Shunt generators use a field winding to produce electrical energy from an armature winding. They come in different configurations and use the same electrical energy to sustain the process. Mechanical energy input is required to sustain generation. Electric motors work on reciprocal principles.
A shunt generator is a device that produces electrical energy from an armature winding using a field winding that draws from the same electrical energy output. The field winding is the counterpart to the early permanent magnets which provided the magnetic fields cut off by the armature windings, producing the electrical output of the generator. Shunt generators are available in various connection configurations such as long shunt and short shunt. The shunt field in the long shunt is parallel to the series combination of the armature and the series field, while in the short shunt the parallel combination of the armature and the shunt field is in line with the series field.
Shunt generators use the same electrical energy generated to sustain the process of generating electricity. When stationary, the shunt generator has only a residual magnetic field which will produce a very small amount of electrical energy in the first fractions of a second. The small electricity produced will build up the magnetic field, which results in more electricity production. Meanwhile, in the shunt generator itself, the field winding may be in parallel with the electrical output, so the voltage across the field winding builds up as the electrical output increases.
In a constantly running shunt generator, mechanical energy input is the final requirement to sustain the generation of electrical energy. The mechanical torque that rotates the armature windings is converted into electrical energy. As electrical currents are generated, more torque is required up to a point where the power of the load is maintained at a given mechanical input. Any increase or decrease in load power will be reflected as an increase or decrease in mechanical load, as there is a voltage control loop.
The simplest DC generator may have a permanent magnet instead of a field winding. It should be noted that an electromagnet is required to produce a controllable magnetic field, which is the main energy source of the electromagnetic induction process involved, resulting in an electromagnet with a winding which is commonly referred to as a field winding. The field winding and the armature winding can be connected in various configurations. There may also be a series field winding together with a parallel field winding. The former and latter are commonly referred to as the series field and the shunt field, respectively.
Electric motors work on reciprocal principles like that of generators. When electrical energy is fed into an electric motor, there is both rotor and field energy interacting to generate the necessary mechanical power. The opposite process is the generation of electric power where both the residual magnetic field and the mechanical torque ultimately produce stable electric power.
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