AC Generator Operation Next slide

learning outcome 2 due!!

AC generator main components and construction
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
•Describe AC Generator rotor electrical requirements and
construction details.
• Describe AC Generator stator electrical requirements
and construction details.
•Examine connection of an AC generator to AC systems
•List AC generator instrumentation requirements and their
uses.
•Describe typical AC generator cooling systems
•List the factors that harm AC generator insulation
materials.
2 Pole AC generator - cross section Next slide
due!!
AC generator - Assembled 2 pole rotor

Next slide
due!!
AC generator - Diesel driven 8 pole rotor

Note damper bars

Note Shorting ring

Next slide
due!!
Two pole rotor
machining

Next slide
due!!
 Next slide
due!!

Rotor slot
wedges and
damper bars
Damper bar
& end-bell
connections

Next slide
due!!
DC windings in a
2pole rotor slot

Next slide
due!!
Two pole
stator
assembly
Next slide
due!!
 Next slide
Multi-pole stator due!!
assembly
Laminated
stator core
- showing
eddy current
damage

Next slide
due!!
 Next slide
due!!

Roebel stator winding

- transposing of winding
along a given slot
AC generator generator stator connections
Generator
CB

Red 
Neutral
CB

White 

Current
Blue 
transformers R W B
VT fuses AC system

Voltage
transformer Next slide
due!!
 Exciter options
•DC exciter
•AC exciter
•Brushless exciters
•External excitation supply
Next slide
•Stand-by exciter due!!
additional requirements
•Automatic voltage regulator (AVR)
 Note:
neutral
resistor Next slide
due!!

Typical AC generator
connections
 Next slide
due!!
Phase isolated buswork- instead of HV cables
Internal supports - phase isolated bus work

Phase isolated bus work

Next slide
•Reduces phase to phase faults due!!

•Reduces electro-magnetic induction on adjacent

steel work
•Limits forces between phase conductors during
fault conditions
 Next slide
Neutral connections - options
due!!

•Neutral CB - used where a direct

connection from AC generator neutral
star point to earth
•Neutral resistor - used to limit phase to
earth fault currents
•Neutral earthing transformer - also used
to limit phase to earth fault currents,
with higher cost
Use of a neutral earthing transformer
Next slide
due!!
 AC generator Heat losses: Next slide
due!!
•I2R losses in Stator windings
•I2R losses in Rotor windings
•Eddy current heat loses in stator core
•Windage heat generation (rotor fan used)
 Next slide
AC generator cooling facilities due!!

•Air cooled
•Hydrogen cooled
- less windage, higher thermal capacity
- fire/explosion risk
- additional facilities for safe operation
(eg carbon dioxide for purging)
•Water cooled stator windings
- pure water required, condition monitored
- leakage detection
 Next slide
due!!

Stator water cooling

 AC generator H2 shaft sealing Next slide
due!!
•Sealing oil used
- shaft and casing seal faces
•Seal Oil pressure control
- automatic control at a pressure relate to
the casing H2 pressure
•Seal Oil return
- H2 becomes entrained in the return oil
•Loss of seal oil
- H2 escapes - fire/explosion risk
Generator
H 2 side

Next slide
due!!

H2 shaft
sealing
 Next slide
AC generator metering due!!

Rotor
•DC current
•DC voltage
•Rotor insulation – alarm and trip
(if earth fault detection fitted)
•Pilot Exciter voltage & current (rare)
 Next slide
AC generator metering
due!!
•Stator
•AC current
•AC voltage
•AC watts
•AC Vars
•Power factor meter (where fitted)
•Synchronising instruments
(more details in Synchronising module)
•AC generator capability diagram (where fitted)
•Incoming power alarm and/or trip
(also termed ‘Reverse Power’)
 Main or Auxiliary AC generator Next slide
due!!
Transformers - metering
•AC Primary/secondary current
•AC primary/secondary voltage
•AC watts
•AC Vars
•Winding tap positions (on load tap changing
transformers)
 Temperatures/Cooling metering Next slide
due!!
•Stator embedded temperature detectors (ETD)
•Exciter ETD / exhaust cooling air temperature
•Exciter Fire detection / CO2 flooding equipment (on H2
filled AC generators)
•Stator cooled air/gas -Gas in/out temperatures
•Air/Gas cooler temperatures – Cooling water in/out
•Seal oil system – face temperatures- seal oil pressures
•H2 Gas system – purity- pressure
•Stator water system – in/out pressures and
temperatures- water conductivity
•Stator casing leak detectors (on bottom of stator
casing)
•Main/Auxiliary transformer – oil, winding, cooler
temperatures
 Automatic Voltage Regulator Next slide
due!!

•Metering and alarms varies depending on the type &

design of AVR used, and if any additional operator
information is necessary
 Next slide
Insulation Properties due!!
Electrical insulating materials have extremely high
resistance to electrical current flow.

Required to prevent any current passage from:

• conductors to earth,
•adjacent winding turns.

insulation must maintain its properties, avoiding:

•chemical change, or physical damage
 Next slide
due!!

Insulation will be graded into classes of

temperature rating:

Class A insulation can have a temp rise of 600C

Class E 750C
Class B 800C
Class F 1000C
Class H 1250C
 Next slide
Insulation Damage due!!

•Over temperature
•Over Voltage
•Polluted
•Winding movement
•Physical damage
 Next slide
Insulation Testing & monitoring due!!

On line monitoring
•Dew point monitoring
•End winding vibration detectors
•Radio frequency pick-up of corona discharge
•Rotor vibration
•Rotor earth fault detection
•Bearing pedestal insulation & shaft voltage
measurement
Next slide
due!!

Shaft earthing & voltage measurement

Insulation Testing & monitoring Next slide
due!!
Off line monitoring
•Standard IR testing
Changes in Capacitive and
•HV stator testing
resistive value change the
•Loss angle testing loss angle
 Next slide
Design developments due!!

•Water cooled DC rotor windings

•‘Superconductor’ principle
•Gas turbines for remote areas
•Induction AC generators
SUMMARY
Module has covered
•Stator and rotor construction
•AC generator stator connections
•Cooling facilities
•H2 shaft sealing
•Instrumentation
•Insulation properties
Next module deals with Governing
and Control principles
Last slide