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THYRISTORS BRIDGE
R+ means thyristor of the
phase R, side positive (+)

+ The output average value of Vexc is

iecc not directly proportional to the supply
R+ S+ T+ voltages VR VS VT , as per the diodes
i bridge, but it is function of the
VR R controlling signal on the gate of the
VS S Vecc thyristors.
VT T Changing the delay of their firing
i instant (changing the firing angle )
R- S- T- referred to the natural firing instant, it
is possible to change the output bridge.
--
This kind of bridge has the possibility to
Vexc produce a rectified voltage with
+ VCeiling (=0)
variable average value, being constant
Permanent times its feeding voltage.
Voutput ( Vexc > 0 ) Theoretically, changing the control, the
(average value) output voltage Vexc could be changed
from + VC to VC , where Vc is the
0 Time
Zone used for ceiling voltage (posit.), correspondent
transient times to the output voltage with = 0 (which
only ( Vexc < 0 )
is the condition where the thyristors
- VCeiling (=180) bridge becomes like a diodes bridge).
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CEILING: is the max excitation voltage (positive & negative)

that the exciter can deliver on the field windings.
It is used as an impulse, of very short time, in order to correct
the excitation current in fast way.
This current moves slowly into the field reactance (voltage on
the contrary can move quickly) and it reaches its final steady
value always in the same time, whatever would be the step
(Vcp or Ve2).
Final Ve2 could be applied, but, if the ceiling voltage Vcp is
transiently presented as a false point to be joined (pls. see
next image), the field current moves from Ie1 to that Ie related
to Vcp (not toward final Ie2).
Reached quickly Ie2 (because the false step is much more
high), the ceiling is stopped and Ve2 is applied; the field
current remains there Doc. steady,
n 196 W 429obtaining
Rev.1 Oct. 2008high reduction time 2

during the variation.

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CEILING
transient
Vcp positive ceiling

Ve2

Ve1 Ve3
Ie2
Ie1
Ie3
t

CEILING transient
Max excitation voltage, transiently
applied, in order to fast correct the
excitation current

Vcn negative ceiling

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STATIC EXCITER

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STATIC
STATIC EXCITATION
EXCITATION SYSTEM
.

SYSTEM
ONE
ONELINE
LINE BLOCK
BLOCK DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM

EXCITATION
TRANSFORMER

Commands EXCITATION Bridge 1

and signals BOARD +
from remote AVR 1

1 CB
Ref. G
2
Signals RES
AVR 2
to remote
MAIN
_ GENERATOR
Bridge 2

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TYPICAL INTERFACE OF THE EXCITATION BOARD

INPUT OUTPUT

3 LV power line d.c. power output (+ and -)

from excitation transformer to the rotor of the machine

Analogical signals from remote Analogical signals to remote

Excitation
Commands from remote board State signals to remote

Permissives from remote Alarms to remote

Trip from remote Trip request to remote

Aux feeding voltages

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Each regulation system is fed with security and with the possibility to be
completely deactivated for eventual maintenances during the normal
service also, while the alternator produces energy under the control of the
other regulation system.
Since the feeders of the electronics (1 for regulator) can be fed both in
a.c. and in d.c., it can be chosen, as energy source for them, both the UPS
and the battery of the plant.

UPS or plant Battery

Exciter

Feeder Feeder

To regulation To regulation
system 1 system 2

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DE EXCITATION

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The de-excitation of the generator reduces its stator voltage

at about zero (except the effect of the magnetic residual).
This condition is obtained with the discharge of the internal
flux, dissipating the field current through a passive
resistance circuit, composed by the rotor resistance and an
aux discharge resistance connected in series.
This is obtained by the crow bar positive (pls. see image)
which can be fired by the logic with two voltage thresholds:
higher used when CB is operated as overvoltage protection
and lower used only when CB is actuated as field breaker.
Its ON state allows the field current flow through RES and
the consequent electromagnetic flux discharge.

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Crow-bar positive
Power
.

converter firing voltage 1 threshold

Overvoltage
Crow-bar
positive protection
Rotor
Field
RES Iexc
resistance
Discharge
resistor 2 threshold
De-excitation
0 Volt function
De-excitation circuit or
Static field breaker

Stator voltage

Being RES about double of field

resistance, the complete discharging
Tdo = Lfield /Rfield
time is approx. equivalent to Tdo.
= Lfield / (RES + R field) = Tdo / 3

0 time
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CROW - BAR
The crow-bar is made by 2 thyristors in antiparallel (v. figure), one called positive crow-bar and the other
negative crow-bar.
Both has the function of protection against the overvoltages (+ and -) but the positive one has the function
also to de-excite the field of the alternator.
Its two functions are discriminated by two different thresholds of intervention that are him imposed
according to the situations and of the moments in which it has to intervene (v. figure).
The thyristors firing is produced by the same over voltages that directly activate the firing circuits, which
are totally redounded, to guarantee the certainty of the primer.

