DC generator

Introduction to electrical machines

1. Electrical machines are of two types
a. Motor
b. Generator
2. Motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. The input of dc
motor is dc EMF and the input of ac motor is ac EMF. The output of any
type of motor is mechanical energy which is produced in the form of
rotation. This is measured by rpm, torque and speed.
3. Generator converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The input
of generator is mechanical energy in the form of rotation of armature.
The output of dc generator is dc EMF and the output of ac generator or
alternator is ac EMF.
4. The use of electrical field winding which supplies energy to establish
magnetic field produces great variety of performance characteristics.
5. The armature winding is connected to the external load through a
mechanical rectifier known as the commutator. The commutator-brush
mechanism is important in providing constant dc EMF at the output.

Faradays law
1. When a conductor moves in a magnetic field EMF is generated across
the conductor.
2. The EMF generated is directly proportional to rate of change of flux
across the conductor.
3. The direction of induced EMF is such that it opposes the change of its
cause. This is Lenzs law.

Armature winding and commutator

Commutator
1. The commutator is a cylindrical assembly of wedge-shaped copper
segments which are insulated from each other and the shaft by thin
mica sheets.
2. Each commutator segment forms the junction between two armature
coils (finish of one coil and start of the other).
3. DC machines have double layered windings.
4. Stationary carbon brushes are placed in contact with commutator with
spring pressure.

 Working of DC generators (diagram 1A)

1. Consider the coil to be rotating in a uniform magnetic field in the
clockwise direction.
2. As the coil moves the flux linked with the coil changes so EMF is
induced in the conductor. The EMF induced in the conductor is
proportional to the number of flux lines cut by the conductor.
3. In the constant magnetic field, the magnitude of EMF induced in the
conductor is the same it changes in direction every half rotation. Let us
consider that when the AB part of the conductor is under the northern
magnetic field, the EMF induced positive and when the AB is in the
southern part the EMF induced is in the negative direction.
4. This produces an alternating EMF. To convert it to DC a mechanical
rectifier called commutator is used.
5. The commutator is connected to the external circuit through carbon
brushes.
6. The commutator rotates with the armature coil but the brushes remain
connected to the external circuit. So from the diagram the AB part of
the armature is connected to the a part of the commutator and the
CD part of the armature is connected to the b part of the commutator.
The space between the a and b part of the commutator is filled with
insulating material.
7. When AB rotates in the magnetic field the flux associated with the
armature also changes with rotation. When the velocity of the
conductor is parallel to the field lines the EMF induced in the conductor
is zero and EMF induced is maximum when the velocity is
perpendicular to the velocity of the conductor. Thus the EMF varies as
shown in the figure.
8. Now when the armature rotates AB is under South Pole and negative
EMF flows through AB to brush 2 through a and CD is under North
Pole. So positive EMF flows through CD to brush 1 through b.
9. Thus brush 1 is always positive and the brush 2 is always negative and
constant EMF is obtained at the output.

Practical generators

For lap winding A

Components of practical generators= no of poles = no
1. Magnetic frame or yoke
of brushes
2. Pole core or field core
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Pole windings or field windings

Armature core
Armature windings or conductor
Commutator
Brushes

For wave or
simplex winding A
= 2 = no of
brushes

 Description of parts

Yoke

1. This outer frame is used to support the entire structure of the machine.
2. It also supports the magnetic flux that is produced by the poles.
3. In small generators where cheapness is more important than weight
cast iron is used and in larger machines cast steel or roll steel is used.
4. Modern method of rolling a steel sheet in cylindrical shape and then
welding it at the bottom is used for yoke. Such yokes have high
sustainability and permeability.
Pole cores and pole shoes
1. The field magnet consists of two parts, the pole core and the pole
shoes
2. The pole core and shoes spread out the flux in the air gap and reduces
the flux reluctance due to its larger surface area. It also supports the
structure of the field coils.

Pole coils
1. The field coils consist of copper wire or strip former wound for correct
dimension.
2. Then the former is removed and the coil is put into place.
3. When current flows through them magnetic field is produced in them
which is cut by the rotating armature windings.

Armature core
1. It houses the conductors which rotate and cut the magnetic field.
2. In addition to this one of the most important function of armature core
is that it provides a low reluctance flux through armature and north
south pole.
3. The armature core is made of four, six or eight segmental laminations.
The laminations reduce the eddy current loss and hysteresis loss.
Thinner the laminations greater is the resistance offered to reduce the
eddy current losses.

Armature windings
1. The armature windings are conductors that are insulated from each
other.
2. They are placed in the armature slots which are lined with tough
insulating material.
3. The slot insulation is pulled over the armature windings and they are
secured in place by using hard wooden or fiber edges.

