PRACTICAL ALTERNATORS
The alternators described
so far in this chapter are ELEMENTARY in nature; they are seldom use except as
examples to aid in understanding practical alternators. The remainder of this
chapter will relate the principles of the elementary alternator to the
alternators actually in use in the civilian community, as well as aboard Navy
ships and aircraft. The following paragraphs in this chapter will introduce
such concepts as prime movers, field excitation, armature characteristics and
limitations, single-phase and polyphase alternators, controls, regulation, and
parallel operation.
FUNCTIONS OF ALTERNATOR COMPONENTS
A typical rotating-field ac
generator consists of an alternator and a smaller dc generator built into a single
unit. The output of the alternator section supplies alternating voltage to the
load. The only purpose for the dc exciter generator is to supply the direct
current required to maintain the alternator field. This dc
generator is referred to as
the exciter. A typical alternator is shown in figure (1), view A; figure (1),
view B, is a simplified schematic of the generator.
fig(1) |
The exciter is a dc,
shunt-wound, self-excited generator. The exciter shunt field (2) creates an
area of intense magnetic flux between its poles. When the exciter armature (3)
is rotated in the exciter-field flux, voltage is induced in the exciter
armature windings. The output from the exciter commutator (4) is
connected through brushes
and slip rings (5) to the alternator field. Since this is direct current
already converted by the exciter commutator, the current always flows in one
direction through the alternator field (6). Thus, a fixed-polarity magnetic
field is maintained at all times in the alternator field windings. When
the alternator field is
rotated, its magnetic flux is passed through and across the alternator armature
windings (7).
The armature is wound for a
three-phase output, which will be covered later in this chapter. Remember, a
voltage is induced in a conductor if it is stationary and a magnetic field is
passed across the conductor, the same as if the field is stationary and the
conductor is moved. The alternating voltage in the ac generator armature
windings is connected through fixed terminals to the ac load.
PRIME MOVERS
All generators, large and
small, ac and dc, require a source of mechanical power to turn their rotors. This
source of mechanical energy is called a prime mover. Prime movers are divided
into two classes for generators-high-speed and low-speed. Steam and gas
turbines are high-speed
prime movers, while internal-combustion engines, water, and electric motors are
considered low-speed prime movers. The type of prime mover plays an important
part in the design of alternators since the speed at which the rotor is turned
determines certain characteristics of alternato construction and operation.
ALTERNATOR ROTORS
There are two types of
rotors used in rotating-field alternators. They are called the turbine-driven
and salient-pole rotors.
As you may have guessed,
the turbine-driven rotor shown in figure (2), view A, is used when the prime
mover is a high-speed turbine. The windings in the turbine-driven rotor are
arranged to form two or four distinct poles. The windings are firmly embedded
in slots to withstand the tremendous centrifugal forces encountered at high
speeds.
fig(2) |
The salient-pole rotor shown
in figure (2), view B, is used in low-speed alternators. The salient-pole rotor
often consists of several separately wound pole pieces, bolted to the frame of
the rotor.
If you could compare the
physical size of the two types of rotors with the same electrical characteristics,
you would see that the salient-pole rotor would have a greater diameter. At the
same
number of revolutions per
minute, it has a greater centrifugal force than does the turbine-driven rotor.
To reduce this force to a safe level so that the windings will not be thrown
out of the machine, the salient pole is used only in low-speed designs.
gooooooooooooooooooood
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