+ Primer thresholds of
the positive crow-bar 1 threshold
Iexc
Crow-bar
CB Crow-bar negative
Protection
positive
Iexc
against the
overvoltages
Iexc Rotor

Discharge 2 threshold
RES
resistor Function of
_ 0 Volt de-excitation

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Mechanism of de-excitation by crow-bar

It is shown the mechanism by Power converter
which the de-excitation of
the generator is done by the Crow-bar
crow-bar. positive
Rotor
Iexc
Discharge
resistor
Excitation voltage (for example) before
the de-excitation command
Instant where the de-excitation
Voltage order is done and it is ordered
the negative ceiling De-excitation circuit or
Phase-to-phase Static field breaker
voltage

Voltage on the
discherge resistor time
0 and on the field

Instant where the output voltage of the bridge

Negative ceiling Instant of command equalizes the voltage on the discherge resistor.
voltage of the impulses After this point the bridge goes OFF because its
suppression thyristors become inversely polarized

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PROTECTION CIRCUITS

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PASSIVE PROTECTIONS ON THE POWER CIRCUITS

The exciter foresees two types of passive protections on the power circuits: fuses in series to
each thyristor and voltage limiters on the 3phase feeding line of the power converter.
The fuses, obviously, protect the corresponding thyristors, having their I2t lower than the
I2t of the correspondent semiconductors.
The limiters (i.e. varistors) are three, connected triangle, and they limit the possible
overvoltages on that 3phase feeding line.

+
Bridge
Fuses
Excitation
transformer

Voltage limiters

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PROTECTION AGAINST SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE D.C. LINE

This electronic protection has the purpose to avoid damages to the power
converter against occasional possible short-circuits on its output bars (along the
whole two-phase line that connects the power converter to the rotor of the
machine).
Its intervention consists of sending the immediate command to the firing circuits
of the thyristors for their max impulses delay and contemporarily to produce the
electric trip of the generator.
Crow-bar
+
Excitation Fuses
transformer
Short Gen
circuit
RES

_ Rotor
Rectifier bridge

A.C. Protection

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PROTECTION AGAINST CURRENT UNBALANCE A.C. SIDE

This electronic protection has the purpose to detect possible unbalances among the
currents values flowing into the three conductors (R-S-T) of the a.c. line that feeds the
power converter.
Such condition can occur in case of an internal fault of the rectifier bridge.
Its intervention consists of actuating the logic of bridges commutation, in order to try
to maintain the generator in service through the use of the backup rectifier bridge.
If this was not possible it would be required the electric trip of the generator.
Iexc normal

Anomalous current
due to the fault

R
S
Rotor
T

The current in the central phase S is greater than the

current in T, because S feeds T and the fault in R too.
The currents in the phases S and T should be equal but,
in this case, this in not true and this is detected. Iexc normal

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PROTECTION AGAINST MAX OVERLOAD CURRENT

This electronic protection has the purpose to avoid damages to the power
converter due to possible thermal overloads.
It allows the bridge to deliver also currents higher than the nominal, but only if
they are contained within a threshold-limit following the quadratic law at inverse
time shown in figure (higher overcurrents for brief times and lower overcurrents
for longer times).
Its intervention produces the request of electric trip of the generator.

Iexc
Example of 2 points on the
curve overload limit
Zone (green)
of overload I1
allowed by this
protection I2 Inom
time
0 t1 t2

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ROTOR EARTH FAULT RELAY

This device guarantees a continuous monitoring of the
insulation level of the rotor winding, referred to the earth
potential (normally the rotor body).
In normal conditions this insulation level must be very high
Rotor winding (M), while, if it drops (some K), it is significant of some
fault into the rotor winding, which is generated by
+ insulation loss between the winding copper and the rotor
Eventual fault body (i.e. insulation material of the rotor winding damaged
GEN in some point).
This kind of fault, if occurred in one point only of the rotor
- winding, does not produce, from the electrical point of
view, any visible immediate effect, but always it strongly
suggests to stop the generator service as soon as possible, in
Rotor earth order to avoid any further fault in other different points.
fault relay
In fact this situation could produce injurious effects to the
system.
This device can be chosen with one or two monitoring
thresholds on the rotor winding insulation level and the
corresponding operations are the following:
- with one threshold its action is an alarm only
- with two thresholds its actions are alarm (step 1) and trip
(step 2)
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ROTOR TEMPERATURE CALCULATOR

Excitation board

Iexc
Iexc Vexc +

Output signal Vexc GEN

Rotor
for remote
temperature
C calculator

- Rotor winding

This device guarantees a constant monitoring of the rotor winding temperature, during the exercise of the
generator.
Its working principle is based on the continuous measure of the excitation voltage and current in order to
calculate the actual temperature of the winding by the ratio Vexc/Iexc at any time interval of some
milliseconds (cycle time of the digital program).
Of course the function is programmed considering the high thermal inertia of the rotor winding, compared
with the variation times of the excitation voltage and current (i.e. the ceiling voltage impulses are not
affecting the calculations because too fast for a possible influence on the temperature winding).
This function is performed by a dedicated software (subroutine) implemented into the main AVR program.
The digital regulation system gives an output signal significant of the rotor winding temperature for remote
uses (typically for a recorder in control room or for the DCS system).
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