Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on

Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials

July 8-12. 1991 Tokyo, Japan

ANALYSIS OF PARTIAL DISCHARGES MEASUREMENTS

AND GENERATOR TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION
Alain AUDOLI(')

Jean-Louis DROMMI(")

ELECTRlClTE DE FRANCE
(*)Service de la Production Hydraulique - Division Technique Generale
37, rue Diderot-38000 GRENOBLE-FRANCE

(") Service de la Production Hydraulique Departement Technique

14-16 rue de Miromesnil-75384 PARIS-FRANCE

B STR A CT

Among EdF Hydro Generators, insulation using polyester or

epoxy resin component turned over 50% in the early 80's.

For over 30 years, Electricitb de France Hydro Generation Authority has choosen partial discharges measurements as one
of the means to monitor its generators. This achieves two
goals :
- pointing out as soon as possible any mechanical flaw occuring in a generator and, after technological study and visual
inspection, working out a suitably adapted maintenance,
- monitoring internal electrical aging of insulation systems so
as to plan advisedly stator refurbisments.
1- Electricit4 de France's Hvdro Generators

Electricitb de France (EdF) Hydro Generation Authority runs,

monitors and repairs more than 1200 generators representing
an installed capacity of more than 23000MW ( 20% of total
EdF output).
Unit's power ranges from 80kW to 270MW. Economic criteria
have led to a power dependant monitoring policy: thus, complete aging monitoring tests are only performed regularly on
generators over 10MVA - still numbering around 600 machines.
In this paper, we'll analyse aging processes affecting the 3
main insulation systems usually found in stators :
a- insulation with shellac type binder,
b- insulation with asphalt type binder,
c- insulation with polyester or epoxy resin.
The 600 generators monitored regularly are distributed among
these insulation systems as follow :
SHELLAC 6,2%

2- pamaaes m et on the v arlous insulation svstem S

2-1 JvDical aaina Drocesses

The various electrical, mechanical, thermal outages affecting
EdF Hydro generators have been analysed so as to point out
damage cause. Hence, typical aging processes could be pointed out :
2-1-1

around wall

On winding line side, voids located in the ground wall (between ribbon layers or between last layer and copper) are subject to internal partial discharges (PD). These PD electrically
stress the ground wall.
2-1-2 &a

of windina wedaeg

Any loosening of slot wedge or end winding wedge, usually

leads to superficial erosion of insulating wall. As both semi
conductive varnish and contact between magnetic core and
winding fade, this phenomena generates external partial
discharges.
2-1-3 m

a of semi w d u c t ive varnish

Semiconductive varnish resistivity usually increases over time.

When it raises too high, external slot partial discharges appear.
Mid term consequence is an electrical superficial damage on
the line side winding ground wall.
In the long run, loosening of slot wedge might occur.
2-1-4 M e c h a n i c a l e t i c core
Any drop of magnetic punchings clamping pressure allows the
magnetic core to vibrate. These movements damage winding
insulation (unsticking of groundwall on copper, ...) hence internal or/and external partial discharges appear.
2-2 &&a

orocesses and insulation tvDeg

Through a study of all maintenance works and reconditionning

performed until1 now on generators over 10 MVA, it has been
possible to work out average life times for aging processes
evolution mentionned above :
- 687 -

SHELLAC

POLYESTER OR
EPOXY RESIN

ASPHALT

sed from 0 to 1.2 Und3 using an autonomous power source.

Two measuring instruments are used : an oscilloscope to view
the signal and a narrow-band quadratic-rate instrument equiped with selective filters. The frequency bands and test circuits are selected to perform two different and complementary
measurements :

I
f
i
Electrical aging

15 to 30

years

15 to 25

years

50 years
(estimated)

Measurement on the w indina as a w holg

Mechanical aging
of wedges

This test can detect any discharges occuring in the winding as

a whole.

Semi conductive
varnish aging

Mechanical aging
magnetic core

20 to 30
years

20 to 30

20 to 30

years

years

- Insulation using polyester or epoxy type resin are more affected by mechanical flaws (loose slot wedge, loose magnetic core clamping).

3- Various investlaation means

Gauging insulation aging can be carried out either by measuring its dielectric dissipation factor Or its partial discharges level.
3-1 Dielectric dissbation factor test

In this method, regular increase of dissipation factor over time

is linked to insulation binder chemical deterioration; whereas
the increase of dissipation factor with applied voltage is due to
internal partial discharges dissipated energy.
Dissipation factor test performed On bars as part Of a new wincompu~sovto gauge
ding acceptance test*
turing quality. Nevertheless, this test can be highlighted by
partial discharges measurement on bars to find out any localized anomaly.
On an other hand, as pollution (dust, oil, carbon, ...) modifies
winding capacitance, dissipation factor test on an unpressurized generator is difficult to read over time.
More over, this test doesnt provide any easy way to point out
external flaws (loose slot wedge, varnish erosion,...).
3-2 partial discharaes measurement
Partial discharges measurement carried out by EdF Hydro
Generation Authority is part of standard tests used to monitor
hydro generators over 1OMVA (all tests are discribed in article

[I 1).
This test is performed by applying a voltage gradually increa688

For this purpose, the winding must be similar to a localized

capacitance, which is the case if the ends of the winding are
connected on a low-impedance link (large capacitor of 0,l pF
in our case) and if the measurement frequency is low enough
(but not too low, to avoid 50 Hz and other industrial disturbances). The selected measurement frequency band is
around 10 kHz.
The instrument gives the quadratic rate, but to compare results between one machine and another a normalized quadratic rate is used, expressed in decibels above 10 C2 s- F-
(this quantity is obtained in dividing the quadratic rate by the
measured capacitance of the inspected winding in Farads).
ocalized me asurement at end of winding
By this test, the origin of damage can be identified by comparing the partial discharge levels obtained on the line side and
neutral side.
The selected frequency band of 130 kHz allows good separate measurment of the discharge rate at either end.
The instrument gives the quadratic rate, with the result being
C2S.
expressed in decibels above
Measured at generator acceptance, these partial discharges
levels stand as a
point that will
of
their future evolution.
Measures performed along generator life enable to point out
insulation internal flaws and external anomalies (between slot
and ground wall capacitive PD) and
effect.
Standard partial discharges measurement periodicity is 9
years ; it is adequate regarding life times mentionned 9 2-2.
any flaw outset is noticed, measurement periodicity is
In
narrowed.

