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Analysis of the Synchronous Machine in its Operational Modes: Motor,

Generator and Compensator

Poster · May 2015

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POSTER 2015, PRAGUE MAY 14 1

Analysis of the Synchronous Machine in its Operational

Modes: Motor, Generator and Compensator
Prathamesh M. Dusane1, Minh-Quan Dang2, Famous O. Igbinovia3, Ghaeth Fandi4

Dept. of Electrical Power Engineering, Czech Technical University, Technická 2, 166 27 Praha, Czech Republic

dusanpra@fel.cvut.cz, dangminh@fel.cvut.cz, igbinfam@fel.cvut.cz, fandigha@fel.cvut.cz

Abstract. This paper gives a brief evaluation of the This work discusses the basic principles of the
Synchronous Machine. It describes the construction, Synchronous Machine and its uses as Motor, Generator and
operating principles and its applications in different Compensator; it further explain in details the advantages and
operational modes: Motor, Generator and Compensator. It applications of the synchronous machine as a compensator
emphasizes the need for the use of synchronous machines for in power system networks.
compensation purposes due to its numerous advantages in
this regard in power system networks.
2. Construction of the Synchronous
Keywords Machine
The Synchronous Generator or Alternator was first
Synchronous Machine, Synchronous Motor, Synchronous conceptualized by Michael Faraday and Hippolyte Pixii, in
Compensator, Synchronous Generator, Power System accordance with the field winding of the rotor wound and
Stability. the construction of the rotor frame. In its steady state the
rotor rotates at a constant speed, and the rotating field also
rotates with the same speed as the rotor. This speed is called
1. Introduction synchronous speed, thus, the machine is called synchronous
Synchronous is a Greek terminology which means machine [6]. The machines construction is according to the
operating at the same time [1]. Electric rotating machinery is shape of its rotors, they can be classified as Salient Pole and
an apparatus which consists of a rotating and stationery Cylindrical Rotor while the stator is similar for both cases,
member that generates, converts, transforms or modifies Figure 1. Shows a cross-section of both Salient Pole and
electric power [2]. Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Cylindrical Rotor synchronous machines.
Induction, Ampere Biot-Savart’s Law of Electromagnetic The Stator of the Machine is made up of a Sinusoidal
Induced Forces and Lenz’s Law of Action and Reaction, distributed winding wound similar to the rotor, on sheets of
with the law of energy conservation, all together constitute steel laminations whose leads are taken out of the machine
the basic theoretical bricks on which the operation of any for power transfer. The air gap between the stator and rotor
electrical machine can be explained. The Synchronous is made as small as possible to reduce the reluctance between
Machine is an alternating current machine whose rotation the Salient Pole and Cylindrical Rotor synchronous
under steady state condition is equal to the integral number machines and to decrease the magnetization current at no
of alternating current cycles in its stator. The rotor with load, smaller air gap may cause mechanical issues [1], [7].
permanent magnets or electromagnets rotates in
synchronism with the Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF)
created by the stator [1], [3].

Synchronous Machines can be classified as

Generators, Motors and Compensators according to their
uses. Generator action is observed when the rotor runs faster
than the synchronous speed of the machine which is possible
by means of a prime mover, motoring action is observed
when the rotor is dragged behind the air-gap flux by
retarding torque of a shaft-load [3]. A Synchronous
Compensator is a Synchronous Motor whose shaft is Figure 1 (a) Cylindrical Rotor Machine cross-sectional area. (b)
Salient pole Rotor Machine cross-sectional area. [8].
allowed to rotate freely without any load [4]. Its field
winding excitation is controlled by a voltage regulator to
The Cylindrical Rotor or Round Rotor is made up of
either generate or absorb reactive power as needed to adjust
cylindrical block of steel laminations with slots in its surface
the grid's voltage, or to improve power factor [5].
2

