Analysis of magnetic saturation in a salient-pole synchronous machine after sudden three-phase short circuit

In order to evaluate magnetic saturation under subtransient and transient states of a large‐sized salient‐pole synchronous machine, the currents and leakage inductances after sudden three‐phase short circuits are analyzed by a two‐dimensional nonlinear transient finite element method (FEM). The currents are calculated both by direct and indirect methods. The direct method uses the FEM and considers fluctuation of the magnetic saturation after the short circuit. The indirect method solves Park's differential equations without fluctuation. Results of the direct method agree well with measurements. When the preshort voltage is large, fluctuation of the leakage inductances after the short is large and it greatly affects values of the short‐circuit currents. As the preshort voltage becomes large, the damper leakage inductances saturate at first, then the field leakage inductances, and finally the armature leakage inductances saturate. Although the indirect method considers saturation under the preshort condition, it gives inaccurate results and they are nearly the same as the results by the linear FEM. In general, it is thought that saturation of the leakage flux should be considered when subtransient conditions with large disturbance are analyzed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(4): 46–55, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10240