Advanced Technology of Stator Winding Insulation System for H.V.

Motors
HHatano, N.Iwata, T.bkawa, KMori, KKarasawa
Toshiia Corporation
Yokohama
JAPAN

the aspect ratio of mica particles[2], but could not achieve

a drastic improvement in impregnability. We challenged to
To improve the reliability and the productivity of insulated improve the impregnability from another approach
windings for high voltage motors, we have developed the (1) by using milled glass tibers, which generate no harmful
refined vaa~umpressure impregnatioWI) system. Higher components when combusted, instead of aramid fibrid, and
thermal resistance and better impregnability have been (2) mixing it into mica paper to secure the clearances between
achieved by new mica paper with small amount of milled mica particles.
glass fibers in it. In this paper, we described the impregnability, At the first stage, we decided the optimum diameter,length,
the voltage e n d u " and the thermal resistance of our new and mixing ratio of milled glass fibers based on the results of
VPI. evaluation tests on the elecbid chamhistics and heat
Intmludion resistance of coil insulation[3].
The cross sectional views of insulation layers made by
To improve the productivity of windings insulated by WI, it laminating the developed mica tape (glass mica tape) and the
is necessary to reduce the duration of an impregnation. mica tape mixed with aramid fibrid (aramid mica tape) are
In recent years, mica paper produced by mixing with a small shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively.
volume of aromatic polyamide fibrid (aramid fibrid) has been
developed and put into practical use. Insulation systems using
lhis mica tape provide an improved thermal resistance, in
particular, because delamination between mica particles is
suppressedby the fibrid. However, it is reported that this type
of system generates harmful gas when combusted to rem the
cmre and the condudors as resources because nitfogen in the
imlalar construction of the fiber changes into hydrogen
cyanide depending on the combustingconditions.[l]
Therefore, the authors have developed such mica tape that Fig1 The m sedional view of insulation layer laminated
13011siStsof materials containing no nitrogen component, and glass mica tape.
lhas an excellent impregnability for high voltage motor
~msulation.
In this paper, the characteristics of insulated coils, the
impregnation mechanism of the new mica tape, and the effects
6the inner structure of the mica tape on the coil insulation
1
performance will be descn'bed.

Mica Tape

Impregnation paths for impregnating resin into the mica tape Fig2 The cross sedional view of insulation layer laminated
consist of the clearances beween mica particle lamination. aramid mica tape.
controlling of these.clearance have been tried by changing

0-7803-5035-9/98/$10.0001998 IEEE.
 As a result, it can be observed that glass mica tape has larger
impregnating paths due to the expanded clearances around
milled glass fibersas compared with the aramid mica tape.
Evaluation
Measurement results are sown in Figure 4. It has been
confirmedfrom these results thatbar insulation using glass mica
tape has a shorter time until the saturation of capacitance than
that of using aramid mica tape by % resulting in a large
improvementin impregnability.

1200
1)Impregnability glass-mixed mica bar
a)Impregnability of mica tape
Glass fabric backing mica tape with milled glass fibers at
mixing ratias of 3,5, and 10 wt% (glass mica tape) and mica
tape having same weight mica particles and binder with 5 MO
of aramid fibers (aramid mica tape) were prepared and their
/ pressurizing point
impregnability was evaluated by measuring thetime required for
a specified standard liquid to impregnate over the whole mica 0
0 50 100 150 200 250
tape (complied with EC 371-2).
Impregnation timehin.)
Figure 3 shows the results. It has been confirmedfrom these
Fig4 Impregnability of bar
results that aramid mica tape requires the impregnation time
more than twie of glass mica tape. On the other hand, it has
2)Voltage e n d m characteristics of coil insulation
also been confirmed that the impregnability of glass mica tape
To evaluate the voltage endurance characteristicsof the WI
progress as the mixing ratio of milled glass fiber is irxxeased
insulated bars using glass mica tape, banwere preparedby
1400

1200 -
. aramid-mixed(5wt%)
mica tape
insulated with glassmicatapeandaramidmicatapeby 4 times
of half lapped around a strands bundled conductor, mounting
0
J 1OOo- an elecbodelength of 380 mm around thecenterof each bar.
._
-
4 3

5 800 -
glass-mixed mica tape
Figure5 showsthe voltage e n d m CharaGteriSics of the
m
\ bars. It has been confirmed from these results that both types
e 600 -
OJ

-E 4 0 0 - of bar have almost equal voltage e n d u " characleristics.

