GE Energy

Power Generation Application:

Hydroelectric Generator
Bently Nevada* Asset Condition Monitoring application guide
Asset: Hydroelectric Generator Collector Rings

End Windings 4
8
Sensor list: 6
1. RMAG 8. Partial Discharge 5
2. SMAG
2
9. Keyphasor
3. Magnetic Flux 10. Guide Bearing Vibration
4. End Winding Vibration 11. Guide Bearing Temperature
5. Stator Core Vibration 12. Bearing Housing
6. Stator Frame Vibration Seismic Sensor
7. Sole Plate Monitoring
1
Black and grey components on left side are rotating (rotor)
3
Red and Blue components on right side are stationary (stator)

9 7
10
11
12

Asset Overview Failure Modes: Motor-Driven Blower

Hydroelectric generators are generally air cooled, salient pole
machines. They are inherently robust machines with little
required support equipment and life spans of 15 years or more.
Due to the cost and complexity of construction, the generator is
often considered the most critical element of a hydro
turbine/generator. A generator that has been damaged or taken
offline will often cost millions of dollars in repairs and lost
production. With the right monitoring equipment, plant operators
can increase availability and efficiency while reducing unexpected
downtime and operating costs.
The ultimate goal of condition monitoring is to predict a pending
failure and schedule the required maintenance prior to an
unplanned outage. Scheduled outages lower maintenance costs
and allow for better management of equipment, personnel, and
production.
Construction errors, fatigue, aging, maintenance damage, and
mechanical component failure are the most common failure
causes and the increased expectation for runtime on these
machines aggravates these issues.
Insulation breakdown is the ultimate failure in any power
generation device. This type of failure is the primary purpose of
every type of generator condition monitoring, with the exception
of vibration.
 application guide
Many faults will lead to the eventual breakdown of insulation, This system can be used as a stand-alone condition
including the following: monitoring and analysis system or it can be integrated with
• Air gap reduction/rub the plant’s control and data historian systems.

• Cooling fault Measurements

• Winding vibration • Air gap

• Insulation aging • Guide bearing vibration

• Thrust bearing oil film thickness
How we monitor
• Bearing temperatures
Sensors are installed on the stator, rotor, and electrical
components and connected to a Bently Nevada* 3500 • Partial discharge
monitoring system and the System 1* platform, which uses • Magnetic flux
sensors and monitoring systems from GE as well as many
• Stator bar vibration
tested and proven third party products. This ability to
integrate many different sensors and systems provides • End winding vibration

flexibility in choosing products that meet specialized • Core vibration

mechanical, environmental, and electrical requirements.

Malfunction Stator Stator

Rotor insulation Brush shifts/ Cooling
Monitoring stator rub breakdown Rotor faults Misalignment Unbalance malfunction malfunctions malfunction
Stator mounted air gap ✓ ✓
Rotor mounted air gap ✓ ✓
Magnetic flux ✓
Partial discharge ✓ ✓
Brush monitoring ✓
Stator temperature ✓ ✓
Rotor temperature ✓ ✓
End winding vibration ✓
In slot vibration ✓
Keyphasor* ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Sole plate monitoring ✓ ✓ ✓
Core vibration ✓
Radial vibration ✓ ✓ ✓

GE Energy
1631 Bently Parkway South
Minden, NV 89423
(775) 215- 2209
email: ocmarketing@ge.com
www.ge-energy.com/bentlyapplications
Copyright ©2009, General Electric Company. All rights reserved.
* denotes trademarks of Bently Nevada, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Company.

GEA17800 (07/2009)