IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, Vol. 3, No.
4, December 1988
THE ABILITY OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TO ESTIMATE THE
REMAINING LIFE OF STATOR INSULATION
G.C. Stone, H.G. Sedding*, B.A. Lloyd and B.K. Gupta
Ontario Hydro Research Division
Toronto, Canada
-
Abstract Stator windings from three generators and one motor were
subjected to a wide variety of diagnostic and destructive tests prior to
the rewind of the machines. Diagnostic tests included insulation
resistance, polarization index, capacitance, dissipation factor tip-up,
partial discharge magnitude and discharge inception voltage. The
destructive tests included breaking down individual coils with either ac,
dc, or impulse voltages. The remaining life of the stator insulation is as-
sumed (correctly or incorrectly) to be a function of the breakdown volt-
age. Since the results of the diagnostic tests did not correlate with the
breakdown voltages, it seems that remaining life can not be predicted on
the basis of diagnostic tests alone. Equations and other relationships
recently developed in Japan to predict the remaining life of the stator
groundwall insulation system could not be confirmed. Diagnostic tests
are most useful to indicate the trend in insulation aging in a particular
machine.
Keywords: Stator insulation, diagnostic tests, remaining life
INTRODUCTION
Forced outages of generators and motors in critical applica-
tions can cost users millions of dollars in repair and outage costs. Reli-
able operation of a rotating machine depends critically on the integrity of
its stator winding insulation, which is aged by exposure to a combination
of thermal, electrical, mechanical and environmental stresses. There-
fore, utilities have a keen interest in diagnostic measurements to assess
the condition of the stator insulation in these machines. Such measure-
ments help in planning maintenance and repair schedules. Minor repairs
could be made in time to prevent forced outages with associated ex-
pensive major repairs, enabling the utility to use its fiscal and human
resources most effectively.
Many generating stations in North America are 25 years or
more old, and are nearing the end of their planned life. Financial condi-
tions and regulatory constraints have made approval for construction of
new stations increasingly difficult, and extending the life of an existing
older plant may be a more palatable altemative. To determine whcther
generator and large motor rewinds are necessary to achieve an extended
lire, methods are required to estimate the probable remaining life of ex-
isting windings. The results of insulation diagnostic methods are crucial
in planning the cost effective life extension of older stations.
A direct measure of the integrity of an insulation system may
be the breakdown strength under dc, ac, and/or impulse stresses, as
determined through destructive testing. Another more subjective means
of assessing the insulation's condition requires the dissection and exam-
ination of some samples of the insulation. Unfortunately both of these
procedures damage the winding, making the machine unserviceable.
* SERC Research Fellow, Brighton Polytechnic, U.K.
88 WM 026-7 A paper recommended and approved
tby the IEEE Rotating Machinery Committee of the
IEEE Power Engineering Society €or presentation at
the IEEE/PES 1988 Winter Meeting, New York, New
York, January 31 - February 5 , 1988. Manuscript
submitted August 31, 1987; made available for
printing November 13, 1987.
0885-8969/88/1200-0833$01.0001988 IEEE
833
Nondestructive diagnostic tests of the insulation system are
required by maintenance engineers since, by definition. the insulation
remains serviceable once such tests are completed. The credibility in
estimating the insulation's condition using these diagnostic tests should
be well correlated to results of breakdown tests and dissections. How-
ever, by their nature, experiments to establish a correlation between non-
destructive and destructive tests are very costly and require availability
of a machine for an extensive length of time. Because of the cost and
limited availability of machines for destructive testing, most authors
have evaluated the capabilities of different nondestructive diagnostic
methods with little experimental verification of any correlation with the
measured strengths of the machines [ 1.21.
The only extensive work on comparing diagnostic tests to
remaining life, as determined by breakdown strength, has come from
several Japanese investigators during the last fcw years [3-6,9-121.
These authors reported a correlation between the breakdown strength
(expressed as a percentage of the value for new coils, or residual
strength) and various combinations of the results from diagnostic
measurements eg, partial discharges, capacitance, dissipation factor,
resistance, etc.
Recently Ontario Hydro researchers [7] also performed many
diagnostic tests and measured strengths of coils in a 542 MW gcnerator
winding. Contrary to work reported in [3-61, the results did not show any
correlation between the nondestructive and destructive measurements.
Subsequently, tests partly funded by EPRI were performed on three
more machines of different designs to verify the existence or nonexis-
tence of a similar correlation. The combined results from these ex-
tensive tests on four machines are given in this paper.
WINDINGS INVESTIGATED
Four different stator windings were tested to destruction in
this study. The details of the windings are outlined in Table 1. The
smallest machine tested was an 11,000 HP motor with a VPI epoxy
winding; the largest machine was a 542 MW turbine generator with a
micafolium insulation system. Of the four machines, three had modem
insulation systems. Only stator 1 did not have stress rclief coatings.
Destructive testing of these machines was possible since they
were to be rewound. However, only one machine (stator 3) was
rewound because of deficiencies associated with the stator groundwall
insulation. Stator 3 was manufactured with imperfect semiconductive
and electric field grading coatings. When placed in service, this winding
quickly deteriorated, with the slot and grading coatings "disappearing".
By keeping the winding tight within the slot, rapid "slot discharge"
deterioration was avoided, and no urlnding failure occurred. However,
for the 7 or so years before rewinding, stator 3 produced over 1 ppm of
ozone within the generator enclosure and had the highest partial dis-
charge activity of any generator in Ontario Hydro. Using the Ontario
Hydro on-line PDA test [8], discharges in excess of 10.000 pC were
measured in this winding, which were correctly recognized as symptoms
of deteriorated coatings.
As indicated above, the other three windings were rewound
for reasons unconnected to the condition of the stator groundwall (Table
1). In fact, based on in-service partial discharge testing as well as regu-
lar inspections, the stator insulation of these three windings was ex-
pected to be in good condition, in spite of their long service lives.
834

