What is the difference between shunt generators and series generators?

Answer 1

1. In Shunt generators armature current is equal to sum of field current and load current whereas in series generators field current and load current is same.

2. Shunt generators field winding has high resistance and large no of turns as compared to series generators.

3. Shunt generator field winding has thin conductor and series generator has thick.

Answer 2

Series generators have very few uses - their output voltage is VERY unstable with load changes, as a change in load resistance changes the armature current, which is the field current, which changes the output voltage, which changes the armature current.... and so on.

Most textbooks will tell you that series generators are only used on constant loads - eg, arc lights - or for 'voltage stabilisation' on DC transmission lines.

Series generators are difficult to adjust the voltage on - a low resistance, high power 'diverter resistor' is used to divert some of the armature current away from the field colis and weaken the flux, lowering the output voltage (and the armature and field current, changing the voltage again....)

Answer 3

In shunt wound generators, the field winding is connected in parallel with the armature while in the series wound generators, the field winding is connected in series with the armature.