SPEEDAM 2010

International Symposium on Power Electronics,

Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion

Visualization and animation of transformer,

electrical machines and electrical drives
working principles
Z. Haskovi, . Mai, S. Smaka
University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Eight applications in total were designed and

incorporated into the same software program.
Applications include:
Three-phase rotating field simulation;
Phasor diagram of loaded transformer;
Mechanical characteristics of induction motor;
Phasor diagram of stand-alone operation of
synchronous generator;
Phasor diagram of synchronous machine as a part of
power network;
Power diagram of synchronous machine;
Mechanical characteristics of DC and induction
machines;
Example of electrical drive elevator.

Abstract -- In this paper simulation for educational purpose

in the field of electrical machines and electrical drives is
discussed. Simulations and animations are bounded to
materials of teaching practise in electrical engineering
course and thus represent visualized book. In addition to
animated programmed materials, each of the eight
applications incorporated into the program include
fundamental theory background of the matter shown in
each application. Program includes many interesting
examples which would have been mathematically tedious.
Index Terms -- education, animation, visualization, electric
machines and electric drives

I. INTRODUCTION
In modern education there is a necessity for new ways
of knowledge adoption in almost all science domains
including the domain of electrical engineering, and
therefore electrical machines domain. This program was
made in order to modernize education by using available
software applications, primarily programming languages
and suitable tools of visualization. Programming package
Visual Basic 6.0 Enterprise edition was chosen as a
mean of visualization.
Program is bounded to [1] and [2] of teaching practice
in electrical engineering course of Electrical machines
and Electrical drives subjects, studied at Faculty of
Electrical Engineering at domestic University. It includes
applications that show electrical phasor diagrams and
mechanical characteristics of transformers, induction
motors, synchronous machines and DC machines, and
also specific examples of such.
This work was previously demonstrated at the
corresponding lectures with remarkable results. Such
conclusion was derived from the satisfaction of the
relevant students. They found this program more then
welcomed and would have nothing against incorporation
of this or similar software application into their learning
materials. Just these students are considered to be the
target consumer group and therefore are these remarks
very valuable for the author. Not only students, but also
lecturers participated in creating of this work.

978-1-4244-7919-1/10/$25.00 2010 IEEE

Main menu of the software program is shown below

on Fig. 1.

Transformers

Induction machines

Synchronous machines

DC machines

Fig. 1. Main menu

709

User can set different load power factor, ranging from

pure inductive over resistive to pure capacitive load, and
analyze how it affects other parameters, such as: angle
and magnitude of secondary voltage phasor, angle of
current phasor etc. Magnitude of current phasor is kept
constant, but parameters of the transformer its short
circuit resistance and inductance can also be altered.

II. DESCRIPTION OF APPLICATIONS

A. Three-phase rotating field simulation
Application named Three-phase rotating field
simulation allows user to set the position of magnetic
field vector in range from 0 to 360 (or to set an
automatic change of this parameter) in respect to referent
axis and analyze easily the situation given. This
interactive tool is a simple presentation of rotating
magnetic field and could be a way of better understanding
of the behavior of current and magnetic flux density in
windings of electrical machine. Front panel of the
application is shown on the Fig. 2.

Phasor diagrams of loaded transformer

RkI
jXkI
jXkI

jXkI
U1

U1

U1

RkI

RkI
Active
picture

U 2

U 2

U 2

A
A

2
B
a. Load with lagging power factor

b. Load with unity power factor

c. Load with leading power factor

If load is inductively reactive (e. g. serial combination of resistor and inductance), the angle between
current phasor I and load voltage phasor referred to the primary winding U 2 is 2 < 0, which means that
phasor I is lagging U2 by 2 (lagging power factor).
If load has unity power factor (resistor), the angle between current phasor I and load voltage phasor U2 is
equal to 0.
If load is capacitive reactive (e. g. serial combination of resistor and capacitor), the angle between current
phasor I and load voltage phasor referred to the primary winding U2 is 2 > 0, which means that phasor I is
leading U2 by 2 (leading power factor). In this case RMS value of referred load voltage U2 is higher than
RMS value of primary voltage U1.
Depending on power factor cos1 (1 is angle between primary voltage phasor U1 and current phasor I), tip
of the phasor U2 changes position and creates circle. Center of the circle is at tip of the phasor U1 and
diameter is equal to the length IZk.

