Subsynchronous resonance in turbine generators caused by faulty induction machines

Frank Joswig and Stefan Kulig

Institute for Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Electronics, University of Dortmund, D-44227 Dortmund,
Germany
Subsynchronous resonance phenomena (SSR) belong to the most severe incidents that occur in large
synchron generators. The ultimate hazard of SSR is generator shaft fracture at rated speed. In addition
personal safety is endangered. But as clearly shown in this paper, the actual protection measures for SSR
are not sufficient because there exist more types of SSR than up to now known. The long compensated
transmission line has been in the centre of interest in the multitude of publications. In this paper, an
entirely new subject is presented: SSR caused by faulty induction machines. Firstly an SSR caused by
faulty slip ring induction machines is presented. This example occured in an actual small industrial
private power system. Secondly it is pointed out that also an induction machine with faulty squirrel cage
produces currents and powers that excite the generator shaft to oscillations at natural frequencies. At last
an approach to give sufficient protection against this new kind of SSR is presented.
1. Introduction
SSR phenomena have been in the centre of interest for many years. Especially since the failure at the Movahe
station in 1970 a multitude of publications was released about this subject. The main focus was the SSR caused by the
interaction between the electromechanical system of the synchronous generator and the long compensated transmission
line. The aim was to obtain a mathematical model for the system to find the parameters resp. an area of valid parameters
that are responsible for the SSR.
2. Usual SSR phenomenon
As already mentioned, the main focus in the multitude of publications - especially in the 70's but up to now - in the
subject of SSR was the interaction between the electromechanical system of the generator and the long compensated
transmission line which was to be seen as an oscillation circuit. This lead to three kinds of causes for SSR: induction
generator effect (IGE), torsional amplification (TA) and torsional interaction (TI).
The induction generator effect (IGE) especially occurs at transient operation. Caused by a disturbance the
transmission line resp. the oscillation circuit produces currents with subsynchronous frequency. In the armature of the
generator this currents produce a magnetic air gap field that rotates at subsynchronous speed. So the damper cage of the
generator rotates at super-synchronous speed as seen from the subsynchronous air gap wave. This means the damper
cage operates as an induction generator. This implicates that the system's impedance (generator, transformer and
transmission line) decreases and may reach negative values. In case of negative impedance, the disturbance is not
damped but amplified. If the complement-frequency of the disturbance matches a natural torsional frequency of the
generator shaft, oscillations are possibly strongly excited.
Torsional amplification (TA) is a phenomenon that occurs when a fault on a series compensated power system, and
its subsequent clearing, results in high energy storage in the capacitor banks, which then discharge their energy through
a generator in form of a current with a subsynchronous frequency. Again, in case of this frequency resp. it's complement
matching a natural torsional frequency of the generator shaft, oscillations may arise quickly and reach a damaging level
within short time (0.1 seconds).
The torsional interaction (TI) may arise in stationary operation, when small rotor oscillations occur. The rotor
displacement angle then also oscillates with a small frequency and a small amplitude. This may produce an increase in
armature voltage and hence an increment of system current, depending on the natural frequency of the electrical system.
The change in current produces an electrical torque and in consequence a mechanical torque that provides an increment
of motion resp. oscillation. In this circle of dependent relations the system response may be degenerative or regenerative
depending on the phases of the dependent or independent variables resp. parameters.

These are the three usually observed phenomena within the subject of SSR. But it shows that these are not the only
effects that may lead to risky high shaft oscillations.
3. SSR caused by faulty induction machines
3.1 SSR caused by slip ring machines with faulty rotor windings
Figure 1 shows a clipping of a plant for natural gas luiquefaction. There are five synchronous generators with rated
power 8.25 MVA each which supply the private net. The main loads are four asynchronous motors with rated powers of
twice 7 MW, 2.4 MW and 1.2 MW. All machines drive compressor pumps. The two 7 MW motors are machines with
slip ring rotors which are started with a liquid resistor starter. During running up, which takes about 30 seconds, two
faults occured: on the one hand the slip ring connection of one 7 MW induction machine tore off. This caused an arc
and an interruption in one phase of the rotor windings occured. On the other hand the shear pins at the shaft of three
synchronous generators tore off at nearly the same time. The following hypothesis was assumed: SSR occurred during
the running up of the slip ring induction motor which caused the tear off of the shear pins within the generator shaft.
Extensive works and simulations of the entire system were done in order to evaluate this hypothesis.

