A NEW CONCEPTION ON ON-LINE MONITORING AND DIAGNOSE OF TURBOGENERATORS

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RESUME
Maintenance costs and machines availability are two of the most important aspects that a Utility or an Independent Power Producer must consider. A maintenance program that optimize costs and maximize machine availability must be implemented. In the case of turbogenerators, this program is very important due to machines manufacturing and operational characteristics. For an effective maintenance schedule, User must consider, among other, the relationship between operation plans and priorities, operation and maintenance people technical skills, manufacturers recommendations and characteristics of each component of the machine. One of the concepts that is more and more being applied to maintenance is the risk management, nothing more the access to structural behavior of the machine and prediction, with very good margin of certainty, of problems being developed in the machine. The main tool for risk management is the on-line monitoring. This can give an inestimable knowledge about the machines, that allow Utilities take the right decisions about the generation equipments condition and plan maintenance based on necessity, while increase availability of machines due reducing forced outages for repair. The study of the machine in its operation and transitory conditions total activity, from standstill to overspeed, allows a better evaluation of the conditions and behavior of machine and, so more effective actions can be taken driven to economy of time and money.

INTRODUCTION
Benefits of on-line monitoring have been declared since a long time and in practice all turbogenerators worldwide have any kind of monitoring. Some of the main monitored parameters, among others, are speed, load, number of run-up, hours of burn, temperatures (environmental, compressor discharge, turbine exhaustion, turbine gear box), lubrication oil levels, bearing leakage, exhaustion, pressures (compressor discharge, lubrication pumps, cooling fluids, fuel), filters (fuel, lubrications, incoming air, etc.), vibrations, generator electrical parameters and run-up time. In the specific case of generators, besides electrical parameters and temperatures, the only on-line monitoring regularly used is the guide bearing vibration (or shaft oscillation). Usually this monitoring system uses analysis tools composed by sensors and electronic receiver devices that acquire and record digitally measured data. Registered data is then analyzed by graphic tools, and the most common is the frequency spectrum (or FFT).

For vibration monitoring, two sensors are installed radially in each bearing with an angular displacement of 90o, external to generator, in order to detect eventual vibrations and/or shaft oscillations. It is very common also to monitor the axial displacement of the generator bearings. However, this monitoring system, in spite of largely used, is not sufficient to detect anomalies happening inside the generator that caused the vibration and/or shaft oscillation. In other words, this monitoring system allows to detect the symptoms of problems in evolution, but do not supply informations regarding where are the problems. Inside the scope of risk management and consequently predictive maintenance, these informations are primordial to obtain the desired low maintenance costs and higher machine availability. This study presents some common problems to the generators at turbogenerators and the tools developed by VibroSystM Inc., Canada, to on-line monitor these problems.

ROTOR THERMAL SENSIBILITY

Thermal sensibility of a rotor is a phenomenon that causes a variation on rotor vibration always when field current is increased. This phenomenon was already registered in generators of all manufacturers, in large or small scale. It can be caused by uneven temperature distribution or axial forces at rotor circumference. One of the main factors for this occurrence is the large difference of thermal expansion coefficients between copper windings and different steel alloys that are used for rotor body and its components manufacturing. If rotor windings are not electrically and mechanically balanced in the circumference direction, rotor will be unequally charged, what can cause it to a curvature (or bowing) in the same direction and consequently an increase of vibration. In these cases, thermal sensibility will not be enough to stop generator operation, but can limit the operation in high field currents or reactive loads due to excessive vibration of rotor and other associated components. The main causes of thermal sensibility are: Shorted Windings It happens when there is a insulation rupture between windings. Is the most common cause of thermal sensibility. Shorted windings adjacent to poles are the most significant. Pole with higher number of shorted windings has a lower electrical resistance and, as result, will present a temperature lower than the opposite pole. This way, the pole with higher temperature will elongate in the axial direction more than the other pole, and as result, the rotor will bend in this direction. More the current increases more the bowing will increase, causing direct effects in vibration and phase angle. Blocked Ventilation or Asymmetrical Cooling Blocked ventilation, as shorted windings, can affect significantly the rotor thermal balance and cause temperature differences. This generally occurs when a strange object is introduced in the rotor and prevent or obstruct ventilation and cooling circuits.