200 - 100
1
O b

Fig3 Impregnability of mica tape

b)Impregnability of bar
n- [ aramid-mixed mica bar
I
Samplebaninsulated with glass mica tape (5wt% milled
glass fiber)and aramid mica tape by 10 times of half lap 1 . . , . ...,, , . . ....., . . . ,.... I . . , . ..
10' 102 . io3 104 105
on aluminum conductor(l5 X 50 X 1300mm) were prepared.
Life(hours)
An electrode of 4 5 0 " long was mounted around the centerof
Fig5 Voltage endurance chmckristics
each bar and the both ends of the bar were d e d with
compound. Then the air and moisture was purged by vacuum.
3)Thermal resistance characteristics
from the bar insulation layer, then epoxy impregnatingresin of
Sample bars were prepared in the same way as for the voltage
viscosity of 15O"a-s was poured on it in a vacuum at the
endurance test mentioned above. Each bar was exposed to
m m temperature,and was impregnatedunder a pressure of 0.5
elevated t e m p e m at ZWC for4,So,and 120days(EEE
MPa (gauge pressure). Capacitance was measured continuousiy
std.275),then tan 6 wercmeasured at room temphue.
during impregnating cycle using a digital LCR meter.

582

Egure6showstheaverageoftan 6 tip up eachbar during
qging(5 samples).
4
;I P differem in impregnability are taken in consideration,it maybe
:as 3
glass-mixed mica bar ,_:..'
W /
Y
0 I
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Aging timddays)
Eg.6 Thermal resistance characteristics of bars
As a result, changes in tan 6 tip up during aging are smaller
in the case where glass mica tape is used and was approx. 1R.
time of where aramid mica tape until 80. The difference is
fiurther expanded after 80 days. While the value of bar using
glass mica tape increases at a fixed rate until 120 days, the value
of using aramid mica tape imxeases steeply after 80 days.
Discussion
1)Impregnation mechanism
Impregnability tests on mica tape have shown that glass mica
tape has a higher impregnability than m i d mica tape.
Expansion of the clearamz between mica particles as observed
on the cross sectional view(Fig.1) of the insulation layers is
cnnsideredone of the major factor.
?his impregnability, however, may differ from the result of the
acctual plant, when it is taken in consideration the facts that a
standard impregnation liquid is differ from the actual
impregnation resin, and impregnation is evaluated under
atmospheric pressure. Therefore, to discuss the impregnation
rnechanism on actual winding, we tried to clarify the
impregnability using a VPI resin under extra pressure. As a
itsult, it has been found that the time until the saturation of
capacitancefrom the pressurizing is shorterby approx. 30% of
glass mica tape than aramid mica tape. ?his is considered
effect of the improved impregnabilityof glass mica tape.
As a result of analysis of capacitance vs. time elapsed@ig.4), it
can be found that though the increasing rates of capacitance at
the beginning of pressurizing are almost equal in both types of
bar insulation, the increasing rate of using aramid mica tape
583
slows down after a certain time has elapsed.
When the fa& that both types of bars have similar
specifications,manufacturingconditions, dimensions and further
the mica tapes in use have the same characteristicsexcept for the
from the difference in impregnability between the two types of
mica tape.
According to issue[4], impregnation paths in the insulation
layer of coil insulation using mica tape can be principally
divided into clearances between tapes and between mica
particles. Therefore, it can be considered that the immediate
increase of capacitance at the beginning of pressurization
curves immediately after the beginning of pressurization indicate
the state of impregnation through the path between mica tapes
and the point where the increasing rates begin to each other
represent the stateof impregnation into the mica tape.
In consideration of the period from the diverging point
of two curves to the time of saturation, thebar insulation using a
mixture with milled glass fibers has an impregnability 25times
of the other. ?his value is almost equal to the impregnability
