Simulation research on field windings inter-turn
short circuits fault of turbine generator with no
load based on Multi-loop model
Li Jun-qing, Hou Ji-yong, Li He-ming
School of Electrical and electronic Engineering
North China Electric Power University
Bei Jing , China
E-mail:alex83@126.com
Abstract—the inter-turn short circuits fault of field windings is
a common fault in generators. According to the multi-loop
method of AC machines, this paper proposes multi-loop
mathematical model of turbine generator with inter-turn short
circuits fault of field windings. Based on the model, the normal
operation and the short circuits fault operation of generator
with no load have been simulated combining with the actual
structure of a 300MW turbine generator. The time-varying
mutual inductances between stator and rotor winding are
calculated, from simulation results, the field current and stator
voltages show the model reasonable under normal operation,
After the field windings short faults, the field current increases
gradually to a new constant value under the constant field
voltage, the transient feature of stator voltage are obtained,
which provides the basis for further fault analysis and fault
diagnosis of turbine generator with field winding inter-turn
short circuits1
Keywords ˖ No load, Inter-turn short circuits fault of field
windings, Multi-loop method, Turbine generator
I. INTRODUCTION
The inter-turn short circuits fault of field windings, which
often happens in turbine generators, can cause serious
damages [1-3]. The National Standards contains the gap
detector coil method that detects the inter-turn circuits fault
in China. However, there is not the detector equipment in a
part of electric power plants [4]. So it is necessary for
studying new diagnosis method to further know fault feature
of inter-turn short circuit of field windings. Existing
research followed the experimental research, the qualitative
analysis approaches and the numerical simulation method
[2-4]. Some useful results have been achieved up to now.
The qualitative analysis can get fault characteristic, the
experimental research is closer to the actual situation, but
for large-scale units, the experimental research needs the
higher cost of the experiment and it is lack of universality,
This work is supported by Doctor colleges special research fund for
academic point of China(No:20060079007) and Natural Science
Foundation of He bei Province (No:08B005 and E2010001705) and Ph.D.
graduate innovative funding schemes of North China Electric Power
University- cultivate top-notch graduate program
which has limitations in practical applications. The
numerical simulation method can obtain accurately the
distribution and the value of fault current in the loops [4] by
simulating different operations of different structure
machines with less cost [5-7].
The fault feature of generator with no load is more
prominent without the influence of stator field. The paper
researches the model and simulation of generator according
to the multi-loop method of AC machines [6]. Combining
with the actual structure and the fault feature of a 300MW
turbine generator, the multi-loop mathematical model of
turbine generators with inter-turn short circuits fault of field
windings, is suitable for normal and fault simulation under
no load.
II. THE MULTI-LOOP MATHEMATICAL MODEL
A. The loops selection and the voltage equations
It is the premise for Multi-loop method to select loops [6]
and the number of loops decides the number of the voltage
equations. The voltage equations are written according to
the selected loops. The conventions of the current and the
magnetic linkage is that a positive current produces a
positive magnetic linkage in this paper. The paper selects
loop as follows:
1) The stator winding
As for stator, it is supposed that there is 2 branches each
phase. After the short circuits fault happens, the stator
winding appears the unbalance currents [4]. The paper
selects 3 loops as Fig.1. The solid arrows show positive
direction of stator branches, dashed arrow and numbers in
parentheses show loop’s positive direction and loops serial
number. If the number of stator parallel is m, then the
number of the branches is 3m. In the same selected method,
the numbers of the loops is 3*(m-1) in stator winding.
a1 a2 b1 b2 c1 c2
˄˅ ˄˅ ˄˅
1 2 3 4 5 6
Fig.1. stator loops
 RZF if
The voltage equations of stator branches are written
according to general circuit rule. For example, the voltage
equation of the Q stator branches is: i fkk

