TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Agenda
TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Construction: The Critical Components

Generator Aging Factors
Generator Rotor-Specific Aging Factors
Generator Stator-Specific Aging Factors
Top 10 Failure Modes
Top Means of Prevention & Life Extension
Key Takeaways

CONSTRUCTION: The Critical Components

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Generator Rotor
Collector Rings /
Rectifier Wheel

Retaining Ring
Main Field Coil

Bore Copper
Insulation

Slot Cell

Centering Ring
Snap Ring

Fan Blades

Bore Copper &

Radial Leads

Rotor Body Wedges

Rotor Body Forging

Coupling
Coupling Pins

Retaining Ring Insulation

End Winding Blocking

CONSTRUCTION: The Critical Components

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Generator Stator
Finger Plates &
Compression Ring

Stator Windings
Stator Core Iron

Circuit Ring
Assembly

Circumferential
Ribbing

Building Bolts &

Through Bolts

End Winding
Support System

Finger Plates &

Compression Ring

Generator Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Handbook To Assess The Insulation Condition Of Large Rotating Machines

Authors I.M. Culbert, H. Dhirani, G.C. Stone

Generator Rotor-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Generator Rotor-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Number of Rotor Rewinds

25
20
15
10
5
0
2 4 6
8 10 12
14 16

18 20 22
24 26 28
30 32 34
36 38 40
Generator Age (Years)
GER 4223 GE Generator Fleet Experience and Available Refurbishment Options
Authors: Alex Lemberg and Karl Tornroos

Generator Rotor-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Winding
Distortion
11%

Other
9%
Turn
Shorts
13%

Retaining
Rings
8%
Insulation
34%

Winding
Cracks
8%

Exciter
3%

Damper /
Wedges
15%

Ground
Short
3%
Collector
Rings
7%

Other
18%

Steam Turbine and Generator Users Group Meeting 2010,

Aging Effects and Service Solutions for Generator Rotors
Author: Claus-Georg Richter

Generator Stator-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Generator Stator-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Number of Rewinds

15

10

0
6 10 12
15 17 19
21 25 27
29 31
35 37
39

41

Air-Cooled Age at Rewind (Years)

GER 4223 GE Generator Fleet Experience and Available Refurbishment Options
Authors: Alex Lemberg and Karl Tornroos

Generator Stator-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Number of Rewinds

15

10

0
5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Hydrogen-Cooled Age at Rewind (Years)

GER 4223 GE Generator Fleet Experience and Available Refurbishment Options
Authors: Alex Lemberg and Karl Tornroos

Generator Stator-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Properties of Hydrogen
Characteristics

Density

Air

1.00

Hydrogen

What This Means

0.07

A fan can move 14

times as much
hydrogen as air,
using the same
amount of power.

Thermal Conductivity

1.00

7.00

Hydrogen conducts
heat 7 times better
than air.

Heat Transfer Coefficient

from Surface to Gas

1.00

1.35

How well it picks up

heat from a hot
surface.

Specific Heat

1.00

0.98

How much heat it can

hold.

Support Combustion

Yes

No

Does it help fire burn.

Oxidizing Agent

Yes

No

Will it cause rust.

The properties of hydrogen. Although this gas has a reputation

for being highly volatile and combustible, it is well suited as a
cooling gas for electric power generators.

Generator Stator-Specific Aging Factors

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Other
9%

Stator Core
12%

Insulation
Fault
8%

Loose End
Windings
34%

Stator Winding
79%

Loose Slot
Wedges
24%

Windings,
Other
13%

Steam Turbine and Generator Users Group Meeting 2010,

Aging Effects and Service Solutions for Generator Stators
Author: Jurgen R. Weidner

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Thermal Aging
Stator Core, Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Inadequate Cooling

Thermal Aging
Stator Core, Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Thermal Cycling

Electrical Aging
Stator Windings
Partial Discharge Activity

Electrical Aging
Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Surface Tracking and Moisture Absorption

Mechanical Aging
Stator Windings
120 Hertz Bar Vibration Forces

Mechanical Aging
Stator Windings
Electromagnetic Forces on End Windings

Mechanical Aging
Rotor Windings
Centrifugal Forces

Environmental / Electrical Aging

Stator Windings
End Connection Cap Void Failures

Environmental Aging
Stator Core, Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Water, Oil, and Particulate Contamination

10

Safety Issues
Turbine Generators
Hazardous Materials and Safety Concerns

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Thermal Aging
Stator Core, Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Inadequate Cooling

