Generator Operation & Maintenance

Factors Governing Induced Voltage In Generator

• Intensity of Magnetic Field

• Current & No. of Turns in the Field Windings
• Length of Armature Conductors & No. of Turns
• Rate at which Armature conductors cuts the
magnetic field
• Speed of Rotation in RPM
 Excitation of A Generator
• Excitation refers to the Creation &
Strengthening of Magnetic Field
• By the control of Direct Current
flow thro’ the field coils
• Self Excitation
• Small Generator – few KW
• Separate Excitation
• Larger Generator
 Types of DC Generator
• Series Generator
• Not in Common Use
• Shunt Generator
• Common type of Generator
• Compound Generator
• Levelly Compound to produce stable voltage irrespective of the
load
• Differentially compound for Welding Applications – Due to
Drooping Voltage Characteristics
 Main Parts of DC Generator

• Magnetic System
• Permanent Magnet
• Self Excitation
• Armature
• Commutator
• Inter poles
 Operating Procedure – Single Generator Operation

• Step 1 - Make sure that the generator CB is open

• Step 2 - Close the disconnect link
• Step 3 - Start the turbine or engine & bring up It to
speed
• Step 4 - Adjust the Excitation to bring above the
rated terminal voltage
• Step 5 - Close the CB manually or automatic
 Conditions for Paralleling D.C. Generators

• Essential conditions
• Terminal voltages of both the generators should be equal.
• Polarities of both should be the same,
• i.e. positive should be connected to the positive and the
negative to the negative
• Preferably similar Characteristics
• To have equal load sharing
 Sharing of Load
• When one generator is fully loaded and cannot take
additional load
• A second will have to be started up and paralleled with
the first to meet the increased demand
• After the second machine has attained its normal
speed
• its field regulator is adjusted so that the voltage of the
new machine already running
• The new machine can then be switched on to the bus bars
• It will then take some share of load at once as its voltage
was few volts above the bus bar voltage
• If the field excitation of one machine is increased
• A higher voltage will be developed
• Take a greater portion of the load
• By adjusting the two regulators
• Proper sharing of the load can be ensured
 Why Generator Characteristics be
Similar for Parallel Operation?

• To ensure proper sharing of the load

• This applies to all equipment whether alternators or D.C.
generators or transformers
• When any two machines are running in parallel
• Their terminal voltages are necessarily equal
• it will be necessary to furnish the manufacturers with the
characteristics of the existing machine & specify that the new
machine should have a similar characteristics
• To ensure satisfactory parallel operation
 FOR EXAMPLE

• Consider two machines No.1 and No. 2 with different

characteristics

Terminal
Voltage G.No.1

G.No.2

Load in Amphere
• Load taken by a machine at any bus bar voltage is given by
the point of intersection between the voltage characteristics
of the machine & the horizontal line drawn at the bus bar
voltage
• At any given load, it is possible to adjust the voltage of one
of the machines
• So that it shares the load equally with the other machine
• At point X for instance each machine is taking 100 Amps. At
250 V
• If the load comes down to 60 Amps. The voltage naturally
rises to 255 V
• From the figure it will be seen that, at this voltage, it
is seen from the fig.
• That machine 2 will take the entire load and machine
1 will take no load at all
• If on the other hand, the load goes up, and the bus
bar voltage drops down, it will be seen that the
machine 1 take greater load than machine 2
• Obviously, sharing of the loads is unsatisfactory
except at one point X when the bus bar voltage is
250 V
What Happens When The Voltage of One of The Machine
is Raised Unduly Above that of Another?

• If the field current of No.1 machine is raised, it takes

more and more of the load, until the whole load is
taken by it and No.2 machine takes no load at all
• If the voltage of No.1 is increased further No.2 will
start running as a motor and drive the prime mover to
which it is couple, drawing power from No.1 generator
• To prevent this the generators intended for parallel
operation should be protected from reverse current
relays
A Generator Fails To Build Up The Voltage

