GEK 95153

September 1990
Reformatted, October 1992

GE Industrial & Power Systems

Generator

Description
Open–Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator
For LM6000 Aeroderivative Turbine
Electrical and Mechanical Features
(Brushless Excitation)
Reformated, September 1991

These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment nor to provide for every possible
contingency to be met in connection with installation, operation or maintenance. Should further information be desired or
should particular problems arise which are not covered sufficiently for the purchaser’s purposes the matter should be
referred to the GE Company.
 1992 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
GEK 95153 Description of Open Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator

I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF GENERATOR

The open–ventilated air–cooled generator is designed for operation within a packaged enclosure with ambient
air as the cooling medium. The ventilating air is taken from inside the enclosure and is circulated by fans lo-
cated at the ends of the generator rotor. The separately excited rotating field is supported by pedestal–mounted
bearings located at each end of the generator frame (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.
The frame containing the stator core and winding and, the pedestals which support the rotor, is assembled on
a base. Mechanical power is derived from the turbine. The generator has its own bearing lubricating oil system
supplied by the packager .

The generator is designed for continuous operation. Temperature detectors installed in the generator permit
the measurement of the winding and inlet air temperatures. The generator is constructed to withstand, without
harm, all normal conditions of operation, as well as transient conditions such as system faults, load rejection
and mal–synchronization.

A. Stator Frame

The stator frame consists of a casing of welded plate construction, reinforced internally by web plates in
the radial direction, and by braces, key bars, and ventilating ducts in the axial direction.

The keybars which support the stator core are welded directly to the fixed web plates. Radial and tangential
magnetic vibration of the core is transmitted to the frame, but is isolated from the base by compliant pads
between the frame feet and the base. The pads provide for low base vibration and quiet operation.

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Description of Open Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator GEK 95153

B. Stator Core

The stator core is made up of segmented, annealed, insulated punchings (see Figure 2) of high–quality,
grain–oriented silicon steel for minimum electrical loss. These punchings are assembled in an interleaved
manner on keys machined on the key bars, and are separated into packets by space blocks to provide ven-
tilation ducts. The punchings are stamped from thin steel sheets and contain open–end slots for the arma-
ture bars with dovetail slots for the wedges which hold the armature bars in place. Other dovetail slots at
the back of the punching are for assembly and locking of the segments on the key bars. The assembled
punchings are clamped into a stiff cylindrical core by pressure applied through end flanges by means of
the stator key bars. Pressure is applied to the teeth by non–magnetic steel fingers located under the end
flanges (see Figure 4). In order to reduce end heating caused by the end leakage flux and its associated
electrical losses, the end packets of punchings are stepped back at the ends of the stator core to increase
the gap between the punchings and the rotor. The punching insulation is a thermo–setting varnish designed
to maintain its insulating value at temperatures above the normal operating range.

C. Stator Winding

The stator winding is composed of insulated bars assembled in the stator slots, joined at the ends to form
coils, and connected in the proper phase belts by bus rings. Each phase is split into groups of coils 180°
apart. The stator bars are composed of insulated copper conductors (strands) transposed by the “Roebel”
method so that each strand occupies every radial position in the bar for an equal length along the bar. This
arrangement minimizes the circulating current loss which would otherwise be present under load condi-
tions due to the distribution of magnetic flux in the coil slot. (See Figure 3 for details of the transposed
bar.)

The main ground wall insulation is a mica paper–based structure, utilizing a Class F thermo-setting
binder. The ground insulation is cured during vacuum, pressure, and then heating cycles to compact the
system and eliminate voids. The result is a high-density, high dielectric strength system which maintains
high mechanical strength throughout the operating temperature range.

An outer covering of protective tape is applied to the core portion of the bar to protect the bar from abrasion
in the slot. This protective tape is impregnated with a controlled–resistivity material to prevent slot dis-
charge sparking and vibration sparking. The end arms of the bars are graded with a non linear voltage grad-
ing material.

The stator coil ends are covered with an outer layer of tape to bind and protect the mica insulation, after
which they are sprayed with epoxy paint. These end turns are securely laced with treated glass cord to the
binding bands, which are molded fiberglass rings supported from the stator core flanges (see Figure 4).
The armature bars are held in the coil slots by wedges driven into the dovetail slots.

D. Resistance Temperature Detectors and Terminal Boards

Nine dual–element resistance temperature detectors are located between coils of the armature windings,
three in each phase, to measure the temperature of the windings at the points of highest normal temperature.

Two temperature detectors are provided to measure the inlet air temperature and one for outlet tempera-
ture. The leads from the detectors are brought out through the generator frame and connected to terminal
boards for connection to temperature meters or relays. The locations of the resistance temperature detec-
tors, and the arrangement of connections at the terminal board, are shown on the Connection Outline draw-
ing. A description of the detectors and circuit is given in the instructions for RESISTANCE TEMPERA-
TURE DETECTORS.

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GEK 95153 Description of Open Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator

Figure 2. Typical Stator Punching

E. Generator Leads

The main armature leads are brought out of the upper portion of the stator frame at the exciter end and
are available for outgoing and neutral bus connections.

