CONVERTERS 



391 



compensator is used the centre points of all the compensators are 

 joined together before being connected to the neutral wire. (Fig. 

 371.) 



In some cases the compensators are connected directly to the 

 armature windings and rotate with it and their neutral points are 

 connected and brought out to a single slip ring. 



FIG. 370. Three-wire generator with a single compensator. 



FIG. 371. Three-wire generator with two compensators. 



The voltage between the terminals of the compensators is 

 alternating and when the loads on the two sides of the three-wire 

 system are equal and no current flows in the neutral wire the only 

 current in the compensator is the very small exciting current. 



When the loads are unequal the unbalanced current IN flows in 

 the neutral wire as shown in Fig. 370. On reaching the compensa- 

 tor it divides into two parts which flow through the winding and 



