CHAPTER 1

BHEL PROFILE

BHEL main gate (entry) CFFPgate

In 1956, India took a major step towards the establishment of its heavy engineering industry when Bharat
Heavy Electrical Ltd., the first heavy electrical manufacturing unit of the country was setup at Bhopal. It
progressed rapidly and three more factories went into production in 1965. The main aim of establishing
BHEL was to meet the growing power requirement of the country.
BHEL appeared on the power map of India in 1969 when the first unit supplied by it was commissioned at
the Basin Bridge Thermal Power Station in Tamil Nadu. Within a decade, BHEL had commissioned the
100th unit at Santaldih, West Bengal.
BHEL had taken India from a near total dependence on imports to complete self-reliance in this vital area of
power plant equipment BHEL has supplied 97% of the power generating equipment. BHEL has already
supplied generating equipment to various utilities capable of generating over 18000 MW power. Today
BHEL can produce annually; equipment capable of generating 6000MW. This will grow further to enable
BHEL to meet all of Indias projected power equipment requirements as well as sizeable portion of export
targets.
In the world power scene, BHEL ranks among the top ten manufactures of power plant equipment and in
terms of the spectrum of products and services offered, it is right on top. BHEL's technological excellence
1

and turnkey capabilities have won it worldwide recognition. Over 40 countries in the world over have placed
orders with BHEL covering individual equipment to complete power stations on a turnkey basis.
BHEL HARIDWAR HAS TWO MANUFACTURING PLANTS:

Heavy Electricals Equipment Plant (HEEP)

Central Foundry and Forge Plant (CFFP)

HEEP is further divided into eight different blocks:

(1) BLOCK-1 (ELECTRICAL MACHINE BLOCK)
In block one, turbo generator; exciter motors (A.C & D.C) are manufactured & assembled.
(2) BLOCK-2 (HEAVY FABRICATION BLOCK):
In block two, large size fabricated assemblies\component for power equipment are manufactured &
assembled.
(3) BLOCK-3 (TURBINE MANUFACTURING SHOP):
In block -3, steam turbine, hydro turbines, and gas turbines, turbines blade are manufactured & assembled.
(4) BLOCK-4 (COILS AND INSULATION MANUFACTURING, CIM BLOCK):
In block -4, winding for turbo generator, hydro generator, insulation of A.C&D.C motors insulating
component for turbo generator, hydro generator motors are manufactured & assembled.
(5) BLOCK-5 (CONDENSER FABRICATION AND FORGE BLOCK):
In block -5, fabricated parts of steam turbine water box, hydro turbine turbines parts are manufactured &
assembled.
(6) BLOCK-6:In block -6, fabricated oil tanks hollow guide blades, rings, stator frames rotor spiders are manufactured &
assembled.
(7) BLOCK-7:In block -7, all types of dies including stamping dies, stamping for generators & motors are manufactured &
assembled.
(8) BLOCK-8:In block -8, LP heaters, ejectors, steam coolers, oil coolers, ACG coolers, oil tanks are manufactured &
assembled.

CHAPTER 2
BLOCK IV
2.0 INTRODUCTION
1.

Block - 4 is basically divided into two parts:

a)

CIM Coils and Insulation Manufacturing.

b)

ACM Apparatus and Control Gear Manufacturing.

2. CIM Block is designed to manufacture stator winding bars of turbo and hydro generators and coils
like
DC armature coil, main pole coil, equalizer coil etc.
3. The Block consists of 3 Bays: Bay 1, Bay 2 and Bay 3. For handling and transporting the various
components, over head crane facilities are available, whose capacities depend upon the products
manufactured in each bay.
4. Conventional Bay- wise broad distribution of products is as follows:
Bar Shop

Manufacturing of stator winding bars of generator

BAY 1

Bar Winding Shop

BAY 2

Manufacturing of motor stator coil

BAY 3

Insulation Detail Shop:

5. Testing facilities for various stator winding bars are available in bay 1.
6. There is a special room for insulation and curing of all the stator bars in Bay 3.

2.1 BAY
BAY 1 (Bar Winding Shop)

Conductor cutting Section

Forming Section

Brazing Section

Micalastic Section

Finishing Section

BAY 2

Manufacturing of Motor stator coil

DC Armature coil

Main pole coil

Inter pole coil

Equalizer coil

BAY 3 (Insulation Detail Shop)

Manufacturing of hard insulation

Machining of hard insulation part (Glass Textolite) such as

Packing
Washer
Insulation Box
Wedges

2.2 BAR SHOP

This shop is meant for manufacturing of stator winding bars of generator that may be turbo generator or
hydro generator. It consists of various sections. In each one of these sections, various processes of
manufacturing the bar occurs independently. In the conductor cutting section, there is a Roebel bar
Manufacturing Centre, where conductors are cut, bended and transposed. In the same section, crossover
insulation is applied on the bends manually. In the forming section, the bars are given actual shape
according to the design. The overhang portion is made. In the brazing section, the contact sleeve and
water box are brazed. Various tests like Nitrogen leakage test, helium leakage test, thermal shock test etc.
are done in the testing section. In the Micalastic section, the bars are impregnated with the resin. In the
finishing section, the bars are finished before being sent to Block1 for winding.

CHAPTER 3
INTRODUCTION

COPPER COILS (BRAZED)

Any hydro or turbo generator has two windings- the field winding and the armature winding. The field
winding is the winding which produces the working flux and carries the exciting current. The armature
winding carries the load current. The field winding is placed on the rotor and the armature winding is
placed on the stator. This type of arrangement of the windings has its own advantages, which will be clear
in the next chapter.. The rating of any machine denotes the rating of its armature winding. Since these
type of generators have very large ratings (100 MW-1000 MW), the simple coils which we use for
smaller machines cant be used for the windings of these machines. It is because this makes the entire
process quite difficult and unreliable. For the stator windings (armature) of these machines, instead of
using single conductors, we use a set of conductors which have only one turn. Since their shape resembles
like a bar, these coils are called stator bars. These stator bars are then placed in the stator slots and
connected with other bars to make the armature winding.