Why Do I Have This Problem? Heat exchanger failure,

malfunction and/or improper operation; Clogged air filters;
Inadequate hydrogen pressure; High ambient temperature;
Clogging of ventilation passages with contaminates; Machine
operation outside design parameters.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Elevated stator slot
RTD temperatures; Elevated air RTD temperatures; Smell of
hot or burning insulation in air-cooled generators; Leaking
asphalt in thermoplastic systems; Increased vibration; Visible
evidence of thermally degraded insulating materials.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA; Flux Probe;
RSO; AC Impedance. Off-line: Insulation Resistance;
Polarization Index; PDA; PFD and Tip-up; El CID; Loop test;
AC Impedance; RSO; AC Drop. Visual inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Adjust
operating parameters to compensate (i.e. reduce load, adjust
power factor closer to unity, increase hydrogen pressure,
adjust cooling water flow rate); Clean and maintain your
cooling system; Upgrade your cooling system (i.e. upgrade
coolers, install water chiller); Clean and maintain your
windings; Upgrade your windings (i.e. from Class B to Class
F).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Thermal Aging
Stator Core, Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Thermal Cycling

Why Do I Have This Problem? Excessive start/stop cycles;

Insulation system unable to withstand conductor axial thermal
growth and contraction; Inadequacies of block and tie systems
to withstand the start/stop cycles.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Increased vibration;
Visible puffiness of thermoplastic coils within vents and at slot
exits; Girth cracking of thermoplastic insulation at slot exits;
Broken ties; Loose core Iron; Distorted main field coil top
turns; Migrating rotor materials; Visible evidence of thermally
degraded insulating materials.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA; Flux Probe;
RSO; AC Impedance. Off-line: Insulation Resistance;
Polarization Index; PDA; PFD and Tip-up; Core Knife Test;
Core Torque; AC Impedance; RSO; AC Drop. Visual
inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Adjust
operating parameters to compensate (i.e. slow the rate of
increase and decrease in power; reduce load, adjust power
factor closer to unity, increase hydrogen pressure, adjust
cooling water flow rate); Clean and maintain your cooling
system; Upgrade your cooling system (i.e. upgrade coolers,
install water chiller); Clean and maintain your windings;
Upgrade your windings (i.e. from Class B to Class F);
Incorporate enhanced block and tie systems; Incorporate slip
planes.

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Electrical Aging
Stator Windings
Partial Discharge Activity

Why Do I Have This Problem? Disbond between conductors

and insulation system (manufacturing flaws, thermal cycling);
Voids within bulk insulation (manufacturing flaws, thermal
cycling); Poor surface contact between windings and core
(loose wedges and/or side packing); Poor interface between
stress gradient and semi-conductive components
(manufacturing flaws, thermal aging); Inadequate spacing
between coils or circuit ring segments (manufacturing flaws,
movement).
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Visible evidence of
dusting and/or burning; Smell of ozone in air cooled
generators; Elevated partial discharge readings.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA; EMI. Offline: PDA; PFD and Tip-up; Corona Camera; Corona Probe;
Visual inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Qualification of new coils/bar for rewinds; Operate
generator within design parameters; Adjust operating
parameters to compensate (i.e. slow the rate of increase and
decrease in power; reduce load, adjust power factor closer to
unity, increase hydrogen pressure, adjust cooling water flow
rate); Clean and maintain your cooling system; Upgrade your
cooling system (i.e. upgrade coolers, install water chiller);
Clean and maintain your windings (replace wedges and side
packing, re-establish degraded corona suppression system;
repair/replace damaged ground wall insulation).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Electrical Aging
Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Surface Tracking and Moisture Absorption

Why Do I Have This Problem? Contamination of windings

with water and/or oil; Contamination of windings with
particulates (dirt, dust, fly ash, carbon); Non-functional or
unutilized space heaters; High humidity; Improper protective
protocols (during outage, storage, standby, transportation).
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Visible evidence of
damage (tracking, treeing, flashover); Visual evidence of
contamination; Visual evidence of streaming moisture; Low
insulation resistance and polarization index values.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA; Insulation
Resistance (rotor). Off-line: Insulation Resistance, Polarization
Index, PDA; PFD and Tip-up; Visual inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Clean and
maintain your cooling system (repair internal water leaks
immediately); Remediate close proximity steam leaks and
other sources of contamination; Maintain bearing and seal oil
systems (repair internal leaks immediately); Clean and
maintain your windings (replace air filters, keep collector
assemblies clean of excessive carbon dust); Test, maintain,
and utilizes space heaters; Maintain protective measures
during outages (heaters, dehumidifiers, space heaters, routine
inspection and testing).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Mechanical Aging
Stator Windings
120 Hertz Bar Vibration Forces

Why Do I Have This Problem? Manufacturing deficiencies

(windings wound into the stator core too loose); Material
shrinkage (windings, side packing, vertical fillers, wedges);
Top ripple and/or side ripple relaxation.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Visible evidence of
looseness (dusting, greasing, axially migrating materials);
Smell of ozone in air-cooled generators; High associate partial
discharge activity.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA, EMI. Offline: PDA; PFD and Tip-up; Wedge Tightness Mapping; Visual
inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Maintain
bearing and seal oil systems (repair internal leaks
immediately); Clean and Maintain your windings (replace
loose wedges and side packing as prescribed by inspection
and test results); Upgrade your windings (replace existing
stator slot wedge system to incorporate constant tension
characteristics such as top ripple springs, side ripple springs).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Mechanical Aging
Stator Windings
Electromagnetic Forces on End Windings

