Generator Principles

Generator Construction
Excitation System
Operational aspects
Generator Protections

Alternator:
An Alternator is an equipment which
converts Mechanical Energy into
Electrical Energy.

Sources of Mechanical
Energy
Steam Turbines
Gas Turbines
Hydraulic Turbines
Other sources

This forms the basis for the conversion of

Mechanical Energy into Electrical Energy.
This can be presented in two forms which
are applicable to the operation of
Generators.

N
R
Y
B
S

When a Rotating Magnetic Field cuts the conductors,

Voltage is induced in them.

This is applicable to the main generator

+
_

When a Rotating conductor cuts the Magnetic Field ,

Voltage is induced in the conductor.
This applicable to the Exciter.

A DC Voltage is applied to the Rotor and it

becomes a Magnet
When this magnet is rotated,it induces
voltage in the stator windings

STATOR
ROTOR
EXCITER
SLIP RINGS
BRUSHES
BEARINGS
COOLING SYSTEM

PROVIDED FOR EXTERNAL

EXCITATION
USED FOR ROTOR EARTH FAULT
PROTECTION

SLEEVE BEARINGS ARE USED

THEY ARE MADE OF WHITE METALS

NDE SIDE BEARING IS INSULATED TO
AVOID SHAFT CURRENT CURRENT
CIRCULATION

Stator frame
Stator core
laminations
Stator windings
End shield
Rotor poles
Rotor coils

: Mild steel
: Silicon steel
: Copper strips
: Aluminum alloy
: Alloy steel
: Silver alloyed copper

To take away the heat dissipated in the

stator and the rotor
Maximum loading of the machine depends
on the effectiveness of cooling system.

AIR COOLING

WATER COOLING
HYDROGEN COOLING

For low ratings

For medium ratings

For higher ratings

 TO SUPPLY THE FIELD WINDING OF THE

GENERATOR WITH DC CURRENT AND
CONTROL IT
THIS KEEPS THE TERMINAL VOLTAGE
CONSTANT
ENSURES PROPER REACTIVE POWER
SHARING
IMPROVES STABILITY

STATOR
STATOR

+
ROTOR

DIODE

ROTOR

SHAFT
ROTOR

RECTIFIER

ROTOR
STATOR

STATOR
Powering

11 KV
PT

AVR
Feedback

STATOR
STATOR

STATOR

ROTOR

DIODE

ROTOR

MAGNET

ROTOR

MAGNET

SHAFT

ROTOR

RECTIFIER

STATOR
STATOR

STATOR
Feed back

11 KV
PT

AVR
Powering

POWERING

AC - DC
CONVERTER

Aux. power

+
TO EXCITER
-

FIRING PULSE

GENERATOR

Aux. power

CONTROLLER

Reference

Feedback
REFERENCE

FEEDBACK

PROCESSING

PROCESSING

There are two identical AVRs present

The AVR will not come into line unless
the turbine reaches 85% of full speed
One of the AVR will be on line and the
other one will remain as standby.
If the main AVR fails , then the stand
by AVR will automatically come onto
line
A manual excitation control provision
also exists

Parameters List:
Voltage
Frequency
Active power
Reactive power
Excitation voltage / current
Power Factor

Frequency - Real power

f
NL
FSR 3
FSR 2
FSR 1

FL

FL

Voltage - Reactive Power:

V
NL

IF 3
IF 2

FL

IF 1

FL

TURBINE REACHES FULL SPEED

CLOSE THE FIELD BREAKER

BUILD UP VOLTAGE TO 11KV

SYNCHRONISATION

INCREASE THE LOAD

ISLAND OPERATION

PARALLEL OPERATION

6 MW

GT-A

6 MW

LOADS

Real and Reactive power supplied will be the amount demanded by the Load.

GOVERNOR SET POINT DECIDES THE FREQUENCY

FIELD CURRENT DECIDES THE TERMINAL VOLTAGE

More load in shared condition.

