Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Course No: EEE 2208
Course Title: Electrical Machine I Sessional
Experiment No: 02
Experiment Name: Observation of No-load Magnetization Curve of Separately Excited DC
Generator.
SUBMITTED BY SUBMITTED TO
Name: Md. Tanvir Ahmed Md. Ruhul Amin Ratul,
Roll: 2101118 Section: B Assistant Professor
Dept.: Electrical & Electronic Engineering Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engineering,
Session: 2021-2022 RUET
Date of Experiment : 10/09/2024
Date of Submission: 17/09/2024
Experiment No: 02
Name of the Experiment: Observation of no-load magnetization curve of separately excited
DC Generator.
Theory: A separately excited DC shunt generator receives power for its field winding from an external
DC source. The voltage it produces is influenced by the speed of the armature rotation and the field current.
In this generator, the stationary part (stator) remains fixed, while the rotating part (rotor) turns, resembling
the operation of an induction motor. This arrangement allows the generator to adapt to variations in field
current, resulting in a range of output voltages. The generator's internal characteristic curve is obtained by
subtracting the armature reaction voltage drop (a weakening effect caused by internal magnetic forces) from
the no-load voltage. This curve represents the actual generated voltage (Eg), which slightly decreases as the
load current increases. In diagrams, the AC line illustrates this curve, also known as the total characteristic
of a separately excited DC generator.
Fig 2.1: Ideal no load magnetization curve of a DC Generator with return path.
Effect of field current and magnetic flux on generated EMF:
The generated voltage or EMF in a separately excited DC generator is directly related to the
magnetic flux (Φ) and the rotational speed (N) of the armature, as described by the equation:
Eg = k · Φ · N
Where ,
Eg = Generated EMF
k = Machine constant (depends on the construction and dimension of the generator)
Φ = Magnetic flux
N = Speed of the generator (rpm)
At no load condition, generated EMF is proportional to the magnetic flux Φ , which again
proportional to the field current , If , up to a certain point. Which can be expressed as below,
Φ ∝ If
Thus, it can be written as,
Eg ∝ If
Which results in , if the field current increase , the magnetic flux increases which give rise to the
generated EMF. Again if the speed (N) is constant , the EMF will be proportional to the magnetic
flux (Φ).
Eg ∝ Φ
Effect of speed on generated EMF:
For a given field current If , the generated EMF is directly proportional to the speed of the generator.
Eg ∝ N
If the generator's speed increases while keeping the field current constant, the generated EMF will
also rise. This implies that for different speeds, the open-circuit characteristics (OCC) will vary in
magnitude, but the overall shape of the curve remains unchanged.
Equation for the magnetization curve :
The equation for the magnetization curve (or the open-circuit characteristic, OCC) of a DC
generator describes the relationship between the generated EMF (Eg) and the field current (If).
This relationship is nonlinear due to magnetic saturation.
General equation ,
Eg = Emax (1- e - ∝.If)
Where:
Eg is the generated EMF.
Emax is the maximum EMF when the magnetic core is saturated.
∝ is a constant that depends on the generator's magnetic characteristics.
If is the field current.
Behavior of the Magnetization Curve:
Linear Region: At the start (low field current), the relationship between the field current
(If) and the generated EMF (Eg) is almost linear. This is because the magnetic core of the
machine is not yet saturated, and the flux increases almost proportionally with the increase
in field current.
Saturation Region: As the field current increases, the iron core of the magnetic circuit
approaches magnetic saturation. Beyond this point, even a large increase in field current
produces only a small increase in magnetic flux and, hence, a small increase in generated
EMF. The curve starts to bend and flattens out in this region.
Hysteresis and Return Path:
In reality, due to the magnetic properties of the iron core (hysteresis effect), when the field current
is reduced, the flux does not decrease at the same rate as it increased. This is because the core
retains some residual magnetism. This gives rise to a return path, where the generated EMF for
a given field current is slightly higher than during the increasing phase of the field current.
Required Apparatus:
• DC Generator/Motor (220 V – 0.11 A)
• Induction Motor (500 W – 2850 rpm)
• Three Phase Fixed Line (400 V - 10 A)
• DC Multimeter (600 V - 20 A); 2 Pieces
• Tachometer (0.07 A – 5000 rpm)
• RPM Display (240 VDC – 400 rpm)
• DC Variable Line (0 – 500 V)
• Connecting Wires
Circuit Diagram:
Fig 2.2: Circuit Diagram of separately excited DC Generator.
Data Table:
Observation For increasing current For decreasing current
No. Field current, Induced Field current, Induced
voltage, voltage,
𝐼 𝑓 (A) 𝐼 𝑓 (A)
𝐸 𝑔 (V) 𝐸 𝑔 (V)
01 0.04 112 0.10 205
02 0.045 124 0.09 195
03 0.05 132 0.08 188
04 0.06 151 0.07 179
05 0.07 170 0.06 162
06 0.08 184 0.05 146
07 0.09 195 0.045 134
08 0.010 203 0.04 124
09 0.103 208
10 0.105 209
Table 2.1: Readings for field currents and induced voltages.
Graph:
This graph depicts the relationship between the generated voltage (Eg) and the field current (If) in
a DC shunt generator. It demonstrates how variations in the field current influence the voltage
output, illustrating the generator's response to different levels of excitation.
Fig 2.3: No load magnetization curve of separately excited DC Generator.
Discussion: The experiment focused on the magnetization curve of a separately excited DC
shunt generator under no-load conditions. A direct relationship between field current and terminal
voltage was observed . Saturation occurred beyond a certain field current, indicating a diminishing
rate of increase in terminal voltage.The results provide valuable parameters for predicting the
generator's performance.
