Topic summary
Synchronous generator
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Alternator.
Synchronous generators
Most power generation stations use synchronous machines as their generators. The connection of these generators to the utility grid requires synchronization conditions to be met. Synchronous generators provide several important system services. Their inherent rotational inertia slows the initial frequency decline after a sudden loss of generation, allowing turbine governors and other frequency-control reserves time to respond and restore balance. This role is increasingly significant as the share of non-synchronous generation, such as solar photovoltaics and many modern wind plants, grows in many power systems.