2
I

Fig. 4. Phasor diagrams of loaded transformer fundamentals

As it has been mentioned, the plan was to target

students as a group of users of this program. This was
major but not the only reason why authors decided to
incorporate theoretical background sub-forms into the
project. Each of eight applications offers two or three
sub-forms, where theory is discussed in detail. All
fundamental theoretical explanations are from [2].
To enter the sub-form user double clicks the object
she/he needs explanation for. Fig. 4 shows one of the subforms. In this particular case, three common phasor
arrangements are discussed.

Automatic Change

Fig. 2. Three-phase rotating field simulation

B. Phasor diagram of loaded transformer

Phasor diagram of loaded transformer application
shows current and voltage phasor diagrams of loaded
transformer, which is its most common operating state.
Front panel of the application is shown on the Fig. 3.
+Re

C. Mechanical characteristics of induction motor

Labels

jXk

Rk
I
U1

In this application parameters of the induction motor

can be changed to obtain different mechanical
characteristic that defers from the one corresponding to
the rated values. New characteristics are drawn on the
diagram and compared with the original.
The most interesting parameters to alter are those that
could be easily done in practice, such as: supply voltage
magnitude and frequency change and resistance of rotor
circuit change. For these parameter changes, specific
tools are included into the design. Load characteristics
also can be shown on the diagrams together with the
characteristics of motor in order to determine the change
of rotation speed with a load given.

RkI

jXkI
U 2

ZkI

Z T

U 2

U1
U1 = U2 + (Rk + jXk)I = U 2 + ZkI

Current I

p.u.

Leakage reactance Xk

p.u.

Total resistance Rk

p.u.

2
1
Im

+Im

Save Values
Re
Automatic load current
phasor angle change

37

59,1

Active capacitive load impedance ZT (leading power factor)

Fig. 3. Current and voltage phasor diagram of loaded transformer

710

Front panel of the application is shown on the Fig. 5.

Rated Given

Me (Nm)

Line to Frequency
Rotor
Starting
Line
Resistance Torque
(Hz)
Voltage
()
(Nm)
(V)

0,641
1,106
0,664
0,464
26,3
380
2
50

0,641
1,106
0,332
0,464
26,3
380
2
50

Stator resistance
Stator leak. reactance
Rotor resistance
Rotor leak. reactance
Magnetising reactance
Voltage
Nr. of stator poles
Frequency

1.
2.

380
380

50
50

0,332
0,664

107,55
192,54

Pull-out
Torque
(Nm)
277,64
277,64

Pull-out
Slip

obtained by changing the angle of current phasor in range

from 0 to 360 with respect to the network voltage
phasor. This method is proven to be particularly helpful
when the boundary cases between mentioned four modes
are analyzed.
Front panel of the application is shown on the Fig. 7.
All values are given in per unit (p.u.).

0,201
0,403
Characteristic nr.
for new graph

Draw

Erase

400
350

Loads

300

[2.]

Tl = const.

[1.]

250

Type 2

Draw

50
0,0006 n^ 2

55 Draw

200
Type 3

50000 n^ 1 55 Draw

Reactance Xs

0,5

p.u.

Resistance R1

p.u.

Phase Voltage U1

p.u.

Phase Current I1

p.u.

+Re

Labels

R1I1
jXsI1

Save Values

150

Ef

100

U1

Speed 1326

50

150

300

450

600

750

900

1050

1200

1350

Ef =

1,37

15

n (rpm)

1500

Fig. 5. Load and mechanical characteristics of induction motor

Im

+Im
I1

D. Phasor diagram of
synchronous generator

stand-alone

operation

Over-excited
generator

of

U2

UE
P = m1 1 cos s 1 f cos + s

Z1
Z1
2
U

UE
Q = m1 1 sin s 1 f sin + s
Z1

Z1

This application deals with working regimes of a

synchronous generator at autonomous grid for different
load power factor. Excitation current is kept constant and
magnitude of load current is also kept constant. User is
allowed to change the load current angle, which is
equivalent to the change of load nature, respective to the
referent angle set at vertical axis. Parameters of
synchronous machine can also be altered and therefore
their influence on the diagram analyzed.
Front panel of the application is shown on the Fig. 6.
+Re

U1

Ef

U1 = Ef + jXsI1

Reactance Xs

0,5

p.u.

Induced voltage Ef

p.u.

Current I1

p.u.

251

As it can be seen from the Fig. 8., this application covers

the same field as one explained above, but from different
point of view. In this application, emphasis is made
toward apparent power and its components, so user now
is offered to alter the angle state of apparent power
phasor. Change of apparent power phasor angle is limited
by stability line. Values of active and reactive power can
easily be read from the vertical and horizontal axes and
labels for these two parameters. Power flow is also shown
graphically. It is obvious that here again, user drives the
synchronous machine through four possible regimes over excited and under excited motor, over excited and
under excited generator.
Front panel of the application is shown on the Fig. 8.