CHAPTER 4
SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR

4.0 INTRODUCTION
Generators are (in terms of power generation) electrical machines that generate or produce electricity.
Synchronous generators are machines that produce or generate Alternating Current (AC) when the units
turbines are rotated by a motor. The yield frequency of the synchronous generator is precisely
comparative to the speed at which the motor is powered. The commercial birth of the alternator
(synchronous generator) can be dated back to August 24, 1891. On that day, the first large-scale
demonstration of transmission of ac power was carried out.
Synchronous generators are powered at constant rate and pull its excitation from outside or external
power source, or separate of the load or conduction grid it is supplying. A component called exciter
enables the synchronous generator to generate its own reactive energy. The exciter also regulates its own
power. Synchronous generators can either be operated from utility grids or unconnected.
Synchronous generators produce power by rotating electromagnetic fields surrounded by coils that
generate a three phase alternating current. Synchronous generators are not commonly used because
permanent magnets are apt to become demagnetized by the strong magnetic fields inside the
synchronous generator. Another reason is that potent magnets that are made of rare metal are expensive.

4.1 CONSTRUCTION
Synchronous machines are one of two types: the stationary field or the rotating dc magnetic field.
The stationary field synchronous machine has salient poles mounted on the stator - the stationary
member. The poles are magnetized either by permanent magnets or by a dc current. The armature,
normally containing a three-phase winding, is mounted on the shaft. The armature winding is fed through
three slip rings (collectors) and a set of brushes sliding on them. This arrangement can be found in
machines up to about 5 kVA in rating. For larger machines, rotating magnetic field is used.
The stator core is made of insulated steel laminations.
The core is slotted (normally open slots), and the coils making the winding are placed in the slots. There
are several types of armature windings, such as concentric windings of several types, cranked coils, split
windings of various types, wave windings, and lap windings of various types. Modern large machines
typically are wound with double-layer lap windings.The vast majority of salient-pole machines have six
or more poles. Non-salient-pole rotors are typically machined out of a solid steel forging. The winding is
placed in slots machined out of the rotor body and retained against the large centrifugal forces by
metallic wedges, normally made of aluminum or steel. The retaining rings restrain the end part
of the windings (end-windings). In the case of large machines, the retaining rings are made out of steel.

Stator winding in synchronous generator

In a large generator, the rotor is magnetized by a coil wrapped around it. The figure shows a two-pole rotor.
Salient-pole rotors normally have many more than two poles. When designed as a generator, large salientpole machines are driven by water turbines.
Schematic cross section of a synchronous machine with a cylindrical round-rotor (turbo generator). This
is the typical design for all large turbo generators. Here both the stator and rotor windings are installed in
slots, distributed around the periphery of the machine. The lower part shows the resulting waveforms of a
pair of conductors, and that of a distributed winding. The formula giving the magneto-motive force
(mmf) created by the windings.

Rotor winding in synchronous generator

4.1.1 STATOR
The stator, also known as the armature, of a synchronous machine is made of thin laminations of highly
permeable steel in order to reduce the core losses.
The stator laminations are held together by a stator frame. The frame may be of cast iron or fabricated
from mild steel plates.

4.1.2 ROTOR
9

Two types of rotors are used in the design of synchronous generators, the cylindrical rotor and a salientpole rotor. The rotor is rotated at the synchronous speed by a prime mover such as a steam turbine. The
rotor has as many poles as the stator, and the rotor winding carries dc current so as to produce constant
flux per pole.
The filed winding usually receives its power from a 115- or 230-V dc generator. The dc generator may be
driven either by the same prime mover driving the synchronous generator or by a separate electric motor.
The salient-pole rotor is used in low- and medium-speed generators because the windage loss is small at
these speeds.The field winding is placed around each pole. The poles must alternate in polarity.
The cylindrical rotor is employed in a 2- or 4-pole, high-speed turbo-generator. It is made of a smooth
solid forged steel cylinder with a number of slots on its outer periphery.

4.1.3 ARMATURE WINDINGS

The stators (armatures) of most synchronous generators are wound with three distinct and independent
windings to generate three-phase power. Each winding is said to represent one phase of a three-phase
generator.
The three windings are exactly alike in shape and form but are displaced from each other by exactly 120o
electrical in order to ensure that the induced emfs in these windings are exactly 120o in time phase.
The double-layer winding is often used to wind the armature of a synchronous generator. As you may
recall, a double-layer winding requires as many identical coils as there are slots in the stator. One side of
each coil is placed at the bottom half of a slot, and the other side of the same coil fills the top half of
another slot.

10

4.2 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

DC is supplied to the field winding.

If the rotor is stationary, the field winding produces magnetic flux which is strongest radiating

The turbine rotates the rotor. This produces a rotating magnetic field (text calls it sinusoidal traveling
wave) in the air gap. For fixed time (just one of the plots), there is sinusoidal variation of flux density
with space. Also, if we stand on a single point on the stator (e.g., =90) and measure B as a function
of time, we see that for fixed space, there is sinusoidal variation of flux density w/time.

Given that the stator windings, which run down the stator sides parallel to the length of the generator
are fixed on the stator, those conductors will see a time varying flux. Thus, by Faradays law, a voltage
will be induced in those conductors.