Table 1
Measurementson Machines Tested

STATOR 1 STATOR 2 STATOR 3 STATOR 4

Rating 4 pole, 6.6 kV, 4 pole, 24 kV, 48 pole, 13.8 kV 72 pole, 13.8 kV,
11,ooohT 542 M W 80 MW 60 MW
Motor Turbine Generator Hydro Generator Hydro Generator
Insulation Epoxy resin bonded Shellac bonded Epoxy resin bonded Polyester resin
System mica paper micafolium mica paper bonded mica split.
tings
Operating'Time 56,000 hours 12 years 13 years 20 years

In-service PD 700 pc 2OOo Pc 11,Ooopc 3000 pC

Magnitude 1"
Reason for Turn-to-tum Coolant leaks Loss of semiconductive Severe core prob-
Rewind insulation failures coating on stator bars lems
Visual Inspection YeS Yes Yes Yes
Insulation
Resistance No No Yes Yes
Polarization
Index No No Yes Yes
dc Ramp To 20 kV To 49 kV To 30 kV No

Capacitance At 1,23,4,5,6 kV At 3,6,9,12,15 kV At 1,2,3,4,5,6kV At 1 and 8 kV

Dissipation
Factor As above As above As above As above
Partial Discharge At 24,5,6 kV At 6,10,14 kV At 4 and 6 kV At 6,8,10 kV
dc Breakdown Withstand only Withstand only
ac Breakdown Withstand only Withstand only Yes Yes
Impulse
Breakdown No Withstand only Yes Yes

Dissection Yes No Yes No

The ac diagnostic tests included the measurement of

TEST PROCEDURES
Diagnostic Tests
Prior to the destructive breakdown tests, the four windings
were subjected to a variety of nondestructive diagnostic tests which have
been used in the past to help assess insulation condition. In most cases
these tests were done on the complete winding, individual phases, phase
groups and individual coils or bars. As with all the breakdown tests, all
the diagnostic tests were done with the coils or bars installed within the
stator, that is, the coils were not removed from the stator core prior to
testing.
Direct current diagnostic tests included insulation resistance
(IR) and polarization index (PI), both done at 1000 V dc according to
IEEE 43. These tests (as all the other tests) were done with the winding
at m m temperature. No special precautions were taken to guard the
stress relief coatings. A dc "ramp" test was also performed on three of
the stators. In this test the dc leakage current was recorded as the volt-
age was increased at a rate of 2 kV/min.
capacitance, dissipation factor and partial discharge intensity for a range
of voltage steps up to rated line-to-ground voltage. For the ac testing,
the winding (or portion of winding) was energized by a 30 kV, 40 kVA
Hipotronics series resonant test set. In most cases, because the stator
frame was solidly grounded, the capacitance bridge (a Guildline trans-
former ratio bridge) had to "float" above ground potential. As with the
dc testing, the stress relief coatings were not guarded out, because this is
virtually impossible in an installed winding.
The partial discharge measurements were done with several
types of detectors. The Hipotronics detector operating in the
"wideband, 70 kHz and 30 kHz modes was used. In addition, the
Ontario Hydro 10 MHz detector [l] was employed, as was the PDA [81.
In all cases, the discharge detectors were calibrated in picocoulombs
using the appropriate technique for the detector. Since the results with
the various detectors more or less agreed, only those from the Ontario
Hydro detector are given below.
Once the diagnostic tests on complete phases were finished,
the windings were sectioned into coils. Diagnostic tests were then done
on individual coils. Due to time constraints, not all coils in a winding
could be tested. In general, about 60 coils were isolated in each winding
for testing. Further details of the testing are given in Table 1.
 835

