AC Generator – Definition, Parts, Advantage & Disadvantage

AC Generators, also known as “Alternators,” transform mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Often you have wondered how switching one button can bring you a spark of wind within minutes. Thanks to technology. From flipping a switch to cooking in a microwave, electricity is everywhere. Now that you’ve thought about it, you might wonder how this vital energy source was created and how it got to your door.

Electricity is produced in power plants using turbines and generators. A turbine converts available energy into the rotation, and an electric generator converts rotation into electricity.

Based on the power output of the generator, they are divided into two types AC generator and DC generator. This article will discuss AC generators’ working principles and components in detail. If you want to know the working principle and features of DC generators, you can visit our article about DC generators.

What is AC Generator?

An AC generator is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. AC Generator input supply is mechanical energy provided by a steam turbine, gas turbine, and combustion engine. The output is alternating electrical power in the form of alternating voltage and current.

alternating current from a stationary armature coil than from a rotating coil.

Different Parts of AC Generators

Following are the various parts of the AC Generators.

• Rectangular coil
• Armature
• Prime Mover
• Rotor
• Stator
• Slip Rings
• Permanent magnets
• Carbon Brushes

Let’s discuss them one by one.

Rectangular Coil

A shunt coil is a conductor coil that produces current. Due to electromagnetic induction, a current is produced when the coil rotates in an applied magnetic field.

Armature

The part of an AC generator that produces voltage is called the armature. This component is mainly made up of wires big enough to carry the full load of the generator.

Prime Mover

The component used to run the AC generator is known as the prime mover. The prime mover can be a diesel engine, a steam turbine or an engine.

Rotor

The rotating part of the generator is called the rotor. The prime mover of the generator drives the rotor.

Stator

The stator is the stationary part of the AC generator. The stator core is made of alloy steel or magnetic iron to reduce current losses.

Slip Rings

When the coil rotates, the wire connected to them that will receive current will also rotate, creating a problem because the wire is twisted. So the O-ring is the solution to this problem.

The current produced by the coil is brought to the ring. The inner part of the ring is allowed to rotate, but the outer part is not, and the inner and outer parts are connected. So the current flows from the inside to the outside and then to the wire.

Permanent Magnets

Permanent magnet is the most important part. They provide a stable magnetic field around which the coil rotates. Without them, there would be no magnetic field and no electromagnetic induction.

Carbon Brushes

The carbon brush is the main part attached to the slip ring. They passed the fixed ring and now to the carbon brush and then to the wire.

Working of an AC Generator

AC generators work on the principle of Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. When a conductor is placed in a magnetic flux field, an emf is induced.

This emf causes current to flow through the conductor. When the armature rotates between the magnetic poles in an axis perpendicular to the magnetic flux, the armature flux changes.

This is because an emf occurs inside the armature. This causes an electric current to flow through the galvanometer, slip ring and brush. The galvanometer fluctuates between positive and negative values, indicating that there is an alternating current across the galvanometer.

The direction of the induced current can be determined using Fleming’s right hand rule.

Advantages and Disadvantages of AC Generators

This section consists of the advantages and disadvantages of AC generators.

Advantages of AC Generators

• The design of an AC generator is simpler than that of a DC generator and hence its working principle is easy to understand.
• These generators are quiet in operation, low maintenance and have the lowest cost of ownership. Does not require network compatibility.
• The current from the generator can be converted to another voltage level using an AC transformer.
• AC motors used in AC generators are maintenance-free and odorless, unlike DC motors, which have significant odors.

Disadvantages of AC Generators

• Not as durable as a DC generator.
• It requires additional insulation due to the generation of large currents.
• Extra care is required when working with high voltage.

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