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A1-111 Experiences of Air Cooled Generator Stator Flexible failures D.K.SOOD, P.K.ANIL KUMAR

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NTPC LTD,
INDIA dksood@ntpc.co.in, pkakumar@ntpc.co.in Summary Reduction of forced outage is one of the major steps towards reliability enhancement of power utilities. Generator failures attracts special attention in reduction of forced outage as the time required for repair is considerably high .So proper prevention of failures is the remedy This paper illustrates our experiences with stator flexible failures and remedial measures for failure prevention in air cooled generators. The utility under mention is having a number of combined cycle power plants, having air-cooled generators of various makes. Copper flexibles are provided in Generators for inter connecting bus bar and bushings. The copper flexibles are number of thin copper laminations electrical resistance welded at ends. These flexible connections take care of the thermal expansions in the machine, dampen the electromechanical vibrations from stator and carry the required electrical current from stator to the bushing. This way flexibles act as a link between two stationary parts of generator Generator stator overhang winding and Bushing. Failure of flexibles due to high vibration was experienced by the utility .The flexible vibration is due to the mechanical force created by rotor rotation and the electromagnetic forces. Cracking of laminations can lead to entrapment of broken copper pieces in the air gap and winding space which has the potential of causing serious damage to the generator. Experience of machine manufactures had established that resonating conditions due to matching of natural frequency of flexible assembly with operating frequency causes high flexible vibration and flexible failures. This paper highlights the need for properly designed flexible connections, forcing unit shutdowns at high economic cost. This feedback also highlights need for checking natural frequency of the assembly at site after machine erection so as to prevent excessive vibrations, which can cause serious equipment damage. The possibility also needs to be examined for type testing along with flexible assembly at works so as to minimize potential hazards on account of failures at site after 1

commissioning of the unit. Taking proper preventive measures like natural frequency measurements and flexible vibration measurements shall eliminate these failures. This will serve as a useful tool for utilities in reduction of forced outage in air-cooled generators. Key words Generator- stator- rotor-air gap-bushing-flexibles- natural frequency-vibration 1.HISTORY We first experienced generator outage due to flexible failures in our aircooled generators flexible in the year 1993. C - Shaped flexibles were provided in these 165.5 MVA air-cooled generators. OEM had faced similar high vibration in C type in another machine of the same design and from that experience generator flexibles were modified to S type. OEMs experience had shown that Vibration levels with S type flexibles generally results in vibration of 200 microns or less at flexible connectors. Flexible cracking is not expected at this vibration level, as the mechanical stress due to this vibration level is less than the allowable stress for copper. 1.1Flexible Vibration Vibrations in the Generator cause vibration in flexibles. Vibration spectrum of flexibles exhibits two dominant frequency components -50 Hz & 100 Hz first and second multiplies of rotor frequency. The 50 Hz component is because of mechanical vibrations of Generator due to rotor rotation and 100 Hz component is due to electromagnetic forces in the stator overhang. The flexible vibrates in all directions ie horizontal, vertical and axial with respect to the rotor axis. The total vibration in the flexible is the resultant of all the above 50 Hz & 100 Hz components. The flexible vibration measurements were carried out with noncontact lazer vibration instruments because of the high voltage potential at terminal connectors. These instruments are capable of measuring the 50 Hz & 100 Hz components separately. A transparent flexi glass window was provided in front of flexible assembly for focusing the lazer beams .A reflective type tape is to be put on the transparent window .The lazer beam is directed towards the flexibles through the transparent window and the return signal is fed to a FFT analyzer, which gives the amplitudes at 50 & 100 Hz. 1.2Flexible Assembly S type S- type flexible consists of 20 nos of 0.5mm thin copper strips, electrical resistance welded at both ends. Length and width of each strip is 310mm /38 mm. 2

Weight of one flexible 1.13 Kg. There are 8 nos of flexibles in each phase and neutral (Shown in Figure 2). There are in total 48 flexible connectors in a generator. However even after this modification of changing the C type construction to S type, in the year 1993 in the 165.5 MVA machines, the vibration level in few points were observed to be around 480microns pk-pk. Vibration measurements were carried out at different speeds from 48.3 Hz to 51.5 Hz to investigate the frequency vibration relation ship.

Figure: 1 S type Copper Flexible Resonance of the supporting assembly of flexibles were confirmed by site tests. High amplitudes of vibrations were found to be occurring at operating frequency range of 45-55 Hz. (operating frequency in India is 50 Hz). These tests were carried out by exciting the assembly and recording frequency of vibration. TOP CONNECTOR BUSHING

BUSHING CONNECTION

FLEXIBLE

BOTTOM CONNECTOR 2.DETUNING

Figure 2. Flexible Assembly

Natural frequency is directly proportional to square root of stiffness and inversely proportional to the mass as given by formula 3

F= K/M F= Natural frequency K = Stiffness constant M = Mass So change in stiffness or mass is required for shifting of natural frequency. Detuning of flexible assembly in this case was carried out with addition of copper weights. Copper weights ranging from 1.5 to 6.0 Kgs were added for de-tuning. The natural frequency tests (NFT) were repeated and they were outside the band of 45-55 Hz. After de-tuning vibration levels were observed to be below 200 microns at flexible connectors -safe operating limit for copper flexibles. These machines are in continuous operation since then with out flexible failures.

