A Numerical Model for Saturated Inductances in Synchronous Machines

In this paper the effect of saturation level on inductances in synchronous machines is studied. A numerical procedure, using the finite element method, is proposed to account for magnetic saturation when evaluating inductances in machine numerical models. The method permits the determination of saturated inductances as a function of the rotor angular position, and their introduction in numerical models using step-by-step integration of the voltage-current machine equations. Numerical results are given for different saturation levels. The results show that the saturation effect is dependant of the rotor angular position.