Principle of generator

CHAPTER 5
11

HYDRO AND TURBO GENERATOR

5.0 INTRODUCTION
Depending on the type of prime mover used, synchronous generators have been divided into two categories:

Hydro Generators
Turbo Generators

5.1 HYDRO GENERATOR

It is an electric rotating machine that transforms mechanical power from a hydraulic turbine or water wheel
into electric power. Another definition can be, a low-speed generator driven by water turbines.
Hydro generators may have a horizontal or vertical shaft. The horizontal units are usually small with speeds
of 3001200 revolutions per minute (rpm). The vertical units are usually larger and more easily adapted to
small hydraulic heads. The rotor diameters range from 2 to 62 ft (0.6 to 19 m) and capacities from 50 to
900,000 kVA. The generators are rated in kVA (kilovolts times amperes). The kilowatt output is the product
of kVA and power factor. The normal power-factor rating of small synchronous generators is between 0.8
and 1.0 with 0.9 being common. For large generators a rating of 0.90.95 is common with the machines able
to operate up to 1.0 when the load requires. The generators may also supply reactive power.
The turbine shown in the Figure 5.1 has an adjustable blade propeller, typical of large, low-head units that
are common on large river power plants. The water enters the turbine spiral scrollcasing, falls down through
the turbine, causing rotation, and empties into the river. The shaft transmits the rotation to the generator
12

spider or hub and thence to the rotor rim and poles. The magnetic field of the rotor poles transmits
the torque to the stator and changes the mechanical power to electrical power.
The poles are spaced around the rotor rim and are magnetized by direct current flowing in the turns of
the field coil around each pole. The magnetic field, or flux, crosses the air gap between rotor and stator,
flows radially through the stator teeth and thence to the area one pole pitch away, and back to the adjacent
pole on the rotor. The magnetic flux is stationary with respect to the rotor poles but sweeps around the stator
at the peripheral rotor speed. Coils are installed in the stator slots between the teeth. Thus there is an everchanging flux linking stator coils, which causes an induced electromotive force in the coils according to
Faraday's law.

Figure 5.1 Large Hydro electric Generator

5.2 TURBO GENERATOR

13

A turbo generator is a turbine directly connected to an electric generator for the generation of electric power.
It was invented by a Hungarian engineer Ott Blthy.
Large Steam powered turbo generators (steam turbine generators) provide the majority of the world's
electricity and are also used by steam powered turbo-electric ships. Smaller turbo-generators with gas
turbines are often used as auxiliary power units. For base loads diesel generators are usually preferred, since
they offer much better fuel-efficiency and are also more reliable, but on the other hand they are much heavier
and need more space. Important parts and their explanation are given in figure 5.2.
The efficiency of larger gas turbine plants can be enhanced, if the hot exhaust gases are used to generate
steam which drives another turbo generator.
The turbo-generator can also be defined as a common-shaft excitation AC synchronous generator with 3
phases, 2 poles or with 3 phases, 4 poles.

Figure 5.2 Turbo Generator with parts labeled

5.3 TYPES OF TURBO GENERATOR MANUFACTURED BY HEEP-HARIDWAR

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TARI: Turbo generator with Air-cooled Radially Indirect cooling.

THW: Turbo generator with Hydrogen and Water cooling.
THRI: Turbo generator with Hydrogen Radially Indirect cooling.
THDF: Turbo generator with Hydrogen and Water Direct cooling
Depending upon rating and design, a hydro-generator stator core and windings may be cooled by air, oil,
hydrogen or water. For direct-cooled generators, the coolant is in direct contact with the heat producing
members such as the stator winding. For any generator, a failure of the cooling system can result in rapid
deterioration of the stator core lamination insulation and/or stator winding conductors and insulation.

5.4 NOMENCLATURE OF TURBO GENERATOR

T
T
T
T
T
T
T

A
H
H
H
H
H
H

R
R
D
D
D
F

I
I
I
D
F
F
W

I Indirect Cooling
D Direct Cooling With Gas
Stator Cooling
F Direct Cooling with Water
W Cooling Media used for cooling of stator coil e.g. water
R Direct Radial Cooling with Gas
D Direct Axial Cooling with Gas
F Direct Cooling with Water
I Indirect Cooling

Rotor Cooling

A Air Cool
H Hydrogen Cool
T Turbo Generator (a.c.)

CHAPTER 6
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
15

6.0 INTRODUCTION
First of all the customer completely explains its requirements to the engineers employed in the Design
department of BHEL Haridwar. It tells the rating which they require, the voltage rating, the current rating
and all other relevant information to the design engineers. Based on the requirements, the engineers develop
a complete roadmap of the project. A drawing showing the actual dimensions of the slot and the overhang
portions and all other necessary information is developed. The number of hollow and solid conductors to be
used, the total number of conductors used, the type of conductor, materials to be used at all the stages of
manufacturing, etc are pre-planned. The technicians then manufacture the bars based on this drawing.
Hollow conductors are used in stator bars in the case of water cooled generators only (high rating).
Why do we call it a bar?
It is quite difficult (rather impossible) to manufacture, handle and wind the coil in stator slot of generator of
higher generation capacity because of its bigger size and heavy weight. The shape of the coil is very similar
to a solid rectangular bar . The bars are made in two parts, one is bottom part of coil called bottom or lower
bar and other part of coil is called top bar or upper bar.
HG Bars: The manufacturing of bars of different capacity as required by the customer depends upon the
water head available at site. The hydro generator is air cooled generator of lesser length in comparison to its
bigger diameter.

