DC Machines
DC Generators
Construction
Working Principles
Field Winding
Rotor
Types of Excitation
Types of DC Generator
• DC generators are generally classified
according to their method of excitation .
• Separately excited DC generator
• Self excited D C generator
Separately Excited DC Generator
Self Excited
Further Classification
• Series wound generator
• Shunt wound generator
• Compound wound generator
– Short shunt & Long shunt
– Cumulatively compound
– Differentially compound
Series Generator
Shunt Generator
Compound Generators
DC Generator Characteristics
In general, three characteristics specify the
steady-state performance of a DC generators:
1. Open-circuit characteristics: generated voltage
versus field current at constant speed.
2. External characteristic: terminal voltage versus
load current at constant speed.
3. Load characteristic: terminal voltage versus
field current at constant armature current and
speed.
Open Circuit Characteristic (O.C.C.)
(E0/If)
• O.C.C /magnetic characteristic/no-load saturation
characteristic.
• Relation between generated EMF at no load (E0) and
the field current (If) at the given fixed speed.
• The O.C.C. curve is just the magnetization curve and it
is practically similar for all type of generators.
• The data for O.C.C. curve is obtained by operating the
generator at no load and keeping speed constant.
• Field current is varied and the corresponding terminal
voltage is recorded.
External Characteristic (V/IL)
• the relation between the terminal voltage (V) and
load current (IL).
• The terminal voltage V is less than generated
EMF Eg due to voltage drop in the armature
circuit.
• Therefore the external characteristic curve lies
below the internal characteristic curve.
• External characteristics are very important to
determine the suitability of a generator for a given
purpose
Separately Excited Generators
Performance Curves of DC G
EMF equation
• Flux cut by 1 conductor in 1 revolution
=P*φ
• Flux cut by 1 conductor in 60 sec = P φ N /60
• Average EMF generated in 1 conductor
= PφN/60
• Number of conductors in each parallel path
= Z /a
• Eg = φZNP/60a
DC Generator Characteristics
The terminal voltage of a
dc generator is given by
Open-circuit and load characteristics
DC Generator Characteristics
It can be seen from the external
characteristics that the terminal
voltage falls slightly as the load
current increases. Voltage
regulation is defined as the
percentage change in terminal
voltage when full load is
removed, so that from the
external characteristics, External characteristics
Ea Vt
Voltage regulation 100
Vt
Self-Excited DC Shunt Generator
Maximum permissible value of the field
resistance if the terminal voltage has to build up.
Schematic diagram of connection
Open-circuit characteristic
Critical Resistance
• For appreciable generation of EMF, the field
resistance must be always less certain
resistance, that resistance is called as the
critical resistance of the machine .
Coercivity
• a measure of the ability of a ferromagnetic
material to withstand an external magnetic
field without becoming demagnetized.
Retentivity
• Remanence or remanent magnetization or
residual magnetism is the magnetization left
behind in a ferromagnetic material after an
external magnetic field is removed.
• The remanence of magnetic materials provides
the magnetic memory in magnetic storage
devices, and is used as a source of information
on the past Earth's magnetic field.
Commutation
Windings
Losses
• 1. Copper losses or variable losses
• 2. Stray losses or constant losses
• Stray losses : consist of (a) iron losses or core
losses and (b) windage and friction losses .
• Iron losses : occurs in the core of the machine
due to change of magnetic flux in the core .
Consist of hysteresis loss and eddy current
loss.
• Hysteresis loss depends upon the frequency,
Flux density , volume and type of the core .
• Hysteresis loss depends upon the frequency ,
Flux density , volume and type of the core .
• Eddy current losses : directly proportional to
the flux density , frequency , thickness of the
lamination .
• Windage and friction losses are constant due
to the opposition of wind and friction .
Applications
• Shunt Generators:
– in electro plating
– for battery recharging
– as exciters for AC generators.
• Series Generators :
– As boosters
– As lighting arc lamps