DestructiveTests

1
After completing the diagnostic tests on individual coils, the
groundwall insulation of each coil was subjected to gradually increasing
dc, ac, or lightning impulse voltages, until the insulation punctured. The
dc or 60 Hz ac voltage was manually increased at about 1kV/second. A 0.4

power transformer was required for the ac breakdown tests. since the
resonant test supply could not sustain resonance at high voltages due to
discharging in the coil. The impulse voltage was a negative 1/40 ps o'5
0.3

surge. Three impulses were applied at each voltage level, with the volt-
age raised in 5 kV increments until breakdown occurred. Obviously, any
particular coil or bar could be tested to breakdown with only one type of
voltage.
In some cases, flashovers occurred between the exposed coil
copper conductors and the stator frame. By insulating the exposed con-
ductors and spraying SF6 in the vicinity, such flashovers were often pre-
vented. However, in several cases surface flashover still occurred in 0 1
spite of the above measures, and the true breakdown voltage could not 0 0.2 0.4

be determined. Details of the destructive tests are given in Tables 1 and A T a n b (X)
5.
Figure I : Comparison of diagnostic quantities ACICo VS Atan6
RESULTS measured at 1 kV and 8 kV (stator I )
3
Results of Diagnostic Tests

Prior to destructive testing, various diagnostic tests were per-

formed on the phases, parallels, coil groups, and coils in the winding as
outlined above (Table 1). Although a complete battery of nondestructive
tests was performed, some of these tests essentially measure the same in-
sulation parameters and are therefore well correlated. For example, the
change in coil capacitance (ACICJ versus the change in dissipation fac-
E
v

0
W
zl
tor (Atans) from 1kV to operating voltage for machine 4 are highly cor- a
related (Figure 1 and Table 2). Physically both parameters are a measure 5
0 1 -
of the void content in the insulation and we would therefore expect such a
a high correlation. Other parameters such as peak partial discharge U
levels (Q") at operating voltage and discharge inception voltage
(DIV) show little correlation with CO, ACIC, or Atan6 (Figure 2 and
Table 2). The discharge levels are a measure of the largest void dis- 0 ~ , 1 , , ( , , , , ( , , , , ,
charging at a given applied voltage and may not be correlated with
ACIC, or AtanS, which are quantities averaged over the whole coil. Maximum Discharge Magnitude (1000 pC)

Figure 2: Comparison of diagnostic quantities capacitance vs dis-

charge magnitude measured at 8 kV (stator 4 )

Table 2
Correlation of Diagnostic Tests for Four Machines.

ACICo Atan 6 IR

:ator 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

ACICO

Atan6 0.97 0.92 0.25 0.95

Qmax 0.37 0.18 0.06 0.56 0.45 0.32 0.53 0.53

DIV -0.31 -0.36 -0.23 -0.22 -0.31 -0.23 -0.15 -0.23 0.05 0.22 0.07 0.05

IR __ __ -0.6 -0.07 __ __ -0.69 -0.16 -- _- -0.46 -0.06 -- -- 0.35-0.14

__ __ __ 0.00. __ _- -- 0.19 -- -- -- 0.24

+ The numbers in the table are the correlation coefficients between different diagnostic tests for each stator. R
number close to either fl.O indicates that the two diagnostic tests are well correlated. If the number is between
about -0.5 and t0.5, they are essentially uncorrelated.
__ No measurements taken.
836

Due to the higher electrical stress on line end coils, degrada- Table 3
tion of the semiconductive paint and possible void growth due to dis- Correlation of Non-Destructive Tests Results with Coil Position
charge erosion would be expected to be more severe in line end coils. In
Figure 3, the capacitance at 1 kV is plotted as a function of coil position
in the winding for stator 3. As expected if electrical aging were occur-
Stator 1 Stator 2 Stator 3 Stator 4
ring, the capacitance shows a slight decrease towards the line end. Fig-
ure 4 shows the change in capacitance with applied voltage which tends ACICo -0.2 0.44 0.27 -0.1 1
to increase slightly as we move toward the line end thereby indicating
higher void content in the line end coils. However in both cases, the Atan6 -0.12 0.42 0.64 -0.12
scatter in the data is larger than any measurable trend and only a weak
correlation of capacitance with coil position exists for any of the ma- -0.09 0.27 0.46 0.22
chines tested (Table 3). No correlation between coil position and maxi-
mum discharge magnitude or discharge inception voltage was found DIV -0.38 0.10 0.11 0.66
(Table 3).
IR -0.36 -0.15

PI 0.15
8
I

Results of Destructive Tests

The primary purpose of the destructive tests was to estimate
the remaining life of the insulation system, which is assumed to be a
function of the insulation strength. At present breakdown voltage is the
only indicator which has been proposed to provide a relatively quantita-
tive measure of remaining life. A full consideration of the advantages
and disadvantages of such an indicator are beyond the scope of this
paper.

