Analyses of Typical Fault on Stator End-Windings of Turbine-Generator and
Available Countermeasures
Bai Yamin
North China Electric Power Research Institute, China
byamin@cj.net.cn
Abstract--The fastening system loosening is a frequently
typical fault on stator end-windings of turbine-generators, the
faults or failures related to it including fastening bolts, nuts and
washers loosening, insulation worn-out, strands rupture, short
circuit between phase to phase or to the earth, and so on which
have a severe danger to insulation system so that is a huge
menace to machine operation safety. This paper presents some
instances with the faults in China and introduces analyses for
causes and offers some recommendations on the effective
countermeasures with successful practices.
Key words-Turbine-Generator Stator End-Windings Fault
I. INTRODUCTION
D uring generator operation normally the stator end-
windings are continuously vibrating under alternating
electromagnetic forces with double fundamental frequency.
Because stator end-windings of generator are similar to the
cantilever, especially turbine-generator with longer end parts,
it is very important in design, construction and operation for
avoiding end-windings damaged by vibration. Due to the
electromagnetic forces directly proportional to square current,
so the greater is capacity of generator, the more serious is
vibration problem. Experiences indicate that fastening system
loosening on stator end-windings is a frequently typical fault
for modern great generators. Appearance of the fault might
has variety, e.g. local insulation worn-out on end-windings,
some fixed component loosening and epoxy mud occurred on
the end areas, as to some bolts or nuts dropped down and so
on, which one or more can be discovered during overhaul.
Because the fault should raise vibration amplitude of end-
windings, it can little by little worsen and speed up so that
eventually become a serious failure disaster if have no any
treatment in time.
Today a generator with advantage technology ought to
have many reliable measures avoiding vibration excess on
end-windings, e.g. for preventing resonance with
electromagnetic force that natural frequencies of end parts
should avoid double fundamental frequency (100 Hz) and
modal shape of end-windings should not be elliptical shape;
for releasing heat stress and ensuring fastness of end
construction that the end construction should be flexible on
axis direction, and so on. However the vibration state of end-
windings actually is changeable under electromagnetic force
and heat stress for a long time in addition to micro-shrinkage
or worn-out of insulation or local loosening. The change of
natural frequencies and modal shapes may make they put in
the dangerous resonance region with 100 Hz even if the
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June 2007, San Antonio, TX
original had no problem. Unfortunately this change can not
be monitored by normally electrical monitor or mechanical
monitor out of machine so that it is difficult to avoid failure at
all on end-windings. Therefore it is necessary for avoiding
failure to regulate some countermeasures during installation
or overhaul, e.g. detail inspecting to end-windings and doing
dynamic characteristic test and so on.
Actually it is necessary and possible for safety operation to
directly monitor vibration amplitude of end-windings of
stator. The monitor vibration on end-windings also has
special significance to the generator with end part problem
i.e. elliptical modal shape with 100 Hz more or less. It is
difficult to handling the machine because the modal shape of
end-windings is hardly changed by simply modify to end
constructions. If reforming the end-windings entirely the cost
will very expensive and maybe have no certainty of full
success relied on existing technology. Meanwhile the
generator might have already operated for a long time without
any fault, which indicates the end construction is quite
fastening, but it is evident that no body can ensure it in good
condition forever. For the generators with vibration problem,
an economic, reliable and simple treatment method is to
install monitor system to vibration, which can realize warning
of early faults so that effectively avoid sudden failure.
The Author will commence from some fault instances, and
then introduces our efforts against the faults including
experiment methods, available countermeasures and some
successful instances in China.
II. FAULT INSTANCES
A. Fault from End Construction Problem
On Sept. of 1998, a turbine-generator with 500 MW by
Russian made happened a trouble that much hydrogen leaking
from inner-cooling-water tank of the stator windings up to
full scales of type AT 0012 Gas Meter (4% by density) so
that had to stop the machine and to take out the rotor for
examining the fault. Some abnormal phenomena were
discovered with water pressure test e.g. there were a lot of
epoxy mud and some watermarks on end windings of
excitation side, also several insulation pieces dropped out and
worn out. Further examination indicates partial insulation of
several bars was seriously worn out or even copper was bared
out and some hollow strands have cracks. Figure out that 12
support spots became relaxation, 22 binding insulation pieces
dropped out and 8 bars were worn out. Please show pictures
about the fault objects in Fig. 1.
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 According the fault analysis it is the oscillation failure
happened 8 months ago that made the end fastening
construction some degree damage by current surge with many
times even though it looked like no abnormal at that time.