16

Turbo Generators: The manufacturing of bars of standard capacity such as 100MW, 130MW, 150MW,
210/235MW, 210/250MW, 500MW. The plant has the capacity and technology to manufacture 800MW and
1000MW generators.
Stator winding is the one, in which emf is induced and supplies the load. Stator winding is placed in the slots
of stator core. Due to the advantages of generation and utilization of 3-phase power, three-phase winding is
designed for generation.
Generally, two layer lap winding, corded to about 5/6 pitch which practically eliminates 5 th and 7th harmonics
from the flux wage or open circuit induced emf wave is used. The stator coil is made up of number of strips
instead of single solid piece to reduce the skin effect. The bundle of copper strips consolidated is called as
stator bar. Hence stator winding involves two stages
1. Construction of stator bars.
2. Stator winding assembly with the help of bars.
Conducting material used in coil manufacturing:
Copper material is used to make the coils. This is because
i) Copper has high electrical conductivity with excellent mechanical properties
ii) Immunity from oxidation and corrosion
iii) It is highly malleable and ductile metal.
Basically there are three types of stator winding structures employed over the range from 1 KW to 1000
MW.
1. Random wound stators.
2. Form-wound stators using multi turn coils.
3. Form-wound stators using Roebel bars.
High purity (99%) copper conductors/strips are used to make the coils. This results in high strength
properties at higher temperatures so that deformations due to the thermal stresses are eliminated.
Various processes involved in the manufacturing of stator bars are explained below in detail. Some of these
processes (from 6.9 to 6.16) are meant only for water cooled generators.

17

6.1 DRAW CONDUCTORS FROM STORE

Copper conductors
The conductors are taken from the store as shown in figure 6.1 and then they are cut to form bars.
The material of the conductor is Glass Insulated Copper Wire.
For water cooled generators, depending upon the drawing given by the engineers, different combinations of
hollow and solid conductors are used. The copper conductors rolls are received is checked for physical and
mechanical properties.

6.2 CONDUCTOR CUTTING AND END CLEANING

In this process, the pre insulated copper conductor is cut into number of pieces of required length (length
given in drawing as per design). Insulation is removed from both ends of the copper conductor cut. It is done
manually or by the automatic CNC machine. Data corresponding to cutting and processing of the conductors
is fed into the processor of the machine using user interactive software.

Figure 6.2 Vincent CNC machine used for cutting and end cleaning of conductors

18

Some of the details fed into the machine along with the steps for the cutting of bars used in 600 MW
generators are:
1. No. of bars to be manufactured for each variant = 42
2. Conductor cutting machine is set to cut the required length of conductor.
3. The conductor is straightening through the rollers of the machine.
4. Remove self insulation of the conductor at both ends = 500 mm.
5. Cut length on the machine. Wire Length = 10200 mm
6. The same set of data will work for hollow conductors also.
END CLEANING BARS

Figure 6.3 End cleaning of turbo generator stator bars

6.3 TRANSPOSITION OF CONDUCTORS

Transpose verb: "To reverse or transfer the order or place of, to interchange; to put into a different place or
order..."
Roebel Transposition:
It is named for its German inventor, Ludwig Roebel. In this arrangement, each strand in the turn conductor
successively occupies the position of every other strand one or more times throughout the overall length of
conductor embedded in the stator slot. That equalizes flux linkages, impedance, current flow, and losses
within each strand.
The Roebel bar consists of two (sometimes four) side-by-side tiers of strands. Each strand is edge-bent into a
"crossover" from one tier to the other, then drops down beneath the next cross-over strand, and so on. If the
number of crossovers is approximately equal to the bar length divided by the number of strands depth wise,
the strand orientation will rotate 360 from one end to the other. A conductor 20 or more strands deep can
require Roebel bar crossovers only a few inches apart throughout the stator core length.

19

Figure 6.4 Photo of cross-section of a water-cooled Roebel bar with transpositions.

Need for Transposition:

Magnetic flux is higher near the rotor side of the bar in a generator than at the bottom of the bar (i.e., furthest
from the rotor). Consequently, if the strands in a Roebel bar were always in the same position within the bar,
throughout the length of the bar, the strands closer to the rotor would have a greater induced voltage on them
than strands furthest from the rotor.
In a Roebel bar arrangement, all the strands are normally braised together at each end of the bar. If strands
are connected together that have a potential difference induced by the different flux levels, then, by Ohms
Law, an axial current will be forced to flow up and down the bar. Since the resistance of the copper is low,
the circulating current flow will be substantial. This will increase the I 2R loss, which reduces efficiency and
increases the temperature of the copper.
In a Roebel transposition, each copper strand is placed into every possible position in the bar as the strand
moves along the length of the bar. That is, a strand that is initially in the top left position (Figures 6.4), after
several centimeters along the bar will be shifted one position lower on the left. The same strand will then be
forced another position lower (i.e., two strand positions from the top) a few centimeters further along the bar.
About half way along the bar, the strand will be in the bottom position on the left. Then the strand is shifted
from the left side of the conductor stack to the right side, and gradually moves up to the top right position in
the other half of the bar. Eventually it reaches its original position. This is called a 360 transposition. If this
360 transposition is done in the stator core, where the magnetic flux is the highest, then a single strand will
have been in each radial position for the same distance along the slot. The total induced voltage on this
strand will then be the same as the induced voltage on all the other strands that were transposed. Thus, one
can safely connect all the strands together at both ends of the bar and not give rise to axial circulating
currents.
20

Figure 6.5 Side view showing one way of transposing insulated strands in stator bar.

