500 MW Generator, Salient Features.

The generator at 500 MW C.S.T.P.S. has following salient features:

1) Brushless Excitation System
2) “Micalastic” Insulation of Stator Conductors
3) Use of Oxygen free water for Stator cooling and Hydrogen for rotor cooling.
4) Provision of Polishing unit for primary water system, which maintains the pH
of primary water between 8 and 9
5) Provision of Seal oil system on both Air side as well as Hydrogen side.
6) Provision of flash evaporator on CO2 filling line
7) Generator circuit breaker opens when RPP relay operates, in case of Turbine
trip.

Specifications:
Generator Main Exciter Pilot Exciter

Type THDF 115/59 ELR/70/90-30/6- ELP 50/42-30/

20ES 16 E7
Apparent Power 588 MVA - 65 KVA
Active Power 500 MW 3840 KW -
Current 16.2 KA 6300 Amp 195 Amp
Voltage 21 KV ±1.05KV 600 V 220±22 V
Speed 3000 rpm 3000 rpm 3000 rpm
Frequency 50 Hz - 400 Hz
Hydrogen Pressure 3.5 Kg/ cm² - -
Continuos permanent 8%
unbalanced load

Rectifier Wheel:
No. of rectifier wheels :2
No. of diodes per wheel : 60, (800 V, 800 A)
No. of fuses per wheel : 30

Generator Volume:
Generator Gas Volume : 80 m³
CO2 filling quantity : 160 m³, (s.t.p)
H2 filling quantity : 480 m³, (s.t.p.)

General Design Features of the generator:

Stator Frame:
Stator frame consists of cylindrical center section and two end shields. Stator end
shields are joined with frame by flange connection. O rings provide the sealing for
making the joint gas tight and pressure resilient.
Stator core, winding and Gas Coolers are mounted on the frame. The frame is welded to
feet, which in turn are rigidly bolted with the foundation.

KTC/CH/ILK/GCT-8/03,Version1, rev00, 10-12-2003

R.S. Kulkarni, EE(G), KTC
Prepared By Page 1 of 11 Approved By
Stator Core:
Stator core is made from insulated electrical sheet steel laminations. It is
mounted in supporting rings over insulated dove tailed guide bars. Axial compression of
the stator core is obtained by clamping fingers, pressure plates and non-magnetic
clamping bolts. The bolts are insulated from core. The supporting rings form part of an
inner frame cage. The cage is supported in the outter frame by a large number of
separate flat springs distributed over the entire core length. The springs are so arranged
and tuned that core vibrations resulting from magnetic field are not transmitted to the
frame and foundation.

Stator Winding:
The stator bars, phase connectors and bushings are water-cooled. Bars are
composed of separately insulated strands, which are transposed by 540° in the slot
portion and bonded together with epoxy resins. Bars consist of hollow as well as solid
strands, distributed over the cross- section for obtaining good heat dissipation. At the
bar ends, solid strands are jointly brazed into a connecting sleeve. Hollow strands are
strands are brazed into water boxes from where cooling water enters and exits. Teflon
hoses connect the water boxes to Inlet and outlet manifolds. Bars are inserted in the
slots with side ripple springs, slot bottom equalizing strip, and top ripple spring beneath
the wedge. Gaps between end windings are completely filled with insulating material and
cured after installation. For radial support, the end windings are clamped to to rigid
support ring of insulating material which, in turn, is fully supported by frame. The bars
are clamped with support ring with pressure plates, the plates are held together by
clamping bolts, made from high strength insulating material. The support ring is free to
move axially within the frame caused by thermal expansion of stator bars.
The stator winding connections are brought out on 6 Bushings in a welded, non-
magnetic compartment below the generator.

