520 and DC-540 alternators in the tables below. You will need to move to a new lab station to test
the second alternator.

Demonstrate the measurements for one motor setting to the TA.

DC-520 Alternator
6. Which generator gives the most output power at slower speeds?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Which alternator would you pick for your wind power generation needs? Why? _____________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

DC Motor
Setting
20
30
40

Motor Speed
(rpm)

DC Output
Voltage (V)

Output
Power (W)

50
DC-540 Alternator

DC Motor
Setting
20
30

Motor Speed
(rpm)

DC Output
Voltage (V)

Output
Power (W)

40
50
Demo (20 points Based on showing the TA how you made the measurements)
________________________________________________________________________________________

EE448: LAB SAFETY RULES

The following safety rules must be observed for proper laboratory safety.
Procedures:
1. Do not apply power to a laboratory setup until you and your lab partner have
double-checked all of the connections.
2. Do not make any changes in the connections until after the power source has
been turned off.

3. Use only one hand for component adjustments or switching operations that are
performed with the power on. Adjustments with the power on are rarely necessary
and should be done only when the laboratory instructions specifically require
them.
4. Do not touch live terminals when the power is on.
5. Inform all group members to stay away from live terminals before applying power
to the circuit and inform all group members that the circuit is dead after turning the
power off.
6. Do not touch the terminals of capacitors even after the power is turned off.
Capacitors can hold a charge. Assume that a capacitor is charged unless you
discharge it through a resistor.
7. Use a probe to check voltages in the circuit. Do not touch the metal part of the
probe when checking the voltages. Also, keep one hand in your pocket when
checking voltages in a circuit with voltages > 30 Vrms.
8. Eating and drinking is not allowed in the lab.
9. Carefully follow additional safety guidelines provided in the lab instructions.
Preparedness:
1. Do not wear loose clothing that could become entangled in moving parts. If you
have long hair you MUST have it contained so it cannot become entangled.
2. Do not enter the lab without shoes with rubber soles. The shoes must also
completely enclose your foot (i.e., no sandals or other open toed shoes).
3. Remove watches, rings, and necklaces before working on labs with voltage levels
greater than 30 Vrms.
4. Lab safety glasses must be purchased by the student and worn for all labs.