Labels

jXsI1

ZT

If

Automatic change of phasor I1 angle

F. Power diagram of synchronous machine

I1
Ef

Fig. 7. Phasor diagram of synchronous machine

jXs

Re

U1

Power diagram of synchronous machine

+Im

Im

Save Values
I1

Re

151

Automatic angle change

Reactance Xs

0,5

p.u.

Resistance R1

p.u.

Phase Voltage U1

p.u.

Phase Current I1

p.u.

Over-excited
motor

Labels

P +Re

= 90
Stability limit

S1

P1

Save Values
1

Fig. 6. Phasor diagram of stand-alone operation of synchronous

generator

E. Phasor diagram of synchronous machine as a part of

power network
As its name suggests, this application explains the
basic behavior of a synchronous machine in both motor
and generator modes.
Synchronous machine diagram passes through all of
the four possible regimes - over excited and under excited
motor, over excited and under excited generator. This is

P1 =

0,76

Q1 =

0,65

S1 =

P1

+Im
Q

Q1

Im
Q

40,5

Q1
P Re

Automatic change of angle 1

Fig. 8. Power diagram of synchronous machine

711

40,5

G. Mechanical characteristics of the DC and induction

machines
Primary goal of this part of the program is to compare
the mechanical characteristics of DC and induction
machines. For both machines, static operating points can
be taken to different quadrants showing generator and
motor modes. By changing the mechanical characteristics
of the machines or changing the amount of load user
alters working regime through four different quadrants.
Three different types of load are pre-programmed:
constant reactive load, constant potential load and
variable torque load (increases with speed squared).
Two possible front panels of the application are shown
on the Fig. 9 and Fig. 10.

H. Example of electrical drive - elevator

User alters the weight of the elevator (percentage of
the counter-weight) and in this way takes the electric
drive through different regimes in four-quadrant
coordinate system. Front panel of the application is
shown on the Fig. 11.
II
G

M (I)
DC Machine
Rated power (kW)
Rated voltage (V)
Rated current (A)
Rated speed (rpm)
Resistance Ra (Ohm)
Resistance Rf (Ohm)
Excitation

32
440
83
1000
0,35
100
Series

n (rpm)

M/G

MOTOR

Counter
Weight

M (I)

1000

Elevator

Start/Stop
250
Rd

Ra

Fig. 11. Electrical drives elevator

Me (Nm)

III. CONCLUSIONS
Voltage (V) 520
Resistance
Rd (Ohm)

Visualization and animation of written teaching

materials are very important part in education process.
Lecturing practice shows that explanation of complex
theory of electrical machines and electrical drives can be
extremely difficult to obtain. This paper demonstrates
possibility of dealing with this problem. Examples
presented here are major topics of any course dedicated to
electric machinery. Based on the same principle it is
possible to design a program using different software
applications in order to analyze complex circuits
including power electronics and control circuits with
electrical machines. By using this application, students
are given a possibility to adopt knowledge in a
completely modern way.

Draw

0.2 Dynamic
braking

DC

Induction
Load

Single graph

Erase load

Fig. 9. Load and mechanical characteristics of DC machine

Induction Machine
Rated values:

n (rpm)

Stator resistance (Ohm)

Stator leakage reactance
Rotor resistance (Ohm)
Rotor leakage reactance
Magnetising reactance
Voltage (V)
Number of stator poles
Frequency (Hz)
L1
L2
L3

3000

0,641
1,106
0,332
0,464
26,3
380
2
50

AC mains

300

REFERENCES

Me (Nm)
Loads

Mains L-L
voltage (V)
Mains
frequency (Hz)
Add. rotor
resist. (Ohm)

[1] Z. Haskovi: Visualization and animation of transformer,

electrical machines and electrical drives working
principles - Diploma Dissertation, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering Sarajevo, 2009.
[2] . Mai: Electrical machines, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, Sarajevo, 2007.
[3] P. J. van Duijsen, P. Bauer, B. Davat: Simulation and
Animation of Power Electronics and Drives, Requirements
for Education, Simulation Research, Caspoc, 2005,
www.caspoc.com.

380
50
0

Invert phase

Draw

DC

Induction

Single graph

Load

Erase load

Fig. 10. Load and mechanical characteristics of induction machine

712