 Lap winding
Coils are added in series until the end of the last coil joins the
beginning of the first coil. As the winding progresses the winding laps
back on itself. This is called as lap winding. In lap winding the no. of
parallel paths is equal to the number of poles. It is used for low voltage
and high current requirement

Wave winding
In wave winding the end of one coil is connected to the starting of
another coil of same polarity. The number of parallel paths in wave
winding is 2 irrespective of the number of poles. It is used for high
voltage low current requirement

Armature reaction
1. When the armature in a dc machine carries current, a magnetic field is
generated in the armature winding known as armature reaction.
2. The machine air gap is now acted upon by the resultant MMF of the
armature winding and the MMF of the field winding. As a result the air
gap flux density gets distorted. This can lead to sparking in the
brushes.
3. Due to the armature magnetic field the main flux also gets
demagnetized and weakened. Due to this reduction of flux takes place

Types of generators
The five major types of dc generators are as follows
1. Separately excited dc generator in separately excited dc
generator the field flux is derived from a separate power source
independent from the generator.
2. Shunt generator in a shunt generator the field flux is derived by
connecting the field winding parallel to the armature winding. The EMF
generated by the armature is used to produce field flux.
3. Series generator in series generator the field winding is connected
in series with the armature winding.
4. Compound generator in compound generator both the series field
winding and the shunt field winding are present. One winding is in
series with the armature winding and the other winding is parallel to
the armature winding. In short shunt compound wound dc
generator the shunt field winding is in parallel to the armature
winding and the series field winding is in series to the combination. In
long shunt compound wound dc generator the shunt field winding
is in parallel to both the armature winding and the series field winding.

 Self-excited dc generator
1. Rather than exciting from a separate dc source most generators are
always excited from their own armature terminals. This method is
knowns as self-excitation.
2. Assume that the field is produced when the armature is brought to the
rated speed.
3. At the instant of switching on of the field the armature voltage
corresponds to a small voltage that is developed due to the residual
magnetic field left.
4. Now if the field is connected such that this current increases the MMF
of the field and therefore the induced EMF will increase resulting in the
machine continuously building up the voltage.

Shunt dc generator
1. Shunt generator is a type of generator which supplies its own field
current by having the field coil connected across the armature winding.
2. In this configuration the armature current provides to both the load and
the field winding.
Ia=Il+ If
3. By Kirchhoffs laws
Vt=EaIaRa

Voltage buildup in shunt generator

1. The voltage buildup in a dc shunt generator depends on the initial
residual flux in the field coils. When the generator first starts to run the
initial EMF developed in the generator is given by
Ea=kres
2. This voltage appears at the load of the generator but the voltage
causes current to flow through the field coil and this increases the
magnetic flux.
3. As the flux increases the EMF generated also increases which increases
the current flowing through the field which further increases the EMF.
Thus the EMF of the generator increases.
4. The graph of EMF vs the field current is as follows. (fig. 9-50, fig 2)
5. The reason for a generator not building up voltage are as follows:
a. There may be no residual magnetic flux. If this is the case then
the field winding is given external dc supply to produce flux.
b. The armature may rotate in the opposite direction or the
connections to the field might be reversed. This may cause the
EMF to be produced in the armature which produces magnetic
flux in the field winding but in the opposite direction to the

residual field thereby decreasing the field. If this is the case then
the generator will start generating if the connections are
reversed.

Series dc generator
1. A series dc generator is a generator in which the field and the
armature coils are in series to each other.
2. Since the armature current in a generator is very high the series field
coil in this type of generator will have less coils of wire and the wire
used will be much thicker than shunt type of generator. This does not
affect the magnetic field generation because MMF is given by the
equation F= . So even though the number of turns of the wire
decreases the increase in current compensates for the MMF.
3. The equivalent circuit of the series dc generator is as follows (fig 956).
4. Here armature current, field current, and the load current are all equal
Ia=Il=If
5. The terminal voltage is given by Kirchhoffs laws as follows:
Vt=EaIa ( Rs+ Rf )

Terminal characteristics of series generator

1. At no load no current flows through the field coil so the terminal
voltage is very low which is produced due to residual magnetic field.
2. As the load increases the field current increases so the MMF produced
by the field increases and the armature EMF also increases. Although
the Ia ( Rs+ Rf ) also increases in the initial stage the increase in Ea is
much greater than the

Ia ( Rs+ Rf )

drop. So the terminal voltage

increases.
3. After sometime the Ea reaches saturation and its growth decreases so
the Ia ( Rs+ Rf ) drop dominates and the terminal voltage starts
decreasing.
4. The series field dc generator does not act as a good voltage source. So
it is used in applications only where its high gain of voltage can be
used.