Electrical Engineering ⇒ Topic : Parallel Operation of Alternators

Parallel Operation of Alternators Alternators may be put in parallel because of the following reasons :

1. Local or regional power use may exceed the power of a single available generator.
2. Parallel alternators allow one or more units to be shut down for scheduled or emergency maintenance while the load is being supplied with power.
3. Generators are inefficient at part load, so shutting down one or more generators allows the remaining load to be carried with less machines that are efficiently loaded.
4. Load growth can be handled by added machines without disturbing the original installation.
5. Available machine prime movers and generators can be matched for economic first cost and flexible use.