Synchronous
Generator I

Synchronous
Generator II

Asynchronous
Motor I (7 MW slip-ring)
faulty machine
Asynchronous
Motor II (7 MW slipring)
Asynchronous
Motor III (2.4 MW)

Synchronous
Generator III

Asynchronous
Motor III (1.2 MW)

Figure 1. Plant for natural gas liquefaction

First in a test the time function of the stator currents for a 3 kW slip ring induction machine with an open rotor
winding during running up were measured in a laboratory model. The result was as to be supposed: caused by the
unsymmetrical rotor the stator currents had a transient component within the range from f = 0 Hz to 60 Hz, depending
on the mechanical rotating speed. The maximum amplitude of the electrical power during running up exceeds the
nominal power more than four times and is also oscillating. In the actual system this takes effect on the shafts of the
synchronous generators. As a result an electrical torque with variable frequency was generated in the air gap. This
torque passed through all frequencies between 0 Hz and 120 Hz. So it crossed the eigenfrequencies of the shafts with 21
Hz and 84 Hz and excited the shaft to oscillation under resonance.
To make sure that this hypothesis was correct, the complete system consisting of slip ring induction machines,
synchronous machines and private power net was modeled and simulated. The simulation was carried out in two steps.
First the stator currents of the faulty induction machine during running up were calculated. In the second step this
currents were fed to the NETOMAC program to calculate the torsional oscillations of the shaft.
The calculation of the stator currents was done in two ways: First by using a numerical field calculation program
called FELMEC and second by solving a system of differential equations. FELMEC is a numerical 2D-field calculation
program which was developed and already successfully used at the Institute for Electrical Machines, Drives and Power
Electronics at the Dortmund University. This program is based on the method of finite differences. Electrical machines
can be simulated two-dimensionally taking electrical networks and different mechanical loads into account. The
magnetic field within the machines cross section as well as the electrical behavior of all network elements and
windings and also the dynamic behavior of all mechanical elements are calculated in small time steps of for instance 0.1
ms. A system of equations with about 9000 variables is determined for each time step. Most of the equations describe
the spatial discretization of the field equations. Two types of field equations are considered. The eddy current equation
is used in conductible areas and the Poisson or Laplace equation is used for the windings and laminated areas. Only a

few equations describe the electrical network and the mechanical shaft system. Calculation of e.g. 30 seconds of real
time takes about 3-4 days.
The second method (solving a system of differential equations) is much faster than the FD-program. But for the
viewed case the usually well-known ODE-system for symmetrical machines could not be used because of the fault in
the rotor winding. So a new model had to be used. That new equation system is given by:

U = R I + L

d
I + D Lrot I
dt

DD mech + DD mech =

(1)

1 m+ n m+ n
M sk
is ik
+ ma

2 s =1 k = 1

(2)

The quantities are:

[U]
[R]
[I]
[L], [Lrot]

D
Msk
ma

voltages
resistors
currents
inductance
number of pole pairs
mechanical angle
moment of inertia
damping
mutual inductance
driving torque

This equation system can be derived by using the Lagrange-Equation resp. the Hamilton-Principle. The matrixes in
equation (1) have m+n rows, where m is the number of stator-phases (here 3) and n is the number of rotor phases resp.
rotor bars (here 3). Equation (2) represents the mechanical system. In addition, if neccessary, the harmonics can also be
added. But this was not required in the investigated case.
150
Share caused by
faulty rotor

frequenzy (Hz)

fundamental frequency
100
50
0
2

10
12
time (s)

14

16

18

20

electrical power (MW)