which run parallel to each other as shown in Figure 1(a). The analysis it can be shown that if three balanced currents with
rotors are smaller in diameter; it is usually in the range of equal magnitudes and 120 electrical degrees apart flow in a
1.1m to 1.15m, but having maximum longer axial length of balanced three-phase winding, a magnetic field of constant
6.5m for higher power. Cylindrical rotors are used in high magnitude is produced in the air gap of the machine. This
speed electrical devices, say for example 1500 RPM - 3000 magnetic field revolves around the machine at a frequency
RPM. Windage loss as well as noise is less due to symmetry equal to the frequency of the currents flowing through the
in its construction. Damper windings are not needed in these winding [1]. The result of adding three 120-degrees phased
rotors. Its flux distribution is sinusoidal and hence gives sine waves on the axis of a motor is a single rotating vector
better EMF waveform. The direct current field current is which remains always constant in magnitude, as can be seen
supplied by external direct current source by means of slip in Figure 2 [15].
rings and brushes or by a direct current power source
mounted on the shaft of the synchronous generator [1], [9]. It is the distribution of the Stator winding which
decides the wave shape and quality of the Machine’s
The Salient Pole Rotor consists of a large number of generated voltage in Generator mode and the Machine’s
projected poles mounted on a magnetic wheel; the poles are rotational characteristic in motoring mode [16].
made of steel laminations supported by pole shoes on which
the rotor winding is wound as shown in Figure 1(b). Salient
pole rotors has maximum large diameter of 15m and shorter
axial length in the range of 0.15 to 0.2. They are generally
used in lower speed electrical machines, say 100 RPM - 4. The Synchronous Machine used
1500 RPM. As the rotor speed is lower, the number of poles as a Generator
required to attain the required frequency is more, that is, the The Synchronous generator produces an alternating
frequency is proportional to the number of poles. voltage when its shaft is rotated by a motor, an engine or
120f other means, and the output frequency is directly
Ns = P
(1) proportional to the speed of the rotor. Synchronous
machines are the primary energy conversion devices in
Flux distribution of the synchronous machine is relatively
commercial electricity network, the power rating of a
poor due to its asymmetrical construction. Salient pole rotors
synchronous generator can be several hundred M.V.A. or
generally need damper windings to prevent rotor oscillations
even to several thousand M.V.A. [6], [17]. The machine
during operation [1], [10].
supplies active power to resistive loads and reactive power
to inductive loads.
3. Operating Principle of the E1 = V1 + R. I1 + jXd . I1 (2)
Synchronous Machine
Where E1 is Field Excitation Voltage, V1 and I1 are the
armature voltage and current respectively.

Figure 2: Depicts the concept of a Rotating magnetic field. The colours Red,
Green and Blue represent the 120̊ shifted and sinusoidally distributed three-
phase stator winding, whereas the arrow represents the constant field flux
which rotates at synchronous speed [13].
Figure 3: Phasor Diagram of a Cylindrical Rotor ideal Synchronous
The discovery of the rotating magnetic field is Generator with its Rotor Flux ahead of Stator Flux, in Under-excited mode
generally attributed to two inventors, the Italian physicist and Over-excited mode [1]].
and electrical engineer Galileo Ferraris, and the Serbian-
American inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla The rotor flux angle advance ahead of the stator flux angle,
[14]. The current flowing through a conductor produces a when the machine is under-excited as shown in Figure 3,
magnetic field associated with the current, which is when referred from the terminals, with the generator
Ampere’s Law. It is a known fact that by coiling a conductor, operating in the under-excited mode, the power factor angle
a larger field is obtained without increasing the current’s is leading, that is, I1 leads V1. This means that the machine
magnitude. If the three phases of the winding are distributed is absorbing reactive power from the system. The opposite
at 120 electrical degrees apart, three balanced voltages are occurs when the machine is in the over-excited mode [1].
generated, creating a three-phase system. By mathematical Under heavy loading condition, the current increases
POSTER 2015, PRAGUE MAY 14 3

dramatically and the voltage drops [18]]. magnetizing current produces the deficient flux, which is a
The machine must run with over-excitation in order to constant field-flux set up by the direct-current supply rotor
maintain the voltage by adding the reactive power to the grid winding. Therefore in this case, the motor is said to operate
as depicted in Figure 3. Contrary to this situation, under light under lagging power factor and is said to be under-excited
load or no load situation the current reduces and voltage as depicted in Figure 4.
increases. The machine now runs with under-excitation and
consumes part of over-voltage at its terminals. As generators If the field current is more than the nominal field
are normally used to provide VARs together with watts, they current, the motor is said to be over-excited. This excess
are almost always operated in the over-excited condition [1], field current produces an excess flux, which is the flux set
[3], [11], [12]. up by the direct-current supply in the rotor winding, which
Synchronous generators are used to generate must be neutralized by the armature winding. Hence, the
electricity in hydro power plant and thermal power plants armature winding draws leading reactive V.A. or de-
with gas or steam turbine [19]. High-speed synchronous magnetizing current leading voltage by almost 90° from the
generators with special cooling techniques and designs can alternating current source. Hence in this case the motor
be used in military-like weapons [20]. operate under leading power factor as can be seen in Figure
4 [1], [11], [12].

