Why can’t you just bring it to the desired rpm if you start it as motor and then slowly add torque to the shaft of the motor, so that the motor will turn into a generator and it will start to generate power.
In: Engineering
If you connect a standstill generator to a grid, it will experience massive startup currents. Those currents can easily burn power lines that lead into the generator, or even a part of a local grid. The generator will also experience a massive torque, that can tear it apart. The same will happen, if you plug a generator that is too much out of phase.
Of course, a generator and power lines could be designed to withstand those overloads. However, for big generators that are supposed to run 24/7 it is much cheaper to have a slightly more complex startup system, than a bigger power rating.
You can gently wind up a generator electrically, but for that you have to plug it into a lower voltage, and gradually step it up.
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