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Name Professor Institution Course Date 1.

2. A DC machine can run either as a motor or as a generator. A motor converts electrical power into mechanical power while a generator converts mechanical power into electrical power. A generator must, therefore, be mechanically riven in or er that it may pro uce electricity. !ince the fiel win ing is an electromagnet, current must flow through it to pro uce a magnetic fiel . "his current is calle the e#citation current, an can be supplie to the fiel win ing in one of two ways$ it can come from a separate, e#ternal c source, in which case the

generator is calle a separately e#cite generator% or it can come from the generator&s own output, in which case the generator is calle a self'e#cite generator. Assume that the shunt fiel is e#cite by a c current, thereby setting up a magnetic flu# in the generator. If the rotor (or more correctly, the armature) is rotate by applying mechanical effort to the shaft, the armature coils will cut the magnetic flu#, an a voltage will be in uce in them. "his voltage is ac an in or er to get c out of the generator, a rectifier must be employe . "his role is carrie out by the commutator an the brushes. "he voltage in uce in the coils (an , therefore, the c voltage at the brushes) epen s only upon two things ' the spee of rotation an the strength of the magnetic fiel . If the spee is ouble , the voltage oubles. If the fiel strength is increase by 2*+, the voltage also increases by 2*+. Although separate e#citation re,uires a separate c power source, it is useful in cases where a generator must respon ,uic-ly an precisely to an e#ternal control source, or when the output volt'age must be varie over a wi e range. .ith no electrical loa connecte to the generator, no current flows an only a voltage appears at the output. /ut if a resistance loa is connecte across the output, current will flow an the generator will begin to eliver electric power to the loa . "he machine riving the generator must then furnish a itional mechanical power to the generator. "his is often accompanie by increase noise an vibration of the motor an the generator, together with a rop in spee . !elf'e#cite shunt generators have the isa vantage in that changes in their loa current from no'loa to full'loa cause their output voltage to change also. "heir poor voltage regulation is ue to three factors$

a) "he magnetic fiel strength rops as the armature voltage rops, which further re uce the magnetic fiel strength, which in turn re uces the armature voltage etc. b) "he armature voltage rop (I20 losses) from no'loa to full'loa . c) "he running spee of the riving motor may change with loa . ("his is particularly true of internal combustion engines an in uction motors). 1.