Electric generator working principle

Hello dear guests and subscribers of my channel. Today I want to tell you about the principle on which all electrical generators work. So let's get started.

The main task of any generator

The main task of absolutely any electric generator is to generate electricity. But, frankly, the generator does not produce anything, it only transforms one type of energy into another.

And basically there is a transformation of mechanical energy into electrical energy.

In turn, mechanical energy is obtained as a result of the rotation of turbines under the influence of steam expansion, falling water and even a manual drive.

So generators that operate on a mechanical drive are still the main type of converters all over the world.

An illustrative example of how a simple generator works:

On the rotating rotor, either a magnetizing winding or neodymium magnets are fixed (previously, ordinary magnets were fixed).

In all generators, the principle of operation is based on the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, according to which the changing magnetic flux starts the process of induction around this space of electric fields.

And if a conductor is directed to the area where the induced electric field manifests its action, then an EMF will be induced in it.

And between the ends of this conductor, it will be possible to measure the corresponding voltage.

The change in the magnetic flux in the generator occurs due to the fact that magnets or pole pieces magnetized with specialized windings move together with the rotor.

In this case, the conductor, in which the EMF is induced in the generator, is made in the form of a stator winding, which is located, in most cases, in the magnetic circuit. It is located on the stationary part of the installation. Moreover, this type of winding can be implemented in different ways.

In this case, in three-phase alternating generators, the stator windings can be interconnected either according to the "Star" scheme, or according to the "Triangle" scheme.

In this case, the "Star" connection option makes it possible to obtain a higher voltage than when connecting the windings with a "Triangle".

In this case, the voltage will differ by approximately 1.73. At the same time, the statement is true: the higher the voltage on the generator, the less current it can supply to the network.

What determines the power of the generator

So the power of any generator depends on the following values:

• Voltage at the generator output terminals.

It, in turn, has a direct dependence on the length of the conductor with which the stator winding is wound. The voltage also depends on the rotor speed and, of course, on the magnetic induction at the poles.

In this case, the larger the two parameters described above, the higher the voltage is generated by the installation both at idle and under load.

• Maximum current.

In principle, the magnitude of the current is theoretically limited only by the short-circuit current. In practice, the value of the current at rated speed depends on the cross-section of the stator winding wire and the total magnetic flux of the rotor.

Moreover, if for some reason the magnetic flux is not enough, then sometimes such a method as increasing the speed is used. But in this version, an automatic voltage regulation is mounted on the generator as on car generators.

This will allow the generators to deliver the current required for high-quality charging over an extended rev range.

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