What is Generator: Definition and 1000 Discussions

In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy) into electrical power for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical energy include steam turbines, gas turbines, water turbines, internal combustion engines, wind turbines and even hand cranks. The first electromagnetic generator, the Faraday disk, was invented in 1831 by British scientist Michael Faraday. Generators provide nearly all of the power for electric power grids.
The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by an electric motor, and motors and generators have many similarities. Many motors can be mechanically driven to generate electricity; frequently they make acceptable manual generators.

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  1. D

    Why Does Generator Rotor Speed Decrease with Higher Ratings?

    Today I observe some generators of different rating which have designed by a company called X. I notice that the speed of the rotor reduce as the rating of the generator increased. Could someone please explain it to me why?
  2. H

    How Many Poles Does a 1200 kW DC Generator Have?

    1. Find the number of poles for a 1200 kW separately excited generator, if the average voltage between commutator segments is 15 V and the armature ampere-turns per pole on full load is 10000. The generator has single turn coil and is lap connected. Ignore all losses. Homework Equations...
  3. H

    DC Generator Reference Books for Aeronautical Engineering Students

    I have completed a DC generator chapter from my course book. Below mentioned questions have been asked in previous examinations, but my course book doesn't help in solving these. Please help me with the reference books which will be helpful in solving these type of questions. I am pursuing...
  4. J

    Generator Selection for Motor Design: Efficiency and Torque Considerations

    Hey guys I'm working on the design of a motor and I'm hoping to convert the output shaft kinetic energy into electricity, nothing new there! The motor will generate 100Nm/rev and I aim on achieving 500rpm... P = τω P = (100)(2pi)(500/60) = 5.236 kW Can anyone advise as to the most...
  5. Q

    DC Generator Output: Vmax, Poles, Ripples, EMF

    1) My understanding is that the output of a DC generator has the form Vmax*|sin(2πft)| for 2 poles. Having more poles makes the output smoother but it would still have ripples. Is this correct? 2) In many places, I have seen the EMF of a DC generator written as: \phi * (NZ/60) * (P/A). What...
  6. Q

    Poles Arrangement in Multipole Generator

    In multipole generators, why do the poles facing each other have the same polarity? Wouldn't this give rise to a zero net current? Consider this link: http://electriciantraining.tpub.com/14177/css/14177_40.htm Initially, it gives the example of a simple generator with opposite poles...
  7. J

    Plugging in a Generator Backwards

    If I had a generator which created a voltage in a standard household male-type plug ...But had the positive and negative terminals of the plug switched, could the generator run the other appliances in my house if I just plugged it into the wall?
  8. S

    Finding the Right CV Spring for a Petrol Generator

    Hi I have a small petrol generator. How Large/Long/Heavy would a CV spring need to be, to run it for four hours. Ideally the spring being narrow enough to be hidden in a house cavity wall (7or8") More generally, how effective are CV springs as energy stores
  9. Y

    How to increase the output power of function generator?

    Hi, I am currently working on science project. But I have a problem. I am conducting Chladni pattern experiment and so I got a function generator (signal generator). But for Chladni pattern experiment, a Function generator has to have an output of 10W. The maximum output of the function...
  10. Y

    Random number generator circuit

    How to build a random number generator circuit? Any good links / tutorials ? Thanks Ybqts
  11. sr8

    Wave Convergence generator, pretty patterns

    Hi everyone, here is a web browser program of a complicated wave-pattern generator: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/114667999/Public.html i wished to have a formula that explains cymatics patterns, and patterns found in wave tanks, because they are fascinating. I wrote an program that...
  12. S

    Can You Make Your Own DC Generator for Your College Project?

    hello, I need a dc generator which would generate 19v and 1.5A current(roughly i want it to generate 30watts of power) at 1000rpm. I require it for a college project. the size of the generator should be small so that i can handle it easily.
  13. P

    Positron Generator: Create Anti-Particles & 100% E=MC2?

    if you have a beam of high energy electrons ( enough energy to create positrons) that hit plate in a vacuum that was positively charged could you produce anit particles without the particels annihilating it self (hence the vacuum) and have the positivly charge particles suspended in a magnetic...
  14. StevieTNZ

    Random Generator in Excel 2013

    Hi there, In Office Excel 2013 - If I make a list of five statements, each in a separate cell but within the same column, in another cell how can I get Excel to randomly select three of those statements? Not sure how to write the =RAND() equation. Any help will be much appreciated, Stevie
  15. M

    Which is better for low rpm power generation: generator or alternator?