U = pψ + i Q rQ (1) EZF uf rfkk

Q Q
ifk
3m 2 p*nc
ψ Q = ¦ MQS iS + ¦ MQld ild + M Qf i f + M Qfk i fk (2) Fig.2. Loops of field winding with inter-turn short circuit
s =1 ld =1
Where p is the differential operator d/dt , nc is the 3) The rotor damper system
The damper system of the turbine generators is a cage-
number of each pole damper bar, ild is the current type structure composed by the Al-alloy slot wedge (the area
of ld damper loop, i f and i fk are shown as Fig.2, M Qld is the of S1 in Fig. 3)and the copper bar in the slot (the area of S2
in Fig. 3) , which are joined together by comb ring and
mutual inductance between stator loops and ld damper loop, guard at the end, as Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. The paper selects the
M Qf is the mutual inductance between stator loops and damper loop as Fig. 5 according to the actual connection of
damper bar. The first number loop correspond the loop at
normal field loop, M Qfk is the mutual inductance between the big tooth, then name number in clockwise sequence.
stator loops and fault field loop. The voltage equation of the random ld damper loop is
2) The rotor field winding 0 = pψ ld + ild rld − rc (ild −1 + ild +1 )  (7)
As for rotor, the rotor winding involves field windings
3m 2 p*nc
and, when the short circuit fault of field windings happens, ψ ld = ¦ M Sld iS + M fkld i fk + M fld i f + ¦ M gdld igd (8)
field windings is considered as 2 loops, that are normal loop s =1 gd =1
of field
Where rc is the resistance of the damper bar, M Sld is the
(the current i f )and fault loop (the current i fk ). So the
mutual inductance between stator loops and ld damper loop,
number of winding loop is n = 2 , EZF is field system M gdld is the self and mutual of damper loops.
voltage, RZF is field system resistance, rfkk is short circuit
resistance in Fig.2.
The voltage equations of fault field loop is
0 = − pψ fk − i fk rfk + i fkl rfkk (3)
3m 2 p*nc
ψ fk = ¦ M Sfk iS + L fk i fk + ¦ M fkld ild + M ffk i f (4)
s =1 ld =1
Where rfk is the inner resistance of the fault field winding,
L fk is self inductance of the fault field winding, M Sfk is the
mutual inductance between stator loops and fault field loop, Fig.3 the sectional view of the rotor slot
M fkld is the mutual inductance between fault field loop and

damper loop, M ffk is the mutual inductance between fault

field loops and normal field loop.
The voltage equations of normal field loop are:
0 = pψ f + pψ fk + i f rf + i f RZF − EZF (5)
3m 2p*nc
ψ f = ¦ M Sf iS + L f i f + ¦ M fld ild + M fkf i fk (6)
s =1 ld =1
Where r f is the inner resistance of the normal field
winding, M Sf is the mutual inductance between stator loops Fig.4 the damper system
and normal field loop, L f is the self inductance of the
normal field loop, M fld is the mutual inductance between
normal field loops and damper loop.

Fig.5 the selected damper loop

 According to the analysis above, when the short circuit T T
[ ][T] [I′]+[T][M][T] pI
[T][U] =[T]pM
T
[ ′]+[T][R][T] [I′]
fault of field windings happens, the loop number of stator
and rotor winding are 3*㧔 m-1 㧕 +n+2p*nc, that is, there [U ′] = [ M ′] p[ I ′] + [ R′][ I ′]
That is (14)
are 41 loops for 300MW turbine generator adopted in this
paper. Where [U ′] = [T ][U ] ˈ [ M ′] = [T ][ M ][T ]
T

B. Multi-loop mathematical model of turbine T T

generator [ R′] = [T ] p[ M ][T ] + [T ][ R ][T ]
The main idea of multi-loop theory is getting voltage Equation (14) is a differential equation group with time
equations and flux equations according to the actual circuits variable coefficients. Using numerical method, the current
[6]. The paper set up equations based on such basic
state variables can be obtained.
condition, that is, for the each stator branch one voltage
Before solving equation (14), It is the key to calculate
equation and one magnetic linkage equation are set up, and
for the rotor winding, voltage and magnetic equations are set the parameters [ M ] accuratelyˈ the details refer [6]. All
up according to the selected loops, as equations (1)-(8). The the parameters are obtained by subjoining the mutual
voltage equations and magnetic linkage equations can be inductance of single coils according to the selected loop.
written as matrix form:
[U ] = p[ψ ] + [ R ][ I ] (9) III. SIMULATION RESULT
[ψ ] = [ M ][ I ] The stator winding of 300MW turbine generator is Y-Y
(10) connection, the number of parallel branch is 2.The main data
Where [U ] = [U1 "U3m , E fd , 0"0]
T of the machine are as Tableĉ
Based on multi-loop mathematical model above, the
[ I ] = [i1 " i3 m , i f , i fkk , i1d " i2 p*ncd ]
T
time-varying mutual inductances between stator and rotor
T
winding are calculated; the field current and the stator
[ψ ] = [ψ1 "ψ 3m ,ψ f ,ψ fk ,ψ1d "ψ 2 p*ncd ] voltages show the model reasonable under normal operation
[U ] , [ I ] , [ψ ] are the voltage, the current, the magnetic with no load. After the field windings faults, the field
linkage matrix of stator and rotor winding. current increases gradually to a new constant value under
the constant field voltage, the transient feature of stator
[ R ] is the resistance matrix of the stator and rotor. voltage are obtained.
[ M ] is time-varying mutual inductance matrix that is
A. The simulation results under normal operation
calculated separately according to the actual connection of
the stator and rotor coils including self and mutual The wave-forms of time variant inductance parameters
inductance of stator loops, self inductance of field loop and are shown as Fig.6 and Fig.7; the field current and stator
damper, mutual inductances between stator loops and field voltage are shown as Fig.8 and Fig.9.
loop, mutual inductances between stator branches and
damper loops, mutual inductance between field loop and TABLE I. THE MAIN DATA OF THE MACHINE
damper loops. UN(V) IN(A) p fN(Hz) IfN(A) If0(A) Cos(N)
Equations (9) and (10) are stator branch equations and 20000 10190 1 50 2642 990 0.85
rotor loop equations. Before calculating internal faults above
equations need to be transformed to new loop equations 0.1
through transformation matrix [T ] , for example, when the 0.08
0.06
short circuit fault of field windings happens, the
inductance(H)

