Insulation defect detection of high voltage generator stator core

• US 9,658,192 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG), Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Abbasi, Waheed A., Guan, Xuefei, Zhang, Jingdan, Zhou, Shaohua Kevin, Adams, Christopher John William, Fischer, Mark W., Karstetter, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Mischita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liao, Christine
• Application Number:
  US13/742,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 324242, 702 38
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/20 Investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/82 for investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/904 with two or more sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1227 of components, parts or materials G01R31/1209, G01R31/1218, G01R31/18 take precedence; circuits therefor G01R31/14; testing vessels of electrodes G01R31/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/11 for solving equations , e.g. nonlinear equations, general mathematical optimization problems optimization specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

In a general methodology for insulation defect identification in a generator core, a Chattock coil is used to measure magnetic potential difference between teeth. Physical knowledge and empirical knowledge is combined in a model to predict insulation damage location and severity. Measurements are taken at multiple excitation frequencies to solve for multiple characteristics of the defect.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an insulation defect in a generator core, comprising:

flowing an alternating excitation current at a first excitation frequency through an excitation winding adjacent the generator core to induce first eddy currents between laminations at the defect;

measuring a first potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by the first eddy currents induced at the first excitation frequency;

flowing an alternating excitation current at a second excitation frequency through the excitation winding adjacent the generator core to induce second eddy currents between the laminations at the defect;

measuring a second potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by the second eddy currents induced at the second excitation frequency; and

determining a severity of the defect and a depth of the defect using a response voltage relationship among the potentiometer voltages, the excitation frequencies, the severity of the defect, and the depth of the defect,

wherein the response voltage relationship comprises fitting parameters and a term wherein the excitation frequency is raised to a function of a fitting parameter.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein measuring the potentiometer voltage further comprises measuring a voltage of a Chattock potentiometer measuring magnetic potential difference between teeth of the generator core.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein measuring a potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by the eddy currents further comprises removing magnetic potential difference caused by the excitation current.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the response voltage relationship is

V=ksω

^1+β

exp[α

d ln ω

]

wherein V is the potentiometer voltage, k, α and

β

are fitting parameters, s is the severity of the defect, ω

is the given excitation frequency and d is the depth of the defect.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the response voltage relationship includes an exponential function of the depth of the defect.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein an operand of the exponential function is a logarithmic function of the excitation frequency.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the response voltage relationship includes a first-order function of the severity of the defect.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the severity of the defect is characterized by

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein the generator core is a generator stator core.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for detecting an insulation defect in a generator core, wherein execution of the computer readable instructions by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a measurement of a first potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by first eddy currents induced between laminations at the defect by flowing an alternating excitation current at a first excitation frequency through an excitation winding adjacent the generator core;

receiving a measurement of a second potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by second eddy currents induced between laminations at the defect by flowing an alternating excitation current at a second excitation frequency through the excitation winding adjacent the generator core; and

determining a severity of the defect and a depth of the defect using a response voltage relationship among the potentiometer voltages, the excitation frequencies, the severity of the defect, and the depth of the defect,

wherein the response voltage relationship comprises fitting parameters and a term wherein the excitation frequency is raised to a function of a fitting parameter.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 10, wherein measuring the potentiometer voltage further comprises measuring a voltage of a Chattock potentiometer measuring magnetic potential difference between teeth of the generator core.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 11, wherein measuring a potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by the eddy currents further comprises removing magnetic potential difference caused by the excitation current.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 10, wherein the response voltage relationship is

V=ksω

^1+β

exp[α

d ln ω

]

wherein V is the potentiometer voltage, k, α and

β

are fitting parameters, s is the severity of the defect, ω

is the given excitation frequency and d is the depth of the defect.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 10, wherein the response voltage relationship includes an exponential function of the depth of the defect.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 14, wherein an operand of the exponential function is a logarithmic function of the excitation frequency.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 10, wherein the response voltage relationship includes a first-order function of the severity of the defect.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 10, wherein the severity of the defect is characterized by

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 10, wherein the generator core is a generator stator core.

19. A method for detecting an insulation defect in a generator core, comprising:

flowing an alternating excitation current at a first excitation frequency through an excitation winding adjacent the generator core to induce first eddy currents between laminations at the defect;

measuring a first potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by the first eddy currents induced at the first excitation frequency;

flowing an alternating excitation current at a second excitation frequency through the excitation winding adjacent the generator core to induce second eddy currents between the laminations at the defect;

measuring a second potentiometer voltage indicating magnetic flux caused by the second eddy currents induced at the second excitation frequency; and

determining a severity of the defect and a depth of the defect using a response voltage relationship among the potentiometer voltages, the excitation frequencies, the severity of the defect, and the depth of the defect,

wherein the response voltage relationship comprises fitting parameters and an exponential function of the depth of the defect, wherein an operand of the exponential function is a logarithmic function of the excitation frequency.