• Loss of residual magnetism - Self-excited generator

• Residual magnetism is often destroyed, If a very heavy
overload or short circuit occurs
• If the field windings are in-correctly connected
• Open-circuit or loose connection in the exciter circuit
• Also short-circuit turns in field winding
• Check the field current and if all the field windings have equal
resistance
• Check also for earth faults in the field circuit
• Reversed field windings
• Can occur during overhauls, Connect field circuits correctly & re-excite
the generator.
• Open or short-circuit in armature windings
• Locate & rectify.
• Excessive contact resistance on Commutator
• Due to incorrect grade of brushes or insufficient pressure or dirty
Commutator
• To be rectified.
• Incorrect position of brush
• To be checked and adjusted correctly.
Alternator Operation
TYPES OF ALTERNATOR
• Salient Pole Alternator
• Slow Speed
• 6 Pole & More
• Hydro, Tidal Power Plant
• Turbo Alternator
• High Speed
• 2 & 4 Pole
• Steam, Gas Turbine Power Plant
Giant Salient Pole Alternator
Salient Pole Alternator & Hydro
Turbine
Turbo Alternator
Turbo Alternator & Turbine
Operation Of Single Generator - Precautions
• Any generator coupled to the bus must have additional
instrument
• Before starting the prime over, make sure the generator
breaker is open
• Then close the disconnect links the purpose of “disconnects”
is to allow the complete isolation of the breaker from the
bus for the purpose of test ,maintenance and repair
• Warning
• The circuit breaker must always be opened -before opening or
closing the disconnect switch or links
Procedure For Single Generator
Operation
• Step 1 - Make sure that the generator CB is open
• Step 2 - Close the disconnect link
• Step 3 - Start the turbine or engine & bring up It to speed
• Step 4 - Using the governor control switch, adjust
frequency to the rated frequency
• Step 5 - Adjust the AVR to obtain rated voltage
• Step 6 - Close the CB manually or automatic
 Procedure of Parallel Operation
• When the load On an AC system exceeds the amount that
can be supplied by a single generator
• Additional generator must be connected to the system to
supply the required energy.
• The incoming machine must be paralleled in a manner that
enable each machine to supply its proper
• Proportion of the active and reactive power to the common
load
 Condition For Parallel Operation
• The following condition must be fulfilled before an incoming
alternator can but in parallel with bus bar :-
• Step 1 - Voltage of the incoming Alternator must be the same as
that of bus bar
• Step 2 - Frequency of the incoming Alternator must be the same
as that of bus bar frequency
• Step 3 - Phase of the voltage of the incoming alternator
must be identical with the phase of the bus bar voltage
with respect to the external circuit
• Step 4 - Phase sequence of the voltage of the incoming
alternator must be the same as that of the bus bar voltage.
• Condition of the same phase sequence is checked by the
phasing out test during the commissioning of the
alternator .
• This is done with the help of synchronoscope
The Procedure of Operation
• Step 1-make sure that the breaker of the incoming
machine is opened
• Step 2- close the disconnect links
• Step 3-switch the turbine or engine and bring up to
speed
• Step 4-using the governor control switch & adjust the
frequency of the incoming machine to approximately
0.1 cycle higher than the bus frequency
• Step 5- adjust the automatic voltage regulator so that
the voltage of the incoming machine is approximately to
or slightly higher than the bus voltage
• Step 6 - Switch the synchroscope to the incoming
machine, & adjust the frequency until the synchroscope
pointer revolves slowly in the “fast ” direction
• Step 7 - Close the circuit breaker at the instant of the
synchroscope pointer passing into zero position
• Step 8 - Turn the synchroscope switch to “off”.
• Step 9 - Turn the governor switch of the incoming
machine to ”Raise ” and the machine in the bus to
”lower” until the (KW) loaded is divided equally
between machines .
• If the machine is not identical. the (KW ) should be divided
between the machine in Proportion to their (KW) rating
• Step 10 - If the power factor or the Kvar reading of to
machine are not equally adjust the var control
• Turning that of the incoming machine in “raise voltage”
direction and the other in the “lower voltage” until they
are equalized .
• In factories ,hotels, or large shops which required two or
three generator in parallel the connecting load
• Its good operating practice to balance both the KW and the
Kvar of loads in proportion to the KW ratings of the machine
by doing so
• Transient over current & Short circuit in the distribution
system are shared by the generator reducing the probability
of one generator tripping
• The tripping of one generator due to over current will throw
the entire load on the remaining unit or units causing them
to trip and blocking the plants
 Load Adjusted Between Two Or More
Alternators
• When two alternators are running in parallel on a common
bus bar, they behave as if the two sets are coupled
together mechanically through an elastic coupling
• If the speed of one of the machines is raised, it will take a
greater proportion of load and, therefore the other
machine will take correspondingly less load
• It is achieved by only altering the speed of the prime
mover
 Contd.
• if the speed of machine 1 is slightly raised, or if that of
machine 2 is lowered, 1 will take a higher load than 2
• If the speed of 1 is increased unduly it will not only take
the whole load, but in addition drive no.2 set, as
synchronous motor, speeding up its prime mover
• To guard against this, alternators working in parallel are
invariably provided with reverse current protection.
Effect of Alternator Excitation
When Running In Parallel