The manufacturer undertook restoration job in addition to
partial reinforcement. However the works cannot assure that
generator restores original condition so we are also anxious
about loosening fault appearing again in the future.
In recent years there also were several generators in China
that happened the serious troubles cause by end-winding
vibration problem, e.g. insulation worn-out, fatigue fracture
or water leakage of hollow conductors in nose-end, or even
short circuit failure between phase to phase or to earth. The
Fig. 1 Worn out of Insulation of Bars due to End Construction Loosening
failures of the kinds caused by the faults on end-windings
Analyses of the fault indicate the direct cause is the
have a feature of emergency and hardly any simple repair so
construction of the stator end windings and manufacture
the economic losses with the failures are very huge, so that it
technology not good, which the binding ropes are too thin
is very necessary to pay attention particularly to the faults.
and insulation piece edges are too sharp. Besides it maybe has
resonance at 100 Hz on stator end windings. In 1997 during
III. PREVENTIVES FOR STATOR BAR INSULATION WORN-OUT
the first overhaul, similar phenomena that the support
looseness and the insulation pieces dropping out also were A. Design and Technology on End Winding Construction
discovered so did special treatment. For further analyzing the
The most problems of design and technology belonged to
fault we measured the natural frequencies and the modal
manufacturers should be cleared up in manufactories. Up to
shapes on the stator end windings. Owing to some support
date Chinese manufacturers have been adopting some new
components taken down before test, the test results should not
technologies and standards about end winding construction,
be full same as the machine stopping before. But also the test
e.g. axial flexible support construction and natural
results indicate many bars on excitation side have natural
frequencies avoiding 100 Hz as far as possible. Now Industry
frequencies near by 100 Hz and have a irregular modal shape
Standard[2] of China about measuring modal shapes and
at 108 Hz, meanwhile on the turbine side have ellipse modal
natural frequencies on stator end windings of turbine-
shape at 115 Hz. Experience and theory research indicates the
generators provides that the generators with 300 MW and
natural frequencies of bars should drop down 2 Hz ~ 10 Hz
over should permit no the natural frequencies between 94 Hz
due to heating during generator operating. Therefore basically
~ 115 Hz and no elliptic modal shape before leaving from
it was confirmed that the resonance sped up and aggravated
manufactory. In recent years our manufacture quality has had
vibration effects to end winding construction.
evident improvement but also there are some problems need
The generator went on overhaul immediately and replaced
to resolve, e.g. hope the natural frequency avoiding region
all bars in stator result in halted 118 days.
can further to expand.
B. Fault from Current Surge Failure
B. Pay Attention to Preventive Maintenance (PM)
On May of 2002, a turbine-generator with 500 MW in
Every maintenance and overhaul should in detail examine
North China happened a large trouble from a mistake
stator end winding construction, particularly pay attention to
operation of field regulator that caused generator lost
the marks of insulation worn out. If the looseness on end
excitation and oscillated with power system, which generator
construction is discovered must go on modal test of vibration
absorb reactive power up to 444 Mavrs in the first oscillating
so that confirm resonance problem. The related Industry
cycle and next then oscillation of active power between 290
Standard[3] provides that the generators with 200 MW and
MW and 450 MW and of reactive power between -278 Mavrs
over should carry out modal test during overhaul and the
and -666 Mavrs, meanwhile of frequency between 49.9 Hz
limits as the above. According to test results can determine
and 51.0 Hz and of IA between 9 kA and 29.5 kA, which
repair program and check up the repair effects. In 2000 we
oscillation lasted 4 minutes and 10 seconds and oscillation
took a modal test for a generator with 300 MW that was
cycle is 5.2 seconds. After the failure the examination of
discovered seriously looseness existing i.e. 4 bolts on support
generator construction did not find out any abnormal spot so
dropped down, 12 bolts were loosened and 6 spots on
it continues operation[1]. On January of 2003 during overhaul
insulation system were worn out. The test results indicate the
many evident fault spots of loosening and worn-out on end-
generator has modal shape with 7-petal at 101 Hz (modal
windings of stator were recovered which the most serious
damping 1.58%) and modal shape with 8-petal at 112 Hz
fault is insulation worn-out up to 3 mm ~4 mm so that it may
(modal damping 1.88%), therefore can confirm the looseness
develop to become disastrous short circuit failure at any
related to resonance at a contain extent. It is interesting that
moment if the machine had run again continually.

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the test again going on after repair with restoring insulation
and end construction indicates no modal frequencies between
89.5 Hz ~137.9 Hz and modal damping increased up to
4.45% and over. Since the tests proved repair effects and
provided with safe data for operation.
