CHAPTER FIVE

SYNCHRONOUS MACHINES
Introduction:A three-phase synchronous machine is doubly-excited a.c machines because its field
winding is energized from dc source and its armature winding is connected to ac source. A synchronous
machine rotates at a constant speed in the steady state. Unlike induction machines, the rotating air gap
field and the rotor in the synchronous machine rotate at the same speed, called the synchronous speed.

Under steady state conditions, its speed depends on the frequency of armature currents and the
number of field poles. They are usually large machines generating electrical power at hydro,
nuclear, or, thermal power stations.
Construction View of Three-Phase Synchronous Machines

Figure:cut–away view of synchronous machines

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 Construction Feature of Synchronous Machine
In synchronous machines, the armature winding either exports ac power (synchronous generator)
or imports ac power (synchronous motor) where as the field winding is always energized from dc
source. In other words the synchronous machines are double excited energy conversion devices.
The generation of emf, in general depends on the relative motion between the field flux and
armature winding. In view of this, an ac generator, alternator or synchronous generator may have
either
1. rotating field poles and stationary armature or
2. rotating armature and stationary field pole.
Synchronous machines are constructed with high power armature winding on the stator and low-
power field winding on the rotor, though small synchronous machines with the reverses
arrangement may also be built. The advantages or providing the field winding on rotor and
armature winding on the stator are given below.
1. It is economical to have armature winding on the stator and field winding on the rotor.
Armature winding on No of slip rings Slip-ring loss Efficiency
2 Less High
Stator
3 More Low
Rotor

2. Stationary armature winding can be insulated satisfactorily for high voltage (for 33KV
synchronous
3. Efficiently hence permitting large construction of synchronous machines ( say 100MVA or
above capacity)
4. Low-power field winding on the rotor gives a lighter rotor and therefore, low centrifugal
force. Hence, higher rotor speeds are permissible, increasing the synchronous machine output
for given dimensions.
Synchronous machines are two types depending up on the geometrical structure of the rotor
a) Salient-pole type
b) Cylindrical-rotor, round rotor or non-salient pole type
The field winding on the salient poles is a concentrated winding. In case of cylindrical rotor the
field winding is distributed winding housed in the rotor slots. A further distinction between the
two types is that the salient pole synchronous machines have non-uniform air gap, under pole
center it is minimum, and in betweenpoles the air gap is maximum. In cylindrical rotor
synchronous machine the air gap is uniform throughout , neglecting the slot openings. The
stators of both types of synchronous machines are similar toinduction motor stator. That is , the
synchronous machine stator consists of a cast iron, stator frame, a cylindrical laminated and
uniformly slotted stator core, a 3-phase distributed winding (placed in the stator slots), end
covers, base etc. The stator frame and end covers serves merely as mechanical support to the
stator core and are not designed to carry the magnetic flux.

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Rotor construction of synchronous machine

Synchronous generators are usually of three-phase type because of several advantages associated
with three-phase generator transmission and utilization. The frequency of the generated emf.

In Ethiopia and many other countries, alternators generate a frequency of 50Hz. Therefore;

Oil engine and Hydraulic turbines, operate best at relatively low speeds, therefore, the alternator
driver by these prime movers must have relatively large number of poles. For accommodating
large number of poles the rotor diameter must be comparatively increased and from mechanical
considerations, salient pole construction has been found to suit best for low speed prime movers.
Salient pole rotor structure is also employed for comparatively small synchronous machine.
Commercially the salient pole synchronous generators are called hydro-alternators or hydro
generators. Salient-pole rotor are characterised by their large diameter and short axial length.
Steam and gas turbines have best operating characteristic at relatively high speed, therefore,
alternators driven by these must have a fewer number of poles, say 2 or 4. If salient-pole
construction is used for such speeds, the rotor structure may not be able to withstand the
enormous centrifugal force developed by the salient poles. Therefore, cylindrical rotor
construction is best suited from mechanical consideration, for high speed prime-movers.
Commercially the cylindrical rotor (non-salient pole) synchronous generators are called turbo-

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alternators or turbo-generators. Cylindrical (non-salient-pole) rotor are characterised by their
very long axial length and small diameter.

Synchronous motor:Synchronous motor , usually of the salient pole type, are of thesame
general construction as salient pole generators. Under steady state, the synchronous motor
operate at constant speed as determined by:

In salient pole synchronous motor, the functions of damper bars (embedded in pole faces) are to
a) damp-out the rotor oscillations
b) start the synchronous motors.
The synchronous motor is a three-phase ac motor which operates at constant speed from no load
condition to full load. As the dc field excitation is changed, the power factor of synchronous
motor can be varied over a wide range of lagging and leading values. The synchronous motor is
used in may industrial application because of its fixed speed characteristic over the range from
no load to full load. This type of motor also is used to correct or improve the power factor of
three phase ac industrial circuits.

Principle of Operation:The rotating portion of a rotating field alternator consists of field

poles mounted on a shaft which is driven by the prime mover. The magnetic flux established by
the rotating field poles cuts across the conductors of the stator winding to produce the induced
out put voltage of the stator. The following comparison can be made between the rotating-
armature alternator and the rotating field alternator.
a) In the rotating-armature alternator, the armature conductors cut the flux established by
stationary field poles.
b) For the rotating field cut by flux established by rotating field pole.
In each case an induced voltage is generated.