There are many different ways to accomplish the movement of the strands into all radial positions. Beside
the approach describe above, another popular way is to have the strands move back and forth between the
left and right (Figure 6.5) as it moves from top to bottom. Also, some manufacturers prefer 540 or even
720 transpositions. Transposing can also occur in the end-winding, since stray magnetic fields are present
there. The purpose the transposition is to improve stator winding efficiency and reduce operating
temperature. The mechanical process of shifting strands from one position to another is called Roebelling,
after the inventor of the original equipment (actually developed for wire rope).
The complete process of conductor cutting, end cleaning and giving the bends for transposition is done by
the Roebel Bar manufacturing machine shown in figure 6.2. The bend given is known as 3S bend because it
has shape of S and a radius of 5 mm. It is a complete manual process.
1. Transposition combs for both turbine end and exciter end are fixed.
2. First step of both the transposition combs must be at the same line.
3. The extreme two bending dies (used for half pitch) at a distance 2200 mm and 6566 mm from the
first step of comb are fixed.
4. Intermediate die (used for full pitch) at a distance 3730 mm form the first step of transposition comb
is fixed.
5. The distance between the respective dies and transposition comb is checked.
6. The conductors on the dies are set and bended for half pitch transposition.
7. Conductor ends on comb are set for full pitch transposition and the conductor is bended by the
intermediate die.
8. Conductors are taken out of transposition combs and bending dies.
9. The conductors from exciter end are equalized and transposed.

21

6.4 CROSS OVER INSULATION

It is necessary to insulate heavily between layers, not only on the account of the normal voltage between the
conductors having the maximum difference of potential but also on account of the possibility of abnormal
rises of pressure. Further, this insulation must be mechanically strong enough to withstand the tendency of
crushing or cutting due to the tension on the conductors during winding.
The pre insulation of the copper conductor may get damaged due to mechanical bending in die during
transposition, hence the insulating spacers are provided. At the crossover pressure points, insulating
separators are inserted for added protection. The top and bottom surfaces of the bar are irregular because of
the up-and-down contour of each crossover, requiring some sort of mastic to fill out a smooth surface for
void-free overall bar taping. The material to be used may be either insulating or semi-conducting, depending
upon the voltage rating.
An obvious disadvantage of Roebel bar design is that it reduces overall copper space in the slot. The
crossovers dictate provision for an extra strand thickness in the overall bar depth. Although simpler, end turn
transposition is labor intensive because each strand joint must be separately insulated.
Nomex Fleece is used in between the conductors. It has high mechanical strength. Moulding Micanite is
used as a putty or filler. Flexible Glass Micanite can also be used instead of moulding micanite. But it is
preferred because:
1. It melts only for the first time and acquires a particular shape and then it doesnt melt again.
2. When in melted form, it fills all the gaps and spaces at both sides of the coil and thus proves itself as
the best filler.
3. It comes in the form of strips. So, it is quite easier to use it.
4. Any ordinary putty can be used in semi-solid form but it is a difficult process and handling of semi
solid putty is also a cumbersome job.

6.5 STACK CONSOLIDATION/PRESSING

The core part of the bar stack is pressed in press (closed box) under pressure (varies from product to product)
and a high temperature is maintained for a given period. The consolidated stack is withdrawn from the press
and dimensions are checked.
Now the bars are inserted into hydraulic presser and they are pressed horizontally and vertically to a high
pressure. At the same time the bars are subjected to heating for a very high temperature for a specific

22

duration. Then the bars are unloaded and clamped perfectly. Now inter half and inter strip testing is carried
out and the dimensions are checked using a gauge.
The processed coils need to be heated and pressed in order to achieve the proper final dimensions, while
allowing flow of the resin, filling of possible voids, and finally curing of the total insulation. State-of-the-art
presses are the ideal solution.
A bunch of bars (number varies according to the ratings) are heated and pressed and then cooled to remove
all the air gaps and to attain perfect dimensions. It is done by HF Stollberg CNC Hydraulic Press Machine.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars as the complete process is:
1.

Press is prepared for loading of bars. Minimum 5 bars are put inside the machine for 350 MW but
for 600 MW, only one bar is pressed at one time.

2.

The press planks are cleaned.

3.

One bar is loaded on each tier of heating plates wrapping the bar with silicon coated release films.

4.

Press planks are kept on both sides of the bar along the length and the box is closed.

5.

Vertical pressing is followed by horizontal pressure.

6.

Heating is started and a low pressure of 35 +/- 5 kg/cm2 is applied on the bars (gauge pressure).

7.

Then it is heated to temperature of 100 +/- 10 C in 20-30 minutes.

8.

Again a vertical pressure of 60 +/- 10 and horizontal pressure of 70 +/- 10 kg/cm2 is applied.

9.

Now the temperature is increased to 160 +/- 5 C in 30-40 minutes.

10. The bars are cure at 160 +/- 10 C for 45 minutes under pressure. Then heating is stopped.
11. Finally, the bars are cooled below 50 C by forcing water through the cooling plates.
12. The pressure is released and the bars are taken out of the machine.
13. Release film is released and the dimensions are checked.

6.6 INTER STRAND SHORT TEST

The consolidated bar stack is tested for the short between any two conductors in the bar. This test is
performed on stator bars during manufacture to check the integrity of the strand insulation. This is
particularly applicable to Roebel bars that have transposed strands in which the mechanical forces required
to bend the strands at the transition may also cause insulation damage. For liquid-cooled stators, this test
must be performed before the bar nozzles are installed and brazed to each end of the bar.
The test involves performing a one-minute AC hipot test between all adjacent strands in each bar. This is a
good quality check on the strand insulation.

23

For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, a high voltage source of 300V AC is taken and a lamp is connected
in series with it. The two available terminals are used to check each conductor in the bar with every other
conductor independently. If any two conductors in the bar are short, the bulb glows. The bars then fail this
test. The bars are corrected if possible; otherwise a new bar is made.

