Synchronous Machines

Nabil A. Al-Nuaim* Hamid A. Toliyat

Student Member, IEEE Senior Member, IEEE
Department of Electrical Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station,TX 77843-3128
Fax: (409) 845-6259

*On leave from Saudi Aramco, P. 0.Box 6260, Dhahran 3 1311, Saudi Arabia

-
Abstract This paper presents the performance of salient pole
synchronous machines with eccentric rotors. Relationships
between stator current induced harmonics and dynamic
eccentricity are investigated. The winding function theory
accounting for all space harmonics in electric machines and
presented by earlier researchers has been modified to adopt non-
symmetric air-gap for the calculation of machine winding
inductances. In addition, the winding inductances have been
computed by finite element method to support those calculated
by the modified winding function approach (MWFA). Magnetic
coupled circuits approach has been utilized for simulating rotor
and stator currents. The simulation findings are in close
agreement with experimental results.
I. INTRODUCTION
Rotating electrical machines play very important role in
the world’s industrial life. In petrochemical and chemical
industries, and power utilities, the failure of critical rotating
machines, such as electric motors and generators cost million
of dollars. This is due to the loss of production, high
emergency maintenance costs and lost revenues. Industries
response towards this problem of unexpected interruptions of
work is by using “catch it before it fails” approach. So, the
industry started investing heavily on the preventive
maintenance programs, that is, detecting the machine
problems before they can result into catastrophic failures [l].
The oldest technique for the preventive maintenance was
by tearing the electrical machine down and then looking at it
closely. However, taking the motor out of service is costly
and time consuming. This is why today’s modern industry
management are more interested than ever before in adopting
new condition monitoring techniques, on-line or off-line, to
assess and evaluate the rotating electrical machines
performance condition to reduce the maintenance and
downtime costs, repairs, or overhaul as required.
Electrical machines can operate under asymmetrical
conditions due to mechanical and/or electrical irregularities.
These asymmetrical conditions could be summarized in the
following:
Broken rotor bars or cracked rotor end-ring in case of
induction motors.
0 Inter-turn fault resulting in the shorting or opening of one
or more circuits of a stator phase winding.
0 Rotor eccentricities.
Rub between the rotor and the stator core resulting in
serious damage to the stator and rotor windings and
cores.
0 Shorted rotor field windings in case of synchronous
machines causing overheating which may result in rotor
bending.
Recent efforts in fault diagnosis include electrical and
magnetic techniques, mechanical techniques and chemical
techniques [2-31. These techniques are the basis for
developing on-line and/or off-line rotating electrical machines
condition monitoring systems. In this paper, electrical
techniques are used. Specifically, the motor current signature
analysis is proposed to detect dynamic eccentricity.
11. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
This paper is an attempt toward the following
achievements. First, to find a new linear model for
synchronous machines by using the geometry and the physical
layout of all windings so that the model can be used to
simulate the machine under faulty conditions such as air-gap
eccentricity andor shorted rotor field. The winding function
approach (WFA) accounting for all space harmonics in the
machine will be modified to compute all of the relevant
inductances of the stator phases and the rotor field windings
of the salient-pole synchronous motor [4]. Then, use the
developed model to investigate the effect of dynamic air-gap
eccentricity on the stator and rotor magnetizing and mutual
inductances. Third, finite element analysis will be used to
support the findings of the linear analysis. Finally, the stator
and rotor current signature patterns of the linear model will be
investigated to find the specific harmonic components that are
related to dynamic air-gap eccentricity. The machine
parameters are presented in the Appendix.
The definition of winding function given in [1,4] for
computing the inductances cannot be used where rotor
eccentricity exists. The winding function method can only be
used for the cases where there exists a symmetry in the air-
gap which means that the north and south poles of the salient-
pole machine are identical and the air-gap is uniform having
only even space harmonics. In case of eccentric rotors, the
air-gap is not uniform any more. Therefore, a new
formulation for computing the inductances has to be

