Armature Reaction in Synchronous Machines

ωt
i θ
a θ Assume the air-gap flux is
distributed co-sinusoidally around
the air gap.
a'
c ωt
b
Φr
Eamax
Iamax
Z a-axis
Φs
Esmax
b'
c'
a
'

With the rotor in the position shown and letting ωt = 0o at this rotor position, the induced voltage
in phase “a” due to rotor flux can be written as,

einda = Eamaxcosωt = Emaxcosωt, where Emax = NΦmaxω

And for phases “b” & “c” as,

a
eindb = Emaxcos(ωt - 120o)

eindc = Emaxcos(ωt - 240o)

Now, with the generator connected to a balanced load such that Ia lags Ea by an angle θ, the
currents can be written as,

ia = Imcos(ωt - θ) ib = Imcos(ωt - 120o - θ)

ic = Imcos(ωt - 240o - θ)

Armature Reaction 1
Greg Franklin
 Now, determine the direction of the net mmf due to balanced current flowing in the armature
windings:

For example, let ωt = 0o and θ =20o

Fa = N ia = N Im cos (0o - 20o) 0o = 0.9397 N Im 0o

Fb = N ib = N Im cos (0o - 120o - 20o) 120o = - 0.766 N Im 120o

Fc = N ic = N Im cos (0o - 240o - 20o) 240o = - 0.1736 N Im 240o

So, FNet = 1.5N Im -20o (Referenced to the magnetic axis of “a” because we chose the “a”
winding to have a space angle of 0o)

NOTE: The net stator mmf has the same phase angle as the current but it is referenced to the
magnetic axis of phase “a”. Thus, the net stator mmf and current are 90o out of phase with each
other.

Fnet
And, "s = # $ 20 o referenced to the magnetic axis of “a”,
R

For lagging current, this stator mmf wave, which is also rotating at synchronous speed, has a
demagnetizing effect on the mmf wave produced by the field winding on the rotor. In effect, it
!
will also induce a voltage in the stator windings as it sweeps by them just like the rotor flux, but
its phase relationship is such that the voltage it induces tends to cancel the voltage induced by the
rotor field. For leading current, the stator field reinforces the rotor field, which will result in a net
induced voltage greater than that induced by the rotor field alone. The voltage induced by this
stator flux, which results from current flowing in the armature (stator) windings, is referred to as
“armature reaction voltage”.

Let this armature reaction voltage be Es, and since Es is directly proportional to Φs, it is also
directly proportional to current. Es also lags current by 90o, so we can write Es in phasor notation
as,

Es = - jXsI,

where ‘Xs’ is a proportionality constant and ‘I’ is a current phasor. Es lags current by 90o because
Es is in phase with Φs, which lags the current by 90o.

So, the generator terminal voltage is the sum of the induced voltage produced by the rotor field
and the armature reaction voltage, which is

Va = Ea – jXsIa, where Ea and Ia are phasors.

Armature Reaction 2
Greg Franklin
Or, this terminal voltage can be represented using an equivalent circuit as,

jXs jXs
Standard
Form
Ia θ Ia φ
Where φ is the pf
o
Ea 0 Va -δ Ea δ angle which is the Va 0o
angle between Va &
Ia

In addition to armature reaction, the stator windings also have a self inductance and resistance.
The self inductance is generally combined with the reactance of armature reaction into a single
reactance referred to as the “synchronous reactance”. So, including resistance, the equivalent
circuit becomes:

jXS Ra

Ia φ
Per-phase Steady-state
Ea δ Va 0o Equivalent Circuit for a
Synchronous Generator

The resistance is generally very small and is often neglected, especially for hand calculations.
The internal generated voltage produced by the rotor field is sometimes referred to as the
“excitation voltage” and is often denoted as “Ef” instead of “Ea”.

Armature Reaction 3
Greg Franklin
Notes and Observations:

1. Note that Φr and Ea are in phase and Φs and Es are in phase. Since Φr α Br and the torque
angle is the angle between Br and Bnet, where Bnet is the vector sum of Bs and Br, then the
torque angle is also the angle between Ea and the terminal voltage Va, since Va is the
vector sum of Ea and Es. Note that for a generator, the electromagnetic induced torque
acts in the direction that opposes the physical rotation of the rotor.

Ea

Va
Bnet = Br + Bs
Br
δ
Bnet
T = kBr x Bnet = kBr x Bs
Bs
Es

2. If current is lagging Ea, then Va is smaller than Ea. If current is leading Ea, then Va is
larger than Ea. The opposite is true for synchronous motors.

Armature Reaction 4
Greg Franklin
 3. Note where Φs and Es are with respect to the current angle. If the current were leading or
lagging Ea by 90o, the torque angle would be 0o and 180o, respectively, and no counter
torque would be applied to the generator shaft. If the generator prime mover is applying
constant torque to the generator and the generator terminals are suddenly shorted, the
electrical power output becomes predominantly reactive and no counter torque is
developed. Thus, the generator will suddenly accelerate.

4. For a given rotor field excitation level and load power factor, an increase in armature
current (i.e., an increase in load current) will result in an increased torque angle.
Increasing the field excitation will decrease the torque angle.

5. The equivalent circuit for a synchronous motor is the same as for the generator except
current flows into the terminals instead of out of the terminals, and the torque angle, δ, is
negative, which means the rotor field lags the net air-gap field and the electromagnetic
induced torque acts in the same direction as the physical rotation of the rotor.

jXs Ra

Ia φ Per-phase Steady-state
Ea -δ Va 0o Equivalent Circuit for a
Synchronous Motor

6. In the previous analysis, we developed the steady-state equivalent circuit for a

synchronous machine in terms of armature reaction. This analysis is a somewhat high-
level analysis that is intended to show qualitatively how a synchronous machine behaves
under steady-state conditions, and that the torque angle (δ) between the rotor flux wave
and the net air-gap flux wave, which is produced by the vector sum of the rotor flux and
the stator flux, is the same angle as that between the internal generated voltage and the
terminal voltage. A lower level analysis of the machine would show that the synchronous
reactance, Xs, is actually composed of three components: 1) the reactance resulting from
the air-gap component of the phase winding self flux linkages, 2) the phase winding
leakage reactance due to leakage flux linkages, and 3) the mutual reactance associated
with mutual flux linkages between a phase winding and the other phase windings.

Armature Reaction 5
Greg Franklin
 7. As shown in the figures below, it is important to recognize that there are not two separate
and distinct fields (rotor and stator) in the machine. The physical flux lines are those from
the resultant field produced by the effects of armature reaction on the rotor field.
Considering the fields in the machine as separate and distinct provides a convenient
analytical basis.

Br δ
Br
Bnet
y

Generator flux field at no-load. Generator flux field with machine

operating at a lagging power factor.
factor.

Armature Reaction 6
Greg Franklin