Finite element approach for performances prediction of a small synchronous generator using ANSYS software

The paper presents a finite element (FE) based efficient analysis procedure for very small three-phase synchronous machines. Two FE formulation approaches are proposed to achieve this goal: the magnetostatic and the non-linear transient time stepped formulations. This combination allows us to predict the steady-state and the transient performance at no-load and in the case of a line-to-line short circuit fault. The method is successfully applied for replication and modeling of a small 120-VA, 4-salient pole, 208-V and 60-Hz, wound rotor laboratory synchronous generator. The closeness of FE simulated and experimental results greatly attest to the effectiveness of the proposed FE based small-generator modeling framework.