GE Power & Water

Power Generation Services

Generator Lifecycle Services

Generating
powerful solutions.

Breathing new life into

your aging generator.
Reduce
Maintenance
Costs
Increase
Reliability

Increase
Capacity

Improve
Availability

How do you maintain reliability and availability with reduced

budgets? How do you adapt to fluctuating market and
regulatory conditions? You need powerful solutions to tough
obstacles. To meet ever-changing market needs, you may
be required to operate and maintain your generator in ways
quite different from original specs. GEs Advanced Generator
Service solutions can help you achieve your goals.

Empowering you to succeed.

GE provides a suite of services that can enable you to improve
reliability and availability, control maintenance costs and
increase the capacity of your generator over its entire lifecycle.
GE knows generators. Weve been installing and maintaining
generators since the 19th century and have placed more than
14,000 medium and large generators into service. We have
performed hundreds of field and stator rewinds and responded
to thousands of outages. We use a global pool of over 400
generator specialists to serve your needs.
Safety, quality and outage duration are concerns GE takes
seriously. Our goal is to execute a project flawlessly and without
incident to help you stay within budget and on schedule.
In short, we seek to exceed your expectations in every way,
every day.

Insider knowledge
of outages

Outage Duration (Shifts)

20

15

Cut outage duration

by over one-third
Unlike a traditional inspection, where
valuable time is spent on disassembly,
MAGIC enables GE to devote more time
to inspecting your generator.

10

Outage Expertise At Your Service

Ingenious MAGIC

How do you think through and plan for your outages?

Whether planned or unexpected, they reduce the productivity
and the profitability of your asset. GE can help you extend
equipment-running time between planned maintenance
outages, eliminate unnecessary outages and reduce the
duration of necessary ones. With our advanced testing and
inspection tools, capabilities and experienced specialists,
GE can help you reduce duration and cost without sacrificing
safety or quality.

GEs proprietary Miniature Air Gap Inspection Crawler (MAGIC)

makes it possible to execute a complete generator inspection
without removal of the field. Not only does GEs MAGIC robot
provide visual inspection via digital recordings, it also evaluates
wedge tightness and electromagnetic core insulation damage.
Whats more, GE also uses various automated inspection
tools that allow non-destructive evaluation of retaining rings,
hydraulic integrity of liquid cooled stator windings and wet
insulation detection.

Over the past decade, GE has built an impressive portfolio of

in-situ inspection technologies that enable generator testing
and inspection while the rotor remains in place. This can cut
outage duration by over one-third of the time, while helping to
reduce the risk of collateral damage from rotor pulls.
GEs generator specialists can help craft a customized
maintenance plan that:
Reduces outage duration and cost
Accurately assesses generator condition

Reassembly
Inspection
Disassembly

0
GE In-situ
Inspection

Traditional
Inspection

Backed by GEs engineering organization

MAGIC robot

Avoiding failure

Peace of mind

Keeping tabs on the condition of an

aging generator is vitally important. A
forced outage increases in probability
as the generator ages. By following GEs
inspection protocols, you can maintain
unit reliability and availability.

Its yours with GE. If an issue is identified

during an inspection, GE is positioned to
repair at-site or in one of our many regional
repair shops, thereby minimizing the impact
of unplanned maintenance.

Generator Monitoring
System (GMS)

Shorted Turns
Monitoring System
(STMS)

Stator Leak Monitoring

System (SLMS-HP)
Bar leaks

Generating

more
control.
Budgets causing you to cut back on scheduled
maintenance? Wouldnt it be nice if you could extend
the time between outages? What if you could avoid
unplanned outages altogether? GE can help you
meet these goals while maintaining the health of
your generator. With our technology, knowledge and
experience, we can help you create a maintenance
plan based on the actual condition of your generator.

