Chapter 1

Three Phase Synchronous

1
 Introduction
 A rotary electric machine whose rotor rotates in synchronization with a rotating field that has been produced
by an AC current flowing through a stator winding, is called a synchronous machine. In other words, a
synchronous machine is an electrical machine whose rotating speed is proportional to the frequency of the
alternating current supply and independent of the load.
 Synchronous machine may be either synchronous generator or motor according to their applications.
 A synchronous generator is an AC machine which receives mechanical energy from a prime mover (steam
turbine, hydraulic turbine or diesel engine) to which it is mechanically coupled and delivers electrical energy
at a specific voltage and frequency. It is also commonly called as an alternator.
 A synchronous motor receives electrical energy from ac supply mains and drive mechanical load.
 Based on the construction of the synchronous machines, it may be classified as: rotating armature type and
rotating field type.
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 Since it is not so important for generation of an induced emf whether a conductor moves across a magnetic
field or vice-versa, synchronous generators may be constructed with either the armature or the field structure
as the revolving member.
 Rotating armature type alternator looks very much similar like a dc generator except that there are 3 slip rings
in place of commutator.
 In such generators, the required magnetic field is produced by dc electromagnets placed on the stationary
member called the stator and the current is generated is collected by means of brushes and slip rings on the
revolving member called the rotor.
 Such an arrangement is economical for the small and low voltage generators with a rating up to about 250
kVA. Such machines are suitable for small power plants, isolated lighting plants where medium and small size
machines are required.
 Practically all medium and large machines are always constructed with revolving field.
 Advantages of revolving field system over rotating
armature system
 It is easier to insulate stationary winding for high voltages for which the alternators are usually designed. It is
because they are not subjected to centrifugal forces and also extra space is available due to the stationary
arrangement of the armature.
 The load circuit can be directly connected from fixed terminals on the stationary armature without going
through large, unreliable slip rings and brushes.
 Only two slip rings are required for dc supply to the field winding on the rotor and since the exciting current is
to be supplied at low voltage of 230V, there is no difficulty in insulating them.
 Since the exciting current is relatively small, the slip rings and brush gear required are of light construction.
 Due to simple and robust construction of the rotor, higher speed of rotating dc field is possible. This increases
the output obtainable from a machine of given dimensions.
 The stationary armature may be cooled more easily because the armature can be made large enough with many
air passages or cooling ducts for forced air circulation.
 Construction of Synchronous Machine
Alternator or synchronous motor consists of two main parts: stator and rotor.
A. Stator Construction
The stator is the stationary part of the machine. It carries the armature winding in which the voltage is generated.
The output of the machine is taken from the stator. The various parts of the stator includes stator frame, stator core,
stator windings and cooling arrangement. They are explained below in detail:
1. Stator frame
It is the outer body of the machine made of cast iron for small sized machines and of welded steel for large size
machines and it protects the inner parts of the machine.
2. Stator Core
In order to reduce hysteresis and eddy current loses, the stator core is assembled with high grade silicon content
steel laminations. These laminations are stamped out in complete rings (for smaller machines) or in segments (for
larger machines) and insulated from each other with paper or varnish. The stampings have also openings which
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make axial and radial ventilating ducts to provide efficient cooling. Its function is to provide an easy path for the
magnetic lines of force and accommodate the stator winding.
3. Stator Winding
Slots are cut on the inner periphery of the stator core in which 3 phase or 1 phase winding is placed. Enameled
copper is used as winding material. The winding is star connected. The winding of each phase is distributed over
several slots. When the current flows in a distributed winding, it produces an essentially sinusoidal space
distribution of emf. The slots provided on the stator core are mainly of two types: open and semi-closed slots.
The open slots are more commonly used because the coils can be form-wound (where the wire is square or
rectangular and the turns are systematically arranged) and insulated. Open slots facilitate in removal and
replacement of defective coils but they have a disadvantage of distributing the air gap flux into branches which
tend to produce ripples in the emf wave. The semi-closed type slots are better in this respect but they do not
permit the use of form-wound coils.
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B. Rotor Construction
The rotor is the rotating part of the machine. The rotor produces the main field flux. Depending upon the
construction used for rotor, synchronous machines may be classified as: salient pole and cylindrical rotor m/c’s.
1. Salient Pole Rotor
The term salient means projecting. Thus, a salient pole rotor consists of poles projecting out from the surface of
the rotor core. Salient pole rotors are normally used for rotors with four or more poles. Since the rotor is
subjected to changing magnetic fields, it is made of steel laminations to reduce eddy current losses. Poles of
identical dimensions are assembled by stacking laminations to the required length and then riveted together.
After placing the field coil around each pole body, these poles are fitted by a dove-tail joint to a steel spider
keyed to the shaft. Salient pole rotors have concentrated winding on the poles. Damper bars are usually inserted
in the pole faces to damp out the rotor oscillations during sudden change in load conditions. A salient pole
synchronous machine has a non-uniform air gap. The air gap is minimized under the pole centers.
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It is maximum in between the poles. The pole faces are so shaped that the radial air gap length increases from
the pole center to the pole tips so that the flux distribution in the air gap is sinusoidal. This will help machine to
generate sinusoidal emf.
The individual field pole windings are connected in series to give alternate north and south polarities. The ends
of the field windings are connected to a dc source through the slip-rings carrying carbon brushes which are
mounted on the shaft with a proper insulation in between them.
The salient pole machines have following special features:

 They are constructed for the medium and low speeds as they
have a large number of poles.
 They have comparatively a large diameter and a short axial
length.
 These are employed with hydraulic turbines or diesel engines.
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2. Non- Salient Pole Rotor or Cylindrical Rotor
In this type of rotor, there are no projected poles. It has its rotor so constructed that it forms a smooth cylinder.
These rotors are made from solid forgings of high-grade nickel-chrome-molybdenum steel. In about two-third of
the rotor periphery, slots are cut at regular intervals and parallel to the shaft. The dc field windings are provided
in these slots. The winding is of distributed type. The unslotted portion of the rotor forms two or four pole faces.
A cylindrical rotor has a comparatively small diameter and long axial length. Such a construction limits the
centrifugal forces or avoids excessive peripheral speed. Thus,
cylindrical rotors are particularly useful in high speed machines. The
cylindrical construction of the rotor provides a greater mechanical
strength, permits more accurate dynamic balancing. The smooth rotor of
the machine makes less windage loss and the operation is less noisy
because of the uniform air gap. These are employed with steam or gas
turbines.
 Excitation System of a Synchronous Machine
Excitation means the production of flux by passing current in the field winding. The arrangement of the system
used for the excitation of the synchronous machine is known as excitation System. To excite the field winding of
the rotor of the synchronous machine, direct current is required. Direct current is supplied to the rotor field of
the small machine by a DC generator called Exciter. A small DC generator called Pilot Generator, supplies the
current to the Exciter.
The Exciter and the Pilot Exciter both are mounted on the main shaft of the synchronous generator or motor. The
DC output of the main Exciter is given to the field winding of the synchronous machine through brushes and slip
rings. The pilot exciter is excluded in smaller machines.
For medium size machines, AC Exciters are used in place of DC Exciter. AC Exciters are three phase AC
generators. The output of an AC Exciter is rectified and supplied through the brushes, and the slip rings to the
rotor winding of the synchronous machine.
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For large synchronous machines, presently Brushless Excitation System is used. A Brushless Exciter is a small
direct coupled AC generator with its field circuit on the stator and the armature circuit on the rotor.
The three phase output of the AC exciter generator is rectified by solid state rectifiers. The rectified output is
connected directly to the field winding, thus eliminating the use of brushes and slip rings.
A Brushless excitation system requires less maintenance due to the absence of brushes and slip rings. The power
loss is also reduced. The DC required for the field of the exciter itself is sometimes provided by a small pilot
exciter. A pilot exciter is a small AC generator with a permanent magnet mounted on the rotor shaft and the three
phase winding on the stator. It provides the field current of the exciter. The exciter supplies the field current of
the main machine. Thus, the use of a pilot exciter makes the excitation of the main generator completely
independent of external supplies.

For detail about excitation system, take a reference from Bhimbra, P. S. (2021), Electrical Machines,
Khanna Publishers (Pg-548 to 550)