Insulation Variations If the rotor is not uniformly wounded from pole to pole related to insulation thickness and distribution, small bends and friction inside the slots or under retention rings can appear. In these cases, windings can not have enough space to uniformly expand in the axial direction when current is applied and, as result, rotor structure can be unevenly charged, causing rotor to bow. Wedges Installation Rotor can become thermal sensible if wedges are modified or replaced. Usually this occurs when only some wedges are replaced. If wedging system is not uniform, efforts in the axial direction can occur driving rotor to bow. Distance Blocks Positioning Distance blocks, that provide spacing between rotor end windings, must be correctly installed. Unequal spacing can cause unequal forces that are transmitted to rotor by retaining rings, causing rotor bowing and changes in the dynamic characteristics. Other Factors Other factors that can cause thermal sensibility are retaining rings movements, tight spacing in the slots during rewinding when using old bars, heat sensibility by steel alloy used in the rotor machining, use of adhesives or other inadequate materials and even operation errors. For the thermal sensibility and consequently rotor bowing, VibroSystM uses capacitive proximity probes assembled in the stator to measure the air gap under any operation condition, from standstill to overspeed. The Air Gap Monitoring System AGMS and its predecessor Machine Condition Monitoring System ZOOM were installed in more than 500 hydrogenerators in the last 15 years. They, many times, showed their ability to detect anomalies, supply decisive informations for a fast and precise diagnostic, allow knowledge about the machines for condition based maintenance (CBM) application and avoid catastrophic accidents. Two of main benefits of capacitive sensors are: immunity to severe environmental located at generator air gap area, and increased precision when the gap decreases. Stator mounted sensor is a safety and reliability factor required by Utilities. It is less complex, easy to install and maintain when required, do not present any risk and is transparent to machine operation. Three or more sensors, depending on rotor length, must be installed in the same angular position at stator, preferable in the bottom part of the air gap. Sensors are connected to data acquisition units installed out of generator, which are connected to controller computer located at power station control room. Other local or remote workstations can access data for analysis. Sensors monitor rotor passing over and, for each revolution, many air gap measurements are taken. Sensors distribution is shown in Figure 1 below, as well as graphic results obtained in the presence of rotor bowing.

Figure 1 capacitive sensors measuring rotor bowing In normal condition, rotor will present linear and superposed air gap measurements, as shown for each sensor. In case the rotor is suffering the effects of thermal sensibility and presenting a curvature, air gap sensors will present different measurements, generally with sensor in the middle showing a greater amplitude than the other curves.

STATOR BAR VIBRATION

Wedging system also play a very important role in the stator of generators. As in the rotor, stator wedges radially fix the copper windings against electromagnetic forces caused by poles passage. If wedges loose their compression power, what usually occurs after some years, vibration amplitude of the bars will increase, driving to ground failures or short circuit between bars. Friction between bar and slot causes an abrasion on conductive component of the bar and its insulation and, in a certain moment, many interrelated phenomena are totaled in a destructive process: Abrasion of semi-conductive painting (Faraday) and insulation drives to a drastic increase of partial discharges that destroy insulation from the inside. Partial discharges weaken insulation, causing more abrasion The increase of bars vibration decrease heat exchange between bar and slot, contributing to weaken the insulation. These phenomena are better detailed on Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: interrelated phenomena causing bars damages This monitoring is very important once identifies problems occurring in the wedging system, and consequently bars vibration, even before partial discharges start, allowing the User to plan a machine stop for new stator re-wedging and also to check warranty terms after re-wedging or rewinding services. The Sator Bar Vibration System SBV uses the same capacitive technology used for air gap monitoring, and is immune to all interferences in the area like dust, oil, humidity, radio-frequency and electromagnetic. Must be applied 12 (twelve) sensors, 6 (six) in each side of the machine (turbine and exciter), one per circuit per phase, at the end of the bars and over the wedges of higher potential, as shown on Figure 3 below, to measure their radial displacement.