0.04
0.02
transformation matrix is 0
-0.02
ª1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 " 0º -0.04
«0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 " 0» -0.06

«0 0 0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 " 0»
-0.08
-0.1
(11)
[T] = « 00 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 "0» 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
time(s)
0.12 0.14 0.16

« 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 "0»
᧤a᧥The mutual inductance between a1 stator branch and field loop
«0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 %" 0»
«# # # # # # # # # %# » 0.1

¬0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 "1 ¼ 0.08
0.06
inductance(H)

0.04
Equation (9) is multiplied from left by (11), 0.02
0
[T][U] = [T]p[M][I ] +[T][M]p[I ] +[T][R][I ] (12) -0.02
-0.04
-0.06
Stator branch current, rotor loop current and loop current -0.08
-0.1
of stator and rotor current meet equation (13): 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
time(s) 
T (b) The mutual inductance between a2 stator branch and field loop
[ I ] = [T ] [ I ′] (13) Fig.6. the mutual inductances between stator branch and field loop

Where [ I ′] is loop current matrix of the stator and rotor.

Substitute equation (13) into equation (12)
 -4 4
x 10 x 10
1.5 3
inductance(H) 1 2

0.5 1

Voltage(V)
0 0

-0.5 -1

-1 -2

-1.5 -3
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
time(s)  time(s)
(a) The mutual inductances between stator branch a1 and the 1-th damper
loop Fig.10.the voltage of phase a
-4 4
x 10 x 10
1.5 3

1 2
inductance(H)

0.5 1

Voltage(V)
0 0

-0.5 -1

-1 -2

-1.5 -3
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
time(s)  time(s) 
(b)The mutual inductances between stator branch a2 and the 1-th damper Fig.11. the voltage of phase b
loop
4
Fig.7 .the mutual inductances between stator branch and the 1-th damper 3
x 10
loop
2

Voltage(V)
1100
0
1050
currents(if(A))

-1

1000 -2

-3
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
950 time(s) 
Fig.12. the voltage of phase c
900
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
time(s)  2500 if
Fig.8 the field currents under normal operation with no load ifk
currents if(A)• ifk(A)

2000
4
x 10
2
1500

1 1000
voltage(V)

500
0

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

-1 time(s)

Fig.13 .the current of normal field ( i f ) and fault field ( i fk )

-2
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
time(s) 
Fig.9 the stator voltage of phase a b c
2000

B. The simulation results under inter-turn short fault 1500

currents ifkk(A)

operation 1000
Suppose that inter-turn short happens at t=0s, the short
500
contact resistance r fkk = 0 . Before short fault happen, the
operation condition is normal no load operation at the rated 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
speed, the field current is i f 0 = 990( A) . time(s) 
Fig.14. the inter-turn currents i fkk
The simulation current of stator and rotor after generator
short circuits fault (50%) happens under the no load
operating conditions are shown as Fig.10, Fig.11, Fig.12, IV. CONCLUSIONS
Fig.13 and Fig.14. After short circuits fault happens, from
the simulation result, we can know the stator voltage and the The paper proposes multi-loop mathematical model of
turbine generators with inter-turn short circuits fault of field
field current i f increase gradually to a new constant value, windings, which is suitable for normal and fault simulation
under no load. Based on the model, the time-varying mutual
the current i fk reduces gradually to zero, the current i fkk
inductances between stator and rotor winding are calculated,
increases gradually to the constant value. The transient the calculated current of field winding and the calculated
features are consistent with the qualitative analysis of voltages of stator winding show the model reasonable under
references [3-5]. normal operation with no load. After the field windings faults,
from simulation result, the field current increases gradually
to a new constant value under the constant field voltage, the
transient feature of stator voltage are obtained.
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