An electromagnetic generator that produces either alternating or direct current. It consists of a plane coil that is made to rotate in a uniform magnetic field of flux density B. The coil, of area A, rotates with angular velocity ω; an angle θ is subtended by the normal to the plane of the coil and B. If time t = 0 is chosen so that θ = ωt, then the e.m.f. induced in the coil is given by:
This is an alternating voltage, of period ω, that is a maximum when the plane of the coil lies in the direction of the magnetic field.
Alternating current will flow if the two ends of the coil are connected to a pair of slip rings, R and R′ (Fig. a). The ends of the coil can be connected to a commutator by means of semicircular segments, D, making contact with a pair of carbon brushes, C (Fig. b). Then the voltage in each terminal always has the same sign since each segment moves to the next brush as the e.m.f. changes sign. This produces a direct current in a load connected across the brushes. The current is not steady however since the induced voltage is alternating. The fluctuations about the mean value are known as ripple.
The ripple may be reduced using a drum armature. This has the coil wound around a drum-shaped armature so as to produce several plane coils symmetrically spaced around the drum (Fig. c); each vertical conductor forms a pole. The brushes are placed opposite each pole and are connected in pairs. The effect is to superimpose a number of voltage waveforms all varying slightly in phase (Fig. d). The output voltage has a higher mean value and less magnitude of ripple than that of the single coil. The period of the ripple voltage, which corresponds to the time interval at which successive conductors occupy the same position, is also much higher.