Figure 3: location of stator bar vibration sensors

END WINDING VIBRATION

End winding vibration can occur in any generator, but are more common in two-poles generators, that present long end windings due to their technical characteristics to allow high operation speeds and long nodal points. If end winding vibrate due to cyclic electromagnetic forces, the insulation of the bar and its bracing will be stressed by continuous flexion and compression. End winding vibration can drive to the following failures: Progressive failure of insulation caused by relative movement between adjacent bars and bracing structures, driving to material powdering and then to short circuit between bars or to ground Stator bars rupture due to mechanical fatigue Failures caused by mechanical stress at cooling system due to bar flexion and cavitation A very important factor in the monitoring, in particular at end winding vibration, is the appropriate selection of sensor to be used. Sensor must supply necessary requirements of accuracy, reliability and repeatability, besides the ability to stand high voltage levels. The optical accelerometer FOA from VibroSystM fulfill the technical requirements above mentioned. Assembled in one only piece, consists of three main parts: one optical head, one integral optical fiber cable and one signal conditioner internally assembled in a feedthrough connector. Sensor head is ceramic made and gives excellent thermal stability and insulation higher than 27 kV RMS. The integral optical fiber cable have 5mm diameter, 6m or 10m length and is protected by PTFE tubing, allowing 80mm radius bending. The conditioner/connector has a built-in optoelectronic conditioning circuit with 100 mV/g output that allows directly connection to vibration monitoring and analysis system. Figure 4 below shows the optical fiber accelerometer and details of its assembly at turbogenerator stator end winding.

Figure 4: optical fiber accelerometer

Typical installation in a turbogenerator requires total of 14 (fourteen) FOA optical fiber accelerometers, 7 (seven) in each side (turbine and exciter), one per circuit per phase in radial position and one in tangential position.

MAGNETIC FLUX
As the turbogenerator ages, insulation can be affected by temperature, mechanical problems or by operation failures. The most common problems in the rotor windings are short-circuit between windings and failure to ground, that happen when insulation is damaged. A short-circuit happens when insulation between coils is locally damaged, allowing that adjacent coils make contact. Although not desired, a turbogenerator can operate with a certain number of shorted coils. They can appear in any part of the windings, but are more common at winding end and under the retaining rings. Short-circuits in the rotor can produce thermal unbalance, resulting in increased vibration levels that can be difficult to distinguish when compared to other mechanical problems. The Magnetic Flux Monitoring System MFM uses a sensor that allies the search coil technology with the same physical assembly of the air gap sensors, and is immune to all interferences in the area like dust, oil, humidity and radio-frequency. Must be used only one sensor, to be assembled at the bottom part of the stator, in the generator air gap, as shown in Figure 5 below.

Figure 5: magnetic flux sensor, assembled together with air gap sensor MFM system on-line monitors the generator magnetic field by the magnetic flux emanating from the poles of the rotor. For an effective analysis, the results are combined with air gap measurements given by AGMS and ZOOM systems, that allow correlation between flux and air gap for each pole. Allow to detect if unbalance is caused by an electric failure as short-circuit between coils in the pole or induced by a very small air gap.

RETAINING RINGS FAILURES

Retaining rings are used to repress the centrifugal force at rotor windings end. They are the more stressed components of a generator and so require extreme care in the project as well as in manufacturing and maintenance. Centrifugal force at the end of windings contribute with approximately 4000 to 8000 kilos for each copper kilo under the rings. This factor produces a stress that deforms the ring during operation, in a lightly elliptical shape for two-poles rotors due to non-uniform weight distribution of winding ends and associated blockings. In modern generators, retaining rings are installed in the rotor ends by shrinking. This procedure forces the ring to keep cylindrical shape in nominal speed and avoid differential movements from the ring related to rotor body. Two of the common problems in retaining rings are caused by their construction characteristics. In body-shaped rings, can occur a high current circulation during unbalance conditions, driving to damages caused by heat excess. In spindle-mounted rings, they allow a flexibility between the rotor body and the ring, that can drive to insulation failures and cracking the coils in this area, a very dangerous condition in machines with frequent load cycles and run-up/run-down proceedings. Another factor that can cause damages to retaining rings is the material used in the manufacturing: magnetic or non-magnetic. Magnetic rings can suffer serious problems in case of contamination. Even the non-magnetic rings can suffer influences and be damaged by environmental conditions. The ones manufactured with Gannaloy can suffer embrittlement in environments with hydrogen cooling, The ones manufactured with 18Mn-5Cr alloys can be damaged by stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Modern generators use 18Mn-18Cr alloy, with better resistance to these problems.

So, retaining rings are components that require special care in maintenance and operation. Failures in the maintenance procedures can generate catastrophic results, as shown in Figure 6.

