Presented at EPRI Utility Generator Predictive Maintenance and Refurbishment Conference

Phoenix, Arizona, December 3, 1998.

Preventive Maintenance and Overhaul Experience for

Rotating Brushless Exciters
and other
Excitation Systems
by

Tom Figiel Jim Bothwell William Moore, P.E.

Commonwealth Edison Consultant National Electric Coil

ABSTRACT

Rotating brushless exciters were originally developed to overcome the problems associated with
geared exciters, brushes and brush dust, collector rings, fires, the potential danger to personnel
changing brushes on line, and the routine maintenance required for brush type exciters.i Although
these units were originally designed to improve reliability, over the years new problems have
surfaced, reducing their reliability and pointing to the need to do a certain measure of
preventative maintenance. The brushless exciter did eliminate the maintenance associated with
replacing carbon brushes. It also eliminated the generation of carbon dust, the source of fires on
units that were not maintained well. What was not anticipated, however, was that these rotating
exciters, developed their own unique operating problems. The number of possible failure modes
actually increased!

Age, contamination, and mechanical stress are a few of the principal contributors. Catastrophic
brushless exciter failures have prompted some owners to replace their brushless exciters with
static excitation systems. The cost to purchase and install a replacement static excitation system
is very high. A less expensive but equally reliable solution is to carry out important preventive
maintenance activities and keep failures from occurring. This paper presents important
preventive maintenance activities, necessary to ensure high reliability. Common failure modes
are reviewed as well as important overhaul items that should be addressed. For example,
contamination, including the entrance of foreign objects is, possibly, the number one cause of
brushless exciter failures. This paper presents options to prevent or at least minimize
contamination and, also, steps to take if contamination occurs, in order to inhibit a potential
failure. Other component failures are addressed, including fuses and diodes, phase leads, glass
and wire banding, and coils. Testing methods and guidelines are included to provide the reader
with a reference for future work. Finally, a case history is provided, along with photo
documentation.

INTRODUCTION

In 1950, Westinghouse received a patent covering the basic features of a rotating brushless
exciter.ii In 1960, the world’s first 180 kW, 250 volt, 720 amp, 3600 RPM brushless exciter was
placed into service.iii Although brushless exciters were originally designed to improve reliability,
over the years new problems have surfaced, reducing their reliability and pointing to the need to
 2

do a certain measure of preventative maintenance. Significant, catastrophic failures, could force a

unit out of service for a long, long time. During a 20 year time span, from 1965 to 1985, lost
Mwh for exciters (6,156) exceeded that for rotor windings (5,981) according to data supplied by
NERC/GADS (North American Electric Reliability Council/Generator Availability Data
Systems). iv

In addition to overcoming various reliability and maintenance problems germane to brush-type

exciters, brushless exciters were also developed because of the amperage limitations of the
brush-type exciter and the low efficiency. The amperage limitation on brushes at the time of
brushless exciter development was about 6,000 amperes. An 800 MW generator, for instance,
would utilize about 10,000 amperes in the generator rotor at full load. The current carrying
ability of the "screw-in" diodes available at the time limited the amount of direct current (DC)
that could be produced. When more current was needed, a second or tandem exciter was added.
This arrangement put two brushless exciters in parallel supplying current to the generator rotor.
When “pancake” or “hockey puck” diodes were developed, which could handle much higher
currents, the size of brushless exciters was greatly reduced. These higher currents, however,
resulted in higher risks of failure, due to the close proximity of these higher current carrying non-
insulated components to each other.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

A typical rotating brushless exciter is made up of the following major components: a pilot
exciter, an AC generator, and the rectifier or diode wheels. A photograph of the major
components is shown in Figure 1. In general, the theory of operation is as follows: Alternating
current (AC) produced by the permanent magnet generator (PMG) is rectified to direct current
(DC) inside the voltage regulator cabinet. A controlled direct current is fed to the stationary field
of the AC exciter. This induces a voltage in the AC exciter armature. This alternating current is
then rectified by the rotating diode wheels back to direct current and fed by leads directly
through to the generator bore copper main leads and finally to the main rotor winding. The
complicated nature of the brushless exciter design, along with its many rotating, high current
carrying components, has led to many different types of failures. Outlined below are the
predominant brushless exciter failure modes as experienced by the authors. Recommendations
for prevention of these failures are discussed.
 3

