Design of Synchronous

Generator with Round Rotor

Part 1 General Considerations

Synchronous Generator System

Rotor Peripheral Speed

The maximum allowable peripheral speed of the rotor is a central consideration in
machine design. With present-day steel alloys, rotor peripheral speeds of 50,000
ft/min (or about 250 m/s) represent the design limit.
1 ft/min = 0.0051 m/s

Resistivity of Copper vs Temperature

The resistivity of copper versus temperature can be calculated
using the following formula:

Cu (T ) Cu (T0 ) Cu (T T0 )
where T0 is a reference temperature and
give by

Cu is a constant

Cu 2.668 109 in/ o C

or:

Cu 6.775 1011 m/ oC

At T0 20o C , we have

Cu (T0 ) 0.679 106 in/ oC

or:

Cu (T0 ) 1.724 108 m/ oC

Part 2 Armature Design

Number of Armature Slots

For a m-phase synchronous machine, the number of armature slots (S)
must be multiples of m. This will guarantee all the phases are balanced.
A. Integral S/P
S is multiples of mP.
Example: For a 2 pole, 3 phase machine, the number of slots
can be 6,12,18,24,30,36 For a 4 pole, 3 phase machine, the
number of slots can be 12, 24,36,48,60

Integral S/P may cause extensive cogging or detent torque since

all pole faces will line up with slot openings at the same time.
Cogging torque: torque from the interactions between rotor poles
and stator teeth. Use slot skew or fractional S/P can reduce it.
B. Fractional S/P

S/P takes a fractional number.

Number of Turns per Coil

V ,rated 2f e N a g , pk 4.44 f e N a g , pk
where

g , pk

2 Bg , pk Dl

P
N a kw N a / 1.1 kw k p kd ks

N a PqN c / C

Na is the number of series turns per phase of armature winding

C is the number of parallel circuits of armature winding

Nc

1.1V ,ratedC
2 2f e qk w Bg , pk Dl
To consider leakage flux

Number of Conductor Positions per Slot on Stator

Cs 2 N c a

for double layer winding.

In the above expression, Cs includes hollow conductor positions

for cooling (about 25%) and additional 15% - 25% of both height
and width tolerance of conductors (for insulation, slot liner, etc.)
in factor a. a can take about 1.6 2.

Cs

1.1aV ,rated C
2 f e qk w Bg , pk Dl

Maximum and Average Flux Density

Average flux per pole:

g ,av

g , pk sin aed ae

g , pk

g , pk

Average flux density per pole:

Bg ,av

g ,av

Dl / P

DlBg ,av

2 g , pk P

2 Dl

or:

g , pk

g , pk

Since

2P

Specific magnetic loading

Bg ,av

Bg , pk

2 Bg , pk Dl

P
0.4 Bg , pk

Typically, take Bg ,av 0.6T or Bg , pk 1.5T in design.

Machine Size (1)

Specific electric loading:
rms current per unit length of the armature circumference
m(2 N aC )( I A,rated / C ) 2mN a I A,rated
Ka

D
D

Na is the number of series turns per phase of armature winding

C is the number of parallel circuits of armature winding
I A,rated

DK a
2mN a

Machine Size (2)

Apparent power

V ,rated

S rated mV ,rated I A,rated

2f e N a g , pk

S rated

g , pk

2 Bg , pk Dl
P

2 B pk Dl DKa

m 2f e N a
P
2mNa

S rated

D 2l
2 f e Bg , pk k w K a
P
2

S rated
2 2
2
2

k w K a Bg , pk
m
( D l )nm
120
60

proportional to power density

I A,rated

DK a
2mN a

N a k w N a

nm P
fe
120

where m k w K a

Bg , pk
2

Defined as: magnetic shear stress

Machine Size (3)

60 2 S rated
D l 2
k w nm K a Bg , pk
2

Volume of Machine

Discussions:
The more advanced cooling technology (larger Ka), the
smaller the volume.
The larger the rated apparent power Srated, the larger the
volume.
The faster the machine speed nm , the smaller the volume.
The larger the gap magnetic field Bg,pk (through using
advanced materials with larger magnetic saturation, etc.),
the smaller the volume.

Generator Size - Experience

D 2l
1
1
C0 , C0 2

depends on cooling
S rated P
2 f e m K a
C0 1400 in 3 /MVA (air - cooled)
C0 700

in 3 /MVA (hydrogen - cooled)

C0 375

in 3 /MVA (liquid - cooled)

fe = 60 Hz
common steel

Length/Diameter Ratio (1)

The length/diameter ratio of a machine is defined as the ratio of the
length and the stator bore diameter:
rlD

Discussions:
For fixed mechanical speed, the machine power rating depends on D2l.
As the l/D increases, the rotor diameter decreases and thus the
moment of inertia decreases. Also the rotor peripheral speed decreases.
As the l/D increases, the machine length increases and the rotor is prone to
exhibit critical frequencies at lower speeds that can result in shaft flexure to
the point that the rotor strikes the stator bore.
If the l/D is too large, it is difficult to cool.
If the l/D is too small, the leakage inductance of end turns can severely
affects machine performance.

