ALTERNATOR (Three phase

synchronous generator)

Windings in Alternators: In case of three phase

alternators the following types of windings are
employed.
(i) Lap winding,
(ii) wave winding and
(iii) mush winding.
Based on pitch of the coil
(i) full pitched
(ii) short pitched windings
Based on number of layers
(i) Single layer
(ii) Double layer

Short-pitched coils are deliberately used because

of the following advantages:
1. They save copper of end connections.
2. They improve the wave-form of the generated
e.m.f. i.e. the generated e.m.f. can be made to
approximate to a sine wave more easily and the
distorting harmonics can be reduced or totally
eliminated.
3. Due to elimination of high frequency harmonics,
eddy current and hysteresis losses are reduced
thereby increasing the efficiency.
But the disadvantage of using short-pitched coils is
that the total voltage around the coils is somewhat
reduced.

Hence the resultant coil emf is given

by Ec = 2E1 cos /2 = 2E cos /2 volts.

 Hence the resultant emf in the short

pitched coils is dependant on
chording angle . Now the factor by
which the emf induced in a short
pitched coil gets reduced is called
pitch factor
Pitch factor Kp= emf induced in a
short pitched coil/ emf induced in a
full pitched coil

 =chording angle

 Distribution Factor: In the case of

distributed winding the magnitude of emf
will be same but the emfs induced in each
coil side will not be in phase with each
other as they are distributed in the slots
under a pole. Hence the total emf will not
be same as that in concentrated winding
but will be equal to the vector sum of the
emfs induced. Hence it will be less than
that in the concentrated winding.

 Distribution factor Kd = emf

induced in a distributed winding/ emf
induced in a concentrated winding
= vector sum of the emf/ arithmetic
sum of the emf

Let
E = emf induced per coil side
m = number of slots per pole per phase,
n = number of slots per pole
= slot angle = 180/n
The emf induced in concentrated
winding with m slots per pole per phase
= mE volts.

 In practical machines the windings will

be generally short pitched and
distributed over the periphery of
the machine. Hence in deducing the
emf equation both pitch factor and
distribution factor has to be
considered.
Hence the general emf equation
including pitch factor and distribution
factor can be given as
EMF induced per phase = 4.44 f Tph x
KpKd volts
Eph = 4.44 KpKd f Tph vlolts

Synchronization of alternator means connecting an

alternator into grid in parallel with many other alternators,
that is in a live system of constant voltage and constant
frequency. Many alternators and loads are connected into a
grid, and all the alternators in grid are having same output
voltage and frequency (whatever may be the power). It is
also said that the alternator is connected to infinite bus-bar.
A stationary alternator is never connected to live bus-bars,
because it will result in short circuit in the stator winding
(since there is no generated emf yet). Before connecting an
alternator into grid, following conditions must be satisfied:

Equal voltage: The terminal voltage of incoming

alternator must be equal to the bus-bar voltage.
Similar frequency: The frequency of generated
voltage must be equal to the frequency of the bus-bar
voltage.
Phase sequence: The phase sequence of the three
phases of alternator must be similar to that of the
grid or bus-bars.
Phase angle: The phase angle between the generated
voltage and the voltage of grid must be zero.

 In a 3 phase star connected

alternator, there are 2 coil sides per
slot and 16 turns per coil. The stator
has 288 slots. When run at 250 rpm
the line voltage is 6600 volts at 50
Hz. The coils are shot pitched by 2
slots. Calculate the flux per pole.
Solution

Distribution factor kd = (sin m/2) / (m sin /2)= 0.9576

Hence pitch factor kp = cos /2 = cos 30/2 = 0.9659
Turns per phase = 1536
= 0.012 wb