Figures 5.6 and 7 show the breakdown voltages as a function

of the position of the coil in the winding of stator 3 using dc, ac, and im-
pulse voltages respectively. Table 4 shows the correlations between
breakdown voltage and coil position for all four machines. From the
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 ID 21
data in Table 4 it is evident that the breakdown voltage is not correlated
Neutral Line
End Coil Location End with the position of the coil within the phase. If any significant electri-
cal aging of the line end coils had taken place, the breakdown voltages
for these coils would have been reduced.
Figure3: Capacitance as a function of coil position in the winding
measured at I kV (stator 3)

2o
15 1 _ j h
100

-Z 10 j
z o o - u
al
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t:
80 -1
0
0
0
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g 8 0 - o
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W 40 -
U 30 -
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Nleutral 5 7 D 11 13 IS 17 ID 21
20

Line LO -
End Coil Location End
0 , , , ( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (

Figure 4: Change in capacitance as a function of coil position in the

winding for I kV and 8 kV (stator 3)
 837
EO
Table 5
6 Breakdown Voltage (kV)
0

Stator 1 Stator 2 Stator 3 Stator 4

E o Voltage Rating 6.6 24.0 13.8 13.8

DC Breakdown
Average 66 >I16 75 98
Minimum 45 105 56 56
No. of Coils Tested 9 14 22 21
0
0

AC Breakdown
Average 38 >49 38 51
Minimum 29 24" 13 35
No. of Coils Tested 10 5 23 21

Figure 6: AC breakdown voltage as a function of coil position in the Impulse Breakdown

winding (stator 3) Average 111 >I25 71 133
Minimum 90 >125 60 90
No. of Coils Tested 13 18 23 21
100

* breakdown at locations of previous insulation repairs

0 0 0 o
O D 0
t: 0
00 0

Comparison of Diagnostic and DestructiveTest Results

To examine the effectiveness of the various nondestructive

tests in predicting insulation condition. we can compare the breakdown
strength of various coils in a winding with nondestmctive test results.
Although exhaustive correlations were attempted for the various non-
destructive and destructive measurements, only some of the parameters
1 3 5 7 Q 11 13 15 17 18 21
Neutral Line commonly used to indicate insulation condition are presented here. Fig-
End Coil Location End ures 8-10 are plots of ac breakdown voltage versus some of these
measured or derived diagnostic parameters for stator 3. These include
maximum discharge magnitude, discharge inception voltage, and change
in dissipation factor (Atan6). Table 6 shows correlation coefficients for
Figure 7 : ImpuLre breakdown voltage as a function of coil position in these and other parameters for ac, dc. and impulse breakdown levels
the winding (stator 3) from all four machines. The data with all four machines clearly show a
lack of correlation of any of the diagnostic parameters with the break-
down levels.

On two of the machines tested (3 and 4). insulation resistance

and polarization index were also measured. For stator 3, the insulation
resistance of the coils was of the order 200-1000 GQ after 1 minute and
Table 4 was in excess of 1.5 TL2 after 10 minutes yielding polarization indices of
Correlation of Destructive Tests Results with Coil Position 5 or greater. Using the IEEE 43 criteria for polarization index levels, the
winding could be deemed to be in excellent condition. The high
polarization index values are also consistent with high dc and impulse
breakdown voltages but are suspect when considering the ac breakdown
levels (Tablet5). The polarization index is sensitive to the dampness and
Stator 1 Stator 2 Stator 3 Stator 4 contamination of a winding. It is essentially insensitive to the presence
of voids or delamination which are likely to result in pd under high ac
stress. Thus there are doubts about the usefulness of insulation
DC Breakdown -0.09 -0.27 0.59 resistance and polarization index (both dc tests) in assessing the condi-
tion of materials operating under ac stress, at least for epoxy or polyester
AC Breakdown 0.15 0.21 0.005 windings, when gross cracks, etc. are not present.
Impulse 0.17 _- 0.19 0.05
Breakdown
838

eo

-
3
2
50
0
0
0
h

v
00 0
M
W 40 0 0 0
0 0 0 Q o 0
cl
3

3
0 9
30 J

20 -
0
z 20
0 0 & o n

l0i
0
4
U 10 -

0 ~ , , , , , , , , , ,
0 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20
0 1
0 2 4
I
Maximum Discharge Magnitude (1000 pC) Discharge Inception Voltage (kV)

Figure 8: AC breakdown voltage vs maximum discharge magnitude at Figure 9: AC breakdown voltage vs discharge inception voltage
operating voltage (stator 3) (stator 3)

eo

' 30 -
P
2 0
2 20 -
0 0

2 10 -
0

0
0 2 4 8 8 3

Figure IO: AC breakdown voltage vs change in dissipation factor from 8

kV to I kV (stator 3)