Figure 2. Calculated spectra of current of a faulty slip ring machine during running up

20
0
-20
5

10

15
time (s)

20

25

30

Figure 3. Calculated time-function of the electrical power fed by faulty slip ring machine

The results of the calculations are shown in figure 2 (current) and figure 3 (electrical power). To analyze the shaft
oscillation in the synchronous generators caused by these currents, the NETOMAC program was used. The shafts
eigenfrequencies which had to be considered for the SSR investigations were at 21 Hz and at 84 Hz. The logarithmic
damping was supposed to be 0.0025 for both the first and the second mode of the shaft. So the complete network of the
plant has been modeled for the simulation:
-

network with all controllers and protection systems

all synchronous generators by using the Park Model
generator shafts by a spring-mass-system
imprinted currents of the faulty asynchronous machine
running up of one faulty 7 MW asynchronous machine, three other asynchronous machines (7 MW, 2.4 MW and
1.2 MW) in operation

The simulation was carried out for a real time range of 40 seconds. The limit for the torsional torque was set at 2.2
p.u. At the beginning of the resonance this value is exceeded to 2.5 p.u. So the calculated torque exceeds the tear off
torque of the shear pins a little bit. Therefore it is not sure if the pin will tear off directly. Even if the pin will endure the
stress, a severe fatigue of the material will occur in the shaft. But since several running ups were performed with a
faulty machine when the plant has been put into operation, this has led to a complete material fatigue and therefore to a
tear off of the shear pins.
3.2 SSR caused by squirrel cage machine with broken rotor bars
To get a deeper understanding for the danger of SSR caused by faulty induction machines, further investigations
were made. As known, every unsymmetry in a rotor causes harmonics in the stator currents depending on the
mechanical rotational speed. Some efforts were made to get an analytical solution for this case. But even for the
stationary state, the equation for an induction machine with unsymmetrical rotor is not (yet) solvable resp. solved. But
there are two other ways to get knowledge of the currents: by simulating in time domain and by measurement.
Measurements, as described below, were done in the laboratory of the Institute for Electrical Machines, Drives and
Power Electronics.
To achieve usable results a small machine set (figure 6) was installed where all important physical and electrical
quantities were measured. All machines have rated power at about 5 kW. The driving machine is coupled via torque
transducer and induction machine at no load operation to the synchronous generator. The generator feeds the second
machine set consisting of faulty induction machine, induction machine at no load operation and a DC machine working
as load. To make the results comparable, the faulty machine can be exchanged with an identical machine without rotor
fault. The fault in the squirrel cage was placed manually. In a first step only the cage ring was interrupted. But there
were no measurable results to be achieved. In the second step, also one rotor bar was interrupted by boring (figure 5).

Figure 5. Squirrel cage with interrupted rotor bar and cage ring

The measurements were done while the synchronous generator worked at nominal operation and the faulty induction
machine ran up under maximum load. As to be seen in figure 7, the running up of the faulty machine is faster than the
running up of the normal machine (~88 sec vs. ~79 sec). The reason is the increased resistance of the rotor of the faulty
machine. This leads to higher torques at the beginning of the running up and to higher accelerations of the rotating
shaft. This effect is equivalent to putting resistors onto the slip rings of an induction machine. At t=76 sec. a clear raise

of torque can be identified. A further look at the currents (figure 8) clearly shows the cause. The current has, beside the
fundamental frequency component, a component with variable frequency. Like in case of the faulty slip ring machine,
this component drifts from 50 Hz to 0 Hz and back to 50 Hz. Between t=70 sec. and t=80 sec, this sub synchronous
component drifts from nearly 0 Hz to 50 Hz. This share produces an air gap wave in the synchronous machines with fsub
going from 50 Hz to 0 Hz. At t=76 sec. one mode of the shaft is excited and leads to an increase of torque oscillations.
But the torque was only measured at one paricular point of the shaft. It can not be excluded, that there occured higher
torques elsewhere within the shaft.

torque transducer
synchronous
machine
(generator)

induction machine
(no load operation)

DC machine
(driving machine)

induction
machine
(no load operation)

DC machine
(load)

faulty
induction
machine

Figure 6. Machine set for measurements

3
running up of the healthy machine

torque (p.u.)