In order to regularly monitor the retaining rings for detection of deformations or shape irregularities associated to load conditions, must be used DCS-420 proximity sensors, that use the same capacitive technology of the air gap sensors, and are immune to all interferences existing in the area, such as dust, oil, humidity, radio-frequency and electromagnetic. Must be used 8 (eight) sensors, 4 (four) in each side (turbine and exciter), assembled two by two laterally in the same axial plan, over brackets inside the structure, as shown in Figure 7 below.

Figure 7: capacitive proximity sensor to measure retaining rings deformations

VIBRATION AND AXIAL DISPLACEMENT

Obviously we can not forget to consider the shaft vibration (or oscillation) and traditional axial displacement. These measurements can be done in any external point of the machine, like bearings, reduction box, etc. Inductive type proximity sensors (or eddy-current) have been industry standard for more than 40 years. However, inductive sensors always presented certain technical limitations inherent to project that until now remain uncovered. Capacitive technology proximity probes are suggested to overcome the technical limitations and eliminate problems caused by the use of eddy-current proximity sensors. Capacitive sensors are totally immune to generator magnetic field, circulating currents in the field, oil mist and also any residual magnetism in the shaft. Also are immune to the effects of electrical run-out (false signals caused by the variable composition of shaft material, surface imperfections and electromagnetic properties of the shaft), and can be used to monitor shafts of different materials without necessity of re-calibration. Also do not require a machined lane (mirrored) in the shaft to obtain optimal results during measurements. The number of proximity sensors is function of the points to be monitored, at least two radial sensors 90o apart per bearing and one for axial displacement.

INTEGRATED MONITORING SYSTEM

All subsystems above mentioned allow monitoring based on local instrumentation, to be installed close to machines, that must pre-process monitored parameters input signals and actuate as alarm and/or protection device. Allied to these parameters, other can be added to the monitoring system to better analysis of machine conditions, as per example: voltage, phase currents, field currents, temperatures, active and reactive powers, among others. In order to increase on-line monitoring, pre-processed signals can be transferred to a controller computer, to be located at control or maintenance room in the power house. ZOOM Look software allows on-line configuration of each monitored parameter, for measuring range, unit, alarm and danger levels and others. Also allows graphic visualization of those parameters in a time scale for trending. In applications where rotor bowing is monitored by the use of AGMS, the system can be upgraded to ZOOM platform, that allows X-Y graphic analysis of each monitored parameter in each machine revolution as well as FFT analysis. Also can be installed the ZOOM Analyst software that allows FFT analysis and orbit graphic visualization as seen by any group of sensors installed 90o apart.

CONCLUSIONS
It is important to have in mind that not all monitored system above mentioned are necessary in any application. Same way, one must have in mind that not all sensors are of easy installation, requiring in most cases the machine disassembly. So, before installation final recommendations, a complete analysis of the machine history, of required operation conditions and symptom of past problems must be investigated to allow that the choice o the sensors reflect the User necessities. As the sensors are installed, measurements under different load conditions must be taken in order to extract maximum information regarding phenomena occurring inside the machine. With this information, a better interpretation of the causes of problems can be identified, allowing new operation and maintenance strategies that can drive to a lower maintenance costs and a higher machines availability.

BIBLIOGRAFIA
Heavy Duty Gas Turbine Operating and Maintenance Considerations by Robert Hoeft and Eric Gebhardt GE Power Systems GER3620G September 2000 Generator Rotor Thermal Sensitivity Theory and Experience by Ronald J. Zawoysky and William M. Genovese GE Power Systems GER3809 April 2001 HV Risk Analysis by Bruce Penfold and Mike Davis Newcastle University Engineering Department Elec480 Project May 2001 Fiber-optic accelerometer, a technological breakthrough for vibration measurements in electrically hostile environments by Michel Cochard and Gillian Pritchard December 1999 10 Case Studies of On-line Monitoring & Diagnostics on Hydroelectric Machinery by Marc Bissonnette and Jackson Lin VibroSystM Inc., Canada December 1999 GE Generator Rotor Design, Operational Issues, and Refurbishment Options by Ronald J. Zawoysky and Karl C. Tornroos GE Power Systems GER4212 August 2001 A New Capacitive Proximity Probe Immune to Electrical Run-Out by Jackson Lin and Marc R. Bissonnette Canadian Machine Vibration Association, 1997 Annual Meeting November 1997