Hydrogen Cooling Circuit:

Cooling of stator: Please ref. diagram No. 1. Hydrogen is circulated in the
generator interiors in a closed circuit by a multistage axial flow fan, mounted on the
Turbine end of the rotor. Hot gas is drawn by the fan from the air gap and delivered to
the coolers. From cooler outlet, gas devides in three paths.
Path 1: Flow of gas is directed into the rotor at the turbine end below the fan hub for
cooling of Turbine end half of the rotor.
Path 2: Flow of gas is directed to individual frame compartments for cooling of stator
core.
Path 3: Flow of gas is directed to the stator end winding space at the exciter end,
through guide ducts in the frame for cooling of exciter end half of the rotor and of the
core end portions. The three flows mix in the air gap, from where it is drawn to coolers
by the axial fan.
Cooling of rotor: Cold gas is directed to the end windings of the rotor at Turbine end
and Exciter end. Openings are provided before the rotor body ends. Hydrogen flows
through cooling ducts of each conductor. Hot gas discharges in to the air gap at the
center of the generator through the holes provided on the conductors and wedges.
Cooling of stator frame: Gas flows in to the individual frame compartments for core
cooling, and exits in to the air gap.

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Rotor Winding:
It consists of several coils inserted in to slots and series connected such that two
coil groups form one pole. Each coil is made from several series connected turns.
Conductors are hollow and made from silver bearing, de-oxidized copper. Two numbers
of lateral cooling ducts are also provided for each slot. L- shaped strips of laminated
epoxy glass fibre fabric with nomex fillers are used for slot insulation. Slot wedges are
made of high conductivity material and extend below the shrink seat of retaining ring.
Seat of the retaining ring is silver plated to ensure good contact between slot wedge and
retaining ring. System acts as a damper winding. Retaining ring is made of non-
magnetic, high strength steel. The retaining rings are shrunk fit to the rotor body in the
overhang position. Field current is supplied to the rotor winding through radial terminal
bolts. Field current leads are connected to the exciter leads through “Miltikontakt” plug
in contacts.
Generator operating parameters are as given below.
Parameter Normal Limiting Action if limiting Unit
Operating Value value is crossed
Stator core temperature <90 °C
Stator slot temperature 50 to 80 °C
Primary water temp, winding <65 70, °C
outlet
Hot gas temp., cooler inlet 40 to 75 °C
Cold gas temp, cooler outlet 25 to 34 °C
∆T between cold primary water >5 1°C Generator is De- °C
and cold gas excited manually
Bearing metal temp. <75 120 Trip °C
Absolute Bearing Vibrations <50 90 Trip μm
Cooling water temp. before <39 39 Trip °C
Hydrogen cooler
Cooling water temp. after <46 46 Trip °C
Hydrogen cooler
Co2 and H2 filling rate 150 m³/ H
Seal oil System:
Diagram No. 2 shows the seal oil system. The system consists of two nos. of Air
side AC seal oil pumps, One no. of Hydrogen side AC seal oil pump and one D.C. Seal oil
pump which supplies oil to air side seal ring in case of AC failure.
During normal operation, air side AC pump draws seal oil from Seal Oil Storage
Tank (SOST) and feeds it to the shaft seals through coolers and filters. Oil drains from
the annular space between shaft and seal ring in the air side, which is returned to SOST.
Hydrogen side seal oil pump draws the oil from Hydrogen side seal oil tank and
feed sit to the seal ring on Hydrogen side, through coolers and filters. Oil drains towards
Hydrogen side through the annular gap between shaft and seal ring. The oil is first
collected in the prechambers and then returned to Hydrogen side seal oil tank.
Air side seal oil gets saturated with air. But, by providing sealing from Hydrogen
side also, the air-saturated oil does not enter in to the Hydrogen side, thus maintaining
Hydrogen purity.
For ensuring that Air side seal oil does not drain in to the generator, seal oil
pressure in air circuit ia kept slightly less than that of Hydrogen side. In the event of
non-availability of Hydrogen side pump, air side pump supplies oil to Hydrogen side seal
ring.