    Hello there everyone. I was wondering about low rpm power generation. Is it better to get an alternator or a generator? I've been reading about both but I'm still a little confused about which would be best suited. This is going to be for a wind turbine. So the rpm and the power will be...
  16. S

    Thermoelectric Generator Experiment

    Hi, I am trying to turn a thermoelectric peltier cooler I recently bought into a weak thermoelectric generator. (I bought this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UQQ3Q2/?tag=pfamazon01-20 ) . I built a basic series circuit with 2 3V batteries and a 1 Ω resistor and this so I could...
  17. V

    Hydroelectric powerstation with Asynchronous or synchronous generator

    Let's say we have small hydropower plant which can operate in on-grid and in islanded mode too. I understand a principles of frequency and active power control in a case we have synchronous generator, but what would be diff in a case of Asynchronous generator? How do we controll frequency in a...
  18. A

    Homopolar Generator Setup & Effect of Magnetized Conductivity

    The basic set up for a homopolar generator has a stationary magnet and a rotating conducting plate with contacts at the center and rim of the plate. I would think that even if magnet were spinning along the same axis, the magnetic field would not materially change and so the resulting current...
  19. B

    Is a inverter the same as a transformer or marx generator?

    so i was looking up solar inverters (for solar panel setup) and i saw this picture and i thought it looked kinda the same how the marx generator is setup with a bunch of capacitors and on the schematic it looks like a transformer ... are these three similar in anyway? or do they use some of...
  20. S

    High Frequency Transformer Design and Troubleshooting

    I am trying to do some high frequency dielectric strength testing. Right now, we are using a 500kHz generator capable of outputting ~100Vp-p and running it through a hand wound toroidal transformer. It is working okay but we are having problems with the waveform getting distorted and voltage...
  21. B

    Marx generator can it be used to power something?

    ok so i seen some videos on youtube where people show off their marx generator and make giant sparks with them but what i want to know is can you actually use it to power something is there any practical application for a marx generator or is it just for fun like a tesla coil ?
  22. K

    Function Generator for Sequences of Reals

    This paper is still subject to being edited and I am an amatuer mathematician, so there may be some mistakes, typos, and "amatuer" notation. I really cannot believe the result here, so I assume something may obviously be wrong yet, and I just cannot figure it out. I am a CPA, and fairly good...
  23. F

    Maximizing Generator Efficiency for Common Lighting and Power Loads

    Dear All, How can I improve the efficiency of a generator which is connected to common lighting and power loads? If there any use of capacitor bank in the Main Panel side if there only using the generator supply
  24. O

    The highest possible potential in a van de Graaf generator

    Homework Statement Figure 1.26 (will describe it later on) shows a cross section of a van de Graaf generator, surrounded by an 'intershield' and a pressure vessel, both of which are also cylindrical. The gas in the pressure vessel breaks down in Electric fields greater than 1.6×107 volts/m...
  25. O

    My idea for a helium generator

    Hello. I am currently doing my GCSEs and I take Triple Science. My favourite science is definitely physics, and after a lesson on radioactive decay at school I came up with an idea. I remember a while ago hearing on the news that the Earth is running out of natural sources of helium. My idea...
  26. A

    Raster Scan Generator (555 timer chip)

    Hi all, I need to create a circuit for displaying something onto an analog oscilloscope screen. I have determined it will be best to use a raster scan generator (essentially a linear ramp generator). I am wondering what might be the best way to design such a circuit in order to allow for...
  27. W

    Trying to build a relatively simple Electric Generator.

    Hey, I'm new to this forum and registered specifically to ask people who know what they're talking about how I can make a generator for a wind turbine I'm trying to make. I'm in my first semester of college, and only have a high school education when it comes to physics, so obviously I've got...
  28. O

    Sakurai page 196: Orbital angular momentum as rotation generator

    From "Modern Quantum Mechanics, revised edition" by J.J. Sakurai, page 196. Equation (3.6.4), 1-i \left( \frac{\delta \phi}{\hbar} \right) L_z = 1 - i \left( \frac{\delta \phi}{\hbar} \right) (x p_y - y p_x ) Making this act on an arbitrary position eigenket \mid x', y', z' \rangle...
  29. C

    What is the relationship between generator output and RPM?

    First of all, if you have a generator with an open circuit, and you are pedal powering it, where does the energy go? I would say it is lost as heat, but not sure what could heat up. The coils in the generator itself? Next, what happens if you short the output of a generator? Does it make it...
  30. I

    Can a Propane Campfire Be Used to Generate Electricity?

    hello, I've been trying to figure out the best way for me to get power off grid. I've looked at solar panels and don't want to spend 300 dollars and more, and i don't want to haul a gas generator and have to pay 4 dollars per hour of use. as a result I've been here and there all...
  31. L

    Can an Electric Motor Also Be a Generator?

    Homework Statement Both an electric motor and a generator consists of coils of wires on a rotor spinning in a magnetic field. The difference is whether you desire mechanical or electrical energy as the product. If current is generated when the rotor is made to spin by either the mechanical...
  32. N

    Fixed Speed Wind Induction Generator

    Hi, I'm sure there is a simple answer to the following question that's got me thinking lately but I'm unsure (it's more of a hypothetical question out of interest and not homework). If a simple older type fixed speed wind induction generator was connected directly to the grid via a gearbox...
  33. T

    Van de Graaff Generator - Shock vs. No Shock?