ratio between two types of mica tape under the atmaspheric
pressure. It can be seen, therefore, that measures for improving
the impregnability into mica layers functionseffectively without
being affected by the differem in impregnating conditions or
taping proem.
2)Voltage endurance
It was afraid at the initial stage that, if the clearance between
mica pdcles is expanded by milled grass fibers, the voltage
endurancewillbe decreased due to the lower lowercorona
resistance of resin, but it has been found that there is no problem.
Although delamination may oaw between the mica particles
and some resin shrinkage during curing as the clearance
becomes large and thus accelerate discharge degradation,
because no delamination is found in the mica paper mixed with
milled glass fibers as show in figure 1,it canbe considered that
there was no decreasingof voltage endurance characteristics.
3)Thermal resistance
From the above results, it can be found that bar insulation
mixed with milled glass tibers has a thermal resistance superior
to the aramid fibrid. As descn'bed previously, when milled
glass fibers are mixed in, resin rich layers increase around them.
It can be considered that reasons why the bar insulation mixed
with milled glass fibers has an excellent thermal resistance in
spite of such phenomenon are as descn'bed below. Although
the operation temperature of high-voltage motors is c o m d y
from 80 to 12o"C, aging tests for performance evaluation are
p e r f o d at a higher t e m p e m for acceleration. Under the
condition of 2oo"C, where tests were performed, resins are
decomposed thermally and such decomposition progress
gradually from the surface of the insulation layer to its interior.
Furiher, even aramid fibrid, which have an excellent thermal
resistance,are gradually decomposed at "lC producing low-
molecular components. As a result, in the insulation mixed
with aramid fibrid, delamination in the insulation layer will be
occurred by these low-molecular components. On the other
hand, in insulation mixed with milled glass fibers only,
impregnated resins will be decomposed by heating, so it is
considered that delamination in the insulation layer will not
OCCUT easily.
Refemm
1)J.W.RothuiZen:"Safety Aspects of using Aramid Paper
and pressbord In Dry Type T~anshmrs*,Prcxxss of
Electric & Electron Insulation Conf. VOL18th P.181
-187
2)KKadotani, F.Aki, KMatsunobu:*Effect of Mica Paper
on Properties of Coil Insdation*,The Transactions of
the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan, V01.102,
No.llQ.14-20
3)N.Iwah H.Hatano: *Development of Insulation System
for High Voltage Rotating Machinery of Low
~vironmentalLoad-,report NoDEJ-97-124,The Institute
of Electrical Engineers of Japan
4)KSugiyama, H.Suzuki, KNatsume, CHara: *Vacuum
Pressure Impregnation Technic for High Voltage Rotating
Machine Coil", Shinko Technical Review V01.31
No.2(1986), P.13--20

We have developed such a refined VPI insulation system for

high-voltage mtos that has high performance and prodhvity,
and low envimnmentwith few problems in the aspects of impact
to pollution. We have developed a high-iipregnability mica
tape mixed with milled glass fibers, which gemrate no harmful
gas when combusted.
As a result of examination of impregnatingmechanism and
influences on insulation perhrmce, the following facts have
been revealed:

1) Mixing milled glass fibers in the mica paper to expand

impregnation paths is effective for the improvement of
impregnability.
2) Even on the bar insulation simulating an actual winding,
impregnability improves in spite of the existence of backing
materialsand binder or influence of taping.
3) Impregnating resin, penetrate into the c l m between
mica t a p at fint and then saturate into the mica tape
layer.
4) In spite of the increase in the volume of resin in the
insulation layer due to the expansion of impregnation paths,
bar insulation using glass mica tape shows such voltage
endurance characteristics and thermal resistance that are
equal or superior to those of conventional bar insulation
using aramid mica tape.

584