Synchronizing AC generators -- Part 2 (strobe light view) 

All of these videos I've watched with the spinning "synchroscope" dial - it finally makes sense!

The sync demonstration with the strobe light was brilliant! Thanks for sharing!

I like how the strobe light makes the rolling shutter visible

I always wondered how, if at all, the utility companies connect themselves to the grid and run in "parallel". This is an awesome scale-model demonstration that makes it clear! Thanks for posting this!

Excellent demo, thanks for posting.

THIS. This video is going to help my apprentices understand "IN-PHASE MONITORING" on automatic transfer switches......as well as paralleling gens. THANK YOU!!!

Absolutely fantastic video and demonstration. The way i think about the electrical coupling is a little like pumps and a water system. When both are running at the same speed they are pushing the water (current) out at the same speed. If one slows then the faster one will out power it and pushes water through it to bring it up to speed. This in turn, puts additional demand on the faster-running generator / pump.

Briliant. I had the dark bulb and bright bulb method of synchronization in my eletrical lab. And this demonstration is awesome.

Very cool demo physically illustrating a theoretical concept.

Brilliant demo. Thanks so much

fascinating how components within a power grid, especially the generator, work in tandem with each other

Great video! Not for everyone, but it helped me understand how do power plants connect to voltage that is changing 100 times per second.

Awesome!!!!! I can't thank you enough for demonstrating this!! 🙏🙏

Perfect video! The strobe light is wonderful!

Thank you for this practical demonstration.

Very interesting videos. Thank you!

Very useful. Please do it again with higher quality

Very awesome demonstration

This is amazingly deducational

Very well explanation about electrically coupled.

Thank you guys.

Great video, thank you very much! Now do it again at 4K LOL!

this is really clarifies my doubt,thank u so much

Sync in this video is achieved by one system expending power into the second system. Surely the best way to sync should be to control the speed of the power source of the 'slave' system from the 'master' system by means of phase lock loop.

Another great demo. But after both are in sync, the question remains: in a real-world application how can you know that a generator is not working in "motor mode" so to speak, actually drawing from, instead of supplying power from to the grid, say in the case of variable water flow in a hydroelectric power generator? There surely must be such control even after the generator is initially synced to the grid, no?

You can see each generator slightly trailing behind the other. They each play cat & Mouse with each other. If one slightly moves, the other well follow.

Thank you so much It's very informative

Very informative series. Thanks for the demonstration!

thank you a lot i suggest repeating that with load to demonstrate droop characteristics

thank you, I like it when you say "its bad news'

zero dislike .... very good...

Good info.

Top explanation mate 👌

Should have made it clear that the alternators used are not 2 pole fields, but often 10 or 14 pole, which is why it appears the lights are winking much faster than the mechanical speed difference. The synchronization when in sync electrically occurs at 1/2 the number of field poles in the alternators, so depending on the alternator, it would be in sync at 5 or 7 different locations in one mechanical rotation. Diesel generators generally are 4 pole or 6 pole so are in sync electrically at 0 degrees and either 180 degrees for 4 pole or 120 and 270 degrees for 6 pole machines. Due to camera pan not showing the tape and the lights in frame at the same time, I could not tell how many poles your alternators use. Due to the rate of flashing, it appears you have the 14 pole alternators with 7 in sync locations in one revolution.

Does a slipped pole slip a pair of poles and get back into sync or does it slip and stay out of sync? Also like the vid, thanks!

What are the differences between this smol-scale model and the actual-use, big ones? I mean, for the method of synchronization, not how the constructions differ.

what a great video

I don't understand , they can both be running @60hz but if they start in split second they will be out of phase by a few degrees unless you periodically start and stop the slave generator in order to achieve the matching cycle

When slipping a pole, wouldn't that just trip the breaker? If not, why?

So I’m gonna go on a limb and say so the neons are connected phase to phase of each generator?

I think we need a video of you syncing them 180 out of phase. For science!

I would be extremely appreciative if you can share with me the components and materials used for this great illustration. Looking forward to to rebuild this concept to my students. Can you plz help us.

Tks for the nice video

I was always wondering if one could parallel 2 normal generators without them having an epic fight. Might have to try this one lol

Are there any devices, triggers or other kinds of provisions that can help with slipping a pole, either by preventing it or by non-destructively disabling the system ?

Can please Describe all the connection through the circuit because took this as my science project in my university

Hi, is it possible for you to share the schematic and BOM of this experimental setup? Realy love your video.

dam...very interesting

How do they stay synchronized?

Can you do a video on building phase converters? Like what output can you expect when your turn a 3hp 3phase motor into a generator?

Oh, come on. I WANT TO SEE IT SLIP A POLE! I also want to know how quickly your overcurrent detection needs to respond in the case of desynchronization to avoid damaging the equipment... Probably just an 'instant' trip breaker on a very high current, you'd need to catch it before the rotor slipped past 180 degrees with the applied field, I expect? I'm assuming the catastrophic failure will be due to the high torques experienced at this point, once you go past 180 degrees, you'll start to increase torque again, slam the rotor toward the stator field, then as it passes it again, the torque is reversed and you end up with oscillating torque on the motor or generator shaft, yeah, that could tear it apart. So, by catastrophic, I assume you mean mechanical failure for the most part... Though in overcurrent as you're suggesting, that could burn the insulation off the windings as well and destroy that too. I assume the overcurrent is simply caused by the backemf no longer being in sync with the grid, rotated 90 degrees out by putting a 180 degree load angle on the motor or generator would leave just an RL circuit with full grid voltage across it.

Is it possible to mechanical couple 3 single phase generators together 120° out of phase with each other and driven by 1 big motor to generate 3 phase power?

Can you synchronized 2 gas power generator .

awesome - any video to visualize the waveforms

That makes me wonder though... cause the generators are in paralle right...?

no over-current protection?!

Ésto cerrará muchas bocas, colocol los canales aquí????

if we synchronizing 10 alternator. but one of alternator not working so in this condition what is effect on synchronizing process

How do U physically increase/decrease the HZ of the generator in a REAL grid ? increase the torque ?

Id like to add to Gordon Browns comment: think of the pumps in series not parallel as I originally did.

3:47 awww...

Superb Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

what will happen if you reduce and reduce the speed of one of these generators... cat the system maintain the synchronization?

thank you a lot,.

What about generators driven by a gas engine?

👍👍

(0:55) - But to me, it looks like the tape is moving forwards, not backwards. >

Awesome, can I get controller diagram

So generators 1000 miles apart will be doing the same thing. I bet theres mechanical applications that this would work or also.