GENERATORS IN

PARALLEL
OPERATION
 ADVANTAGES OF PARALLEL OPERATION

• Continuity of Service
- in the event of breakdown of the prime mover or the generator, the entire
station will not shutdown.
• Efficiency
- substitutions between load demand as it increases (night/day).
• Maintenance and Repair
- generators can only be inspected when they are at rest.
• Additions to Plant
- increased of demand for service.
 PARALLELING DC GENERATOR
STEPS:

1.Whenever generators are in parallel, their +ve and –ve terminals are
connected to the +ve and –ve terminals of the bus bars (heavy thick copper
bars). (reason: if connection is wrong, a serious short circuit will occur when
S1 is closed)
2. To connect the 2nd generator with the existing working generator, first
we must bring the speed of the prime mover of the 2nd generator to the
rated speed. At this point switch S4 is closed.
3. The circuit breaker V2 (voltmeter) connected across the open switch
S2 is closed to complete the circuit. The excitation of the generator 2 is
increased with the help of field rheostat till it generates voltage equal to
the voltage of bus-bars.
4. The main switch S2 is then closed and the generator 2 is ready to be
paralleled with existing generator. But at this point of time generator 2 is not
taking any load as its induced e.m.f. is equal to bus-bar voltage. The present
condition is called floating (not yet supplying).

5. In order to deliver current from generator 2, it is necessary that its induced

e.m.f. E should be greater than the bus-bars voltage V. By strengthening the
field current, the induced e.m.f. of generator 2 could be improved and the
current supply will get started. To maintain bus-bar voltage, the field of
generator 1 is weakened so that value remains constant.
Field current I given by:

Where, Ra is resistance of armature winding.

 LOAD SHARING
• Shunt generators are the most stable generators to be used in parallel operation
because of their droopy voltage characteristics.
 
Let us suppose that two generator having different load voltage. Then
the load sharing between these generators will be:

Let , = no load voltages of the generators

, = the armature resistances
V = common voltage terminal
the value of the current output depends on the value of E1/e2

 ( 𝐾 2𝑁 2 𝜑2 −𝑉 ) 𝑅 1
 
==
( 𝐾 1 𝑁 1 𝜑1 −𝑉 ) 𝑅 2
NOTES:

• Two shunt generators with equal no-load voltages share the load in a ratio that
the load current of each machines produces the same drop in each generator
• In the case of parallel generators with unequal no-load voltages, the load
current produces sufficient voltage drops to maintain the same terminal
voltages.
• The generator with the least drop assumes the greater share of change in the
bus load
• Paralleled generators with different power ratings but the same voltage
regulation will divide any oncoming bus load in direct proportion to their
power ratings
COMPOUND GENERATOR IN
PARALLEL
• An equalizer bus bar (corrective device) is put in
placed in order to maintain the same current flow
of the machines, not allowing any generator to
assume all the load.
FOR MAINTAINING PROPER DIVISION:
• The regulation of each generator is the same
• The series field resistances are inversely proportional
to the generator rating
SERIES GENERATOR IN
PARALLEL
An equalizer bus bar (corrective
device) is put in placed in order to
maintain the same current flow of the
machines, not allowing any generator
to assume all the load.
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS
1. Two shunt generator operating at parallel deliver a total current of
250A. One of the generated is rated 50kW and the other is 100kW. The
voltage rating of both machine is 500V and have regulations of 6%
(smaller one) and 4% Assuming linear characteristics determine (i) the
current delivered by each machine and (ii) terminal voltage.
•SOLUTION:
  Drop per Ampere
20/200 =
50 kW Generator:
F.L. Voltage Drop:  