0 1997 IEEE.
0-7803-3946-0/97/S10.00 MA2-5.1
developed. This will involve using the Ampere's Law and
some magnetic field equations to devise the new formulas.
111. "%E MODIFIED WINDINGFUNCTION (MWF) THEORY
In case of rotor eccentricity, rotor symmetry does not exist
in the air-gap since the air-gap lengths 1-2 & 3-4, and 1'-2'&
3'-4' at both sides of the machine as shown in Fig. 1 are not
equal. So, the MMF drops for the closed paths 1-2-3-4-1 and
1'-2'-3'-4'-1' on both sides of the machine are not the same.
To generalize the equations to include eccentricity, symmetry
in the air-gap will not be considered as was assumed in [4].
Fig. I Salient-pole synchronous machine with rotor eccentricity
showing non-symmetric air-gap .
By writing the magnetic circuit MMF drops and using
Ampere's and Gauss' laws, the MMF drop across the air gap
can be found from the following
f 1 2s
where g(.) is the gap function, n(.) turns function of each
winding, 4 is a particular position along the stator inner
surface, and 8 is the angular position of the rotor with respect
to some stator reference. Using (1) the modified winding
function including the case where the air-gap is not symmetric
can be defined as follows
where
In cases where the rotor is not eccentric , i.e. the air-gap is
symmetric, (3) reduces to
< M ( 4 ) >=< n > (4)
where < n > is the dc value of the turns function of the subject
winding, and therefore (2) reduces to
MA2-5.2
which has only the ac components of the turns function and is
identical to the definition given in [4] for the winding
function.
The modified winding function, defined in ( 2 ) and (3), is
presented in its general form. It can be used for any arbitrary
distributed windings or non-symmetric models. The stator
slotting effect can be incorporated too.
IV. CALCULATION OF MACHINE INDUCTANCES
The mutual inductance LBA of winding B due to the
current iA in winding A in a salient pole synchronous machine
including rotor eccentricity can be found from the following
PI:
2s
LBA =PO r t I n B ( @ , @ >M A ( $ > e > g - ' ( @ , 8 ) d $ (6)
0
where r is the average radius of the airgap, and 1 is the length
of the stack. The magnetizing and the mutual inductances of
the machine were calculated using the modified winding
function approach (MWFA) presented by (6) . A finite
element study was also conducted to verify and support the
MWFA inductances.Figs. 2 and 3 shows phase a magnetizing
inductance of both methods when the rotor is and is not
symmetric respectively. It is clear that they are in close
agreement.
I I
0' 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
degrees (moch.)
Fig. 2 L,, by winding function method, a, and finite element
method, b,for non-eccentric rotor.
degrees (mech.)
Fig. 3 L,, by winding function method, a, and finite element
method, b,for 25% dynamic eccentricity.
 V. SIMULATION
RESULTS
The stator and rotor magnetic coupled circuit voltage and
flux linkage equations were used to simulate the machine
stator and rotor currents under rotor eccentricity. The
magnetic co-energy equation was utilized to find an
expression for the electromagnetic torque.
The frequency spectrum of stator currents when the rotor
is and is not symmetric were calculated. Simulation results
show that only stator odd harmonics as expected exist. Table-
1 summarizes the relative percentage increase of stator
current harmonics due to 50% dynamic eccentricity.
Table-1 : Relative percentage increase of stator harmonics due to
50% dynamic eccentricity (Simulationof salient-pole
motor).
Table-2: Relative percentage increase of stator harmonics due to
I I 5th I 7th I 11th I 13th I 17th I 19th I
VIII. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
To study the effect of dynamic eccentricity on
synchronous machines, an experiment has been performed on
a round-rotor synchronous motor. The motor has been
loaded separately with two discs of the same size. The first
disc has a smooth solid surface to emulate the case of non-
eccentric rotor, and the second disc has been drilled with four
small holes on one corner of it to emulate the case of rotor
dynamic eccentricity. Table 2 summarizes the relative
percentage increase of stator current harmonics found in the
experiment due to dynamic eccentricity. Figures 4 and 5
show the frequency spectrum of the stator currents. A
marked increase in the 17” and 19” harmonics of the stator
current in case of dynamic eccentricity is obvious.
Fig. 4 Stator currentffequency spectrum with symmetric disc.
MA2-5.3
Fig. 5 Stator current ffequency spectrm for non-symmetric disc.
50% dynamic eccentricity (Experimentalresults on round-
rotor motor).
II 3.1% I 3.2% I 0.8% I 70.0% 110.5% 152.74% I I
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This material is based in part upon work supported by the
Texas Advanced Research Program under Grant No. 95-PO83
and by the Office of the Vice President for Research and
Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, through the Center
for Energy and Mineral Resources, Texas A&M University.
REFERENCES
[ 11 H. A. Toliyat, M. S. Arefeen and A. G. Parlos, “A Method for
Dynamic Simulation and Detection of Air-Gap Eccentricity in
Induction Machines,” IEEE Transactions on Industry
Applications,vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 910-918, Jul./Aug. 1996.
[2] P. J. Tavner, B. G. Gaydon and D. M. Ward, “Monitoring
Generators and Large Motors,” IEE Proceedings, vol. 133, pt.
B, no. 3, pp. 169-180, May 1986.
[3] Peter J. Tavner, and James Penman, Condition Monitoring of
Electrical Machines. Research Press Limited, England, 1987.
[4] T. A. Lipo, “Winding Distribution of an Ideal Machine,”
Chapter 1, Special Topics in Electrical Machine Theory,
Course Notes presented by H. A. Toliyat, Texas A&M
University, Collage Station, Texas, Fall 1995.
[5] Nabil A. Al-Nuaim, Performance Analysis of Synchronous
Machines under Dynamic Eccentricity, M.S. Thesis,
Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas, Dec. 1996.
APPENDLX
Synchronous Motor Parameters:
L=273.05 mm r=422.656mm
g=2.54 mm. Nr= 108 turns/pole
Ns=3 turnskoil Rs= .01592 !2
Rr=.3632 !2