Voltage and Frequency Regulation of Single Phase Self
Excited Induction Generator
D. K. Palwalia, S. P. Singh
Department of Electrical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Roorkee-Uttrakhand (India)
Abstract: This paper presents the design of induction
generator controller (IGC) to regulate the voltage and
frequency of single phase self excited induction generator
(SEIG), suitable for stand alone power mode. The SEIG
can be used to generate constant voltage and frequency if
the load is maintained constant at its terminals. Moreover,
under such operation, SEIG requires constant capacitance
for excitation resulting in a fixed-point operation. For this
purpose, a suitable control scheme is to developed such
that the load on the SEIG remains constant despite the
change in the consumer load. A Induction generator
controller has been developed based on variable mark
space ratio controllable dump load. The transient
behavior of SEIG-IGC system at different operating
conditions such as application and removal of static
(resistive and reactive) load is investigated.
Keywords: Self excited induction generator (SEIG), Induction
generator controller (IGC), Mark ratio space control.
I. INTRODUCTION
Induction generators are increasingly being used these
days to harness renewable energy resources because of their
relative advantageous features. These features include
maintenance and operational simplicity, brushless and rugged
construction, lower unit cost, good dynamic response, self
protection against faults and ability to generate power at
varying speed. In remote locations or hilly areas, electrical
energy from local resources can be cheaper compare to grid
connection. A micro-hydro system with unregulated low head
turbines, which maintain almost constant input power due to
fixed head and discharge coupled with self excited induction
generator may be one of the most suitable option. Such areas
are characterized by sparsely distributed population with
electric loads of single-phase. The single phase power supply
is preferred over three phase in order to render the distribution
system simple and cost effective. Single-phase induction
motors can be used as single phase self excited induction
generators for single phase power generation for the purpose
of supplying smaller loads of less than 5kW. Hence, the single
phase SEIG is presently under investigation to make it suitable
for supplying local loads with quality power supply.
The self excited induction generator has a major drawback
of poor voltage regulation. The generated voltage depends
upon the speed, excitation capacitance, load current and power
factor of the load. A self regulation using series capacitor or
short-shunt and long shunt connection have been reported in
literature [1-6]. Bhim Singh [7] has reported the optimum
utilization of single-phase SEIG. Salama et al [8] has reported
the system performance and transient analysis of single phase
SEIG. Ojo [9] have presented an inverter assisted single phase
induction generator for voltage and frequency control. Bhim
singh et al [10] has presented the design and implementation
of electronic load controller to regulate voltage and frequency
of SEIG for constant power applications. Authors [11-12]
have presented a DSP based design and implementation of
induction generator controller for single phase SEIG for
voltage and frequency regulation through a variable mark
space ratio controlled dump load.
In this paper, SEIG-IGC is given for fixed point operation
with variable mark space ratio controllable dump load. Input
power remains constant with unregulated micro-hydro
turbine but output power is not constant due to changing load
requirement of consumer load. In order to keep SEIG output
power constant, a dump load is connected in parallel with the
consumer load such that the total generated power is held
constant. The amount of power to be supplied to the dump
load is decided by induction generator controller (IGC).
II.SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND CONTROL SCHEME
A schematic diagram of the SEIG-IGC system is shown in
Figure 1. It consists of single phase two winding (main and
auxiliary) squirrel cage induction motor (working as SEIG)
driven by a constant power prime mover (typically, an un-
regulated micro-hydro turbine). The excitation capacitors are
connected at the terminals of auxiliary (CA ) and main winding
(CM ) as shown in Figure 1, which have a fixed value to result
in rated terminal voltage at rated load. Consumer load and
induction generator controller (IGC) are connected in parallel
at generator terminals. The IGC consist of an uncontrolled
rectifier, a filtering capacitor (Cf), IGBT based chopper and a
series resistive dump load (RD). The uncontrolled rectifier
converts the SEIG AC terminal voltage to DC. The output
ripples are filtered by filter capacitor. An IGBT is used as a
chopper switch. When gate pulse to IGBT is high, the current
flows through the dump load and the power is consumed. The
pulse width or duty cycle of chopper is decided by the
difference of power generation to consumer load.
The SEIG feeds two loads in parallel such that the total
power Pout=Pc+Pd is constant, Where, Pout is the generated
power of the generator (which must be kept constant), Pc is the
consumer load power, and Pd is the dump load power. This
dump load power (Pd) may be used for non priority load such
as heating, battery charging, cooking etc. The amount of
dump load power is controlled by IGBT chopper switch. The
duty cycle of the gate pulse to switch provides the average
conduction period and hence the amount of power to dump
load. The output power of the SEIG is kept constant by IGC.
The voltage amplitude is determined and compared with
reference voltage, which is taken as proportional to the rated
terminal voltage of the SEIG. The error is scaled (gain) and
 Single phase
induction generator