This instance also shows the natural frequencies maybe
change after a long time of operation, and particularly the
change will occur following the looseness. Therefore it is
necessary for regularly carrying on modal test. From 1998 we
have done the tests about 50 times and obtained many test
data that are useful to evaluate generator operation.
If a generator happened a huge surge of stator current, e.g.
single phase or three-phase short circuit, serious oscillation
fallen out step etc. it ought to be inspected and treated for
fastening constructions of stator end-windings as soon as
possible. If no defect it can continue operation but should be
examined again in one year. Generally a long time of several
months passed may reveal the latent defects of fastening
problem on stator end-windings so the treatment in time will
effectively avoid it developing to become a serious failure.
C. Monitor Generator Operation with Advanced Technology
1) Monitor Vibration on Stator End Windings
Amplitude of vibration on stator end windings during
operation can directly indicate the condition of vibration. If
the looseness or the worn-out appears the amplitude of
vibration will increase quickly and even go beyond the limit.
This time should be ideal right time to stop and examine the
machine for avoiding damage.
Our practices indeed prove that the condition maintenance
with monitoring vibration on end-windings of stator is very
effective measures to ensure safety operation of generator.
Particularly it is a key link for avoiding failure as the machine
having vibration problems on end-windings by modal test
confirming.
Because of the characters of generator inner with high
potential, strong electromagnetic field etc. it is very important
for choice of devices of monitor system in reliability and
availability. We consider that the optical fiber system
monitoring vibration has an evident advantage in safety and
ought to firstly select it even price higher.
Because of limitation of monitor spots the monitor system
cannot absolutely avoid the entire end winding faults. For
example, on June of 1998 a generator with 667 MW in China
took place a failure of short circuit on a leading wire of stator
end windings to earth. The generator has a monitor vibration
system by ALSTHOM, but the fault spot has no detector. The
specially measured value at same spot on another generator
with same type in this power plant indicates the amplitude of
vibration up to 930 µm, but the alarm set only at 500 µm by
manufacturer.
2) Monitor Hydrogen Leaking from Inner-Cooling Water
Tank of Stator Windings
Due to hydrogen pressure higher then water pressure, if
there is gas leaking from inner-cooling water tank of stator
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June 2007, San Antonio, TX
windings which should indicate leaking problem existed on
inner-cooling water system, including seal of water joint
becoming invalid, welding seams splitting, insulation
manifolds damage or inner-cooling strands damage etc.,
which each one can bring on serious short circuit failure.
Therefore it is important for monitoring hydrogen leaking
from the water tank. The instance on the A of section II of
this paper also shows that the first alarm is gas leakage from
the water tank for bars worn out. As early as the nineties a
hydrogen detector for turbine-generator has been developed
by us that adopted Pd-gate MOS as hydrogen-sensitive
element and can measure hydrogen percentage concentration
from 0%~4%. Up to date the hydrogen detectors have been
installed on above 20 generators only in North China Power
Network [4].
IV. OUR PRACTICE OF MONITOR VIBRATION OF STATOR END-
WINDINGS
We have been doing some works on monitoring vibration
on stator end windings in recent years. The vibration monitor
systems installed on stator end-windings of turbine-
generators are either acceleration sensors of optical fiber or
piezoelectric crystal type or both.
A. Application Instance
There is a 200 MW turbine generator with type QFQS-
200-2 made in China went operation in 1986, which up to
date took place 4 time failures of insulation damage of stator
bars in its history. Except for poor manufacture quality the
direct cause is vibration character of end-windings not good.
In 1998 during overhaul the modal shapes of end-windings of
stator both turbine side and excitation side were confirmed
being elliptical modal shape with natural frequency about 107
Hz by modal test. According to Chinese Standard[3] the test
result indicates the fastening constructions of stator end have
a serious vibration problem. For avoiding failure some
measures can be adopted to stator end-windings are either
thoroughly reforming the end constructions for natural
frequency change or installing monitor system for vibration.
In view of the machine has been operating without any fault
for a long time, particularly no evident worn-out and
loosening cases on the end-windings, that indicates either
modal damp is bigger so that restraining the vibration
amplitude or oscillation frequency band is very narrow so that
have no resonation even though near by the oscillation
frequency yet. This operation condition maybe can maintain a
very long time or not, eventually with operation time
extending the danger of end-winding damage will appear
more and more due to the fastening constructions might
gradually become poor with vibration. We consider the good
choice is to install monitor system for vibration because of
the investment less and realizing early warning to the end part
faults for operation safety.