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 Hydrogen side and air side seal oil circuits are in contact with each other in the
annular gaps between the shaft seals. Seal oil pressure at the air side shaft seal is set
slightly higher than Hydrogen side seal oil pressure, hence a small quantity of oil
continuously flows from air side seal to Hydrogen side seal through the annular gap. This
causes gradual increase in the quantity of oil in Hydrogen side circuit. A float valve in
Hydrogen side seal oil tank returns excess oil to SOST. But this interchange is so small
that it does not impair the advantages of two different circuits. Oil pressure in air side
seals is 0.8 to 1.2 Kg/ cm² higher than gas pressure in generator casing and is
controlled by the valve called “A”, (valve ‘4’ in the diagram). Separate valve, (C Valve,
mentioned at ‘11’ in the diagram) also maintains the oil pressure in H2 side seal rings at
0.8 to 1.2 Kg/ cm² above the gas pressure in generator casing. Pressure equalising
valve, (Valve 8 in the diagram) maintains the constant differential pressure between
airside and Hydrogen side seal oil.

Seal Oil system parameters:

Normal Value Tripping Unit
Value
Discharge Pressure, H2 side seal oil pump 10 Kg/cm²
Discharge Pressure, air side seal oil pump 9.0 Kg/cm²
Seal oil temp. after H2 side cooler 40 to 45 °C
Seal oil temp. after air side cooler 40 to 45 55 °C
H2 side seal oil temp 40 to 69 °C
Primary Water System:
Please ref to fig.3. The purpose of primary water system is to circulate cooling
water through the conductors of the generator stator. The primary water tank mounted
on the top of generator casing, acts as storage for the primary water and is connected to
the suction of Primary water pump. Pump circulates water, through cooler and filter to
inlet manifold, from where water enters in to the Hollow conductors. Conductors are
connected to inlet manifold through flexible Teflon hoses. Hot water is discharged from
the conductors in to outlet manifold, from where it flows in the primary water tank.
Outlet manifold is also connected to hollow conductors through Teflon hoses. Primary
water also cools the bushings. Space above the primary water in the tank is filled with
ultra pure Nitrogen gas, pressure of which is maintained at 0.1 to 0.15 Kg/ cm² with the
help of pressure regulating valve. Specifications of primary water quality are:
1) Water conductivity in the circuit : Less then 4.0 µmho / cm
2) Dissolved Oxygen : Less then 100 ppb.
3) pH : 8 to 9
Purpose of using Oxygen free water is to prevent corrosion of Copper conductors.
Purpose of Nitrogen:
Dissolved Oxygen in the D. M. Water, used for initial filling of the system or for
subsequent make up, is very high. Hence, after filling the system or taking make up in
the system, water is first scrubbed with Nitrogen to remove the Dissolved Oxygen. In
this operation, conductors and bushings are first isolated from the primary water circuit.
Pump then establishes water flow through re-circulation line. The dissolved oxygen from
water gets liberated and mixes with Nitrogen in the tank. The nitrogen is purged out by
fresh gas from the ultra pure Nitrogen cylinder, after every 30 minutes. The process
continues till dissolved Oxygen in the water reduces to specified value. Then the main
circuit is established.

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 The second purpose of the Nitrogen is to provide inert atmosphere in the tank.
Hydrogen gas diffuses in to primary water through the Teflon hoses, which accumulates
in the primary water tank. Nitrogen thus provides inert atmosphere to this Hydrogen.
Alkalizer Unit:
Even after using Oxygen free water does not prevent copper corrosion
completely. Alkalizing the water can reduce the severity of corrosion. Hence Alkalising
unit is provided in these generators, to maintain pH between 8 and 9. Diagram no. 2,
shows a connection branched off from primary water circuit before pump and consisting
of Ion Exchanger ‘9’.Water, after passing through ion exchanger, again mixes with
primary water in the main circuit. The diagram below explains the functioning of this
branch.

From Primary water

Tank Tank containing Main circuit
NaOH solution
Treatment
Circuit
Diaphragm Pump NaOH
Ion solution
Exchanger

Primary water pump To Generator conductors

To the small quantity of primary water tapped from main circuit (1 to 1.3 Kg/s) is
injected with NaOH solution by the diaphragm pump. This water is passed to ion
exchange unit, which consist of anion and cation resins. It removes all copper, iron,
chlorine and carbon dioxide ions from water. But it also removes Na+ ions and hence, to
maintain concentration of Na + ions, NaOH solution is injected. This maintains pH, but
conductivity of water increases. Diaphragm pump stops when conductivity of water in
main circuit reaches 2.5 µS/ cm or in treatment circuit it reaches 3.0µS/ cm.

