6/21/2015

Howdoalternatorsworkonboardships?

WhatisthepurposeofanAlternatorOnShip?
writtenby:Raunekkeditedby:KennethSleightupdated:4/30/2009
AlternatorsprovideAlternativeCurrentonship.TherearenumerouswaysofgeneratingAlternatingcurrentonboardbutthebasisarrangementofthealternator
remainsthesame.Thisarticleexplainstheconstructionofanalternatorandalsotheprincipleandworkingthatdrivesit.

WorkingPrincipleofAlternators
Doyouknowhowdoalternatorswork?Beforegoingintothedetailsoftheuserofalternatorsonboardships,letusunderstandsomebasicworkingprinciplesofthe
same.Whenacoilofwireisrotatedinamagneticfieldanelectriccurrentisgenerated.Thiscurrentiscalledasalternatingcurrentasitsdirectionandvaluekeepson
fluctuating.Thecurrentcanbecollectedfromthecoilwiththehelpofslipringswhicharefittedwithcarbonbrushes.
Thesameprincipleisusedonboardtogenerateelectricity.Thealternatorcanbeattachedtoanauxiliaryengineorcanevenbeattachedtothemainengineorthe
propellershaft.

Construction
Themainpartsofanalternatorareastatorandarotor.Thearrangementcanbeoftwotypes.Oneinwhicheithertherotorisstationaryandthestatorismovingor
onewithrotormovingandthestatorisstationary.Wewillconsideranarrangementinwhichtherotorismoving.
Asshowninthefigure,therotorislocatedinbetweenthestator.Thealternatorisconnectedtoanauxiliaryengine.Therotorshaftisattachedwithslipringsandfan.
Therotorhousesthepoles.Theshaftfandrivestheairoveraheatexchangerwhichiswatercooled.Thisairisusedtoremovetheheatgeneratedinthewindings.
Thestatorsurroundstherotorandisattachedtothethreephasewindings.Incase,thealternatorisconnectedtomainengineorpropellershaft,thentherewillbetoo
muchvariationsinthespeed.Thusinordertoprovideaconstantspeed,agearboxarrangementisprovided.

Working
Thearrangementcanbeoftwoormorethantwoelectromagnets.Morethenumberofpoles,morethecurrentproduced.Theelectromagnetsaresoarrangedthatthe
adjacentpoleshaveoppositepolarity.Thesepolesareconnectedwithanoutputarrangementtoderivethecurrent.Generallythecoilsareconnectedwithminimum
threeoutputswhicharearrangedwithaphaseseparationof120degreestoproduceathreephasesupply.Thesuppliesareconnectedeitherinstarordelta
connection.Starconnectionwhichisgenerallyusedrequiresfoursliprings.
Forheavydutyalternatorsthearrangementofstationaryrotorandrotatingstatorisused.ThefieldcurrentissuppliedwiththehelpoflowvoltageDCgeneratoralso
knownasanexciter.Allthemordernalternatorsarehighspeedbrushlesstypesanddon'trequireanexternalexciter.

CorrectingOutputvoltage
Thevoltagegeneratedisnotsteadyanditsoftendifficulttocontroltheexcitation.Forthispurpose,AutomaticVoltageRegulator(AVR)is
used.AVRdetectsthevariationintheoutputvoltageofthealternatorandsendsasignaltoanamplifier.Thelatercorrectstheexcitation
toprovideasteadyvoltage.Thestaticexcitedalternatorsusesastaticexcitationwhichcanacceptsuddenloadingwiththehelpof
squirrelcagemotors.Italsousestransformersandrectifiersandtransferscurrenttothefieldcoilwiththehelpofbrushesandsliprings.
Thebrushlesshighspeedalternatorsalsodoesn'tuseanyDCexciters.Thealternatorrotorcarriesarectifierwhichtransfersthevoltage
throughtheshaftintothealternatorfieldcoils.
Theadjacentdiagramshowsamarinealternatorwhichismarkedbytheredcolouredcircleandanarrowpointingtowardsit.Ofcourse
theentiresystemisthecompletegenerationsetconsistingofthegeneratorandonlythemarkedpartisthealternator.

References

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/marineenginesmachinery/33893whatisthepurposeofanalternatoronship/

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Howdoalternatorsworkonboardships?

IntroductiontomarineengineeringbyDATaylor
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IntroductiontomarineengineeringbyDATaylor
https://sertec1.sslpowered.com/sertec.com.py/telergia/telergia/informaciones/alternador_2/05.gif
XiamenAosifEngineeringLtd,China

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