2
1
0
-1
0

10

20

30

40

50

60
time (s)

70

80

90

100

70

80

90

100

3
running up of the faulty machine

torque (p.u.)

2
1
0
-1
0

10

20

30

40

50

60
time (s)

Figure 7. Measured Torque at the synchronous machine during running up of the normal and the faulty induction
machine

100

fundamental frequency

share caused by
faulty squirrel cage

frequency (Hz)

80
60
40
20
0

10

20

30

40

50
time (s)

60

70

80

90

Figure 8. Measured current spectra of a faulty induction machine with broken bar in squirrel cage during running up
4 Protection measures
Efficient protection against SSR caused by faulty induction machines can be carried out in two ways. The best
option is to install a protection system directly at the induction machine. When a fault occurs, the machine is to be
disconnected from the power grid. The protection system has e.g. to observe the currents of the machine. If
subharmonics with noticeable amplitude appear, a fault may have occured.
But in most cases, the loads can not be protected, because they are not known or not accessible. Then the torque of
the synchronous machine has to be observed. The problem is that under normal circumstances a torque transducer can
not be installed supplementarily. Also installing resistance strain gauge is problematic, because the measured signals
have to be transmitted to a reciever via radio signal.
4.1 Online monitoring with contacless torque sensor
With a contactless sensor, the torque of the shaft can be measured easily. At the authors Institute such a sensor was
developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer-Institute fr Techno- und Wirtschaftsmathematik in Kaiserslautern. The
measuring concept is based on the anisotropic magnetostrictive effect of iron. The permeability for magnetization in the
direction of compressive stress is different in comparison with the direction of tensile stress. The contactless sensor
measures this difference which is proportional to the mechanical torque in a wide range.
With additional software, a robust observer for the shaft can be installed. This observer is fed with the measured
torque and then calculates online the torque stress within the whole shaft. Material fatigue can also be determined.
The characeristics of the sensor:

Measurable surface stress >10N/mm (dependent on the

materials homogenity)
Shaft diameters >35 mm
Air gap recommended: approx. 1mm
Quick operation due to easy installation
No structural alternation
Frequency range: 0 250 Hz
System specific calibration

Figure 9. Contactless Torque Sensor

This system may give a sufficient protection against any kind on SSR, both SSR caused by long compensated
transmission line and SSR caused by faulty induction machine.

5 Conclusion
The sub synchronous resonance phenomenon does not only occur in systems with long compensated transmission
lines. Also in small private power systems with faulty induction machines SSR may occur, even if only one rotor bar is
broken. This has to be seen as a warning and must be considered in the field of construction and protection measures.
Especially the up to now known protection measures may not be sufficient enough yet. With online torque measurement
a sufficient protection is given.
6 Reference
[1]

Colin, Bowler ( ) Understanding subsynchronous resonance. General Electric Company, Schenectady, New
York

[2]

D.D. Walker, E.J. Bowler, R.L. Jackson, D.A. Hodges (1975) Results of subsynchronous resonance test at
Mohave. IEEE PES Winter Meeting, New York, N.Y.

[3]

S. Kulig, F.Joswig (2001) New perceptions about new kinds of SSR. 4th International Conference on Power
System Transients, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

[4]

S. Kulig, P. Lang, D. Prtzel-Wolter, J. Xu (1998) Model Reduction and Robust Observer Design for TurbineGenerator Shafts. 5th International Conference on Rotor Dynamics, Darmstadt

[5]

M. Klocke (1999) Zur Berechnung dynamischer Vorgnge bei von einem Drehstromsteller gespeisten
Antrieben mit Asynchronmaschinen und mehreren gekoppelten Massen mittels Finite-DifferenzenZeitschrittrechnung. Dissertation at the University of Dortmund, Institute for Electrical Machines, Drives and
Power Electronics