This kind of motor has a wide range of applications

5. The Synchronous Machine used because of its constant-speed operation under different load
as a Motor and its high efficiency. The synchronous motor can be used
for compressors, pumps, extruders, rolling mills, hoists
Synchronous motors are designed to run with their processing lines or blowers [22]. Even though the induction
speed directly proportional to the frequency of the electrical motor replaced the synchronous motor as the choice for the
energy source [21]. Under this mode it supplies electrical vast majority of electric motor applications, the synchronous
power, for example P = V1.I1, to the stator winding which generators still remain the universal machine of choice for
will produce a Rotating magnetic field by virtue of its the generation of electrical power [1].
sinusoidal distribution along the stator cross-sectional area.
6. The Synchronous Machine used as a
P = V1 . I1 cosφ1 (2)
Synchronous Compensator
E1 = V1 − R. I1 − jXd . I1 (3)
When the synchronous machine runs on no-load, such as, on
a freely rotating shaft, with controlled excitation, it is called
The operation of a synchronous motor is due to the a synchronous condenser or compensator. Using it in this
interaction of the magnetic fields of the stator and the rotor, configuration we can add reactive power unto the grid by
as illustrated in Figure 4. Its stator winding which consists over-excitation and consume reactive power from the grid
of a three-phase or single-phase winding is provided with by under-excitation of its field windings.
three-phase or single-phase supply rotor with direct current
supply. The stator winding carrying current produces a
rotating magnetic flux and thus a rotating magnetic field,
which causes the rotor to lock in with the rotating magnetic
field and rotate along with it. Once the rotor locks in with
the rotating magnetic field, the motor is said to be in
synchronism.

Figure 5: Phasor Diagram of the Cylindrical Rotor of an ideal Synchronous

Compensator. Rotor Flux is equal and in phase with the Stator Flux in
Under-excited and Over-excited modes [1].

When the rotor’s excitation is slightly increased, and

no torque is applied to the shaft, the rotor provides some of
the excitation required to produce E1, causing an equivalent
Figure 4: Phasor Diagram of the Cylindrical Rotor of an ideal Synchronous reduction of φs. This situation represents the under-excited
Motor, The rotor flux dragged behind the Stator Flux in Under-excited and condition as can be seen in Figure 5. When operating under
Over-excited modes [1].
this condition, the machine is said to behave as a lagging
If the field current is not sufficient enough to produce the condenser, meaning, it absorbs reactive power from the
required air gap flux as demanded by the stator terminal network. [11], [12].
voltage, additional magnetizing current or lagging reactive
If the field excitation is increased over the value required to
V.A is drawn from the alternating current source. This
produce E1, the stator currents generate a flux that
4

counteracts the field-generated flux. Under this condition,

the machine is said to be over-excited. The machine thus 8. Conclusion
behaves as a leading condenser; that is, it is delivering
reactive power to the network [1], [11], [12]. In this paper we have reviewed the operating theory of
the Synchronous Machine along with its important
7. Advantages and Applications of the applications in Power Systems. Even though the era of
Synchronous Compensator Synchronous Machines began in mid-18th century;
Synchronous Machines still proves to be useful in a lot of
With proper excitation by means of a solid-state applications of the 21st century. In the future, Synchronous
voltage regulator the Synchronous Compensator is a Machines will continue to be of great use as dynamic
continuously variable sink/source of reactive power [23]. compensation machines to stabilize and regulate power flow
A Synchronous Compensator will provide step-less of electrical transmission systems.
automatic power factor correction along with the ability to
produce up to 150% additional VARs [1].
The Synchronous Compensator is not a source of harmonics. Acknowledgements
This quality makes the Synchronous Compensator friendly
The research described in this paper was supervised by
to the surrounding power grid and other devices. And bring
Ing. Jan Švec, Ph.D. and Prof. Ing. Josef Tlusty CSc, FEE
about ease of integration into existing networks [24].
CTU in Prague and supported by the Czech Grant Agency
The Synchronous Compensator system does not produce
under grant SGS14/188/OHK3/3T/13.
switching transients and is not affected by system electrical
harmonics and synchronous compensators can absorb
harmonics. They do not produce excessive voltage levels
and are not susceptible to electrical resonances [25]. References
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