Why Do I Have This Problem? Manufacturing deficiencies

(poor end bracing design, low quality construction); Excessive
start/stop cycles; Long-term operation at high temperatures;
Oil contamination.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Visible evidence of
looseness (dusting, greasing, migrating materials); High
associate partial discharge activity.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA, EMI,
seismic sensors. Off-line: End Winding Frequency Response
(Bump) testing; Visual inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Adjust
operating parameters to compensate; Maintain bearing and
seal oil systems (repair internal leaks immediately); Clean and
Maintain your windings (replace loose blocks and ties or add
additional blocks and ties as prescribed by inspection and test
results); Upgrade your windings (install an end winding
stability system); Qualify end winding support structure design
for rewinds.

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Mechanical Aging
Rotor Windings
Centrifugal Forces

Why Do I Have This Problem? Manufacturing deficiencies

(Inadequate design, low quality materials); Excessive start/
stop cycles; Over-speed event(s); High continuous operation
at speed.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Stepped increase in
vibration; Non-destructive examination; Visual inspection.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: Flux Probe,
Ground Fault detection. Off-line: Insulation Resistance,
Polarization Index, RSO, AC Pole Drop, AC Impedance, NonDestructive Examination; Visual Inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Adjust
operating parameters to compensate (reduce load, rate of
load change, and/or excitation); Clean and Maintain your
windings (remove contamination blockage, replace broken
and/or damaged components, NDE); Upgrade your windings
(more robust end winding blocking system, J-strap blocking,
slip-planes); Qualify the design of rotor rewind (grade of
materials, end blocking design, anti-migration components,
slip-planes).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Environmental / Electrical Aging

Stator Windings
End Connection Cap Void Failures

Why Do I Have This Problem? Manufacturing deficiencies

(Inadequate design, low quality installation process); Internal
oil leak; Internal water leak; Heavy particulate contamination.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Visual inspection.
How Do I Test For This Problem? Off-line: Visual Inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Maintain
bearing and seal oil systems (repair internal leaks
immediately); Clean and Maintain your windings (remove
contamination, fill connection cap voids, repair enclosure
leaks); Qualify the design of rewind (type of end connection
caps, filler material, installation process).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Environmental Aging
Stator Core, Stator Windings, Rotor Windings
Water, Oil, and Particulate Contamination

Why Do I Have This Problem? Deficiencies with operation

and maintenance (internal oil leaks, internal water leaks,
ingestion of external particulates).
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Elevated RTD
temperatures; Visible evidence of contamination; High
associate partial discharge activity.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA, EMI. Offline: Insulation Resistance; Polarization Index; PDA; PFD and
Tip-up; Visual inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Operate generator within design parameters; Maintain
bearing and seal oil systems (repair internal leaks
immediately); Clean and maintain your cooling system (repair
internal water leaks immediately, routine replacement of air
filters); Remediate close proximity steam leaks and other
sources of contamination; Test, maintain, and utilizes space
heaters; Clean and Maintain your windings (remove oil, water,
and particulate contamination, repair housing leaks and
damage).

Top 10 Failure Modes

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

10

Safety Issues
Turbine Generators
Hazardous Materials and Safety Concerns

Why Do I Have This Problem? Vintage generator comprised

of obsolete materials; Loose stator windings within the stator
core iron; Exposed and unsafe electrical wiring and
components.
How Do I Know I have This Problem? Smell of ozone in aircooled generators; High associate partial discharge activity;
Hazardous material sampling and testing; Visual inspection.
How Do I Test For This Problem? On-line: PDA, EMI. Offline: Insulation Resistance; Polarization Index; PDA; PFD and
Tip-up; Lead, Lead Carbonate, and Asbestos sampling and
testing; Visual inspection.
How Do I Prevent This and Extend Generator Service
Life? Test and inspect your generator for these safety
concerns; Upgrade your cooling system; Clean and maintain
your windings (abate and dispose of hazardous materials).
Upgrade your windings (enclose space heaters and
associated wiring); Qualification for rewinds (include testing for
ACM, its abatement, and disposal); Maintain protective
measures during outages (LOTO and safety warning with
respect to space heaters).

Top Means of Prevention & Life Extension

TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Maintain protective measures during

outages
Remediate close proximity sources of
contamination
Test, maintain, and utilizes space heaters
Upgrade your cooling system
Adjust operating parameters to
compensate
Clean and maintain your cooling system
Maintain bearing and seal oil systems
Qualification for rewind
Upgrade your windings
Operate generator within design
parameters
Clean and maintain your windings

10

Key Take-Aways
TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

In Conclusion
TURBINE GENERATOR MAINTENANCE, INC.

Mike Lake
Director of Sales
Office: 239-573-1233 Ext. 112
Cell: 239-777-0256
Email: MikeL@turbinegenerator.com

Paul Heikkinen
Director of Generator Services
Office: 239-573-1233 Ext. 106
Cell: 239-823-2514
Email: PaulH@turbinegenerator.com