Stator RTD/TCs
Plugged strands

Enhanced Partial
Discharge Analyzer (ePDA)
Stator insulation damage

Core Monitor
Localized overheating
detection

Accurately anticipating.
How can your generators condition be assessed without
scheduled outages and visual inspections? GE has a way.
Weve created and continue to develop advanced sensors and
automated monitoring algorithms that aim to enable predictive
maintenance. Our unique approach includes sensors that
monitor key failure modes that historically dictate the scheduled
outage interval. This enables you to anticipate problems. Better
yet, youll know when to leave well enough alone. Whatever
your specific needs, GE can custom tailor a monitoring solution
from our extensive suite of technologies and services. Youll
gain continuous assessment of your generators condition.
You may choose to purchase a stand-alone unit such as the
stator leak monitoring system or a complete package. Most
GE generator monitoring technologies can be integrated

through the Generator Monitoring System. This provides a more

complete assessment of your generators condition through
automated anomaly algorithms that alert you to any change in
the monitored parameters.
The Generator Monitoring System enables:

Monitoring system integration

Predictive maintenance
Quicker diagnostics
Reduced risk of forced outages
Reduced maintenance costs
Future advances in GE monitoring technologies
to integrate with your system

Solutions that extend your

generators lifecycle.
Stator Rewind
Sustaining generator performance in these times of ever-shrinking budgets can
be a difficult challenge. With the median age of generators approaching 30 years,
combined with changes in duty cycle, an increased probability of generator failure is
of great concern. GE has recently invested over $12M in stator bar technology, tools
and manufacturing improvements. As a result, GE is uniquely positioned to enable
you to extend the life and reliability of your generator through industry-leading
short-cycle implementations. Whats the GE difference?
Our expertise. As the OEM of your asset, we know its design and operational profile
like no other. We know what works, what doesnt and whats best left alone.
Our technology. Only GE can provide you with proven uprate technology that can
turn your outage into an opportunity to extend asset life and performance.
Our execution. Through GEs Outage Excellence Team, you can be assured we are
continuously working to improve cycle time, quality and service to you, our valued
customer. In fact, we recently added short-cycle conventionally cooled stator bar
manufacturing technology to help you decrease costs and cycle time.

Proven Stator Bar Technology

With the introduction of phosphorus-free brazing technology,
GE stators have evolved to achieve leak-free bars.

Insulation Technology
GE continuously makes investments to develop better performing insulation systems. Currently, our
systems are rated for class F+ thermal capability which leads to extended life when operated in class B
or F temperatures. In addition, our insulation technology developments have led to greater voltage
endurance capabilities.

World-Class Execution
Equipped with highly productive tools such as GEs
proprietary bar transport and stator wedge tooling, GE
provides world-class short outage durations. In addition,
GEs execution team is led by a dedicated project manager,
who is a recognized expert in generator service and your
single point of contact for all your needs, from order
through warranty.

Field Rewinds & Exchange Fields

Experience shows that typical operating incidents have the greatest impact
on the field (motoring, contamination, etc.), which means the rotor is often the
generator component requiring the most maintenance. Whether the work you
need is executed in a dedicated GE Generator Repair Shop or on-site, GE provides
a number of field rewind options to fit your needs. In addition, GE offers off-the-shelf,
pre-wound exchange fields that can give you all the benefits of a field rewind while
significantly reducing outage interval.

Proven Upgrade Technology

When re-winding an aged generator field, GE applies
advanced technology to improve the life of the rotor. In most
cases, GE can apply upgraded design features such as:
C-coil rotor windings
Non-magnetic retaining rings
Insulating materials
Blocking and wedges

Extensive Service Capabilities

Thermally sensitive rotor vibration can rub you the wrong way by shortening equipment life
and limiting your operational envelope. Vibrations must be mitigated, but first you have to
know whats causing them. Whether theyre caused by unsymmetrical cooling, shorted turns
or mechanical interferences, to name a few, GEs high-speed balance facility can help identity
a vibrations root cause. Our high-speed balance bunker executes a FULL thermal sensitivity
test. This facility is one of only a handful in the world to offer this capability. It can help ensure
that the field is ready to return to service by validating proper vibration levels at high speed
and applying excitation current to assess the rotor throughout the reactive capability curve.

Can you increase capacity?

Yes, we can.
Once a generator has been in service a few years, cookie-cutter uprates just
wont do. You need GEs uprate experts to help you assess your parameters,
evaluate options and select whats right for you. Enabled by GEs long history
(and ongoing investments) in generator technology, we can study your entire
system. For example, all thermal, mechanical and electromagnetic limits are
evaluated for stator windings, core ends and the rotor. GE then delivers options to
uprate your generator up to ~20% of current capacity. Extensive factory and field
tests, ongoing asset monitoring, and a robust, maintenance-free core design gives
GE the confidence you need to ensure ratings will increase all the way to the core
ends. With GE uprate experts, you get:

When you need more

Are your capacity demands outpacing your current generators capability? GEs
high power density replacement generators can be tailored to meet your needs,
with minimal plant design impact. Designed to work within your existing generators
footprint, GE uses the latest technologies to provide higher efficiency and reliability.
And, you can depend on GEs extensive experience in evaluating rotor train torsional
lateral response to assist in avoiding catastrophic rotor component failures.

