Working Principles of Alternating Current
In order to produce alternating current , an alternator is used which is also known as a generator . This can be produced by many methods but the most usable and best method is using a coil AC generator or alternator. This setup consist of two pole magnets and a single loop of wire around it in rectangular shape . So basically this works on the principle of Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction , according to which in a magnetic field when a coil rotates so it produces the magnetic flux change in that field so emf produced which results in induced current. The magnetic flux can not be remain same so it varies based on the rotation of coil present in magnetic field. We also can say that induced current also depends on these factors :
- number of turns in the armature
- strength of magnetic field
- area of cross section of coil
- speed of the rotation
The electric current passes through the galvanometer , which varies between negative and positive values which shows the alternating current in the process which is flowing through it .
The frequency of alternating current is determined by number of rotations of coil in one second and speed of rotation coil , which can be shown by the given formula:
v= w/2Ï€
So basically we learned from this thing that the generator produces electricity through rotation. The mechanical energy is supplied to AC generator through various turbines and engines and in the output we get the electric power.
Working Principles of Alternating Current Generator
Do you ever wonder what kind of current flows in the power lines of our household? Is it the same current that is generated in electronic devices with DC battery supply or is it something different? In this article, we will discuss a different current that alternates i.e. varies in magnitude and direction. This type of current is called alternating current.
Alternating current is generally seen flowing in power lines(telephone cables, office lines) and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet. It is basically used for industrial, chemical, and domestic power usage where it is transmitted over a long distance. The most common frequency for AC power in many parts of the world is 50 or 60 hertz (Hz), meaning the direction of the current changes 50 or 60 times per second. On the contrary, we have DC current which flows in one direction and doesn’t change polarity.
In this article, we will see all the terminologies related to AC current, the method used for generating AC current, and the difference between AC and DC current. We will also discuss the phasors and the application of AC currents. The later part of this article will talk about AC circuit analysis.