Lap-wound armatures used in dc generators require several pairs of poles and brushes. Wave Winding:This type of winding is used in dc generators employed inhigh-voltage applications. 

Wave Winding in DC Machine

Wave winding is a type of armature winding employed in DC machines. It is used for low current and high voltage rated machines. Let's understand the concept of wave winding in detail.

What is Wave Winding?

Wave winding is a type of armature winding in which the coils are connected end to end. The first coil is connected to the second coil, the second coil is connected to the third coil, and so on. The last coil is connected back to the first coil, forming a closed loop. The winding is arranged in such a way that the current flows in one direction through every alternate coil.

Working of Wave Winding

The wave winding is used in machines that require a high voltage output. When a current is passed through the armature winding, it generates a magnetic field. The magnetic field interacts with the stator field, and the armature starts to rotate. The output voltage of the machine is directly proportional to the number of turns in the armature winding. Therefore, to increase the output voltage, the number of turns in the armature winding must be increased.

Advantages of Wave Winding

- Wave winding is used in machines that require a high voltage output.
- It is simple to construct and requires less material.
- Wave winding reduces the resistance of the armature winding.
- The wave winding is less expensive than the lap winding.

Disadvantages of Wave Winding

- The wave winding has a lower current carrying capacity than the lap winding.
- The wave winding produces a unidirectional current, which can cause sparking at the brushes.
- It is not suitable for machines that require a high current output.

Conclusion

Wave winding is a type of armature winding used in DC machines. It is employed in machines that require a high voltage output. The wave winding has a simple construction and is less expensive than the lap winding. However, it has a lower current carrying capacity and produces a unidirectional current, which can cause sparking at the brushes.

In wave winding irrespective of no of poles parallel path is always 2.
Let's take an example :suppose there are 1000 conductors in armature.
Case 1. If it is wave connected no. Of parallel path is 2 means 1000/2 =500 conductors in each path.
Suppose emf generated per conductor is 0.1 volt then net emf 500*0.1=50 volt
Case 2. If it is lap connected then number of poles matters.
Suppose 1000 conductors and 4 pole machine, in lap wdg
No. Of parallel path equals to no of poles.
1000/4 =250 conductors per parallel path, so in this case emf generated will be 25volt

Current depend upon the number of parallel paths
Lap wdg has more parallel path.