    Hello all, I have a quick, albeit probably ignorant (forgive me) question generated by (bu dum) observations of a van de graaff generator. In particular, two distinct scenarios caused me to question what was going on. Scenario 1 – I’m standing on a plastic stool, with one hand on the...
  34. W

    Optimizing Electricity Generation with a Stationary Bicycle Generator

    Hey all, I'm looking to build a stationary bicycle generator as a fun weekend project but have a couple of questions I can't figure out the answer to. It will be a regular bicycle with the rear wheel elevated and fixed to a stand. A belt will be attached to the wheel and the shaft of an...
  35. G

    Does the Efficiency of a Steam Boiler Generator Depend on Load?

    Hi, my friend and I were having discussion on the efficiency of a steam boiler in our thermodynamics lab (he has a model of a steam boiler in the thermodynamics lab). He told me that the efficiency of the steam boiler generator is dependent on the load. I thought it was absurd, saying that the...
  36. P

    Signal Generator and AC power supply

    What is a difference between sine Signal Generator and AC power supply?
  37. I

    Can the load angle of a generator be calculated using a mathematical equation?

    Is there a mathematical equation for calculating the load angle of a generator? I'm trying to calculate the real and reactive power of the generator which the equation I am using is EV/Xd sin delta where E is the generator excitation voltage V is the generator terminal voltage Xd is the...
  38. F

    Helical Twist Vertical Axis Wind Turbine - Generator Matching

    Hello I have designed a vertical axis wind turbine (Savonius) with a 180deg helical twist. It catches the wind really well but the wind power to electrical power conversion is really poor, it is currently only at 4% efficiency. I think the problem is the dc motor that I am using as a...
  39. Y

    Is there a way to generate heat through friction without damaging the generator?

    Friction is phenomenon we try to avoid but it may be useful. Does anyone know about existing friction heat generators and what method they use ? Seemingly, solid matter does not suit as it pulverizes as well as wears out the generator parts. Probably, remains gas compression. There cannot be a...
  40. Psinter

    How much electricity can a generator generate before it wears out?

    I was wondering out of boredom, how much would a generator last generating electricity if I keep it running for forever. Assuming I have fuel for forever and I start a generator, how much would it last before it stops generating electricity? Like, does the copper wires wear out and stop...
  41. S

    Design a 30KW Generator: RPM 120-200, Carbon Fibre Components

    i'm looking to design a generator, can someone just help me out, the following are the main criterias: It'll have a power rating 30KW RPM like between 120-200, so basically its a low RPM design; i plan on using Carbon fibre for all the components on the rotor other than the power generating...
  42. J

    I Relativistic Explanation for the Unipolar Generator

    Hello All, I was recently looking into explanations for the operation of Faraday's unipolar generator and came across the following article, titled "The Unipolar Generator, A Demonstration of Special Relativity" published by a professor at the University of Maryland...
  43. C

    Synchronous Generator transient response problem

    Hi , Hope someone could offer me a solution to this piece of code, the code below shows a period in time of a synchronous generator transient response, My scaling is the problem as I am not getting 50 Hz 230 volts, your help would be appreciated.. My efforts so far are % Transient...
  44. J

    Bootstrapping using a random number generator?

    I've been using this MATLAB function a guy gave me to crunch numbers on some EEG data from patients. If you have any idea what it does, let me know. From what I can tell it's somehow using random numbers to calculate the probability of getting certain power values? He doesn't comment his code...
  45. J

    Wind Turbine: Min. Wind Speed for 6MW Generator

    Suppose I've got a 6mw wind turbine with a very small wing span - 5 meters-, what would the minimum wind speed needed to activate the generator ?
  46. S

    Alternating Current Generator (Magentic Field.)

    Homework Statement An alternating current generator consisting of a rectangular loop of length a = 0.1xm and width b = 0.1ym with N= 1w0 turns is rotated at a frequency f = 1.z Hz in a uniform magnetic field B= 0.1 T which points into the page. A load resistance R = 10 Ω completes the...
  47. S

    Electrical Generator and rotating coil

    Homework Statement An electric generator consists of a rectangular coil of wire rotating about its longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to a magnetic field of B = 1.70 × 10-2 T. The coil measures 13.00 cm by 19.00 cm and 200.00 turns of wire. The ends of the wire are connected to an...
  48. S

    Liquid rocket gas generator question

    I am building a liquid fueled rocket engine driven gas generator. I plan to use gasoline for fuel and oxygen gas at a rate of .022lb/sec and O2 at .055lb/sec The chamber is 2.15 in long 1.15 in id with a .238 nozzle. The chamber pressure should be 300 psi with a thrust of 20 pounds. I calculate...
  49. C

    Calculating Wind Turbine RPM from Generator Voltage Fluctuations

    Hello, I am trying to build a SIMULINK model in Matlab in order to determine the RPM of a wind turbine. Can someone please tell me how I can obtain the RPM of a wind turbine from the voltage fluctuations of a generator? Any good sites in the subject are also welcome. Thanks in advance.
  50. D

    Does Z*(n) always have a generator?

    Hey this question is going to sound really basic and dumb but I'm new to abstract algebra and not very good at this stuff. When I am talking about Z*(n), to be clear, I mean the multiplicative group of integers mod n, or the way I'm always thinking about it, the units of Z(n). (I'm not sure...
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