Compounding in generator control refers to adjusting the interaction between which parts?

• A. Armature and rotor windings
• B. Brushes and commutator
• C. Series and shunt fields
• D. Stator and rotor

Answer: (C)

Compounding is about how the magnetic fields from the two field windings combine to shape the generator’s output as load changes. The series winding carries the load current, so its magnetic flux grows with current. The shunt winding is connected across the armature and provides a steadier, relatively constant flux. When these fields are arranged so their fluxes add, the overall magnetic flux increases as the load increases, which raises the generated EMF and helps offset the voltage drop caused by winding resistance and armature reaction. This coordination between the series and shunt fields is what compounding controls. The other parts mentioned—armature and rotor windings, brushes and the commutator, or the stator and rotor—are involved in other aspects of operation, but the specific interaction compounding adjusts is between the series and shunt fields.