INTRODUCTION

KEL is one among the largest, most vibrant, and productive Public Sector Undertaking,
and is fully owned by the Government of Kerala. A multi-product engineering company,
consistently catering to an envious client base, ranging from the army and air force of
India to world-renowned space research organizations, highly competent engineering
companies to mammoth institutions likes the Indian Railways. The company with four
state-of-the-art manufacturing units spread across Kerala has a pan India presence with
marketing offices in major metros and select cities.
Established in 1946 in the State of Kerala, India, the Kerala Electrical & Allied
Engineering Co.Ltd. (KEL) is a multifaceted company fully owned by the State
government. The location of the industry in the banks water was to facilate easy
transportation of goods.
KEL has pioneered this technology in India imbibing the technology from EVR of France
in 1977. Subsequently through in house R&D efforts the brushless was soon modified
and fully indigenized and customized to suit the tropical climatic condition of India.
These brushless alternators have made it possible to improve the quality of passenger
comfort by the proliferation of air conditioned coaches in the Indian railways. At KEL
innovations continue as an on going process to deliver specific design of various
ratings of brushless alternators as required by the railways. Various type of this
brushless type alternator designed and developed in-house include 3.0kw, 4.5kw, 12kw
18kw, and 25kw.The 12kw alternator was specially custom designed by KEL for the use
in Janashadabdi express train. The in-house and R&D has also developed and supplied
the microcontroller based electronic rectifier regulator unit (ERRU) for use in 4.5KW and
25KW brushless alternator. The absence of moving sliding contacts and slip rings
ensures a maintenance free long life for the alternators.
TOWARDS POWER GENERATION
The outstanding product of the division is the statodyne brushless alternators for
lightening and air-conditioning of rail coaches and manufactured under license from EVR
France rating 1KW to 14KW.
STATODYNE BRUSHLESS ALTERNATOR

A homopolar machine of simple design and robust construction conforms to

international standards. With no slip rings, no brushes no rotating windings no moving
parts carrying current, the alternator is a revolutionary product in the power generation
concept.

Testing and Quality control

FOUNDRY DIVISION

KEL has a modern cast iron foundry with capacity of 1500 MTs/annum; manufacturing
speriodical graphite iron and gray iron casting of various grades. A foundry is a place
where the casting is produced. Casting is a mechanical process for producing required
components. Through all metals can be cast, cast iron is more widely used for casting.
This is because of its fluidity, small shrinkage and case with which its properties can be
controlled. Principle of casting consists of introducing molten metal into a cavity or
mould of desired shape and allowing it to solidify. Cavities are formed by using patterns
and cores of required shape. The casting material of foundry at KEL is cast iron of
different grades 15,20, 25 etc. About 50% of the production here includes various parts
and accessories of the brushless alternator. Other major products include end brackets
for diesel generators sets, break block for railways etc in cast iron and inserts for
railways in SG iron etc. A well equipped laboratory with sophisticated materials ensures
production of quality casting.

MACHINE SHOP

It is a place where various machining process are carried out as required. There are two
machine shops in this unit- new machine shop and old machine shop. The different
machines used are lathe, drilling machine, milling machine, grinding machine, pressers,
shapers etc. The section deals with the following production processes:
Insertion of stator stampings in to fabricated outer frame
Assembly of rotor
Fabrication of pulleys
These processes are explained in detail

STATOR FRAME

Based on the shelf number, the stator diameter is fixed. the inner diameter corrected to
accommodate the windings. Consider a 25 KW alternator. The unite obtained from
fabrication is of 249 mm diameter, which is corrected to 255 mm only 52 micron
variation is permitted.
After this, it goes to stacking and pressing equipment. Here silicon steel laminations are
stacked on one another as shown in diagram. Fiber laminations are fixed on to the
circular clips to prevent loss of insulation. This is then compressed under a pressure of
6 kg/cm to press it. A guiding ring is used to prevent twisting.
Thus the following processes are carried out on the stator frame:
Boring

 Drilling
Slotting
Stacking of Laminations
Filling
The stator frame is now passed on to the winding section
WINDING AND ASSEMBLY UNIT
The most important step in the fabrication of alternator is the winding of the field and
phase coils.
Assembly
Assembly consists of the alternator can be processed on the reverse way with special
care on the following points.
The inner race of the bearing should be heated in an oil bath at about 80-90 degree
before insertion on to the shaft.
The end shield should be heated in an electric oven to about 120 degree Celsius
before locating the bearing in it. The bearing should not be pressed with hydraulic
press.
In order to seat the bearing properly, internal bearing cover should be fixed onto the
end shield before heating the eng shield.
Assembly of pulley should be made with extreme case. See that the pulley bore
males exactly with tapered shaft.
Gasket shellac is applied evenly on all the mating surface of bearing cover and end
shield.
While removing and fixing 5KF lock nuts use a hook spanner. Never use any other
tool for this purpose.
Lock washer should be replaced by a new one.

REGULATOR AND RECTIFIER UNIT

Because the voltage induced in the alternator depends on the speed of the rotor, the
output of the alternator is obtained through the regulator rectifier unit. Regulator unit
regulates the voltage and rectifier unit converts the AC voltage to DC and stores in its
batteries.