• Excitation does not affect load sharing

• Its only effect is to change the division of reactive
current
• Consider two alternators running in parallel taking
equal loads
• if excitation of no.1 machine is increased, it will take
more of the lagging current and no.2 will take less
• Any inequality of excitation is equalized by the
circulating reactive current passing from over excited
machine to other
• Therefore, field regulator of the machine should be
adjusted
• Keeping an eye in the load current as well as power
factor meter on the alternator panel
Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) & Its
Function
• In many industries, fluctuations of load are heavy
• A typical instance being the operation of electrical
cranes
• Due to rapid variations in load from instant to
instant, the voltage also fluctuates considerably
• Because of the varying voltage drop in the armature
circuit.
• To overcome this feature, automatic voltage regulators are
provided to maintain the generator voltage
• Reasonably constant in spite of the fluctuating load
• i.e. to increase the voltage when the load is high and reduce it
when the load comes down
 AVR - Principle
• Several types of automatic voltage regulators in use
• All of them are based on the principle of short- circuiting of
a part of the generator or exciter field resistance
• Thereby raising the excitation of generator, to compensate for
the drop in voltage due to increased load
• The rise and fall in voltage itself is utilized to do this
automatically
• so as to maintain the voltage nearly constant whatever may be
the variation in load.
 Causes of Instability In Alternators
• Excessive Capacitive load results in voltage rise
• Tendency for the machine to become unstable
and self exceptive
• Excess Load
 Cyclic Irregularity
• In the case of engine driven alternators, the turning moment of
the engine is uneven
• Power Stroke once in Four Stroke
• The speed of the alternator varies slightly from instant to instant
• This is called cyclic speed irregularity
• Overcome by Multi Cylinder engine
• Cyclic irregularity = (Maximum speed - Minimum speed) /
Mean speed
 Methods To Over Come Cyclic Irregularity
• As alternators running in parallel behave as if they were
mechanically coupled together,
• Such periodic speed variation cause the load taken by each
alternator to fluctuate periodically
• For satisfactory parallel operation, it is essential that this
cyclic speed irregularity is kept low as possible and not
exceeding 1/50
• This is achieved by providing flywheels of sufficient weight
on reciprocating type diesel engines to absorb the instant to
instant variation of the speed of the engine.
Indicating Instruments for Alternator Panel

• Voltmeter
• Ammeter
• with selector switch
• Frequency meter
• Power factor meter
• Synchronoscope with synchronizing plug
Protective Devices For Alternator
• Reverse power relays
• to prevent any alternator running as a motor
• Overload relays
• To prevent from over load
• Earth leakage relay
 Control Device for Alternator

• Exciter regulator
• Circuit breaker
 Causes of Overheating of Armature of
Alternators
• Overloading of one or all the phases
• Measure the current and check if it is O.K.
• Restricted ventilation
• due to ventilating ducts being obstructed
• failure of cooling air fan
• Excessive negative sequence component
• on account of large single-phase loads, which cause
excessive current unbalances.
 Causes of Overheating of Field Winding
of Alternators

• Over heating of the field winding may be due to

excessive excitation
• to compensate for heavy armature voltage drop caused by
loads of low power factor
• Too low speed
• Short-circuited turns on the field winding
 Causes for Circulating Currents Between
Alternators Running in Parallel
• Unbalance loading will cause neutral current
• usually of harmonic nature
• Flow through the star points of machines
• Star point of generator are earthed separately
• When two or more generators are arranged to run in
parallel, neutral of only one generator should be earthed
to serve as the neutral of the whole system.
The Cause of Pitting of Alternator Bearings
• This is often caused by circulating currents through
the shaft, due to unequal gap or out of balance
current between the three phases
• To prevent this, the exciter bearing and pedestal is
usually insulated so that there may be no circulating
shaft current
• Make sure that this insulation is not by-passed by
some metallic conductor, bolts, water pipe, conduit
wiring, or dowell pin, earth connection, etc.
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