3-3

. . means and aaina Drocesses detection

stlaation

The array below indicates what aging process a method is up

to Doint out :

OK

indicates that the investigation mean is adequate to show that a flaw is occuring and what
aging process is occuring,
NO
indicates that the test is not adequate,
DOUBT indicates that the test could be able to point out
the anomaly.

Depending on what stress is occuring, the 130kHz criteria

above can be visualised as follow:

Electrlcol oglng

OK

Mechonlcal oglng
of wedges
Seml conductlve
vornlsh oglng

OK

NO

OK

DOUBT

OK

NO

OK

Mechonlcol aglng
magnetlc core

PD LEVELS DUE TO
MECHANICAL&THERMAL

PD LEVELS DUE TO
ELECTRICAL STRESS

STRESSES

NlERMl DECMRGES

A nQ2

4td

CORONA DECMRGES

20

YEAR

4-1 piscriminatina aaina Drocesses

Partial discharges measurement on winding as a whole and
on either side allow to discriminate what aging process is
going on :

Electrlcal aglng

20

YEAR

: PD level measured M hdng line slde

PD level meawedM hdng neuirddde

Mechonlcol oglng
of wedges

Seml conductive
vornlsh aglng

YEAR

.-...........

These graphs represent some results of EdF Hydro Generation Authority 40 years experience.
Gaining theoretical experience has been possible while monitoring and analysing partial discharges measurement performed regularly on more than 800 generators.

4-2 Cause of flaw

Mechonlcol oglng
of magnetic core

Partial discharges analysis as mentionned above enables to

know what flaw phenomena is happening inside a generator.

To

gauge insulation aging, the following critera have been

adopted :
Evolution of partial discharge magnitude over time at frequencies of 10 and 130 kHz ;
Difference in levels between the line side and neutral side at
a measurement frequency of 130 kHz ;
Consistency of test results between phases ;
Evolution of partial discharge magnitude as a function of the
voltage application time ;
Partial discharge inception voltage ;
Evolution of partial discharge magnitude with monitoring of
winding deterioration in service.

A technological study (plans, past records, slot cross section,

type of wedge, magnetic core clamping system) allows to
check whether the flaw is generic or not and to work out a first
stator diagnosis.
This diagnosis is then used as an aid for visual inspection so
as to precisely localize the flaw cause and to better quantify
the outage.
On another hand, diagnosis are used as a feedback to improve :
- new generation generator technology,
- order specifications.

689

4-3 Examdez
4-3-1 VOGELGRUN

Unit 2 - 39 MVA - 10,3 KV

type binder - 1959

- Asphalt

slight partial discharges level increase. During visual inspection, slot wedging were found in good condition but some tie
rods sounded untightened.
Therefore, magnetic core clamping was tightened.

Partial discharges measurement analysis pointed out a

ground wall internal electric aging. Close monitoring made it
possible to use the line side ground wall up to its limit : then, a
line to neutral side swap helped keeping this generator in service until1 its refurbishment was planned within budget constraints.
. 4-3-2 YONTEZIC
4 units; each : 250MVA - 18kV - Epoxy
resin insulation - 1982
Partial discharges measurement showed after 3 years of service that slot wedge was going loose. Visual inspection confirmed this diagnosis.
Thus, initial wedging technology had to be adapted to these
pump-turbine heavy stresses : ripple spring wedging instead
of hard wedging.
4-3-3 MARCKOI SHFlM Unit 2 - 39MVA
1961

- Asphalt Binder -

The slot wedging and stator core are still in good condition.
Partial discharges measurement pointed out that slot partial
discharges were due to deterioration of the semi-conductive
paint.
As the damage observed on this winding were chiefly external
and affected only the part of the winding located on the line
side, partial reconditioning of the winding on the line side
(one third) was adequate.

4-3-4 JvlALGOVERT

5- Conclusion

With insulation systems using shellac or asphalt type binder,

main flaw is due to internal electric stress on the ground wall.
It usually leads to generator refurbishment.
With insulation systems using polyester or epoxy resin, internal aging of ground wall is much slower, whereas mechanical
flaws due to loose slot wedge, vibrations, loose magnetic core
clamping are found more often. When they occur, a maintenance work should be carried out to avoid any fast erosion of
the ground wall.
Hence, asphalt insulated generators can either be monitored
using dissipation factor test or partial discharges measurements; but no longer is this true with modern insulation systems, where external mechanical flaws - as well as internal
ones - can only be detected using partial discharges measurements.

References ;

[I] :

A. AUDOLI & C. MERIGOT, "Use of dielectric test as

an aid for hydrogenerator maintenance", presented at
the IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation - Toronto
- Canada -June 3-6,1990.

[2] :

R. FOURNIE, Les isolants en electrotechniaue.

EYROLLES PARIS, 1990, Ch.2 & Ch.6.

Unit 4 - 9OMVA - Epoxy resin insulation

- 1981

Standard 9 year partial discharges measurement showed a

690 -