Table 6
Correlation of Diagnostic and Destructive Test Results

BC Breakdown DC Breakdown Impulse Breakdown

Stator 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

ACICo 0.5 -0.24 -0.43 0.20 0.04 -0.19 -0.52 -0.31 0.22

A t an8 0.46 0.04 -0.38 0.16 0.22 -0.13 -0.38 -0.24 0.11

0.14 0.09 -0.29 0.46 0.22 -0.05 00.22 -0.02 -0.07

Qmax

DIV -0.007 -0.19 0.46 -0.15 0.18 -0.22 00.30 0.34 -0.07

IR -0.29 -0.02 0.08 0.27 0.18 -0.12

PI -0.05 0.57 -0.08

 839

70
COMPARISON WITH OTHER STUDIES

As described in the above section, no correlation was found

between the diagnostic tests and breakdown voltage (or presumably
remaining life), Figures 8.9, and 10. This finding is opposite to the find-
ings of several manufacturers [3-6, 9-12]. In all cases and in varying
degrees, they found correlation betwecn breakdown voltage and parame-
ters such as Atan6, Qmax, etc. As indicated in Figures 8-10 and Table 6,
we could not confirm their findings. Additionally, predictive equations
for specific applications were amved at [5,9,12], and derived parameters
[12] were postulated as predictors of insulation remaining life. In
several cases good correlations were indicated. When similar derived
quantities were calculated based on the Ontario Hydro data (Figures 11,
!m
eo

12, and 13), no obvious correlation was found.

o ! , , , , , , , I ,
0 20 40 BO BO 0
The contrast between this work and that of other studies in
Qm
this area is of considerable concem. Especially so when the other efforts K = Z ( A - 0.8) + 67 log m9
came from a number of major manufacturers and not just a single orga-
nization. The other studies also covered a wide range of insulation sys-
Figure 13: AC breakdown voltage vs the diagnostic parameter (stator 4 )
tems and applications, ie polyester and epoxy residmica systems in ma-
chines ranging from 3 kV motors (91 to 18 kV turbine generators [ l l ] as
well as model coils [10,12]. It is therefore appropriate to consider pos-
sible reasons for the discrepancies.

70
One possible difference is that the prior studies are primarily
00 laboratory-based with the testing done on individual coils which were
usually removed from the slot. In our studies, all coils were tested
within the stator core, as would be the situation for diagnostic tests on
50
normal machines. In the work presented in this paper, the electrode sys-
tem was composed of the copper conductor - composite insulation -
40
stator core iron. The contact between the stator bar surface and the core
iron is facilitated by a semiconductive coating. The integrity of the con-
30 tact is dependent upon the condition of this coating, and how well the
stator bar conforms to the slot shape. It is difficult to sec how some of
20 the electrode strategies in the other studies which employ silver paint
ground electrodes [lo] relate to the real situation. Obviously the use of a
10 conductive paint provides an intimate contact. It is of relevance to note
that stator 3 had undergone severe deterioration of the semiconductive
coating. In the studies which used a simulated slot [12], a coating of
0 I
2W 4W BW BW
semiconductive paint was not applied. Another significant difference in
RC ohm farad some studies [lo] was the omission or elimination of the end winding
grading paint. The distortions due to the influence of the nonlinear
Figure 11: AC breakdown voltage vs the diagnostic quality RC stress control system are well known and was acknowledged [lOj. How-
measured at 1 kV (stator 4 ) ever, although acknowledged, the influence on the results does not ap-
pear to have been explicitly considered.

70 Apart from testing differences, a major factor may also be

how severely degraded the coil samples were prior to test. In the litera-
-5 BO - ture, the insulation systems were polyester/mica or epoxy/mica. Thcse
systems were derived from machines which had service lifetimes com-
v

W 50 - 0 0
0 parable to our study. In addition, the referenced studies made and aged
M 0 some bars specifically for experimental purposes. It is possible that the
=: used coils employed in the other studies were very severely dcgradcd
3 40 -
and very near to the end of their life. On the other hand most of the
d
samples tested by us had given no indication that their dielectric strength
30 - had been significantly impaired in service. Hence, diagnostic tests may
x
-U
best as indicators of remaining life when the insulation is close to fail-
20 - ure. Diagnostic measurements might then be relatively insensitive life
%
I
U indicators for bars which still have significant life remaining.
d 10 -

