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Alternator Interview Questions- Day 1

[Q:-01] What is an alternator ?
Ans :
      An alternator or a.c. generator is a synchronous machine which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy and produces alternating e.m.f.

[Q:-02] On what principle does it work ?
Ans :
      The alternator works on the same principle of Faraday's laws of electromagnetic induction as in d.c. generator i.e. whenever a conductor links with the magnetic field (either conductor is moving or the field is moving) an e.m.f is induced in the conductor.

[Q:-03] What are the different types of alternators ? Which is in common use ?
Ans :
Alternators are of two types—
(i) Rotating armature type,
(ii) Rotating field and stationary armature type.
Rotating field type is commonly used.

[Q:-04] What are the advantages of stationary armature and rotating field ?
Ans :
The advantages are as follows :—
(i) Rotating field system is comparatively light and can be rotated with high speed.
(ii) High voltage upto 33 kV can be generated due to high speed.
(iii) For high voltage it becomes comparatively easy to insulate the stationary armature winding than on a moving system.
(iv) For field excitation the rotor requires only two slip rings to supply current to their rotating field system at low voltage for which smaller size and capacity of slip rings can be used.
(v) No slip rings are needed for connecting the armature winding with the external circuit.
(vi) Rotating field system experiences little difficulty in supplying a very few ampere current to the field magnet with negligible sparking effect between slip rings and brushes.

[Q:-05] What are the main parts of an alternator ?
Ans :
 The main parts of an alternator are
(i) Rotor (Salient pole type and Cylindrical type)
(ii) Stator (Frame, Core and Armature conductors and
(iii) Exciter.

[Q:-06] What are the types of rotating field type alternators ?
Ans :
 (i) Salient pole type & (ii) Smooth cylindrical type.

[Q:-07] What do you mean by the salient pole type rotor ?
Ans :
      The salient pole type rotor means the low and moderate speed rotor having large diameter and small axial length with projected (salient) poles coming out of the rotor frame the outer surface of which almost follows the inner cylindrical surface of the stator core.

[Q:-08] What do you mean by the smooth cylindrical type rotor ?
Ans :
      The smooth cylindrical type rotor means the high speed smooth cylindrical shaped rotor having less diameter and more axial length with poles on the rotor not projecting out from the rotor surface.

[Q:-09] Which type of alternator is suitable for coupling with steam turbines and why ?
Ans :
      Smooth cylindrical of non-salient pole type alternator is suitable  for coupling with steam turbine because of its high peripheral speed .

[Q:-10] Which type of alternator is suitable for hydro-electric plants and why ?
Ans :
      Salient pole type alternator is suitable for hydro-electric because of its low and moderate speed.

[Q:-11] In which alternator the cylindrical type rotor is used ?
Ans :
High speed alternator.

[Q:-12] In which alternator the salient type rotor is used ?
Ans :
      Low and medium speed upto 1000 r.p.m. rotating field type small alternator.

[Q:-13] How many poles are generally designed in turbo alternators and hydel alternators ?
Ans :
      The turbo alternators are designed with the rotor field of two poles or four poles whereas the hydel alternators are designed with the rotor field of any even numbers from 6 poles to 36 poles.

[Q:-14] What type of alternator is used for high voltage generator ?
Ans :
      Stationary armature type alternator is used for high voltage generation.

[Q:-15] Why are the stator cores laminated ?
Ans :
The cores are laminated to minimise the eddy current losses.

[Q:-16] What types of slots are provided in stator cores of alternators ?
Ans :
(i) Open type slots & (ii) Semi closed type slots.

[Q:-17] What are the types of windings used in 3-phase alternators ?
Ans :
(i) Single layer winding and (ii) Double layer winding.

[Q:-18] What is meant by breadth factor ?
Ans :
      The breadth factor or the distribution factor is the ratio of vector sum to arithmetic sum of the e.m.fs generated by the conductors. It is denoted by Kd and is equal to
Kd= ((Sin nα)/2)/(n.Sin(α/2))
where n = number of slots/pole/phase and α angle between two adjacent slots.

[Q:-19] What is meant by coil span factor ?
Ans :
      The coil span factor or the pitch factor is defined as the cosine of half the angle by which the coil span is shorter than 180°. It is denoted by Kp and is equal to Kp = cos β/2, where β is the angle by which the coil Span is shorter than full pitch.

[Q:-20] What are the methods of connecting the windings of 3-phase alternators ?
Ans :
(i) Star connection and (ii) Delta connection.

[Q:-21] How are the field poles excited in the alternator ?
Ans :
      The field poles are excited from an external d.c. source through an exciter usually coupled to the alternator.

[Q:-22] How is d.c. supply fed in the rotating field type alternator ?
Ans :
      The d.c. supply is fed to the field winding by means of two slip rings mounted on rotor shaft.

[Q:-23] What do you mean by the term exciter ?
Ans :
      Exciter means a d.c. shunt generator supplying direct current to alternator field generally coupled to the alternator shaft.

[Q:-24] What do you mean by exciting current ?
Ans :
The exciting current means the current given to the field.

[Q:-25] At what voltage the field of an alternator is usually excited ?
Ans :
125 volts to 250 volts d.c.


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