6.7 FORMING OF BAR

The straight bar stack is formed as per overhang profile (as per design). The overhang portion is consolidated
after forming. It is done on a machine called universal former. The bars are formed individually. Each of the
stator bars are placed over the universal former & the universal former is set according to the specifications.
The bar is bent on both the sides i.e. on turbine side (TS) and exciter side (ES).the 1st bend and the 2nd bend
is carried out and continued by over hang formation. Now the 3rd bend is carried by inserting nomex sheet
from the end of straight part to the end of 3rd bend and the bars are clamped tightly. Now the clamps are
heated to 60 degrees for 30mins.

6.8 MOUNTING AND BRAZING OF CONTACT SLEEVE AND

BOTTOM PART OF WATER BOX
For water cooled generator bars, the electrical connection contact and water box for inlet and outlet are
brazed.
Stator bars conventionally comprise multiple strands. These strands are generally rectangular and are
composed of an electrically conductive material, for example, copper. They are grouped together to form
rectangular stator bars. The strands are individually insulated from each other within a stator bar to reduce
eddy currents and associated losses. However, the strands of the stator bars are typically brazed together at
their ends to facilitate electrical connection and liquid seal there between. To provide cooling, at least several
strands within the stator bar are hollowed such that cooling water may pass there through.
The traditional device for simultaneously providing these electrical and fluidic functions is a single piece
electrical and fluidic connector. This single piece connector provides:
1) Electrical connection from a stator bar, through its own copper body and through a set of copper leaves
(and/or copper piping in, for example, a series loop system) to an electrical bus in the generator. This
part is called as Contact Sleeve (figure 6.6).

24

2) Fluidic connection from the water carrying strands in stator bar, through an inner chamber to a fluidic
connector where the water is passed to a hose for transfer. In other words, it provides a single input
single output connection for water. This part is called Water Box (figure 6.6).

Figure 6.6 contact sleeve and water box on hollow conductors

Water cooling of stator bars has its own problems, however. One particularly serious problem is the water
leakage. Due to the high volume of water passing through the stator bars, even a small leak can lead to a
large volume of water entering areas of the generator in which water is undesirable.
This can eventually lead to a catastrophic failure of the generator comprising, for example, a ground fault.
Furthermore, leaks are very often hard to find because the stator bars are buried within large amounts of
insulation deep within the electrical generator.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, brazing is done by Induction Brazing machine at a current of 150
mA. The contact sleeve and water box are mounted at a temperature of 50 C and is done by Immersion
Heater. The material used in the process in a German based material called Degussa H. This process
includes following steps:
Mounting:
1. The bar is placed on strands and the two conductors are clamped at bend positions.
2. Top and bottom solid conductor are cut as per drawing.
3. Four stacks are separated at ends and contact sleeve is inserted as per the marking.
4. A strip of pickled copper is inserted in between contact sleeve and top layer of conductor for proper
tightening and filling of gaps.
5. Then absence of any gap between contact sleeve and conductors is ensured.
6. Water box bottom part on the conductor is inserted and the distance between the water box bottom
part and contact sleeve is measured. It must be the minimum gap.
7. The parallel positioning of water box bottom part with the contact sleeve must be ensured.
8. The assembled contact sleeve and water box bottom part with clean cotton cloth is wrapped till the
bar is ready for brazing operation.
Brazing:
25

9. The bar is kept on the strands at suitable angle so that the bar ends are held in horizontal position.
10. Protecting cloth wrapping is removed and bar ends are kept on shop made fixture.
11. A paste of resistor and assestor powder is applied on the opening of hollow conductor and the outer
surfaces of contact sleeve and water box bottom.
12. Then proper fitting of both inductors is ensured. They are fixed and contact sleeve and water box are
heated up with induction brazing machine.
13. On attaining the temperature, brazing alloy (degussa H) is fed at the joint.
14. Extra brazing alloy is removed and the inductors are lifted.
15. Cooling by nitrogen or dry compressed air is started upto 200-300 C and then they are cooled down
to room temperature by water.

6.9 PICKLING OF BAR ENDS

After brazing and mounting of bottom part of water box, the material loses its shine. So to regain its color,
the contact sleeve and water box is passed through some chemicals. This complete process is called pickling
of bar ends.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, the stator bar ends are passed through all the chemicals used before
mounting and brazing of contact sleeve and bottom part of water box. They are:
1. Bar ends are passed through a solution consisting of Water (100 parts by weight), Sulphuric Acid
(10 parts by weight), Phosphoric Acid (5 parts by weight) and Hydrogen Peroxide (5 parts by
weight).
2. It is dipped in water to wash all the acids used earlier.
3. Then it is rubbed with a Brass brush to clean it. Brass is used because if we use iron at its place then
a blue colour will appear on its surface because of chemical reaction between the two.
4. Liquid Ammonia solution consisting of water (100 parts by weight) and liquid ammonia (10 parts
by weight) is used next. It is used to remove the traces of acid left and neutralizing all the acidic
properties.
5. Then it is dipped into Ethyl Alcohol to maintain the brightness of the bar ends.
6. On its completion, compressed air is passed through both the end so that pickling solution is not left
out in the hollow conductor.
7. Now the pickled portion is wrapped with clean cotton cloth and it is tied.

6.10 WATER FLOW TEST

26

A water flow test is an ultrasonic test of the water flow rates in the stator cooling system of water-cooled
generators. It detects the cooling circuit blockages and choking present in the generator windings. We can
perform this test during any maintenance outage during which the inner and outer upper half end shields are
removed.
In this test, water is passed through one end of the bar and is allowed to flow through the hollow conductors
at the other end of the bar. All hollow conductors must be clear so that the water flows without any
obstruction through them.