Since the referenced work is usually based on laboratory tcst-

ing circumstances, and the results could not be verified by ourselves
8 10 12 14
using diagnostic test procedures which can be practically applicd to
A=AC/Co + A t a n 8 (X)
stators which are expected to remain in service, equations which purport
to predict insulation condition should be used with caution.
Figure 12:AC breakdown voltage vs the diagnostic quantity A measured
at I kV and 8 kV (stator 4 )
840
VALIDITY OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
Diagnostic ac and dc testing has a long history in helping
maintcnance pcrsonnel dcterminc the condition of the insulation systems
in rotating machine stator windings. At the present time, most
maintenance cngincers use diagnostic tests for trending, rathcr than
providing objective estimates of remaining life [1,2]. For example, if in-
sulation resistance, tip-up, partial discharge activity, etc is measured on a
regular basis, when consistent dccreases in IR or consistent increases in
lip-up or partial discharge magnitude arc noted over time, then a more
in-dcpth invcstigation of the winding may be warranted. For three of the
stalors tcstcd, such trending was done, and the condition of the insulation
was correctly prcdicted [ 1,8]. Unfortunately, cstimating the remaining
life of a winding is best done by a person who can draw on past experi-
encc with similar insulation systems, manufacturers, operating practices,
etc. The outcome is a very subjcctive estimate.
Since individuals with such experience are not always avail-
able, it would be highly desirable if the remaining life could be objec-
tivcly estimatcd from test results alone. Based on the testing of the
abovc four windings, it seems that diagnostic tests alone cannot objec-
tivcly estimate remaining life, especially if the testing was only done
once. However it docs seem that at least on complete windings, some
diagnostic tests, such as partial dischargc magnitude, do indecd give an
indication of relative condition [1,8]. On thrce of the windings, diag-
nostic tcsting done on the entire machine indicated that the insulation
was rclatively healthy, in spite of the many years of service aging (Table
1). This condition was gcnerally verificd by the high average breakdown
voltages and winding dissection. The fourth machine, stator 3, had ex-
trcmcly high partial discharge activity and high tip-up, and was verified
to be in rclatively poor condition by visual inspection and some very low
ac breakdown voltagcs. Howevcr, given the cost of testing, too few ma-
chines wcrc tested to derive any quantitative relationship between the
diagnostic tests on complcte windings and lowest winding breakdown
voltagc, or somc other numerical indicator of remaining life. It is un-
likely that sufficient data will ever be collccted for a quantitative rela-
tionship to bc developed, especially when a rclationship would be neces-
sary for every different insulation system and operating environment.
Considerable statistical data was collected however, on the
rclalionship bctween diagnostic tests on individual coils and the break-
down voltages of those coils. As described above, no correlation was
found. That is, coils with the worst results from the diagnostic tests
often did not have the lowest brcakdown voltage. Thus, at least for indi-
vidual coils, a sct of diagnostic tests taken at one time do not seem to be
able to predict the insulation condition. If the condition of individual
coils could not be predicted, one wonders if diagnostic tests on entire
windings could reliably predict the condition of the winding with a
single measurement or group of measurements at one point in time.
We therefore conclude that until a more searching diagnostic
tcst is dcvclopcd, the estimation of remaining life must be based on the
trcnd of the diagnostic tests over time, as wcll as the availability of a
howledgeable expert to visually examine the winding and assess other
pcrtincnt information. To help rotating machine users understand the
complcxity of cstimating the remaining life, a Handbook is bcing devel-
oped under EPRI project RF'2577-1.
CONCLUSIONS
1. AC and dc diagnostic tcsting'of stator windings gives useful in-
formation on the relative condition of the winding insulation.