Figure 1: Major exciter components

CONTAMINATION INCLUDING FOREIGN OBJECTS

Contamination from dirt, fly ash, or other foreign objects in the exciter, especially in the diode
wheel component area, can lead to significant failures. Most of these exciter components are air-
cooled, with once-through ventilation of filtered, cooled air. Dirt and fly ash can enter exciters
through filters, open doors, window seal leaks, door seal leaks, housing seal leaks, and so on.
These contaminants can build up on the heat sinks and eventually provide an electrical path from
the diode heat sinks to the diode wheel forging, bypassing the insulation between the heat sink
and the diode wheel. Exciters, such as at the Kincaid station, (Mark II) have a double layer of G-
11 around the inside diameter of the diode wheel. These models allow dirt and fly ash to build up
sufficiently to bridge the space between adjacent heat sinks. Exciters like ComEd’s Collins
(Mark III) utilize a “tray” insulator under each heat sink module, so the build up of dirt and fly
ash could not progress as far as it does in the Mark II exciters before resulting in a short. The
single-wheel Mark III exciters also have a small gap between the end of the heat sinks and the
collector ring where dirt or a foreign object can lead to a short.

Dirt and fly ash can build up around the diodes separating the AC and DC components, providing
an electrical path. “Tracking” from one component to another can occur, shorting the
components together or “tracking” to ground surfaces. Once a tracking path is burned in by
voltage, the very high current in the exciter does the damage. The flash and arcing is similar to an
air arc, which is used to cut steel. The ensuing flow or arc of alternating current does damage
significant enough to the diode wheel components to render the exciter inoperable and causes a
forced outage.

Foreign objects causing failures have included loose shim stock, which worked its way out from
between the exciter frame and the floor plate; loose objects left in the exciter house; tools left in
the diode wheel; and wire strands from the vent filters on top of the exciter house.v
 4

Figure 2 shows what remains of some of the diode wheel insulation, after one exciter was forced
out of service. The ground and ensuing arcing and burning was so severe, the diode wheel
forging was unusable.

Figure 2: Burned remains of diode wheel insulation

The diode wheels cannot be readily seen on most units, hence the build up dirt and fly ash is not
often noticed. Some utilities have gone to periodic cleaning of the diode wheels by removing the
static air baffles and cleaning the diode wheels with brushes and vacuum cleaners.

ComEd, because of the inevitable build up of dirt and fly ash in its coal plants, overhauls its
brushless exciters every eight to ten years. A complete disassembly of the unit is done, including
all components of the diode wheels. The AC winding along with the fuses and diodes are tested
as described later in this paper. Insulation is cleaned or replaced. Damaged wiring on the exciter
skid is replaced. Glass banding is inspected and repaired, if necessary. Electrical connections are
improved. The unit is properly aligned and leveled. It is believed that the minor cost of this
preventive maintenance is especially necessary for the brushless exciters and well worth the
money spent. Figure 3 shows one of the exciters from Kincaid station, being leveled and
prepped for shipment, after being overhauled at the National Electric Coil service facility.
 5

Figure 3: Leveled exciter prior to preparation for shipping

Of course, it is best to prevent contaminants from entering the exciter in the first place. It is
possible to retrofit air-cooled brushless exciters with a positive pressure ventilation system.vi This
system inhibits accumulation of dust and dirt on the diode wheels by maintaining greater than
atmospheric pressure inside the exciter house.

POOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

It is conceivable that a large number of brushless exciter failures have been attributed to foreign
objects, even though the object was never found. We suspect that the cause of these failures, in
many instances, is poor electrical connections between the heat sink leads and the heat sinks.
Poor electrical connections at these locations cause the high currents to flow through the
mounting bolts instead of across the contact surfaces, heating the bolts, which, in turn, vaporize
the resin molecules in the insulation and ultimately provide a path between the AC and DC
components.

Outlined below, in sequential steps, is one scenario involving the failure of the insulation
between heat sinks and the diode wheels:
x Alternating current passes from the outboard heat sink through the heat sink lead connection
point, the heat sink lead, and the inboard diode wheel heat sink lead connection point to the
inboard diode wheel heat sink. One heat sink lead connects two heat sinks, one heat sink in
each diode wheel.
x The inadequate electrical connection between the heat sink leads and the heat sinks causes
the alternating current to pass through the steel bolt attaching each heat sink lead to its
respective heat sink. By design, no current should pass through the bolting of an electrical
connection. All current should pass across the interface between conductors.
x The 5/16” steel bolts, not being adequate electrical conductors, heat up when the alternating
current passes through the bolts, instead of across the conductor interface.
x Heat produced in the bolts, vaporizes the resin in the thin layer of insulation, which is under
the heat sinks and between the heat sinks and the diode wheels.
 6

