Company history

The invention of the power generator 1830-1880.

In 1831 English physicist Michael Faraday has revealed significant pattern that electric current can appear only in a variable magnetic field.

Faraday's discovery had huge impact on machinery and whole human history, as it became clear how to convert mechanical energy into electric, and electric - back into mechanical. First such conversion formed the basis of power generator work, and the second - of the electric motor. However, the fact of the discovery didn't yet mean, that all technical problems in this field are solved: it took about forty years to create efficient generator and twenty years more to invent a satisfactory industrial electric motor model. But above all, operating principle of these major elements of a modern civilization has become obvious because of electromagnetic induction phenomenon discovery. First primitive power generator was created by Faraday.

In 1832 Piksy magneto-electric machine was constructed. Its principle of operation was very simple: magnetic pole of U-shaped magnet was moved past the fixed coils supplied with cores laying against them with the help of crank and gear system, thereby currents were induced in coils. Disadvantage of Piksy magneto-electric machine was that it was necessary to rotate heavy constant magnets in it. Later inventors usually forced coils to rotate, leaving magnets fixed. In 1856 Alliance, a French company, has set up mass production of big dynamo-machines, which were brought into action by the steam engine. Big disadvantage of Alliance generators was that constant magnets were used in them. As magnetic action of steel magnets is rather insignificant, it was necessary to use big magnets and in big quantity to receive strong currents. Power of these magnets weakened rapidly influenced by vibration. Due to all facts mentioned above machine efficiency always remained very poor. But even with such imperfections Alliance generators have gained considerable distribution and dominated the market during ten years until they were replaced with more sophisticated machines.

German inventor Verner Simens has improved moving coils and their iron cores. (These coils with iron inside were called "anchor" or "armature".)

In 1866 Wild has created successful generator model in which metal magnets have been replaced by electromagnets, and their excitation was caused by the magneto-electric machine with constant magnets, connected to the same steam engine which put in motion big machine. From that point there was only one step to dynamo-machine which excite electromagnets with its own current.

In the same 1866 Verner Simens has discovered an auto-excitation principle. (At the same time with him the same discovery was made by some other inventors.)

In January, 1867 he delivered a speech "About transformation of a labor force into electric current without appliance of constant magnets" in the Berlin Academy. In general his discovery consisted of the following. Siemens has estimated that in every electromagnet after the magnetizing current ceased to operate, there always were slight traces of magnetism which were capable to cause weak induction currents in the coil supplied with the core of soft magnetic iron and rotating between poles of a magnet. It was possible to put generator in action using these slight currents with no impact from the outside.

In 1867 Englishman Ledd has created the first dynamo-machine, which worked on auto-excitation principle, but it also contained a separate coil for excitation of electromagnets. Ledd's machine consisted of two flat electromagnets with two Siemens anchors rotating between their ends. One of anchors gave supply current for electro-magnets, and another - for an external chain. Low residual magnetism of electro-magnets cores excitated at first a very low current in first anchor armature; this current ran all over electro-magnets and strengthened magnetic state that was already available in them. Thereof the armature current amplified, and it multiplied electro-magnets power. Little by little such mutual magnification would go on until electro-magnets reach full power. Then it was possible to put in process the second armature and to receive from it a current for an external chain.

The following step of dynamo-machine perfection consisted in one of armatures removal and application of another one not only for electro-magnets excitation, but also for current reception in an external chain.

Belgian inventor Zinovy Teofil Gramm reached an idea to replace Siemens anchor with another, shaped as a circle. The important difference of a circle anchor consists in the fact that it does not over magnetize and also has constant poles. (Gramm reached his discovery independently, but it is necessary to mention, that in 1860 the Italian inventor Pachinotti has constructed an electric engine with circle-shaped anchor in Florence; however, this discovery was soon forgotten.)

Altogether Gramms' first dynamo-machine represented two iron vertical racks connected on the top and the bottom with pivots of two electromagnets. Poles of these electromagnets were situated in their middle so each of them has been as though made of two, which identical poles have been directed on each other. It is possible to contemplate this device in other way and to consider, that two halves, which adjoin to each rack and are connected by it, formed two separate electro-magnets which were connected by similar poles from the top and the bottom. In those places where the pole was formed, iron nozzles of special form were connected to electromagnets which entered the space between electromagnets and clasped circle-shaped machine anchor. Two racks, which connect both electromagnets and make up the basis of whole machine, also served to hold an anchor axis and machine pulleys.

In 1870, having received the patent for the invention, the Gramm formed the " Society of magneto-electric machines manufacture". The batch production of his generators, which have made revolution in electric power industry, has been adjusted soon. Possessing all advantages of auto- exciting machines they, at the same time, were economic, had high efficiency and provided almost constant amount of current. Therefore Gramm machines have quickly superseded other electro generators and have received a wide distribution in big variety of branches. Only then possibility of easy and quick transformation of mechanical energy into electricity had only appeared.

In the late 70s- the beginning of 80s of XIX century interest to an alternating current has sharply increased. Gramm has altered the generator (a direct current dynamo-machine) for alternating current manufacture. At first alternating current generators were used only for illumination, but with electrification development they began to receive the increasing application and have gradually superseded direct current machines.

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