Winding Type Alternation of a Refurbished Old Generator

Abstract

Refurbishment of hydro-generators promises an increased lifespan and improved efficiency. Old generators are not only less efficient but also less reliable; their fault occurrence is more common. The economic impact of out-service time can be astronomical. Thus, refurbishment is a critical task; but it is challenging too. Most of the conducted works focus on the material update, enhancing the cooling network, and obtaining better efficiencies. Modifying winding type, i.e. conversion from lap winding to wave winding is rare since it often requires a change in the slot number. Such a move can be laborious, size change can become mandatory. In this study, a refurbishment design strategy is proposed which includes a winding type conversion. The task is to implement a wave winding since it has less out-service time and is easily replaced by field workers. In this paper, an old generator that started operation in 1956 is used for a refurbishment. This study promises a guideline to hydro-generator designers who work on a refurbishment study on old hydro-generators that have diamond coils.