x When the epoxy is vaporized, the insulating material, between the heat sinks and the diode
wheels, disintegrates.
x The elimination of insulation between the heat sinks and the diode wheels provides an
electrical path that bypasses the diodes and fuses on the diode wheels.
x Once a short circuit electrical path is established between a heat sink and the diode wheel, an
air arc condition erupts. This condition can engulf multiple bare heat sink leads until the
voltage regulator, Loss of Field protective relays, or the operator, responding to the erratic
generator and/or VAR swinging, recognizes the condition and trips the unit.
A combination of factors can cause inadequate electrical connections between heat sink leads
and heat sinks:

x Copper heat sink leads are relatively soft as compared to steel bolts and washers.
x Copper deforms over time with mechanical stress, due to the tightening of the heat sink lead
connection bolt.
x Heat sink leads have “slots” instead of “holes” at junction points, in order to provide a
measure of flexibility when installing the heat sinks in the diode wheels.
x The original washer distorts and can “pull” into the slot in the heat sink lead, expanding the
width of the slot, and hence, the heat sink lead.
x When a washer “pulls” or “cups” into the slot in the heat sink lead, the copper leaves bow
away from the connection surface.
x The original washer used is a standard 5/16” ID washer with an 11/16” OD, 1/16” thick.

Insulating varnish routinely found on the connection points between the heat sink leads and heat
sinks is a poor connection, but it is a symptom of poor mechanical joints, not the cause of a poor
connection. If the connection point were adequate, varnish painted on after assembly would not
be able to penetrate and coat the connection surface.

Solution and Improvement

Correction of inadequate electrical connections, at the heat sink lead to the heat sink interface,
results in restoring a good electrical path for all current to pass through the electrical junction in
preference to the bolts. The inadequate connections are corrected by thoroughly cleaning the
connection points and reassembling the connections using a 5/16” stainless steel washer that is
1/8” thick and has a 7/8” outside dimension (OD). The improved washer, as compared to the old
washer, increases the compression area on the heat sink lead, provides uniform compression of
the heat sink lead against the heat sink connection point, and will not deform.

MOISTURE

The presence of contaminated water, condensation, or any type of moisture can also cause failure
of the diode wheel components. Electrical “tracking,” as described earlier, can occur with
moisture in the same way as it does with dirt or fly ash. Moisture can also lower the insulation
resistance of the diode wheel components and the winding.

Outdoor generating units in high humidity areas are prone to having moisture form in the exciter
house through condensation on the cooling coils. Condensation was so much of a problem at
Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) Martin, Manatee and Sanford stations that the cooling water
would often be shut off when the units cycled off at night.
 7

Moisture can also be a problem on outdoor units, if the seal between the exciter house and the
sole plate is not adequate. One of the units in southern Florida was found to be sucking water off
the turbine deck and into the exciter house in the area of the PMG. The problem was found when
the rotor ground detector indicated a problem. The unit was shut down and the exciter house
swabbed and then vacuumed. The base was temporarily sealed with a bead of RTV. A more
permanent fix was enacted during the next refueling outage. Better seals and their correct
installation solve this problem.

Of course, cooler leaks, inside the exciter housing, can also be a source of moisture. Cooler leaks
should be repaired immediately.

VIBRATION

Other than design deficiencies, failed components, or system disturbances, many vibration
problems can be caused by improper installation. It can be prudent to high speed balance exciter
rotors, especially if the AC exciter rotor is rewound, or if a substantial number of components are
replaced. Instead of utilizing correct alignment and installation procedures, some installers have
tried to overload the brushless exciter bearing in order to control vibration. They “load” the
bearing by installing the exciter with a larger gap at the bottom of the coupling prior to actually
coupling the exciter and main generator rotor. When the coupling is bolted, the shaft pushes
down on the exciter bearing. In one case, this solution to vibration led to the fatiguing and
breaking of the exciter shaft just behind the coupling. In other cases, it removed the load on the
generator bearing causing the generator rotor to go into “oil whip.” The generator shaft just
“wobbled” in the generator bearing.

Another installation technique also has caused some problems. In some cases, long shims have
been used between the brushless exciter base and the sole plate. These long shims could not be
readily sized for the gap between the exciter and the sole plate, because the PMG end of the
exciter was higher than the coupling end. In these cases, a general size shim was selected, which
meant that the exciter frame was bowed when it was tightened down.