Figure 6.7 Water Flow test

The level of clearance of the conductors is judged on the fact that if the water box of the bar is kept at a
height of 1 meter from the ground then water must fall at a horizontal distance of 1 meter from the water box
or the bar end, provided the initial rate of flow is kept at a predetermined value, which further depends on
the number of conductors used, their length, the overhang profile, etc., as shown in the figure 6.7. 20 hollow
conductors are used to perform this test. If the bar satisfies this condition then it is passed for the next test,
i.e. nitrogen leakage test.

6.11 NITROGEN LEAKAGE TEST

It is done to check if some leakage is present in the bar, as well as to remove all the traces of water present in
the bar left during the water flow test. The main reason for using nitrogen is that nitrogen has an affinity for
water, and facilitates drying. It cleans the entire internal surface of the hollow conductor.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, the bar is filled with nitrogen gas and pressure is raised to
10kg/cm2. Both the bar ends are dipped in water, as shown in the figure 6.8. The process is similar to that of
checking a puncture in the tyres of a wheel. If there is any leakage, bubbles can be seen in the containers
containing the water. If there are no bubbles, the bars pass this test, otherwise they are replaced.

27

After nitrogen test, fixtures are removed from both ends and nitrogen gas is blown. The water box bottom
part is wrapped with clean cotton cloth.

Figure 6.8 Nitrogen test

After nitrogen test, a group of 6 bars is taken and pickling acid is passed through them. This process is
known as Internal Pickling.

6.12 THERMAL SHOCK TEST

Large motors are exposed to frequent start/stop operations. Pumped-storage generators and hydro-generators
have frequent load changes. All of those operations cause rapid heating and cooling, i.e. thermal cycling
effect on stator insulation. Thermal cycling can cause
Loss of bond between copper and insulation;
Delamination and degradation of ground wall insulation;
Insulation failure.
To assess the insulation performance under thermal cycling stress as the machine experiences in service,
thermal cycling tests on stator bars and coils are performed according to IEEE Standard 1310 -1996 and IEC
standards. The test insulation system is heated and cooled at a prescribed rate for a number of cycles (e.g. 26
cycles). A number of diagnostic tests on stator insulation can be performed during thermal cycling testing.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, 26 cycles of hot water (80C - 100 C) and cold water (below 30
C) are flown through the bar to ensure the thermal expansion and contraction of the joints. The experimental
setup for the test is shown in figure 6.9. This regular expansion and contraction can lead to leakage in the
bar. If some leakage is there, then the bar fails this test otherwise it is passed for the next test, the helium
leakage test. Maximum six bars can be processed at a time. After completion of this test, nitrogen gas is
blown through it for removal of any traces of water present in the conductors. The bars are evacuated to 0.10
torr for one hour to remove traces of moisture. Main precaution in this test is that a proper sequence of hot
and cold water must be maintained.
28

Figure 6.9 A set-up of thermal cycling testing on stator windings

6.13 HELIUM LEAKAGE TEST

Helium Tracer Gas Testing is a method of leak detection where the generator is pressurized with a helium
gas so that possible leak points can be detected using helium gas detector.
The Mass Spectrometry technology used by BHEL employs helium as the tracer gas because it is the lightest
inert gas, nontoxic, and non-hazardous. Other gases do not provide the level of sensitivity of helium, and
some of them can combine with any residual water in the winding to form acidic solutions. Tracer gas
detector sensitivity is very important in finding minute leaks in the generator stator winding. Leak sources
can be buried beneath several layers of glass, mica, and resin within the winding. This can make detection
difficult. A process of bagging the series loop connections (the source of most leaks) has greatly improved
the ability to locate very small leaks. Helium pressure is maintained on the winding for a period of time to
allow helium from a buried leak to migrate through the insulation and become concentrated in the bag. In
many cases, leaks that were found with the tracer gas would have been missed if the stator winding only had
been nitrogen tested and thermal shock tested. Early detection provides the opportunity to make repairs
before more extensive damage can occur to the stator winding insulation.
To detect small leaks, the sniffer detector must be brought within 2 to 3 inches of the leak. Since it is nearly
impossible to cover every square inch of the winding, tracer test techniques such as bagging the series loops,
test only the most probable leak sites. This cannot provide confidence that the entire winding is leak-tight.
Under normal circumstances it is preferable to remove the field to perform Helium Tracer Gas Testing.
Limited testing can be done with the field in place with the upper end shields removed.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, a pressure of 13.3 kg/cm 2 is applied. The typical pressure range
used by BHEL is 11 kg/cm2 to 14 kg/cm2.
29

6.14 REFORMING OF BAR (i.e. OVERHANG PORTION)

All these tests normally spoil the diamond shape of bar. So to regain the shape, forming is done again. It is a
total manual process and is done on the Former. Some of the specifications used for forming of 600 MW are
Conductor end = 1000 mm
Contact sleeve position = 890 mm

6.15 INSULATION OF BARS

High voltage insulation systems for rotating machines are a very complex combination of materials with
different functions.
6.15.1 Insulating Materials:
Insulating materials or insulators are extremely diverse in origin and properties. They are essentially nonmetallic, are organic or inorganic, uniform or heterogeneous in composition, natural or synthetic. Many of
them are of natural origin as, for example, paper, cloth, paraffin wax and natural resins. Wide use is made of
many inorganic insulating materials such as glass, ceramics and mica. Many of the insulating materials are
man-made products and manufactured in the form of resins, insulating films etc., in recent years wide use is
made of new materials whose composition and organic substances. These are the synthetic Organo-silicon
compounds, generally termed as silicones.
A good insulating material needs the following properties:
1. The basic function of insulation is to provide insulation live wire to live wire or to the earth.
2. It should be good conductor to heat and bad conductor to electricity.
3. It should withstand the designed mechanical stress.
4. It should have good chemical and thermal resistively and environmental resistively.
An ideal insulating material should have:
(1) High dielectric strength sustained at elevated temperatures.
(2) High receptivity or specific resistance.
(3) Low dielectric hysterics.
(4) Good thermal conductivity.
(5) High degree of thermal stability i.e. it should not determine at high temperatures.
(6) Low dissipation factor.
(7) Should be resistant to oils and liquid, gas flames, acids and alkalis.
30

(8) Should be resistant to thermal and chemical deterioration.