Main winding
CM
Consumer Load

Prime
Mover
Aux.winding

CA

Z-1
Amplitude
calculator + Saturation PWM
+ +
- Gain
Reference Ver (t)

Pulse Driver
IGBT
& Isolation

Cf R
RD

Induction Generator Controller

Figure 1: Schematic diagram of SEIG-IGC system.

algebraically added to previous sample time PWM reference
level. As the desired terminal voltage is achieved the error
signal becomes zero and PWM reference holds its level. The
pulse width references are fed to PWM block. The PWM
block have self carrier triangular wave. The carrier frequency
is selected according to static switching device. The pulse
output is then given to IGBT chopper through an opto
isolation and pulse driver circuit.
3. PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF DUMP LOAD
The DC output voltage of rectifier is given by:
2 2V
V DC = = (0.9003)x2 20 = 198.07 V          (1)
π
Where, V is the rms value of the output voltage of the SEIG
and the input voltage of the diode bridge rectifier.
Taking an over voltage 10% of rated ac voltage for transient
condition, the peak DC voltage is given as:
(2)
V DC, peak = 2 × V × 1.10 = 342.24 V
The AC input current is calculated as:
P 1000 (3)  carried out with MATLAB Version 7.2 on Simulink Version
I AC = = = 4.55 A                
V 220
Where, P is the rated power output for SEIG.
Taking distortion factor of 0.9 and crest factor of 1.8, then AC
peak input current to diode rectifier is:
I AC , peak = 1.8 × I AC / 0.9 = 10.2 A (4)
The maximum voltage and current ratings are 342.24 V and
10.2 A respectively.
The dump load resistance is given by:
R D = (V DC ) 2 / P = (342.24) 2 /1000 = 117.13 Ω (5)
The value of filtering capacitor (Cf) is selected on the basis of
ripple factor (RF) and given by the relations as:
C f = {1/(4 × f × R D )}[1 + {1/( 2 × RF)}]         (6)
for 10 % ripple factor, filtering capacitor is:
C f = {1/(4 × 50 × 117.13)}[1 + {1/ 2 × 0.10)}]
= 344 .53 μF
IV. SIMULATION
Simulation of the induction generator controller is
6.4. A 1.492 kW main and auxiliary winding single phase
 asynchronous machine modeled in d-q stator reference frame VARs are produced by the excitation capacitors due to
is taken as a single phase self-excited induction generator. reduced impedance which may result in increase of frequency.
The machine parameters are summarized in Appendix. Shunt Table I summarizes the main load, dump load, terminal
capacitor of 40 µF and 36µF is connected across main and voltage, voltage THD and current THD of main load, dump
auxiliary winding to get the rated voltage at rated speed and load and generator at different steps of main load application.
load. The dropping torque- speed characteristics of prime A good voltage and frequency regulation is observed. There is
mover is given as Tsh= k1 - k2 ωr; Where, k1 and k2 are the a slight decrease in terminal voltage as the voltage THD in the
prime mover constants given in Appendix. The main winding system increases. A slight increment in frequency is observed
terminal is connected with consumer load of resistive and for loads of lagging power factor which is under acceptable
reactive nature and induction generator controller in parallel. limits. The frequency remains constant with the application of
A diode universal bridge converts the AC voltage into resistive load. An increase in voltage and current THD is
equivalent DC voltage. The output DC is connected with observed for reactive loads on SEIG.
dump load resistance and filter capacitor in parallel. The
voltage amplitude is computed. The voltage amplitude is
compared with the reference and processed through sample
based controller. The obtained output is compared with Table I
symmetrical triangular wave of 1 kHz through a relational Terminal voltage and frequency regulation, voltage and
operator to obtain a modulated pulse of suitable duration current THDat different load applications
(width). This pulse is given to the IGBT chopper switch. Current THD(%)
Frequency Voltage
Main Voltage Gen.
V. RESULTS (Hz) THD Main
Load (V) IGC main
(%) load
wdg.
Figure 2 shows the transient wave form of SEIG voltage 0 220.6 50.00 2.4 - 3.2 3.8
buildup and application of resistive load of 900 W in steps of 200 220.1 50.00 2.6 2.7 16.1 7.4
300 W. Figure 3 and Figure 4 shows the transient waveform 400 220.4 50.01 2.2 2.4 18.7 9.1
on application and removal of 500 W resistive load and 400 W
600 220.5 50.02 2.8 2.9 24.3 9.6
0.8 lagging power factor reactive load respectively. The
800 220.6 50.02 2.6 2.8 31.1 8.0
waveform from top to bottom are terminal voltage(Vt), load
1000 220.5 50.02 2.5 2.6 55.0 3.7
current (ILoad), dump load current(IDump), generator main
winding current (IMain), auxiliary winding voltage (IAux) and 200W
219.7 50.16 3.7 4.1 27.9 10.6
auxiliary winding current (IAux). On application of load, the 0.8pf lag
dump load current decreases and main load current increases. 300W
219.4 50.81 4.9 5.4 57.0 19.5
However, the terminal voltage remains constant and so as the 0.8pf lag
frequency. On application and removal of load the terminal 400W
218.6 51.08 5.0 5.6 65.9 24.7
voltage remains constant. When an inductive load is 0.8pf lag
connected to the SEIG, the voltage will decrease and the IGC
respond by reducing the dump load. The reduced load causes
an almost instantaneous frequency increase due to reduced slip VI. DISCUSSION
and an additional gradual increase in frequency due to rising
turbine speed. A small increase in frequency results in a The proposed sampled based controller is simple as compare
significant reduction in magnetizing current. In addition, extra to a PI controller based application. The PI controller is to
tuned for proportional (Kp) and integral gain(Ki) for dynamic
400 responses, where as in the proposed controller only gain(scale)
200 of error is to be adjusted for a given system. The IGC is a non-
0
linear system and feeds harmonics in the SEIG. There is a
Vt

