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Figure 10. Winding with bare joints and large gap at phase
Figure 8. Burn at junction of grading and grounding paints. break. It failed due to sudden short circuit, not partial discharge.
Figure 12. Minor loose wedge vibration. Figure 14. Severe end-of-slot vibration.
Maintenance of Stator Windings These three items can be a huge challenge. In particular, skilled
workers are limited in supply and availability. The availability of
Some General Considerations capable supervision is also limited. Also, often those sent on site,
A well-designed, properly manufactured, and properly oper- even by the best of OEMs and vendors, are not well qualified.
ated generator is unlikely to require rewind in 30 years of opera- The result can be costly in dollars and calendar time, and in the
tion, and maybe never. But it will require regular maintenance. quality of work. In the case of failure root cause determination,
The frequency of OEM recommended maintenance has evolved if the lead investigative engineer is not highly skilled, incorrect
in the last 25 years [7]. But regardless of the frequency of main- determinations can often be reached and the result can be hugely
Figure 16. Minor vibration with noticeable dust generation. Figure 18. Failed half-bar from vibration.
Figure 20. Vibration occurring due to loss of clamping pressure Figure 22. Strand displacement due to lack of flux shielding to
on rings. top strands of bar on hydro generator. See also Figure 13.
A Few Other Maintenance Considerations that a qualified expert is involved in any wedge tightness assess-
Robotic Inspection: Inspection without rotor removal is ment decision.
widely recommended by OEMs, and these devices can perform Stator Cooling Water Systems: These systems involve many
rather well an inspection of the stator core areas. They can also components: piping, valves, controls, storage tank, filters, de-
do a wedge tightness test and ElCid core insulation integrity test. ionizer, coolers, and the stator winding. Close following of the
But, unfortunately the robotic inspection is expensive and often OEM recommendations for operation and maintenance of these
will find indications that result in the need to remove the rotor systems is highly recommended and can avoid costly repair [11].
anyway.
Stator Re-wedging: Often re-wedging of the stator winding
Conclusion
is recommended where re-wedging is not needed. Judgement
This discussion of stator groundwall insulation and stator
of wedge tightness can be very subjective, e.g., manual test by
windings systems is intended as a general summary only. It is
inexpert individual, improper use of tightness test device, and
by no means complete, or even comprehensive. The reader is
misunderstanding the results of tightness device. Re-wedging is
referred to the several references provided below, and to refer-
expensive and time consuming, and can result in core and/or
ences within those documents. Also, the website http://www.
winding damage. Also, if only the end wedges are loose, only
generatortechnicalforum.org has a large collection of references
the end wedges should be replaced, not all wedges. It is essential
Figure 24. Obvious cracked bars due to occurrence of sudden Figure 26. Severe arc damage to stator winding due to rain-wa-
short circuit on winding. ter ingress on outdoor unit.