AC DC 1-5

Energy Conversion

The process of transforming energy from one form to another.

Mechanical Energy

Energy related to the movement or position of objects.

Potential Energy

Energy stored in an object due to its position or condition.

Kinetic Energy

Energy possessed by an object due to its motion.

Sound Energy

Energy related to the compression and rarefaction of molecules in a substance.

Chemical Energy

Energy stored in the bonds between atoms in a molecule.

Electrical Energy

Energy related to the movement or flow of electrons.

Light Energy

Energy related to the vibration of an electrical charge or magnetic field, producing electromagnetic waves.

Heat Energy

Energy related to the motion of particles, atoms, or molecules in a substance.

Nuclear Energy

Energy stored in the bonds between particles in the nucleus of an atom.

First Law of Thermodynamics

The law of conservation of energy, stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The law of increased entropy, stating that energy transformations result in some energy being lost as heat.

Machine

A device that uses energy to perform physical tasks or convert energy from one form to another.

DC Machine

A rotary electro-mechanical energy conversion device that converts mechanical energy to DC electrical energy or vice versa.

Electric Motor

A machine that produces rotational mechanical energy to drive external physical loads.

Electric Generator

A machine that generates electrical energy for use in an external circuit.

Prime Mover

An initial source of motive power designed to drive a machinery.

Construction of DC Generator

The process of building and assembling the components of a DC generator.

Operation of DC Generator

The functioning and performance of a DC generator.

Principle of Generator Action

The principle that governs the generation of electricity in a generator, which requires a proper relation between the direction of rotation and the field connection to the armature.

Electromagnetic Induction

The process by which a varying magnetic field induces an electric current in a conductor.

DC Generator

A type of generator that produces direct current (DC) electricity.

Field Poles

Magnets or electromagnets that create a magnetic field in a generator.

Armature

The rotating part of a generator where conductors are wound around.

Stator

The stationary part of a generator that houses the field poles and provides a path for the magnetic lines of force.

Yoke

The part of a generator that houses the entire machine and where the magnets/poles are mounted.

Pole Shoe

The part of a generator that holds the field poles together.

Rotor

The part of a generator that rotates and contains the conductors.

Commutator

The part of a generator that collects the current from the armature windings and changes its direction in a DC generator.

Carbon Brushes

The parts of a generator that harvest the current from the rotating commutator.

Terminal

The point in a generator where the generated electricity is collected and connected to an external circuit.

Field Core

The part of a generator that holds the field winding and provides a path for the magnetic lines of force.

Nameplate

A plate on a generator that displays important information such as its specifications and ratings.

Principle of Generator Action

The concept that explains how a generator produces electricity through the cutting of magnetic flux by rotating conductors.

Volt

The unit of measurement for electric potential difference or voltage.

Flux

The total magnetic field passing through a given area.

Maxwell

The unit of measurement for magnetic flux.

Rate of cutting of flux

The speed at which the magnetic flux is being cut by a rotating conductor.

Second/rev

The unit of measurement for the time it takes to make one complete revolution.

Total number of conductors

The number of conductors in a generator's armature winding.

Average generated voltage

The average voltage produced by a generator.

Armature winding

The winding in a generator that contains the conductors.

Parallel paths

The number of paths in which the armature conductors are connected in parallel.

Lap winding

A type of armature winding that forms a loop as it expands around the armature core.

Wave winding

A type of armature winding that forms a wave as it expands around the armature core.

Frog-Leg winding

A combination of lap and wave coil windings in an armature winding.

Number of Parallel Paths

The number of paths in the armature of a machine that are filled with conductors before terminating in a commutator segment.

Machine's "Plex" Value

The number of revolutions it takes to fill the slots in the armature before terminating in a commutator segment.

Multiplicity Factor

A factor that increases the number of parallel paths in lap and wave armature windings by a certain factor.

Lap Winding

A winding configuration in which the number of parallel paths is equal to the multiplicity factor multiplied by the number of poles.

Wave Winding

A winding configuration in which the number of parallel paths is equal to twice the multiplicity factor.

Number of Brushes

The number of brushes in a lap or wave winding is equal to the number of poles.

Simplex Winding

A winding configuration with a multiplicity factor of 1.