Length/Diameter Ratio (2)

Some people use aspect ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the length
and the pole pitch:
rasp

where

D
P

We can find the relationship between aspect ratio and length/diameter

ratio:
rasp

l P
P
rlD
D

Stator Core Diameter

Stator Core diameter (outer diameter) D0

Two-pole: D0 2.1D
Four-pole: D0 1.7 D

Stator Slot Design

s

D
S

0.4 s bs 0.6 s

3bs d s 7bs
t s s bs

Use 65 V/mil ground insulation

Use 0.375-in slot wedge
Use 0.125-in coil separator and top stick

Stator Conductor Size

I A,rated / C
Js
aAa
where Aa is stator (armature) conductor cross section
area and can be determined from the above formula
together with:
Air-cooled: J s 2500 A rms /in 2
Hydrogen-cooled: J s 4000 A rms /in 2
Water-cooled: J s 7000 A rms /in 2
1 A/in2 = 0.00155 A/mm2
J. J. Cathey, Electric Machines: Analysis and Design Applying MatLab, pp. 482,
McGraw Hill, 2001.

Round Wire Structure

This figure shows the wire structure, including the bare conductor,
an insulation layer and an optional bonding layer.
dwb: bare conductor diameter
dwc: covered wire diameter
Awb: bare conductor cross section area
Awc: covered conductor cross section area

American Wire Gauge (AWG)

d wb 8.251463 0.8905257

Or
d wb
log

8.251463

G
log 0.8905257

G: wire gauge (typically an integer)

dwb: bare wire diameter in mm.

Relative Wire Resistance versus Wire Gauge

Increasing wire gauge by 1, increases copper loss by 26%.

Decreasing wire gauge by 1, decreases copper loss to about 79% of
the previous gauge.

Current Capacity versus Wire Gauge

The maximum allowable current density varies roughly between 1 Arms/mm2 to

10 Arms/mm2. In confined volumes, the lower limit 1Arms/mm2 may be too
high. Similarly, with active cooling, the upper limit 10 Arms/mm2 may be too
conservative.

Round Wire with Film Insulation (1)

Round Wire with Film Insulation (2)

Square Wire with Film Insulation

Air Gap Size

From
Ba , pk

4 0 N a

1.5 2 I A,rated
g eff P

g eff kc g

An empirical formula for effective air gap size:

g eff

4 0 N a

1.5 2 I A,rated
Ba , pk P

g g eff / kc

The actual air gap size can be further tuned using an electromagnetic
simulation software.

Part 3 Round Rotor Design

for Generator with Field
Winding

Number of Poles
For round rotor machine with field winding,
take P = 2 or 4.

Phasor Diagram
EA

jX S I A

E A V jX s I A

IA
Pick up torque angle (T full load =Tmaxsin ) and power factor pf cos .
From X s I A cos E A sin

E A K B X s I A, K B cos / sin

Example: If =30o , pf=0.85 lagging, K B 1.7.

Steady
E A K B X s I A B Steady

K
B
f , pk
B a , pk

V E A cos X s I A sin ( K B cos sin ) X s I A

Ba , pk
Bg , pk

XsIA
1

V
K B cos sin

Rotor Slot Selection (1)

total number of slots on rotor N r 2nr P
nr is integer

Nr
slots on rotor per pole half : nr
2P
Dr
rotor pole pitch : r
P
pole width : 0.2 r W f 0.3 r
Angular slot pitch (in elec. radian) :
Dr PW f
1
P Dr PW f
2

2n r P
( Dr / 2) 2
2 Dr n r
D
Arc length between two adjacent slots : t 2 r
P

rotor slot width : 0.4t b f 0.5t rotor tooth width : t f t b f

Number of Conductors in Rotor (1)

The length of the ith field coil:L fi 2(l W f i

2 Dr
P

Assume the number of conductors (Cf ) are the same in the each slot
Total length of the field winding:
Note: use single layer concentric winding on rotor.

nr

LF C f P 2(l W f i
i 1

2 Dr
P

Number of Conductors in Rotor (2)

LF C f X f
nr

2 Dr

i 1

where X f P 2(l W f i

0.7VF max I F ,rated

) 2nr P(l W f ) 2 Dr nr (nr 1)

LF

J f C f X f

Af
where Af is the cross section area of the field conductor, J f is the allowable
current density, and is the resistivity of copper at working temperature.