300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Uph Vph W ph Une Vne Wne Fl1 Fl2 Fl3 Fl4

Fig 4 -Vibration 100 HZ component of S type flexibles fixing point after de tuning 3.EXPERIENCES AT OTHER STATION Similar design generators of 137.5 MVA were commissioned in 1998-1999 in one of our other station. With experience gained these machines were originally designed with S type copper flexibles and transparent flexi glass window for flexible vibration measurement. Flexible failures were experienced in these machines many times till 2002. Excessive vibration was the root cause for these failures.
3.1SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM

Flexible failures contributed a forced outage of 18.4 % in the year 2001-2002 at our station. This was the largest contributor towards forced outage of 1.49 % in the year 2002-2003. Flexible Vibration measurement with non-contact laser instrument had shown a level as high as 884 microns (pk-pk) in U phase flexibles of one of the machines in March 4

2000. Measurement of neutral flexibles could not be carried out in full due to access difficulty in access. Machine was immediately shut down and rectifications were carried out after natural frequency measurement. Rectification job mainly consisted of replacement of fasteners and flexibles with new ones and proper alignment of the assembly. Looseness in braidings and wedges wherever observed were also attended. Shifting of natural frequency away from operating frequency ranges were attained by attending the looseness in wedge supports and braidings. Subsequent to the rectification in April 2000 vibration measurement in May and July has shown a steady increase in U phase flexibles.
1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Fl1 Fl2 Fl3 Fl4

Uph

Vph

W ph

Une

Vne

Wne

Fig 5 -VIBRATION MEASUREMENT IN MARCH 2000 BEFORE RECTIFICATION

600 500 400 368 300 200 100 0 April May July 350 526

Fig-6 U- PHASE FLEXIBLE VIBRATION AFTER RECTFICATION NFT before this rectification had shown frequency 45-55 Hz in no of flexibles in U, V & W phases which were corrected and moved away from the operating range. Detuning was carried out by increasing the stiffness. Additional wedges and braidings were provided wherever required for avoiding resonant condition. 5

Fig -8 Broken Flexible

Fig- 7 Support to increase stiffness Since vibrations were having an increasing trend machine was stopped and flexible rectification carried out again in July 2000 after NFT measurement. An additional wedge was inserted below U phase flexible connector for detuning. The vibration measurements were again carried out at six months intervals. Flexible cracking was observed in another 137.5 MVA machine in 2002. This machine was in service with out trouble from commissioning in 1999 to 2002. Detached laminations were also found lying inside machine on the generator bottom manhole door. NFT measurements have confirmed resonance condition in the flexible assembly. The in consistency in natural frequency from what was observed immediately after rectification and operation was due to looseness in the wedge supports and additional braidings provided for increasing the stiffness. Change in natural frequency was found to be 1-2 Hz with the addition of copper weights of 2.0- 3.0 Kg at connector points. So the option of adding the weight could not be carried out due to clearance limitations and insignificant change of natural frequency. The decision was finally taken to assemble the flexibles with out any additional braidings and to keep the flexibles connectors free of wedge. This modification resulted in having two advantages as the natural frequency shift is avoided with time and the flexibles are not stressed .The flexible connectors were allowed to vibrate with out any stress. Accordingly modification of flexible assembly with out top wedge support system was carried out in one of the generators in July 2002. . Vibration measurements had not shown any significant increase and no flexible failures were experienced after this rectification. Subsequent measurements had not shown any significant change in natural frequency.

3.2DETAILS OF MODIFICATION 3.2.1.The flexibles were replaced with new modified flexibles .The present modified flexibles are having 1mm thick copper strips at outer layers- both at top and bottom layers .The length and width of the flexibles remains same. 3.2.2 Straps that were supporting all the three neutral flexible connectors were separated and no gap was ensured between the strap and neutral terminal-bushing palm. 3.2.3. Extra projections of the phase and neutral palms were cut off to avoid fouling and were rounded off. 3.2.4 The tension discs were replaced with thicker ones. 3.2.5. Phase connections were carried out with out wedges at the top support system. Vibration readings after this modification are given in Fig 9.

300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2002 2003 2005 2006 Up Vp Wp Un Vn Wn

Fig-9 Flexible vibration at connector points

As the results without wedges, as shown in figure 10 were encouraging, same modification was attempted in the other unit in Feb 2004. NFT readings were found to be away from the operating zone. But in this machine higher vibrations were encountered after removal of top wedges support system .So flexibles were reassembled with wedges as earlier. This unit being different may have entirely different bushing-bus duct system dynamics, which might have contributed to high vibration. 7

TOP ASSEMBLY WITHOUT WEDGES

Fig-10 Modified flexible assembly with out wedges 4. CONCLUSION Flexible vibration is a very complex phenomenon. Factors contributing to this are resonance of the assembly, machine vibrations and deficiency in proper assembly. Reasons of flexible failures are due to a) In- correct alignment and resultant pre stressed condition. b) Cutting of flexibles due to extra projections in connectors. c) Resonance of the flexible assembly. d) Dynamic behavior of flexible assembly .Our experience shows that all the above-mentioned reasons contribute to flexible failures. All these factors need to be considered while engineering and assembly of flexibles. Regular monitoring is possible in air-cooled machines through the flexi glass window. Stroboscope is used for visual inspection of flexibles .At higher vibrations of the order of 500 microns and above movement of the flexibles and assembly can be clearly seen at slip speeds. The assembly vibrates in all directions and even twisting movement can also be observed with stroboscope. As regular vibration measurements with laser instruments are difficult stroboscopic inspection can be carried out to observe the flexible condition. Reliability of the generator, considering the critical components in series, is dominated by the failure rate of the weakest link. Our experience has shown that the flexible connection in this particular type of generators is the weakest link and significantly reduces the Mean Time between Failures (MTBF). Moreover Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) is also high for generator repair works. Proper preventive measures listed in this paper shall eliminate costly machine failures and will help utilities to have high machine availability.