GEK-105191B

4.

APPLICATION

Before selecting a generator protection system, it is important to carefully

consider its main characteristics such as power, operating voltage, etc.

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The majority of generator faults are caused by failures in the stator winding
insulation and to a lesser degree failures in the rotor winding insulation.
The insulation failures are generally caused by:
- Aging.
- Dirt.
- Overloads.
- Overvoltages.
- Mechanical damage produced by vibrations in the windings or the core.

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According to the design and the optimization conditions, a generator working
at continuous duty cycle operates within its heating limits, and therefore it is
necessary to avoid thermal overloads that can damage the insulation, which is one of
the weakest generator components.
In continuous duty, the generator heats up in accordance to an exponential
relationship up to a final value, because heat is continuously transferred to the
environment. Also, in normal operation the cooling time constants are similar to the
heating time constants. On the other hand, if the generator is at a complete stop after
having been in operation, the cooling time constants can be 4 to 6 times greater than
the heating time constants. That is, a generator will take more time to cool if it is
stopped.
The Time constant represented by is the time required for a body that is to
be heated from an initial temperature 0 to a final temperature to reach 63% of the
required increase for reaching ; that is, the time that it will take to reach the
intermediate temperature i, from the temperature 0, where:

= 0 + ( 0 ) * 0.63
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GEK-105191B

Given 0 as the origin of temperatures, at a given moment the temperature

will be given by:

= 1 (1 H ( W / ) )( , / , 1 ) 2
where:
:
N.
IN
I:
t:
:

Temperature increase at a given time

Rated temperature (temperature reached if I = IN)
generator rated current
Current flowing through the generator (generator current)
Time
Time constant

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The overload condition in a generator occurs mainly under the following conditions:
When mechanical problems make it difficult for the generator to start normally,
originating a torque value greater than the rated value.
Due to a voltage failure in a single phase.
Due to a sudden exit from service of other generators connected to the network.

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