Triplex Winding

A winding configuration with a multiplicity factor of 3.

Duplex Winding

A winding configuration with a multiplicity factor of 2.

Quadruplex Winding

A winding configuration with a multiplicity factor of 4.

Armature

The rotating part of a generator or motor that contains the conductors.

Flux per Pole

The amount of magnetic flux passing through each pole of a generator.

Voltage Generated

The voltage produced by a generator when driven at a certain speed and with a certain flux per pole.

Field Excitation

The application of a DC voltage to the field windings of a generator to create a steady magnetic field.

Exciting Current

The current that flows through the field windings of a generator when it is being excited.

Self-Excited Generator

A generator that supplies its own field excitation.

Separately Excited Generator

A generator that relies on an external source for its field excitation.

Field Current

The current flowing through the field windings of a generator, which is directly proportional to the amount of flux produced.

Series Wound Generator

A DC generator in which the field winding is connected in series with the armature.

Shunt Wound Generator

A DC generator in which the field winding is connected in parallel with the armature.

Compound Wound Generator

A DC generator that has both series and shunt field windings.

Series Field

A type of field winding used in DC machines that is made with a few turns of large diameter wire and is connected in series with the armature.

Shunt Field

A type of field winding used in DC machines that is made with many turns of small diameter wire and is connected in parallel with the armature.

Self Excited DC Generator

A type of DC generator where the field winding is connected either in series or in parallel with the armature.

Long-Shunt Compound Generator

A type of self-excited DC generator that has both series and shunt field windings, with the series field connected to the armature.

Short-Shunt Compound Generator

A type of self-excited DC generator that has both series and shunt field windings, with the series field connected to the load.

Residual Magnetism

The remaining magnetic energy in the field of a DC generator even when it is turned off, which enables the armature to develop a residual voltage.

Saturation Curve

The relationship between field current and generated voltage in a DC generator, where at a certain point, increasing the field current does not result in an increase in generated voltage due to the saturation of the field winding core.

Brush Contact Drop

The voltage drop over the brush contact resistance when current passes from commutator segments to brushes and finally to the external load.

Armature Current

The current flowing through the armature of a DC generator.

Induced E.M.F.

The electromotive force generated in the armature of a DC generator.

Flux per Pole

The amount of magnetic flux produced by each pole of a DC generator.

Voltage Regulation

The ability of a DC generator to maintain a constant voltage output despite changes in load or speed.

Voltage Regulation

It is the percentage change in the terminal voltage of a generator when the generator load is varied.

Terminal Voltage

The voltage at the output terminals of a generator.

No-load Terminal Voltage

The terminal voltage of a generator when there is no load connected.

Full-load Terminal Voltage

The terminal voltage of a generator when it is operating at full load.

Armature Current

The current flowing through the armature winding of a generator.

Voltage Drop

The decrease in voltage that occurs across a component or circuit due to the resistance or impedance of that component or circuit.

Flux

The magnetic field produced by the field winding of a generator.

Counter-flux

The magnetic field produced by the armature winding of a generator that opposes the main flux.

Degree of Compounding

The adjustment of the generator's voltage to maintain a desired level under varying load conditions.

Self-excited DC Generator

A DC generator that uses its own output voltage to generate the field current.

Shunt Wound DC Generator

A DC generator that has the field winding connected in parallel with the armature winding.

Series Wound DC Generator

A DC generator that has the field winding connected in series with the armature winding.

Flat-Compounded DC Generator

A self-excited DC generator with a constant field current, resulting in a flat terminal voltage characteristic.

Under-Compounded DC Generator

A self-excited DC generator with a decreasing field current as the load increases, resulting in a decreasing terminal voltage characteristic.

Differential-Compound DC Generator

A self-excited DC generator with an increasing field current as the load increases, resulting in an increasing terminal voltage characteristic.

Applications of DC Generators

Various uses of different types of DC generators in power supply, testing, and other applications.

Controlling the Terminal Voltage

The process of adjusting the terminal voltage of a DC generator to maintain a desired level.

Generated Voltage

The voltage produced by a DC generator.

Prime Mover

The mechanical device that drives the generator, such as an engine or turbine.

Flux

The magnetic field produced by the field winding of a generator.

Field Current

The current flowing through the field winding of a generator.