The leads are suitable for connection to bus bars. Both ends of each phase are brought out to accommodate
differential protection equipment.

F. Stator Ventilation

The rotor fans provide the ventilation of the generator. They are the radial flow type assembled near the
ends of the rotor. The entrance conditions of the air to the fans is controlled by an inlet nozzle.

Cooling air is forced by the fans into the air gap, and also around and behind the stator core. The stator
is divided axially into sections by the web plates so that in some sections cold air is forced from the outside
of the core toward the air gap through the radial air ducts, while in other sections it passes from the air
gap toward the outside of the core through the radial ducts. The cooling air is conducted through tubes
or ducts to the proper section, and hot air is directed to the outlet of the generator.

The arrangement of alternate inward and outward air flow in the stator core results in a substantially uni-
form cooling of the core and windings, thus avoiding excessive local heating and reducing stresses caused
by temperature differentials.

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 Description of Open Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator GEK 95153

FILLER BETWEEN INSULATED TOUGH PITCH

CROSSOVERS COPPER WIRE TRANSPOSED
CONDUCTORS

LAYERS OF MICA TAPE

VERTICAL
SEPARATOR

RTD OR
FILLER

ASBESTOS TAPE
ARMOR

TRANSPOSITION OF INSULATED
CONDUCTORS IN ARMATURE BAR
CHAFING USING ROEBEL METHOD
STRIP
WEDGE
(TEXTOLITE)

STATOR SLOT ASSEMBLY

Figure 3. Armature Conductors Assembled in a Roebel Bar

PACKET OF
STATOR PUNCHINGS
WEDGES COIL END

GLASS TYING
CORD

VENTILATING
DUCT
TEXTOLITE
SUPPORT

PHASE
KEY BAR FIBERGLASS CONNECTIONS
BINDING BAND

OUTSIDE SPACE
BLOCK (FINGER) FLANGE

Figure 4. Stator End Winding Structure

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GEK 95153 Description of Open Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator

G. Generator Rotor (Mechanical and Ventilation)

The construction of the generator rotor is illustrated in Figure 5 and 6. The rotor is machined from a single
alloy–steel forging which has passed extensive tests to assure that the forging meets the required physical
and metallurgical properties.

Longitudinal slots, machined radially in the body, contain the field coils. The field coils are held in the
slots against centrifugal force by steel wedges. These wedges are fitted into dovetail openings machined
in the rotor slots.

The rotor fans, provided for the ventilation of the generator, are assembled near the ends of the rotor. The
rotor is cooled externally by the air flowing along the gap over the rotor surface, and internally by air which
passes under the rotor end windings, and axially under the rotor winding, through the subslot channels,
and radially outward through holes in the coils and wedges.

H. Field Winding and Retaining Rings

The field winding consists of rectangular copper bars, fabricated into coils. Several turns in one pair of
slots around one pole form a coil. Several coils are assembled around each pole to form the winding. The
individual turns are insulated from each other. The coils are insulated from the slot wall in the body portion
by molded slot liners. To provide maximum ventilation and cooling, the end portions of the field coils are
left bare except for turn insulation. Molded ring insulation is provided between the coils and the retaining
rings, and epoxy–glass blocking is provided in the end windings to separate and support the coils and re-
strict their movements under stresses from thermal and rotational forces.

The end turns are held in place against centrifugal force by heavy retaining rings machined from high
strength, corrosion–resistant alloy–steel forgings which are shrunk and key–locked onto the rotor body.

The axial movement of the field winding is restricted by the centering ring, which is held in place by a
shrink fit onto the retaining ring. I.

J. Brushless Excitation

A description of the brushless exciter may be found in the Exciter Section of the Instruction Book.

K. Pedestals and Bearings

The generator rotor bearings and oil supply piping are contained in pedestals. The drive end pedestal also
contains provisions for accommodating turbine thrust requirements. The pedestals and bearings are split
on the horizontal centerline of the bearing to facilitate their removal.

The bearing at the exciter end of the generator is insulated from the generator frame to prevent the flow
of shaft currents.

The lubricating oil is retained within the pedestal by seal rings on the bearing assembly and by oil deflec-
tors on either side of the pedestal.

A detailed description of the bearings and pedestal is provided in a separate instruction, PEDESTALS
AND BEARING, listed in the table of contents.

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Description of Open Ventilated Air–Cooled Generator GEK 95153

L. Air Shields

The outer air shields are bolted and sealed such that the surface of the bearing pedestals is entirely outside
the internal generator ventilation circuit.

The inner air shields are located between the ends of the armature windings and the outer air shields, to
separate the fan discharge air from the air entering the fans. Air seal fan nozzle rings are attached to the
inner air shields to prevent the fan discharge air from leaking into the fan inlet.

M. Acoustics

Special precautions are taken in the design of the base, housing and ventilation circuit to provide effective
silencing of the generator.

Figure 5. Typical Machined Rotor

DRIVE END CONNECTION END

Figure 6. Typical Assembled Rotor

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GE Industrial & Power Systems

General Electric Company

One River Road, Schenectady, NY 12345
518 • 385 • 2211 TX: 145354