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What Is An AC Generator?

An AC generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by using electromagnetic induction. It works by rotating a coil within a magnetic field, which generates an alternating current. The main components are the field, armature, prime mover, rotor, and stator. The field produces magnetic flux, the armature induces voltage, the prime mover provides rotation, the rotor spins within the stator. Advantages over DC generators include easier transformation of voltage and thinner transmission lines.

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Anshika Singh
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97 views

What Is An AC Generator?

An AC generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by using electromagnetic induction. It works by rotating a coil within a magnetic field, which generates an alternating current. The main components are the field, armature, prime mover, rotor, and stator. The field produces magnetic flux, the armature induces voltage, the prime mover provides rotation, the rotor spins within the stator. Advantages over DC generators include easier transformation of voltage and thinner transmission lines.

Uploaded by

Anshika Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is an AC Generator?

AC generator is a machine that converts mechanical energy into


electrical energy. The AC Generator’s input supply is mechanical energy
supplied by steam turbines, gas turbines and combustion engines. The
output is alternating electrical power in the form of alternating voltage
and current.

AC generators work on the principle of Faraday’s law of


electromagnetic induction, which states that electromotive force – EMF
or voltage – is generated in a current-carrying conductor that cuts a
uniform magnetic field. This can either be achieved by rotating a
conducting coil in a static magnetic field or rotating the magnetic field
containing the stationary conductor. The preferred arrangement is to
keep the coil stationary because it is easier to draw induced alternating
current from a stationary armature coil than a rotating coil.

The generated EMF depends on the number of armature coil turns,


magnetic field strength, and the speed of the rotating field.

AC Generator Parts and Function


The various parts of an AC generator are:

 Field
 Armature
 Prime Mover
 Rotor
 Stator
 Slip Rings

The following are the functions of each of these components of an AC generator.

Field

The field consists of coils of conductors that receive a voltage from the source and produce
magnetic flux. The magnetic flux in the field cuts the armature to produce a voltage. This voltage
is the output voltage of the AC generator.

Armature

The part of an AC generator in which the voltage is produced is known as an armature. This
component primarily consists of coils of wire that are large enough to carry the full-load current
of the generator.

Prime Mover

The component used to drive the AC generator is known as a prime mover. The prime mover
could either be a diesel engine, a steam turbine, or a motor.

Rotor

The rotating component of the generator is known as a rotor. The generator’s prime mover drives
the rotor.

Stator

The stator is the stationary part of an AC generator. The stator core comprises a lamination of
steel alloys or magnetic iron to minimise the eddy current losses.

Slip Rings

Slip rings are electrical connections used to transfer power to and fro from the rotor of an AC
generator. They are typically designed to conduct the flow of current from a stationary device to
a rotating one.
Working of an AC Generator
When the armature rotates between the poles of the magnet upon an axis
perpendicular to the magnetic field, the flux linkage of the armature
changes continuously. As a result, an electric current flows through the
galvanometer and the slip rings and brushes. The galvanometer swings
between positive and negative values. This indicates that there is an
alternating current flowing through the galvanometer. The direction of
the induced current can be identified using Fleming’s Right Hand Rule.

Advantages of AC Generators over DC Generators


Following are a few advantages of AC generators over DC generators:

 AC generators can be easily stepped up and stepped down through


transformers.
 Transmission link size in AC Generators is thinner because of the
step-up feature.
 Losses in AC generators are relatively lesser than in DC machine
 The size of an AC generator is smaller than a DC generator

Most of us begin our study with Direct Current, but eventually, we learn
that direct current is not the only type of current we come across. There
are sources of electricity that produce voltages and currents which are
alternating in nature. This type of current is called an alternating current
or an AC. The video will help you explore the differences between an
alternating current and a direct current.
Bibliography
To make this project, I have taken information from the
following sources:

 https://byjus.com/physics/ac-generator/
 Wikipedia
 Physics class 12th NCERT textbook

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