Increase in Reliability.

Flexibility in Maintenance.

GT-A

GT-B

ARE THE FREQUENCIES SAME?

ARE THE PHASE SEQUENCES SAME?

LOADS
ARE THE VOLTAGES SAME?

37 MW

GT-A

4 MW

GT-B

LOAD HAS TO BE SHARED BETWEEN THEM

7 MW

LOAD
LOAD DEMAND IS CONSTANT

GT-A

6 MW

3 MW

GT-B

1MW 4 MW

TO SUMMARISE:
Load demand is constant

Increase in Governor set point of one Generator

increases the system frequency and Real power
on that Generator
Increase in Field current of one Generator
increases the system voltage and Reactive power
on that Generator

Voltage and Frequency are constant i.e not in our control

f

WHEN INCOMING FREQUENCY IS GREATER THAN GRID:

APTRANSCO

PAPTRANSCO

GT-A

PGT

GT-A TAKES PART OF LOAD

WHEN INCOMING FREQUENCY IS LESSER THAN GRID:

APTRANSCO

PAPTRANSCO -PGT

GT-A

GT-A ACTS AS LOAD

WHEN THE GOVERNOR SET POINT OF GT-A INCREASES:

APSEB

6 MW 4 MW 2 MW

GT-A

1 MW 3 MW 5 MW

Voltage and Frequency are fixed by GRID

Governor set point decides the Real
Power
Field current decides the Reactive power

To prevent the equipment from severe

damages during fault conditions
To continuously track the various
parameters and isolate the equipment
when they deviate from the set value

Over current Protection

Stator Earth Fault Protection
Differential Protection
Unbalance Protection
Reverse power Protection
Loss of Excitation Protection
Over / Under Frequency Protection
Over / Under voltage Protection

CTS

Winding

Winding

Winding

B
O/C OCCURS

I > 540 A or 1941 A

NGR

RELAY

Relay operates in t sec

It monitors the overloading pattern of the generator

and trips incase of heavy loading
It follows an Inverse curve and so it trips in less time
for a higher current
The set point initiates the relay typically at 540 A or 1941 A
t

Winding

Winding

Winding

I >15.2 A or

20 A

CT
Relay operates

NGR

The star point of the Generator is

earthed through a Resistor to limit
Earth fault current
So whenever an Earth fault occurs , the
fault current flows through NGR
When the neutral current exceeds the
set value , the relay operates

CTS

RELAY

CTS
Winding

Winding

Winding

I > 105 A (OR) 350 A

Relay operates

This relay is to protect the stator

winding phase wise
This is the fastest relay available
Under normal condition both the CT
currents are same and the differential
current is zero.
But when there exists a fault in the
stator winding both CT currents differ
leading to a differential current
When this differential current is more
than set value the relay operates

Unbalance condition arises when the

three phase loads are not same
This relay operates if the percentage of
unbalance exceeds the set value
Typically 8%

To avoid reverse flow of power i.e power

into the generator
In this state Generator will act as a motor
If continues to operate , this will cause
overheating of turbine
Typically 3% ( 5% ) reverse flow

To avoid running the machine without

excitation
It works on the principle,
Impedance=V/I.
The terminal voltage falls if a sudden
heavy load demand or AVR failure
occurs, this will cause the current to
increase and the impedance falls.
The relay is an Impedance relay and it
operates when Impedance falls below
certain limit.

 UNDER VOLTAGE

= 7.4 KV

OVER VOLTAGE ALARM = 12 KV

; 7.5 KV

; 11.5 KV

OVER VOLTAGE TRIP

= 12.5 KV , 12.5 KV

OVER FREQUENCY

= 51.5 Hz , 52 Hz

UNDER FREQUENCY

= 47 Hz

, 47.5 Hz

DIFFERENTIAL RELAY ACTS

STATOR EARTH FAULT OCCURS

LOSS OF EXCITATION HAPPENS