DC Generator Efficiency PDF

Generator Efficiency
Various power stages in the case of a d.c

generator are shown below
The three generator efficiencies
1. Mechanical Efficiency
2. Electrical Efficiency
3.Overall or Commercial Efficiency
• It is obvious that overall efficiency is the

product of mechanical and electrical efficiencies.
• For good generators, its value may be as high
as 95%.
Generator Losses
• In dc generators, as in most electrical devices,

certain forces act to decrease the efficiency.
• These forces, as they affect the armature, are
considered as losses and may be defined as
follows:
1. Copper loss in the winding

2. Magnetic Losses
3. Mechanical Losses
Copper loss
•The power lost in the form of heat in the armature

winding of a generator is known as Copper loss.
• Heat is generated any time current flows in a
conductor.
•I2R loss is the Copper loss, which increases as
current increases.
• The amount of heat generated is also proportional
to the resistance of the conductor.
•The resistance of the conductor varies directly with
its length and inversely with its cross- sectional area.
•Copper loss is minimized in armature windings by
using large diameter wire.
Copper loss is again divided as
(i) Armature copper loss
Ia2Ra = Armature copper loss.
Where
Ra =resistance of armature and interpoles and series field
winding etc.
• This loss is about 30 to 40% of full -load losses.
(ii) Field copper loss : It is the loss in series or shunt field of
generator.
Is2Rs is the field copper loss in case of series generators,
where Rs is the resistance of the series field winding.
If2Rf is the field copper loss in case of shunt generators.
• This loss is about 20 to 30% of F.L losses.

(iii) The loss due to brush contact resistance. It is usually included in the
armature copper loss.
Magnetic Losses (also known as iron or core losses)
(i) Hysteresis loss (Wh)
• Hysteresis loss is a heat loss caused by the

magnetic properties of the armature.
• When an armature core is in a magnetic field, the
magnetic particles of the core tend to line up with the
magnetic field.
• When the armature core is rotating, its magnetic
field keeps changing direction.
• The continuous movement of the magnetic
particles, as they try to align themselves with the
magnetic field, produces molecular friction.
•This, in turn, produces heat.
•This heat is transmitted to the armature windings.
•The heat causes armature resistances to increase.
•To compensate for hysteresis losses, heat-

treated silicon steel laminations are used in most
dc generator armatures.
•After the steel has been formed to the proper
shape, the laminations are heated and allowed to
cool.
•This annealing process reduces the hysteresis
loss to a low value.
(ii) Eddy Current Loss (We)
• The core of a generator armature is made from soft

iron, which is a conducting material with desirable
magnetic characteristics.
• Any conductor will have currents induced in it when
it is rotated in a magnetic field.
• These currents that are induced in the generator
armature core are called EDDY CURRENTS.
• The power dissipated in the form of heat, as a
result of the eddy currents, is considered a loss.
• Eddy currents, just like any other electrical currents, are affected
by the resistance of the material in which the currents flow.
• The currents in each piece of the laminated core are considerably
less than in the solid core, because the resistance of the pieces is
much higher. (Resistance is inversely proportional to cross-
sectional area.)
•The currents in the individual pieces of the laminated core are so
small that the sum of the individual currents is much less than the
total of eddy currents in the solid iron core.
Most generators use armatures with laminated
cores to reduce eddy current losses.
These magnetic losses are practically constant for shunt

and compound-wound generators, because in their
case, field current is constant.
Mechanical or Rotational Losses
These consist of
(i) friction loss at bearings and comutator.
(ii) air-friction or windage loss of rotating
armature
These are about 10 to 20% of F.L losses.
• Careful maintenance can be instrumental in
keeping bearing friction to a minimum.
• Clean bearings and proper lubrication are
essential to the reduction of bearing friction.
• Brush friction is reduced by assuring proper
brush seating, using proper brushes, and
maintaining proper brush tension.
• A smooth and clean commutator also aids in the
reduction of brush friction.
•Usually, magnetic and mechanical losses are
collectively known as Stray Losses. These are also
known as rotational losses for obvious reasons.
•Field Cu loss is constant for shunt and compound
generators.
•Hence, stray losses and shunt Cu loss are constant.
•These losses are together known as standing or
constant losses. Wc.
•Hence, for shunt and compound generators,

Total loss = armature copper loss + Wc
•Armature Cu loss is known as variable loss, because it

varies with the load current.
Total loss = Variable loss + constant losses, Wc
Condition for Maximum Efficiency
In general,
output
Generator efficiency 
output  losses
The efficiency will be maximum when the denominator of Eq.(i) is minimum i.e.
Hence, theefficiency of a d.c. generator will be maximum

when the load current is such that variable loss is equal
to the constant loss.

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Generator Efficiency

Various power stages in the case of a d.c

• It is obvious that overall efficiency is the

• In dc generators, as in most electrical devices,

1. Copper loss in the winding

•The power lost in the form of heat in the armature

• This loss is about 20 to 30% of F.L losses.

(i) Hysteresis loss (Wh)

• Hysteresis loss is a heat loss caused by the

•To compensate for hysteresis losses, heat-

• The core of a generator armature is made from soft

These magnetic losses are practically constant for shunt

•Hence, for shunt and compound generators,

•Armature Cu loss is known as variable loss, because it

Hence, theefficiency of a d.c. generator will be maximum

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