We suggest that the correct shims should be Quick Shims or some other commercially available
shim material that is installed around each of the eight hold down bolts. The installation should
be just like any motor or pump. The exciter base is a rigid body with eight hold down points. It is
the opinion of the authors that if manufacturers had designed and welded small pads to the
bottom of the exciter frame at the hold down points, installers would have been less inclined to
improvise with long shims.

The first brushless exciters had six or eight hold down bolts. The potential for failures, or
possible subsequent damage from failures, brought about the use of large foundation studs closer
to the centerline of the exciter. The function of these studs was to prevent a severe unbalance
from tearing the exciter base off its foundation or sole plate. It is likely that this preventive
measure had its roots in a real occurrence in which the hold down bolts had been snapped. The
authors are aware of at least one brushless exciter, located in the Western US, that was run with
enough unbalance to destroy the hold down bolts of the bearing pedestal.

However, in a proper installation, the nuts on the foundation studs should be only finger tight.
They can be double nutted or have a bead of RTV applied to prevent the nuts from backing off,
but they should not be tightened. The studs are in an area of the exciter base where shims cannot
 8

be installed. Consequently, tightening the nuts on the studs will distort the frame and put it in a
stressed condition, in the same way that a snare drum that will amplify vibration.

Again, the brushless exciter should be installed like any motor or pump. Shims are installed at
each of the eight hold-down bolt locations and soft foot should be checked at each bolt.

Of course, during an overhaul, if all the diode wheel components are removed, it is very
important to return them to the same location, so as not to upset the original balance. Unequal
weighting of these components, due to their location on the large diameter diode wheel, can have
significant impact on rotor unbalance.vii When an original component is replaced, the
replacement part weight must not vary significantly from the original part’s weight, according to
the manufacturer’s recommendations.

GLASS BANDING

Glass banding, although an improvement over wire banding, has failed on occasion and caused
its share of lost generation time. If the banding is not initially installed correctly, either due to a
lack of tension, or a poor resin content, the banding will become a chronic source of maintenance
problems for years to come. At both FPL and ComEd, exciters have shed sections of glass band
over the years. This can raise a great deal of concern for station personnel who believe the band
is about to give way. In general, though, the glass banding sections are small, not significantly
reducing the “hold strength” of the band. Repairing the glass band is often possible by sanding
the frayed fibers, and recoating them with a good epoxy resin. This provides an adequate
temporary solution, until another section peels off. Rebanding is the only permanent solution.

Cracks in the glass bands that hold the exciter rotor end windings in place can be quite
disturbing, when observed for the first time. Circumferential cracks, as shown in Figure 4, are
not of much concern, unless the band is moving axially or it continues to fray and unravel. This
type of crack should be repaired, and can be sanded and sealed with a good epoxy resin.
However, a crack running in the axial direction, is cause for great concern, since the fibers are
tearing in a direction that may allow the band to burst. This type of glass band separation must be
addressed immediately.
 9

Figure 4: Circumferential cracks in glass bands

On some exciter designs, risers or phase leads between the exciter windings and the conductors
fastened to the shaft were made out of straight pieces of copper with a “U” shape at the top above
the solder point. Banding was installed at the factory in the “U” area to maintain the position of
the risers or phase leads. In operation, the straight pieces of copper moved outward and cut into
the banding. On occasion, the banding failed and all of the risers or phase leads spun out. The
units looked like flowers when the dust settled. As a solution, the risers or phase leads were
changed to curved, multilayer copper pieces with soldered/solid ends that attached to the
generator leads and connection points at near the shaft. This, along with improved glass banding
techniques, minimized the number of glass band failures in this area. Fatigue cracking of these
copper pieces, as described in the next section, still continued to occur.

PHASE LEAD CRACKING

Design of the phase leads has progressed from rigid type connections to more flexible loops or
risers. Fatigue cracking and failures still occur, however. These connections, generally made with
brazed or soft soldered joints, are highly stressed, since the copper becomes annealed from the
heating during operation. With a low yield point, changes in boundary conditions, and repeated
speed cycles, the copper can fatigue and eventually can fail.
 10

Figure 5: Fatigue cracks in exciter phase leads

Figure 5 shows a looped phase lead design, consisting of two copper laminations, 0.060 inches
thick. The underside copper conductor had failed in three separate and different locations. For a
two-strap design, when the underside strap fails, it causes additional increased load to the topside
conductor. This increased load will soon cause the remaining strap to fail. A thorough redesign
by NEC, including FEA (finite element analysis) as shown in Figure 6, resulted in a design of
four conductors, of half the original thickness, formed to a pure catenary shape. Stresses were
reduced by assuring the component was put “in tension only” and by carefully controlling the
boundary conditions during assembly. The unit is back in service and has been running
successfully for the past year.