slight decrement in terminal voltage is observed as the THD

-200 increases.
-400
10 VII. CONCLUSION
5
A induction generator controller has been developed for
ILoad

0
single phase two winding induction motor working as a self
-5 excited induction generator. The developed IGC system acts
-10 as the voltage and frequency regulator for the SEIG. The
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time
duration of voltage transients on application and removal of
static and dynamic load is found satisfactory. The THD of
SEIG voltage is found within acceptable limits under average
Figure 2: Voltage build up and application of main load
amount of consumer load. It has also been observed that there
is a small increase in frequency to compensate for lagging
power factor loads.
 500

Vt 0

-500

5
ILoad

-5

10
IDump

-10

10
IGen

0
-10

500
VAux

-500

5
IAux

-5
1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65 1.7 1.75 1.8 1.85 1.9 1.95 2
Time
Figure 3: Transient waveform SEIG-IGC system on application of 500 W resistive load

500

0
Vt

-500

5
ILoad

-5

10
IDump

-10

10
IGen

0
-10

500
VAux

-500

10

0
IAux

-10
1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65 1.7 1.75 1.8 1.85 1.9 1.95 2
Time

Figure 4: Transient waveform SEIG-IGC system on application of 400 W 0.8 lagging power factor reactive load
 [11] D. K. Palwalia, S. P. Singh, “DSP based induction generator
VIII. APPENDIX controller for single phase self excited induction generator,”
International Journal of Emerging Electric Power Systems,
A SEIG Parameters Vol. 9, Issue 1, Article 2, 2008.
[12] D. K Palwalia, S. P. Singh, “Design and implementation of
The parameters of the 1.492 kW, 220 volts, single phase, induction generator controller for single phase self excited
50 Hz, SEIG are: induction generator,” Proceedings of IEEE Conference on
Main winding: resistance (Rs) = 2.02Ω, Industrial Electronics and Applications, June-2008, Singapore
leakage inductance ( Ls) = 0.0074 H
Auxiliary winding: resistance (Ras) = 7.14Ω,
leakage inductance ( Las) = 0.0085 H
Rotor resistance (Rr) = 4.12 Ω,
Rotor Leakage Inductance ( Lr)= 0.0056H,
Mutual inductance ( Lm) = 0.187 H
Inertia (J)=0.0146 kg/m2
Capacitor across main winding (CM)= 40e-6 F
Capacitor across Auxiliary winding (CA)= 36e-6 F

B Prime Mover Characteristics

Tsh= k1 - k2 ωr; Where, k1= 220; k2= 1.325;

IX. REFERENCES :

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85, 1987.
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