GE Energy

Power Generation Services

Oil Ingress in Medium

GE Generators
GER4618 (07/12)
Alex Lemberg

Oil Ingress in Medium GE Generators

The two major components of GE turbine generators, the armature (stator) and field (rotor), utilize
insulating materials which are impervious to turbine oil. Stator winding epoxy-mica insulation and the
field winding insulating materials are chemically neutral to the turbine oil. However, oil can trap
contaminants that could potentially contribute to eventual electrical issues if not promptly corrected.
Similarly, oil deposits inside stator slots may reduce friction between slot elements and facilitate stator
bar motion in the slot which could lead to stator bar abrasion. For reasons such as these, proper
operational and maintenance practices must be maintained to prevent oil ingress into the generators.
Turbine oil can enter inside generators in a number of ways. In hydrogen-cooled generators the oil
comes from the hydrogen seal system of the generator. In air-cooled generators, the bearing lube oil
system can be the source of oil ingress.

Hydrogen-cooled generators
Common causes of the oil ingress in hydrogen-cooled generators are:
Failure to open the float trap bypass at initial hydrogen
pressurization.
On some generators it may be necessary to operate with the

Inadequate hydrogen seal ring performance due to:

Buildup of residues from oil on the seal ring bore.
This results in reduced clearance and may lead to overheating
of the rings.
Improper hydrogen seal assembly or contaminants in the oil

float trap bypass open when operating at lower generator

causing seal rings to tilt (unbolted style) or not fully seal on the

casing gas pressures in order to avoid flooding the seal drain

lapped surface of the H2 seal casing.

enlargements. When the generator casing gas pressure is low

(approximately 5 psi [0.352 kg/cm2] or less) the gas pressure in

Excessive seal oil flow, overwhelming the float trap and backing
up into the seal oil drain enlargement tank (SDE), and eventually

the seal drain enlargement is not always sufficient to overcome

into the generator belly. Typical causes are improperly installed

the friction in the piping between the seal drain enlargement

or incorrectly sized seals (journal to seal ring gap too large).

and bearing drain enlargement. This may cause flooding of the

seal drain enlargements. As casing gas pressure builds up to

Seal oil drain piping installed incorrectly (slope, vent locations,

excess number of 90 elbows, etc). Improper installation is likely

approximately 5psi, the bypass valve must be closed so that

to reveal itself during commissioning. However, a generator may

gas will not be blown into the bearing drain enlargement.

run properly for a period of time until a minor change during

(Refer to Shaft Sealing GEKs 104016, 107241, and/or 107237

operation causes the drain system to malfunction.

for packaged and unpackaged generators).

Seal oil drain line or float trap drain line clogging.

Differential pressure regulator malfunction or sudden swings
in the seal oil pressure. Typical causes include pilot valve
mis-adjustment or inoperative pilot valves,
Misoperation or lack of operation of DC emergency pump
following an AC black out.

Air-cooled generators

With the field inside the stator, it is not possible to access the slot

The bearing lube oil drain can be a source of oil ingress in

components and stator vent ducts for thorough cleaning. Removal

air-cooled generators. Typical causes include clogged drains,

of the field is a major task, which should be undertaken giving

improper pressure balance around the bearing, demister

consideration to the severity of contamination and unit repair

malfunction, or installation errors.

schedule.

Cleaning

Once the field is out, inspect the slot ends for greasing deposits and

If oil ingestion occurs with the unit at standstill, oil mist and
contamination will not immediately circulate through the generator.
However, if oil ingestion occurs during generator operation, or the

the core cooling ducts for oil. If oil is found in vent ducts or greasing
is noted in the slots, contact GE Engineering for appropriate
cleaning recommendations.

unit is started after standstill ingestion, the oil mist will circulate

Conclusion

throughout the generator. Increased oil ingestion can lead to higher

A generator field can have long-term negative effects due to oil

levels of greasing, compounding the difficulty of generator cleaning

ingress. If oil gets into the winding, it can attract dust or other

as operating time advances.

contaminants, potentially forming a creepage path for current

Cleaning oil from generators should begin with draining the oil from

between the copper and forging.

the frame floor or generator belly. Oil deposited on the end winding

Proper practices must be maintained to prevent oil ingress and

must be cleaned with proper solvents, materials, and methods

minimize the oil mist deposits on the stator and field winding.

specified in GE Operation & Maintenance manuals.

Should oil ingress occur, generator cleaning must be performed at

If a significant amount of oil enters the generator frame and

triggers a liquid level alarm, it may contaminate the coolers in some
models. If coolers are found to be contaminated, they would have
to be removed for steam cleaning.
Inspection and cleaning must include the connections between the
line leads and the connection rings. These can generally be
accessed through the two access covers on the collector end of the
machine. It is also recommended to use a borescope to inspect the
drain lines for blockage. Further guidance can be found in the
Operation & Maintenance manual.
For leads-down units, check gas-cooled bushings for internal oil
accumulation that would inhibit cooling. If oil accumulation is
noted, drain or vacuum-extract the oil.

the earliest opportunity. For further information regarding

generator maintenance, please contact your Contract Performance
Manager or local GE Service Representative.

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Copyright 2012 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.
GER-4618 (07/2012)