Figure 6: Redesigned phase lead profile

 11

BEARING INSULATION

Maintaining the integrity of the insulated bearing during reassembly of the exciter is crucial. A
brushless exciter with a grounded bearing pedestal might run a week or so, depending on the
severity of the ground, before enough metal is removed from the exciter bearing to allow the
magnets on the PMG to contact the stator windings of the PMG and cause failure. Some utilities
have installed double insulated bearing pedestals. Those that have not, must assure bearing
insulation integrity. The final check should be performed while doing the swing check - when the
bearing is rolled out and the oil drain line is connected.

To perform a swing check, the exciter shaft is put in a sling, usually nylon, and the exciter
bearing is rolled out. Dial indicators are installed on both sides of the exciter shaft near the sling
support and the turbine-generator is put on turning gear. If the coupling bolts have not been
tightened uniformly or if there is something on the coupling face the shaft will "swing" away
from the high spot or the area that is not as tight. Total run out should be less than 0.0015 inches
but most often it is zero or less than 0.001 inches.

ELECTRICAL COMPONENT TESTING

Electrical component testing of the exciter and its varied components should be done during the
overhaul. Fuse element resistances should be checked to assure the elements are not necking
down (a process that precedes mechanical failure of the fuse element). Compare fuse resistances
and replace any that vary widely from the calculated average. Diodes almost always fail open
circuit, so the fuse does not fail and lift the indicating pin or flag. Checking the diodes during an
outage is the only time that an open diode will be found. Perform a diode check with a Fluke
multimeter, and then with a 500 vdc megger. The windings on the PMG, the stator poles and
rotor winding are very durable, but they should have their insulation resistance checked, also.

OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR GOOD OVERHAULS

It is not recommended to do a steam clean and bake on any of the exciter components, since the
mechanical stress from this operation, may damage the insulation. The best alternative is to hand
clean with alcohol-dampened rags.

The integrity of the RTD’s and/or thermocouples should be verified. Replace any that are
defective. Repair or replace any frayed wiring found during inspection. Bearing and oil seal
clearances should be checked and brought back to original sizes. These, especially, are critical to
maintaining proper vibration levels. Fan to shroud clearances should be measured upon
disassembly. Special attention during reassembly is necessary to maintain the proper clearances.
The use of shims may be required.

SUMMARY

The authors have extensive experience in the design, operation, maintenance and repair of
rotating brushless exciters. Based on this experience, predominant failure modes of brushless
exciters are identified and discussed. Preventive maintenance solutions to mitigate these failure
modes are offered. Important considerations when overhauling these units are also presented.
 12

By implementing regular preventive maintenance activities, such as described above, acceptable

levels brushless exciter reliability can be maintained.

For further information, the authors can be reached by email, at the following addresses:

Mr. Tom Figiel:thomas.g.figiel@ucm.com

Mr. Jim Bothwell: jsbothwell@aol.com

Mr. Bill Moore:WMOORENEC@aol.com

i
“Brushless Excitation of 660 MW Generators,” W.W. Holburn, Journal of Science and Technology,
Vol. 37, No. 2, 1970.
ii
Westinghouse Advanced School in Power Systems Engineering, “Update on Brushless Exciter,” D.I.
Gorden, October 8, 1974.
iii
Westinghouse Advanced School in Power Systems Engineering, “Update on Brushless Exciter,” D.I.
Gorden, October 8, 1974.
iv
NERC/GADS Summary Data on Generator Unavailability by Cause Code, 1965 to 1985.
v
“Suggested Solutions to Generator and Exciter Problems,” J. Bothwell, EPRI Generator Reliability
Workshop, 1985.
vi
“Positive Pressure Ventilation System,” A. Spisak, ASME - International Joint Power Generation
Conference, Baltimore, MD, 1998.
vii
“Improvements for Generator Rotor Unbalance,” W. G. Moore, ASME - International Joint Power
Generation Conference, Baltimore, MD, 1998.