Eddy currents are the result of induced EMFs in conductors and because resistanc es within conductors can be very

small, the currents can on occasion be quite si zeable, and so the effects produced by them can be very significant. Depending o n exactly where they are, and what they are doing, they can be either a curse or a blessing. As a Blessing. A horseshoe magnet is suspended on a thread, above an aluminum disc which is its elf free to turn about its centre. If the magnet is now spun round, the aluminum disc starts to rotate with it (although it never quite catches up with the magn et). Similarly occurs when the disc is rotated. The relative movement between th e magnet and disc is inducing eddy currents in the aluminum. These, in turn, cre ate other magnetic fields, and it is these that cause the magnet and disc to mov e together. Interestingly enough, this apparently insignificant effect actually has some practical application. It is used, for instance, in the normal car spee dometer! The rotation of the wheels is transmitted, by various means, to a magne t, which itself rotates, with a speed proportional to that of the wheels. As a Curse They could justly be called the transformer designer's nightmare. Firstly, the e ddy currents mean a loss of power in the transformer and hence reduced efficienc y. It stands to reason that if power is being used to drive currents around in t he core, then that much less power is going to be available for use from the sec ondary coil. The second problem is no less serious, especially in large-scale tr ansformers. The power being wasted in the core, driving eddy currents round, qui te naturally ends up as heat, and consequently transformers are liable to get ve ry hot. Indeed, large transformers, such as those on utility power grids, may be oil-cooled, to prevent overheating. PARKS TRANSFORMATION Park s Transformation computes the direct axis, quadratic axis, and zero sequence qu antities in a two-axis rotating reference frame for a three-phase sinusoidal sig nal. The following transformation is used: where = rotation speed (rad/s) of the rotating frame. The transformation is the same for the case of a three-phase current; you simply replace the Va, Vb, Vc, Vd, Vq, and V0 variables with the Ia, Ib, Ic, Id, Iq, a nd I0 variables. This transformation is commonly used in three-phase electric machine models. It allows you to eliminate time-varying inductances by referring the stator and rot or quantities to a fixed or rotating reference frame. In the case of a synchrono us machine, the stator quantities are referred to the rotor. Id and Iq represent the two DC currents flowing in the two equivalent rotor windings (d winding dir ectly on the same axis as the field winding, and q winding on the quadratic axis ), producing the same flux as the stator Ia, Ib, and Ic currents. Trends in Machine Design and Developments The induction motor principle was patented by Tesla in 1888. (He also invented s ynchronous motors and reluctance motors). These improvements have occurred for different reasons. Smaller machines have been developed because it is in the manufacturers interest to do so. (Cost wise).More efficient machines have been developed because of a combination of end user desire and legislation. (environment friendly) 1. Use thicker conductors. Increasing the cross-section of the conductors w ill result in lower I2R losses. 2. Increase the length of the machine. A longer machine requires a lower to rque density, which means a lower flux density. Lower flux density will result i n lower iron losses. 3. Increase the outer diameter of the stator. Increased outer diameter mean s an increased surface area, allowing more effective cooling. This in turn means that a smaller, lower power fan can be used

4. Use a low loss lamination steel. Lamination steels can be bought in diff erent grades, with variable hysteresis losses. Laminations can also be bought in various thicknesses, with thinner laminations resulting in lower eddy current l osses. A thin low-loss lamination will have significantly lower iron loss than a n thicker standard lamination 5. Ensure that the air gap length is constant. If the air gap surfaces are machined to give a constant air gap, there will be smaller variations in flux de nsity and therefore reduced likelihood of concentrations of iron losses. (Eddy c urrent losses are a function of flux density squared.) Reactive Power Generation and Absorption in Synchronous Generators