The information from such diagnostic tests is most useful when
rcsults are taken over time, so that a historical trend can be
dctcrmincd.
2. Based on tests on individual coils, existing diagnostic tests, when
done at one time, arc not able to predict breakdown voltages. Fur-
thermore, no group of tests on individual coils scems to be able to
predict breakdown voltages. Thus, other widely publicized work
which has established such a relationship could not be duplicated.
It is assumed that coil breakdown voltages relate to rcmaining life
in some fashion.
3. To estimate remaining life of rotating machine windings not Only
requires that diagnostic tests be done (preferably over time), but
that an individual with expericnce in judging aging processes and
aging rates, as well as other relevant data, be available to examine
the winding.
The most desirable test strategy is to perform all types of diag-
4.
nostic tests, since each test can give a slightly different view of
the winding condition. However, as a minimum, at least one ac
(preferably a partial discharge test) and one dc test (insulation
resistance) should be done.
5. There is some evidence that ac hipot testing may be more sensi-
tive to insulation weaknesses in real windings than dc hipot test-
ing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The tests described above were very time consuming and expensive, re-
quiring the cooperation, funding and technical knowledge of several or-
ganizations and individuals. We are indebted to the production branch
of Ontario Hydro which allowed us access to machines, sometimes caus-
ing the extension of machine outages. In particular we thank B.J.
Quartemaine and J.F. Lyles as well as the staff of Pickering Nuclear
gencrating station, Beck GS, and Harmon GS. We also thank Messrs.
DiPaul, Jack, Campbell and Anderson who did most of the testing. This
work was partly funded by EPRI Projects RP 2307-1 and RP 2577-1, Dr.
D.K. Sharma and Mr. B.S. Bemstein, project managers. Dr. H.G. Sed-
ding would also like to thank the British SERC for funding his visit to
Ontario Hydro.
REFERENCES
1. Kurtz, M. and J.F. Lyles, "Generator Insulation Diagnostic Test-
ing," IEEE Transactions on Power Systems and Applications, Vol
PAS-98, Sept 1979, p 1596.
2. Simons, J.S., "Diagnostic Testing of High-Voltage Machine Insula-
tion," IEEProceedings, Vol 127, Pt.B, No.3, May 1980. p 139-154.
3. Yoshida, H. and Y. Inoue, "Test Methods of Rotating Machines,"
IEEE Transactions on Electrical Insulation, EI-21, No. 6. Dcccm-
ber 1986, p 1069-1071.
4 Yoshida, H. and K. Umemoto, "Insulation Diagnosis for Rotating
Machine Insulation," IEEE Transactions on Electrical Insulation,
EI-21, N0.6, December 1986, p 1021-1025.
5. Kadotani, K., T. Myashita, F. Ako, and K. Matsunobu, "An Ap-
proach for Insulation Diagnosis of Mica-Resin Coils," IEEE Trans-
actions on Power Systems and Applications, Vol PAS-100, No.,
September 1981, p4136-4141.
6. Kadotani, K., T.Hakamada and S. Yamatake, "A Proposal for In-
sulation Diagnosis of 3 kV Motor Stator Windings," IEEE Transac-
tions on Electrical Insulation, EI-18, No.1, February 1983, p 59-63.
7. Gupta, B.K., M. Kurtz, G.C. Stone and D.K. Sharma, "Destructive
Tests on a 542 MW Generator Winding," Conference Record of
1986 IEEE International Symposium on Electrical Insulation,
Washington, DC, June 9-1 1, 1986.
8. Kurtz, M., J.F. Lyles and G.C. Stone, "Application of Partial Dis-
charge Testing to Hydrogenerator Maintenance," IEEE Transac-
tions on Power Systems and Applications, August 1984, p 2148.
9. Tsukui, T., M. Takamura and Y. Kako, "Correlations between Non-
destructive and Destructive Tests on High-Voltage Coil Insulations
for Rotating Machines," IEEE Transactions on Electrical Insula-
tion, Vol. EI-15, No. 2, April 1980, p 118.
10. Kadotani, K. and Y. Kako. "Capability of Insulation Diagnosis for
Mica-Resin Insulated Coils," IEEE Transactions on Electrical In-
sulation, Vol. EI-15,No. 6, Dccember 1980, p 481.
11. Kaka Y., K. Kadotani, S. Kenjo, S. Hirabayashi, T. Tani and F.
Natsume, "Multi-Stress Degradation of Insulation Systems for High
Voltage Rotating Machines," CIGRE Paper No. 15-02, 1982.
12. Itoh, S.. T. Tani, H. Koshiba and T. Kawakami, "An Estimation of
Breakdown Voltage of High-Voltage Motor Insulation by RC
Value," Electrical Engineering in Japan, Vol.l04A, No.1, 1984, p7.