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B. Selection and Installation of Monitor System
By integrated survey for supply, prices and achievement etc.
we chose an optical fiber system by VibroSystM Inc. of
Canada made specially for monitoring vibration of stator end-
windings, which the acceleration sensor is called FOA-100
type and data treatment and display device is called PCU-100
type. We installed 6 sensors separately on excitation side and
turbine side.
In order to compare we also installed 6 acceleration
sensors with piezoelectric crystal type at low electrical
potential spots on same sides of the generator.
C. Operation Condition of Monitor Systems
Since summer of 1999 installed the monitor systems both
the generator and the monitor devices have been operating
normally. The optical fiber monitor system is real time work
on line and can display vibration amplitude with automatic
alarm and data record function. The piezoelectric crystal
measurement system needs routine sampling so total took 3
times after installation and eventually had been token out
during a minor overhaul.
We set the alarm at 150 µm of amplitude or by a sudden
change over 50 µm, and if the amplitude over 250 µm should
stop the machine to examine.
Because the two systems have different sampling spots the
results cannot compare directly with each other, however also
have certain comparable i.e. all data displayed are within
allowed limits. Now the generator is steadily operating
usually under 100 µm of amplitude. The maximum of
amplitude recorded by the optical fiber monitor system is 178
µm also less then the limit of machine stop.
On November of 2000, the vibration amplitude of the 43rd
bar increased 75 µm suddenly and lasted about 10 days then it
also went back to original value 40 µm or so. During a next
minor overhaul the end part was inspected particularly to the
43rd bar and near region, and so the support bolt loosening
between 44th bar and 45th bar was discovered and was treated
in time.
The monitored results indicate the machine condition is
normal and vibration amplitude is within limit values even
though it has elliptical modal shapes with frequencies nearby
100 Hz. Therefore it can run continue under monitoring for
vibration and it not necessary to reform end construction for
change natural frequency so that saved over ￥3,000,000 of
reforming expense and avoided economic losses by kWh up
to several hundred millions owing to outage for 80 days
according to original reforming schedule, meanwhile also
increased availability ratio and reliability level of the
generation unit. So the power plant obtains good economic
benefit from it.
V. CONCLUSION
Insulation worn-out caused by loosening of fastening
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June 2007, San Antonio, TX
constructions on stator end-windings is a typical common
fault or failure in turbine generators. This paper introduces
and analyzes several fault instances in China, then presents
some available countermeasures to the faults.
Practice indicates the above fault may grow to short circuit
failure between phase to phase or to earth and the dynamic
condition of end-windings during operation cannot be known
well by mean of regular methods e.g. monitoring out machine
or off-line test. In order to avoid generator failure, firstly
ought to improve design and technology quality including to
make fastening system of end-windings stronger and more
perfect, i.e. the natural frequencies avoiding double
fundamental frequency and vibration amplitude as smaller as
possible, meanwhile can endure larger current surge without
recessively harmful deformation; secondly ought to enhance
inspection during overhaul, particularly carry out modal test
to stator end-windings for mastering its history, current
situation and trend in the future for end vibration condition.
Practices prove that the monitoring vibration on stator end-
windings is very effective measures to ensure safety operation
of generator. Particularly the monitoring vibrating amplitude
is a key link for avoiding failure as the machine having
vibration problems on end-windings. Because of the
characters of generator inner with high voltage, strong
electromagnetic field etc. it is very important for monitor
system choice in reliability and availability. We consider that
the optical fiber system monitoring vibration has an evident
advantage in safety and ought to firstly select it even price
higher.
This paper presents a successful instance of optical fiber
system monitoring vibration for a turbine-generator with 200
MW and the actual beneficial results obtained.
VI. REFERENCES
[1] Li Xinyou and Ren Yibin, “Effect of Excitation System Failure in 500
MW Generator on Power System”, North China Electric Power, pp. 31-
34, No. 11, 2002, Nov. 2002
[2] Modal Test Analyses and Natural Frequency Measurement Methods of
Large Turbo-Generators on Stator End Windings and Evaluation
Criteria, Chinese Engineering Industry Standard JB/T 8990-1999, Jan.
2000
[3] Measurement and Evaluation of the Dynamic Characteristic on Stator
End Windings of the Large Turbo-Generator, Chinese Power Industry
Standard, DL/T 735-2000, Jan. 2001
[4] Xu Yongxiang, Bai Yamin and Lu Ming, “Development and
Application of Generator Hydrogen Leakage Monitor”, Electrical
Equipment, pp 71-73, Vol. 1, No. 3-4, Dec. 2000
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