0.7VF max
Cf
J f X f

The calculated results will be rounded to an integer. Jf depends

on rotor cooling. See next slide

Rotor Cooling

1 A/in2 = 0.00155 A/mm2

Rotor Rated Field Current and Slot Size

Empirical design requires maximum magnetic field from field
winding is about KB times maximum magnetic field from armature winding:
Steady
B Steady

K
B
f , pk
B a , pk
4 0 N a
Steady
Ba , pk
1.5 2 I A,rated
g eff P
4 0 k wf N f
Steady
B f , pk
I
g eff P f ,rated

I f ,rated

K B 1.5 2 N a I A,rated 2.12 K B N a I A,rated

k wf N f
k wf N f

where Nf is total number of series turns in field winding:

kwf is rotor winding factor given is next page.

rotor slot cross section area Af :

Af

I f ,rated
Jf

N f PC f nr

Round Rotor Winding Factor

This is the case when sr is even.
sr 2 nr
nr

k wf

N cos[(2 1)

nr

If N1 N 2

N nr

nr

k wf

cos[(2 1)

nr

/ 2]

/ 2]

Comprehensive Design Example

Design a 3 phase turboalternator with the following specifications:
500 MVA Y connected 24 kV (terminal voltage) 60 Hz
3600 rpm 2 pole 0.85 pf lagging
Maximum allowable rotor peripheral speed 50,000 ft/min
for 20% overspeed
Directly cooled stator (water)
Directly cooled rotor (hydrogen)

In the design, initially picked up

48 stator slots, 20 rotor slots
5/6 stator coil pitch
Vfmax = 600V
Not skewed
Details in sgDesign.m

Part 4 Round Rotor Design

for Surface Mount Permanent
Magnet Generator

Magnetic Circuit Analysis

For a multi-pole surface mount rotor

dm

Da

Poles

gH g H m d m 0

gBg 0 H m d m 0
dm
Bm Am

g
0 H m Ag

Bm Am Bg Ag

Working Point for Permanent Magnetics (1)

Maximum Energy Point

Br
BmR

0 H c

0 H mR

Br
B
(H Hc )
Hc

To get (BH) max

0 H

Br
BH
(H H c )H
Hc

( BH )
Br
Hc

0 Bm
, Hm
H
2
2

Working Point for Permanent Magnetics (2)

rm

Br
0 H c

1 rm 1.2

Load Line:

Bm

d m Ag
0 H m
g Am

Pc is called permeance coefficient

Pc 0 H m

Define: Bm m Br

Ag / g
d m Ag
Rm Pg
Pc

g Am
Am / d m Rg Pm

H m (1 m ) H c

Typically pick up: m 0.5

0.8

Pc

Bm
m

0 H m 1 m rm

Airgap Magnetic Field from PM Rotor

Bg , rotor
Bm

Bm

PM
2

Bg , rotor

PM embrace:
PM

PM PM
2
2
PM

PM
2

2
2

h 1,3,5...

electrical angle

de

de

BRh

BRh Brh cos( h de ) Brh cos( h

PM

P
d )
2

PM /2
2 PM /2
B
cos(
h

)
d

( Bm ) cos( h ae )d ae
m
ae
ae

/2

/2
PM
2 PM

sin h PM
4
2

Bm

Brh

pitch factor for the

hth harmonic

k ph sin h PM
2

P
d
2

Phasor Diagram
EA

jX S I A

E A V jX s I A

IA
Pick up torque angle (T full load =Tmaxsin ) and power factor pf cos .
From X s I A cos E A sin

E A K B X s I A, K B cos / sin

Example: If =30o , pf=0.85 lagging, K B 1.7.

Steady
E A K B X s I A B Steady

K
B
f , pk
B a , pk

V E A cos X s I A sin ( K B cos sin ) X s I A

Ba , pk
Bg , pk

XsIA
1

V
K B cos sin

Air Gap Size and PM Thickness

From:
Ba , pk

4 0 N a

1.5 2 I A,rated
g total P

Initial total effective air gap size:

g total

From:

g total k c g 'total

4 0 N a

1.5 2 I A,rated
Ba , pk P

g 'total g d m / rm

dm
Pc
g

Pc

Carters coefficient
g (1 m ) g 'total
d m m g 'total rm

( Ag Am )

m
rm
1 m

Effective Air Gap

g total kc g 'total
where the Carters coefficient
kc

s
2
bs 0
2bs 0
bs 0
g 'total

ln 1

atan


2 g 'total
bs 0
2
g
'

total

approximately
kc

s
bs20
s
5 g 'total bs 0

ts

g total

bs 0

d s 0d s1

ds