Synchronous Generators:Refer to the following figure(a) and assume that when the field
current If flows through the rotor field winding, it establishes a sinusoidallv distributed flux in
the air gap. If the rotor is now rotated by the prime mover (which can be a turbine or diesel
engine or dc motor or induction motor), a revolving field is produced in the air gap. This field is
called the excitation field, because it is produced by the excitation current If. The rotating flux so
produced will change the flux linkage of the armature windings aa', bb', and cc' and will induce
voltages in these stator windings. These induced voltages, shown in figure(b), have the same
magnitudes but are phase-shifted by 120 electrical degrees.

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 ef
eaa' ebb' ecc' eaa'
a

c' b'
t
If

b c

(a) (b)
Figure:Excitation voltage in synchronous machines
They are called excitation voltages Ef. The rotor speed and frequency of the induced voltage are
related by
120 f
n 5.1
p
Or
np
f  5.2
120
Where n is the rotor speed in rpm
P is the number of poles
The excitation voltage in rms is
E f  4.44 f f NK w 5.3

Where f is the flux per pole due to the excitation Current If

N is the number of turns in each phase
Kw is the winding factor
E f  n f 5.4

Two methods are normaly used to start a synchronous motor:

a) use variable-frequency supply or
b) start the machine as an induction motor.
Start with Variable-Frequency Supply:By using a frequency converter, a synchronous motor
can be brought from standstill to its desired speed. The arrangement is shown schematically in -
following figure. The motor is started with a low-frequency supply. This will make the stator
field rotate slowly so that the rotor poles can follow the stator poles. Afterward, the frequency is
gradually increased and the motor brought to its desired speed.The frequency converter is a
costly power conditioning unit, and therefore this method is expensive. However, if the
synchronous motor has to run at variable speeds, this method may be used.

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 V, f

3 Frequency Synchronous
sup ply converter motor

f control V control If

Figure:Starting of a synchronous motor using a variable-frequency supply. .

Start as an Induction Motor:If the frequency converter is not available, or if the synchronous
motor does not have to run at various speeds, it can be started as an induction motor. For this
purpose an additional winding, which resembles the cage of an induction motor, is mounted on
the rotor. This cage-type winding is known a damper or amortisseur winding and is shown in by
figure bellow.
To start the motor the field winding is left unexcited; often it is shunted by a resistance. If the
motor terminals are now connected to the ac supply, the motor will start as an induction motor
because currents will be induced in the damper winding to produce torque. The motor will speed
up and will approach synchronous speed. The rotor is then closely following the stator field
poles, which are rotating at the synchronous speed. Now if the rotor poles are excited by a field
current from a dc source, the rotor poles, closely following the stator poles, will be locked to
them. The rotor will then run at synchronous speed.
If the machine runs at synchronous speed, no current will be induced in the damper winding. The
damper winding is therefore operative for starting. Note that if the rotor speed is different from
the synchronous speed because of sudden load change or other transients, currents will be
induced in the damper winding to produce a torque to restore the synchronous speed. The
presence of this restorative torque is the reason for the name "damper" winding. Also note that a
damper winding is not required to start a synchronous generator and parallel it with the infinite
bus. However, both synchronous generators and motors have damper windings to damp out
transient oscillations.

Figure:cage-type damper (or amortisseur) winding in a synchronous machine.

Equivalent Circuit Model:The current If in the field winding produces a flux f in the air
gap. The current Ia in the stator winding produces flux a. Part of it, al, known as the leakage
flux, links with the stator winding only and does not link with the field winding. A major part,
ar, known as the armature reaction flux, is established in the air gap and links with the field
winding. The resultant air gap flux r is therefore due to the two component fluxes, f and ar.
Each component flux induces a component voltage in the stator winding. In figure sown
bellow(a), Ef is induced by f , Ear by ar , and the resultant voltage Er by the resultant flux r.

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However, the voltage Ear, known as the armature reaction voltage, depends on ar (and hence on
Ia). From the figure shown bellow(a),
E r  E ar  E f 5.5
or
E f   E ar  E r 5.6
From the phasor diagram of figure shown((b), the voltage Ear lags ar (or Ia ) by 90°. Therefore,
Ia lags the phasor –Ear by 90°. In Eq. 5.6, the voltage -Ear can thus be represented as a voltage
drop across a reactance Xar due to the current Ia. Equation 5.6 can be written as
E f  I a jX ar  Er

This reactance Xar is known as the reactance of armature reaction or the magnitizing reactance
and is shown in figure (c). If the stator winding resistance Ra and the leakage reactance Xal
(which accounts for the leakage flux al) are included, the per-phase equivalent circuit is
represented by the circuit of figure(d). The resistance Ra is the effective resistance and is -
approximately 1.6 times the dc resistance of the stator winding. The effective resistance includes
the effects of the operating temperature and the skin effect caused by the alternating current
flowing through the armature winding.
If the two reactances Xar and Xal are combined into one reactance, the equivalent circuit model
reduces to the form shown in figure(e), where
X s  X ar  X al (called synchronous reactance)
Z s  Ra  X s (called synchronous impedance)

Ear Ia
Ia
r
ar
If Ef Er = air gap
voltage
-Ear Ear
=jIaXar

(a) (b)
Xar Xal Ra
Xar Ia

Vt = terminal
Ef Er Ea
voltage
Ef Ef

(c) (d)

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 Xs Ra Ia

Ef Ea Vt

(e)
Figure:Equivalent circuit of a synchronous machine
The sychronous reactance Xs takes into account all the flux, magnetizing as well as leakage,
produced by the armature (stator) current.
The values of these machine parameters depend on the size of the machine.