Discussion
W. McDermid (Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg, Canada):
The a u t h o r s have r e p o r t e d d a t a u s i n g a number of common
d i a g n o s t i c and d e s t r u c t i v e t e s t methods and have made
some i n t e r e s t i n g comparisons.
I t i s r e p o r t e d t h a t measurements of i n s u l a t i o n r e s i s t -
a n c e and p o l a r i z a t i o n index may n o t be u s e f u l f o r
p o l y e s t e r windings. T h i s i s c o n t r a r y t o t h e e x p e r i e n c e
of Manitoba Hydro.
We have twelve 120 MVA 13.8 kV hydro g e n e r a t o r s w i t h
polyester-mica insulated multi-turn c o i l s t a t o r
windings. On two o c c a s i o n s , i n v o l v i n g d i f f e r e n t u n i t s ,
we have e x p e r i e n c e d low i n s u l a t i o n r e s i s t a n c e and low
p o l a r i z a t i o n index r e a d i n g s on some, b u t n o t a l l , s t a t o r
c i r c u i t s f o l l o w i n g t h e o p e r a t i o n of t h e f i r e p r o t e c t i o n
w a t e r d e l u g e system.
I n t h e c a s e of U n i t 5, one s p l i t phase had a 1 minute
i n s u l a t i o n r e s i s t a n c e o f 714 megohms and a p o l a r i z a t i o n
index of 1.5 a t a t e m p e r a t u r e of 22"C, w h i l e most o t h e r
s p l i t p h a s e s had a n I R of12COmegohms and P I of a t
l e a s t 4.4. Some c l e a n i n g and d r y i n g was done b u t d i d
n o t improve t h e c o n d i t i o n of t h e one s p l i t phase and
f i n a l l y two s t a t o r c o i l s had t o be r e p l a c e d . Both
d e f e c t s were found t o be a t t h e p o i n t a t which t h e c o i l
e x i t s t h e s l o t and appeared t o i n v o l v e a c r a c k o r t a p e
s e p a r a t i o n i n t h e groundwall. Both c o i l s had been
involved i n l i f t s during t h e o r i g i n a l i n s t a l l a t i o n .
I n t h e c a s e of Unit 6 , two p h a s e s were found t o have
a n l m i n u t e i n s u l a t i o n r e s i s t a n c e of between 1 and 2
megohms and p o l a r i z a t i o n index v a l u e s of 1 . 0 a t approx-
i m a t e l y 60"C, w h i l e t h e t h i r d phase had a n I R of 700
megohms and PI of 6.4, The above d a t a were o b t a i n e d
a f t e r a p r e l i m i n a r y d r y o u t . Following e x t e n s i v e
c l e a n i n g of o r i g i n a l l i f t c o i l s i n t h e end t u r n a r e a
immediately a d j a c e n t t o t h e s l o t , and f u r t h e r d r y i n g ,
i t was p o s s i b l e t o r e t u r n t h e u n i t t o s e r v i c e w i t h o u t
having t o r e p l a c e any c o i l s .
I n a d d i t i o n t o m o i s t u r e , b r a k e d u s t and s o o t a r e
b e l i e v e d t o have been f a c t o r s i n making t h e groundwall
c r a c k s o r t a p e s e p a r a t i o n s f u l l y c o n d u c t i v e [l].
Reference
[ 11 W. McDermid, " I n v e s t i g a t i o n of Groundwall D e f e c t s
i n Polyester-Mica", Minutes of t h e 5 0 t h Annual
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Conference of Doble C l i e n t s , 1983,
Sec. 7-301.
Manuscript received February 17, 1988
A. W. W. Cameron (Retired, London, ON, Canada): The reported lack of
correlation between short-time AC breakdown voltage and other experience
or diagnosis of remaining insulation service life may be explained by known
Voltage Endurance characteristics. The high short time AC strength of an
insulation sample is determined mainly by the effective thickness of solic
insulation in it. The droop of any AC voltage endurance curve towards
reduced breakdown voltages of identical samples, after long times of
stressing, is caused by progressive ionic erosion of voids, by localized
heating by void discharges, and by dielectric heating approaching runaway
in remaining solid insulation.
841
This supports the Authors' suggestion that low AC strength of a sample
from an aged machine would indicate that it would soon have failed in
service. I would suggest that long-time AC voltage endurance tests of such
samples might be more informative for less advanced deterioration and
longer prospects.
It should be emphasized that Direct Voltage tests have the sole purpose of
detecting cracks and fissures through the groundwall. Such damage is
usually caused by mechanical vibration or impact, aggravated by localized
heating from discharges, strand faults, or core faults. Direct overvoltage
tests by the Ramp Method give reliable non-destructive indications when
done on a winding which has cooled to ambient temperature while open to
air of normal humidity, to provide a little moisture to enhance conduction in
any fissure. These facts are well known to the Authors, but still not widely
enough appreciated.
These two Papers present very valuable means of assessing the future
trend of a stator winding's reliability, in terms of probable ability to
withstand "events" incidental to operation, such as overvoltages and
overcurrents from external causes. There are now two requirements for a
Utility to realize the economic benefits of such information:
1. Assessment of the probabilities of such events and their probable
severities in future periods of time.
2. Realistic estimates of the dollar values of reliability levels of given
machines at future times, whereby the indicated repairs and rewinds can
be times for optimum costibenefit ratio.
Manuscript received February 23, 1988.
G.C. Stone, B.A. Lloyd and B.K. Gupta would like to
thank Mr. McDermid and Mr. Cameron for their interest in our paper. Mr.
McDermid's examples of how the insulation resistance (IR) and
polarization index (PI) tests can be useful to determine the condition of
epoxy or polyester insulated windings are very pertinent. As stated in the
paper, such tests are useful for any type of insulation to determine if
excessive moisture (such as occurs after a deluge) or major flaws such as
cracks are present. These dc tests are also uscful if direct comparisons can
be made, such as the discusser's contrasting a "good" and a "bad" phasc.
Our point is that these tests taken in isolation are rclatively incffectivc for
the more usual types of aging which occur in thermosetting windings. For
example, PI and IR are essentially useless in evaluating the degree of
aging caused by slot discharge.
Another variant of dc testing is mentioned by Mr. Cameron.
DC ramp tests to twice the phase-to-phase operating voltage were done on
many phases and coils in our test program. Thc dc ramp test results
essentially duplicated the IR and PI data. Since none of the tested bars or
coils failed below the test voltage, we did not have the opportunity to
utilize the dc ramp test's principle advantage: the ability to abort thc tcst
prior to puncture.
As our tests have shown, assessing insulation condition
should not be done on the basis of any single mcasurcment. All tests may
yield useful information. when put into perspective with past tcst data,
insulation type, prior problems, etc. We believe much more cfforl is
required bcfore objective, reliable estimates of insulation remaining life
can be determined.
Manuscript received April 15, 1988.