The hunting of synchronous machinery

An attempt is made in the present paper to attack the problem of hunting from a mathematical standpoint, with a view to obtaining methods which will truly indicate, with a minimum amount of calculation, whether or not hunting is likely to occur in any particular case. Separate sections are devoted to a consideration of the disturbing impulse, the synchronizing torque and the natural frequency of oscillation, and in the last-named a method is presented by means of which troubles from hunting or torsional oscillation of the alternator shaft may be avoided. An example, in which the effect of altering various parts of the generating unit is examined, is worked out in Appendix 1. The question of damping is considered in Appendix 2.