Device and method for monitoring and/or analyzing rotors of electric machines in operation

• US 8,536,839 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Limited (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Mark, Bernhard, Hobelsberger, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US13/089,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 322/99, 324/765, 324/765.01, 702/117
• US Class Current: 322/99
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/343 in operation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/02 Details

Abstract

A method is provided for monitoring and/or analysis of electrical machines during operation. An electrical machine has at least one generator with a shaft, an exciter system and drive device that drives the shaft. In this case, a first signal, which describes a voltage across a rotor winding, and a second signal, which describes a current flowing through the rotor winding, are measured simultaneously. The two signals are supplied to an analysis unit. The signals are split into individual frequency components in the analysis unit. The impedance of the rotor winding is then determined in order to identify fault states in the electrical machine.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and/or analysis of electrical machines, wherein the electrical machine has at least one generator with a shaft, an exciter system and a drive device that drives the shaft, the method comprising:

measuring a first signal, which at least indirectly describes the operating voltage across a rotor winding, and simultaneously measuring a second signal, which at least indirectly describes the operating current flowing through the rotor winding, during operation;

supplying the first and second signals to an analysis unit;

splitting the first and second signals into individual frequency components in the analysis unit; and

determining the impedance of the rotor winding in order to identify fault states in the electrical machine.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are measured via the electrical conductors which connect sliding contacts on the shaft, to the exciter.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are measured in a stationary part of a brushless exciter system, in particular via electrical conductors which connect the stationary part to the exciter.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are measured in a rotating part of a brushless exciter system and are transmitted wirelessly, by a telemetry unit which is arranged on the shaft, from the measurement point to an analysis unit which is formed with an appropriate receiver unit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signals are recorded during operation of the electrical machine, with the rotation speed being constant or variable during the operation of the electrical machine.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impedance is displayed graphically, in particular by a display unit, in which case a change in the impedance can be visualized by the display unit, such that fault states can be identified and/or analyzed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impedance is monitored and evaluated automatically, such that fault states can be identified automatically.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impedance is displayed on a display device and analyzed as a function of time and/or of frequency.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fault states relate to at least one fault state selected from the following:

turn shorts in the rotor winding;

state of the damper bars;

state of the damper cages;

torsional oscillations, torsional vibrations or the state of the stator.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein only the alternating components of the voltage and of the current are recorded.

11. An apparatus for monitoring and/or analysis of an electrical machine during operation, wherein the electrical machine comprising at least one generator with a shaft, an exciter system and a drive device that drives shaft, wherein a first detector is provided, which is galvanically isolated from the electrical machine and measures a first signal, which at least indirectly describes the operating voltage across a rotor winding, and a second detector is provided, which is galvanically isolated from the electrical machine and measures a second signal, which at least indirectly describes the operating current flowing through the rotor winding, and an analysis unit is provided, which splits the first and second signals into individual frequency components and determines the impedance of the rotor winding.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first signal and the second signal are measured via electrical conductors which connect sliding contacts on the shaft to the exciter.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first signal and the second signal are measured in a stationary part of a brushless exciter system, via electrical conductors which connect the stationary part to the exciter.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first signal and the second signal are measured in a rotating part of a brushless exciter system and are transmitted wirelessly, by a telemetry unit which is arranged on the shaft, from the measurement point to an analysis unit which is formed with an appropriate receiver unit.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein a display unit is provided, by which the impedance can be displayed graphically, in which case a change in the impedance can be visualized by the display, such that fault states can be analyzed.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the detectors record only alternating components of the voltage and of the current.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first detector for the measurement of the voltage has coupling capacitors which capacitively tap off the voltage, and the second detector for the measurement of the current has a Rogowski coil, which inductively taps off the current.