Primary Water Filters:

Primary water circuit is provided with a magnetic filter. It consists of strainer type
filter with magnet bars. Strainer has a mesh size of 75 µm. Magnet bars are made of
strong permanent magnets. The filter retains iron particles. Fine filter giving degree of
filtration of 5 µm is provided after the ion exchange unit of the treatment circuit.
Important Parameters of primary water circuit are:

Normal Limit Action on reaching limit

Operating value
Primary water temp. 65°C 70°C Alarm
Primary water pump pressure. 8 Kg/ cm² 5 Kg/ cm² S/B pump picks up
Flow rate to treatment ckt. 1 – 1.3 Kg/s 0.015 Diaphragm pump stops
Conductivity after ion exchanger 2.5µS/cm 3.0µS/cm Diaphragm pump stops
Conductivity in main ckt. 2.2µS/cm 2.5µS/cm Diaphragm pump stops
Level in primary water tank 75%

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 Primary water flow in stater 18 Kg/s 14.4 Kg/s Generator trip
winding
Primary water pressure in stator 2.6 Kg/ cm²
winding
D.P. across stator winding 1.2 to 1.5
Kg/ cm²
Primary water flow in bushing 0.42Kg/s 0.37 Kg/s Generator trip
Pressure in primary water tank 0.2 Kg/ cm²

Brushless Excitation System:

The exciter consist of
1) Rectifier wheels
2) Three phase main exciter
3) Three phase pilot exciter
4) Cooler for exciter air cooling
5) Metering and measuring equipment.
Diagram 3 shows the brushless excitation system. The Pilot exciter, is a
permanent magnet, three-phase generator. Output voltage is then fed to AVR, where it
is rectified and controlled. Variable DC current from AVR is used for excitation of three-
phase Main Exciter. In main exciter, field winding is arranged on stator and 3-phase AC
voltage is induced on the rotor. This voltage is further fed to the rectifier wheels
mounted on the same shaft to which main exciter is coupled. The DC voltage from
rectifier wheels is then fed to Generator field winding through the dc leads arranged in
the rotor shaft. The leads are run through the shaft bore. Rotor leads and rectifier leads
are connected with each other through “Multikontakt” assembly, which consists of plugin
bolts and sockets. Mechanical coupling of the two shafts also couples the leads.
The silicon diodes on the rectifier wheels are arranged to form 3-phase bridge
circuit. Two diodes are connected in parallel and mounted on Aluminum heat sink. One
fuse is connected for two diodes and failure of one diode blows the fuse. Fuse indicator
pops up under such circumstances. For supervision of fuses, stroboscope arrangement is
made. For suppression of voltage peaks arising out of commutation, RC network is
provided on the wheels. The insulated wheels serve as +ve and –ve buses. The
complete exciter is housed in an enclosure through which cooling air is circulated.
Tripping and Protection scheme:
In case of Turbine Tripping, Generator circuit breaker opens on operation of
Reverse power protection relay. Only in case of electrical protections of the generator,
GCB opens without the operation of RPP relay.

Generator Mechanical Protections:

These protections cause tripping of Turbine first and GCB opens on RPP protection.
1) High cold gas temperature in Generator casing
2) Liquid in Generator Terminal Box
3) High hot air temperature in Exciter unit
4) High seal oil inlet temperature
5) High primary water Inlet temperature
6) Low primary flow rate at Winding outlet
7) Low primary water flow rate at Bushing outlet

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Generator Electrical Protections:

Turbine trip GCB opening F.B. opening

Differential Protection   

Stator ground fault   

Rotor ground fault   

Loss of field   

Overcurrent protection 

Unbalance load protection 

Overvoltage Protection   

Under frequency Protection 

Reverse power protection  



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Fig. 1(Generator Gas Circuit)

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Fig. 2(Generator Seal Oil Circuit, Simplified Diagram)

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 Fig. 3(Primary Water Circuit)
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Fig. 4(Brushless Excitation System)

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