Proprietary knowledge of GE system design

Insights learned from thousands of hours of performance data
Operational expertise that comes from maintaining our own fleet
of generator assets at over 50 GE O&M Contract Service sites
Real-world experience, gained from the more than 1.7GW of
uprates weve executed for customers like you

500
400

+ MVAR + MW

300

200

Generator to Synchronous Condenser Conversions

MVAR

100

+ MW

0
0

100

200

300

400

500

700

-100
-200
-300
-400

C
+ MW

As power generation plants approach the end of their effective operational life, you may
face a challenging decision between upgrading or retiring. In many instances, when
power plants are retired, there may be concerns that could adversely affect local
electrical system voltage stability. GE now offers engineered solutions that convert
existing synchronous generators, powered by gas or steam turbines, into synchronous
condensers with minimal disruption. GEs solution is focused on clean-waveform static
start technology to drive the generator, which is now disconnected from the
prime mover, to synchronous speed. This is achieved by the use of a variable
frequency drive (VFD)which reduces the duty imposed on the generator, reduces
mechanical alterations, and avoids the cost and maintenance of a starting motor.
Experience: over 700 static start systems in use for gas turbines
Uniquely equipped to study the full electrical system inclusive of interconnection
(gen hardware, controls, stability analysis, grid code expertise, etc.)

Better control
through retrofit.
Have an aging generator control system? You may be
faced with a lack of parts availability, increased maintenance,
shortage of knowledgeable service personnel and a lack
of critical excitation system data needed to manage the
asset. Whether you have a vintage static exciter, EX2000, or
Alterrex system, GE offers several retrofit options that help
you to achieve improved reliability, availability, reduced
maintenance and increased options for redundancy.
Trust GE to provide you with:
Increased power system stability through software and tuning
System expertise, from full integration to coordination
Uprate support
Online repair solutions
Choose the retrofit option thats right for you:
Replacement Alterrex generator
Vintage static exciters to EX2100e
Alterrex voltage regulator upgrade
Alterrex rectifier bridge upgrade
Alterrex to EX2100e full static retrofit
Digital front end (DFE) upgrade
Static starter upgrades
Generator protection panel upgrades

GE sweats the small stuff.

Leaking seals? Oil ingress in your hydrogen monitoring system?
Brushes need replacing while online? Generator auxiliary
systems like these can make or break your reliability and
availability, any day, any time.
While your generator may be getting on in years, GE
continues to invest in developing retrofitable solutions to help
breathe new life into your aging systemseven the small
stuff, which can have a big impact on your entire operation.
Here are just a few examples of the technological advances
we have ready to help you improve performance:
Brush rigging upgrade
Collectors
Retaining rings
Wedges
H2 cabinet upgrade
Auxiliary upgrades
Cooling system conversions (Open Air to TEWAC)
Cooler replacements and upgrades

For more information:

GE Power & Water
Generator Services
4200 Wildwood Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30339-8402 USA
To learn more about these offerings,
contact your sales representative or
www.powergen.gepower.com

We are there when you need us.

GE has global reach and technical breadth. When you need expert
assistance, our global footprint gives us the ability to respond to
your needs at a moments notice. You get qualified specialists
focused on your plant, speaking your language. Our highly trained
team is ready to address not only your generator concerns, but
also anything that can impact generator performance, including
electrical power systems, full train rotor dynamics, controls and
heat exchangers. Whatever you need, experts are standing by,
ready to help.

Personal commitment to quality.

Every day at GE Power & Water, employees across the company
make a personal commitment to own quality. That means doing
the job right the first time, on-time, every time. This personal
commitment to quality is what enables us to provide the best
possible products and services to our customers.
Quality is woven into the fabric of everything we do at
GE Power & Water.

Sales office
Repair shop
Manufacturing
Engineering
Warehouse

2014 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

GEA19596A (04/2014)