500V x 0.06 = 30 V 100 kW Generator: - 1st generator

F.L. Current: F.L. Voltage Drop: - 2nd generator

50,000 W x 500 V = 100 A 500V x 0.04 = 20 V

F.L. Current: Terminal
Equate theVoltage:
two formula:
Drop per Ampere
30/100 = 100,000 W x 500 V = 200 A =
=
=
•Since
  + = 250 A ; = 250 -
Substituting :  Terminal Voltage:
=
 )   = 250 -
= 750 - 3 = 250 -187.5 (62.5)
4 = 750 = 62.5 A V
= 187.5 A
2. Two shunt D.C. generators each with an armature resistance of 0.01 Ω
and shunt resistance of 20 Ω, run in parallel and supply a total load current
of 4000 A. The generated voltages (emf) are 210 V and 220 V for the first
and second generator respectively. Calculate the output power for each
generator.

I L  4000 A
I sh1 I1 I sh 2 I2

I a1 Ia2

Rsh1 Rsh 2 V
I1  I 2  4000 (1)  V 
For the 1st generator : E g 2   I 2   Ra 2  V
 Rsh 2 
E g1  I a1 Ra1  V
 V 
220   I 2    0.01  V dividing by 0.01
 V   20 
E g1   I1   Ra1  V
 Rsh1  V V
I2    22000
 V  20 0.01
210   I1    0.01  V dividing by 0.01 V  2000V
 20  I 2  22000 
V V 20
I1    21000 2001V
20 0.01 I 2  22000  (3)
V  2000V 20
I1  21000  By subtracting :
20
2001V 2001V 2001V
I1  21000  (2) I 2  I1  22000   21000 
20 20 20
For the 2nd generator : I 2  I1  1000
E g 2  I a 2 Ra 2  V I 2  1000  I1 (4)
By substituting eq.(4) in eq.(1) :
I1  1000  I1  4000  I1  1500 A
I 2  2500 A (from eq. 4)
Rearranging eq. (2) :
2001V
 21000  1500
20
2001V
 19500  V  194.9 volt
20
Pout1  VI1
Pout1  194.9  1500  292.35 KW
Pout 2  VI 2
Pout 2  194.9  2500  487.25 KW
3. In a certain sub-station, there are 5 d.c. shunt generators in parallel,
each having an armature resistance of 0.1 W, running at the same speed and
excited to give equal induced Each generator supplies an equal share of a
total load of 250 kW at a terminal voltage of 500 V into a load of fixed
resistance. If the field current of one generator is raised by 4%, the others
remaining unchanged, calculate the power output of each machine and their
terminal voltages under these conditions. Assume that the speeds
remain constant and flux is proportional to field current.
SOLUTION:
•   Einduced emf

Load Supplied/Generator:
250 kW/ 5 = 50 kW Increasing the emf by 4%”
Current output/generator: E = 510 * 1.04
50,000 / 500 = 100 A E= 530. 4 V
Armature drop:
0.1 x 100 A = 10 V V, the new terminal voltage:
V Terminal = 500 V
E – let I1 represents the current for the generator after
increased
E
– I2, current for the other 4 generators
•  
Equating both equations:  Equating:

= V= & V = + 4
• = 204 + 4.1 = 510

Subtracting:
Fixed resistance: = 1
+ 4.1 = 510 & = 204
Total load current: + 4
5.1 =306
V=1x(+4)
V= +4 = 60 A
= 204
= 204 + 60

= 264 A
•  = + 4
V
V = 264 + 4(60)
V= 504 V

Power Outputs:
1st Generator, = 504 x 264 = 133.056 kW
The other 4 Generators, = 504 x 60 = 30.24 kW
 SOURCES:

Theraja, B. L., & Theraja, A. K. (n.d.). Armature and Commutation. In A Textbook of

Electrical Technology (Multi Color Illustrative ed., Vol. II, pp. 937-
966). S. Chand.

Electrical4U, Gupta, J., & Electrical4U. (2018, August 03). Parallel Operation of DC
Generators. Retrieved September 16, 2020, from
https://www.electrical4u.com/parallel-connection-of-dc-generator/