6.15.2 Classification of Insulating Material
The insulating material can be classified in the following two ways.
I.

Classification according to substance and materials.

II. Classification according to temperature.

I. Classification according to substance and materials:
Solids (Inorganic and organic)
e.g. Mica, wood slate, glass, porcelain, rubber, cotton, silks, rayon, ethylene, paper and cellulose materials
Liquids (oils and varnishes)
e.g. linseed oil, refined hydrocarbon minerals oils sprits and synthetic varnishes etc.
Gases
e.g. dry air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen etc.
II. Classification According to Temperature:
Thermal classification of insulation depends upon the temperature withstand capability of the insulation.
Table 6.1 Classification of different insulating materials
Class

Permissible

Materials

temperature
90 C

Cotton, silk, paper, cellulose, wood etc neither

impregnated nor immersed in oil. These are unsuitable
for electrical machine and apparatus as they deteriorate

105 C

rapidly and are extremely hygroscopic.

Cotton, silk & paper, natural resins, cellulose esters,

E
B

120 C
130 C

laminated wool, varnished paper.

Synthetic material of cellulose base
Mica, asbestos, glass fiber with suitable bonding

155 C

substance
Material of class B with binding material of higher

180 C

thermal stability
Glass fiber and asbestos material and built up mica with

silicon resins.
31

Above 180 C Mica, porcelain, quartz, glass (without any bonding

and upto 220 C

agent) with silicon resins of higher thermal stability.

6.16 IMPREGNATION BAR INSULATION

6.16.1 Resin System
Epoxy resins are poly ethers derived from epi-chlorohydrin and Bis-phenol monomers through condensation
polymerization process. These resins are product of alkaline condensed of epichlorohydrin and product of
alkaline condensed of epichlorohydrin and polyhydric compounds
In it, cross-linking is produced by cure reactions. The liquid polymer having reactive functional group like
oil etc, otherwise vacuum act as pre polymer. The pre polymer of epoxy resins allowed to react curing agents
of low inductor weights such as polyamines, polyamides, polysulphides, phenol, urea formaldehyde, acids
anhydrides etc, to produce the three dimensional cross linked structures.
Hence epoxy resins exhibit outstanding toughness, chemical inertness and excellent mechanical and thermal
shock resistance. They also possess good adhesion property. Epoxy resins can be used continuously up to
300F, but withy special addition can withstand a temperature of up to 500 F.
Epoxy resins are made use as an efficient coating material. This includes coating of tanks containing
chemicals, coating for corrosion and abrasion resistant containers. Epoxy resins are made up of as attractive
corrosion and wear resistant floor ware finishes.
Properties:
1)

Epoxy resins have good mechanical strength less shrinkage and excellent dimensional stable
after casting.

2)

Chemical resistance is high.

3)

Good adhesion to metals.

4)

To impact hardness certain organic acid anhydrides and alphabetic amines are mixed.

Application:
1) They are used in the manufacture of laminated insulating boards.
2) Dimensional stability prevents crack formation in castings.
3) They are also used as insulating varnishes.
6.16.2 Varnish:
This is most effective type of insulation now available. It makes the laminations nest proofs and is not
affected by the temperature produced in electrical machines varnish is usually applied to both sides of

32

lamination to a thickness of about 0.006mm. On plates of 0.35mm thickness varnish gives a stacking factor
about 0.95.
In order to achieve good insulation properties the following processes are there.
Thermoplastic Process of Insulation
Thermosetting Process of Insulation
BHEL is practicing only thermosetting process of insulation.
Thermosetting types of insulation are of two types:
Resin Rich System of Insulation
Resin Poor System of Insulation
1) Rich Resin or Thermoreactive Insulation System: In case of rich resin insulation, the bar is pressed in
closed box in heated condition and baked under pressure and temperature as per requirement for a given
period. The bond content in resin is 35-37 %. The raw materials are ready to use and require preservation
and working on temperature 20-25 C. Its shelf life is one year when kept at temperature 20 C which could
be increased when kept at temperature of 5 C.
2) Poor Resin or Micalastic Insulation System: In this type of insulation, the bond content in the resin is 57 % and insulating material is prepared with accelerator treatment. The temperature control need not
required. The insulating material is applied on job and then the same is impregnated (fully dipped) in the
resin.
VPI Micalastic System: The bars already laid in closed fixture and full fixture is impregnated (dipped) in
resin and then fixture with box is baked under given temperature for given duration.
VIP Micalastic system: The individual (separate) bar is heated in vacuum and impregnated in resin. Then
bar is taken out and pressed in closed box fixture and then baked ate given temperature for given duration.
Advantages of Resin Poor System of Insulation:
It has better dielectric strength.
Heat transfer coefficient is much better.
Maintenance free and core and frame are independent.
It gives better capacitance resulting in less dielectric losses due to which the insulation life will be
more.
33

 The cost will be less and it is latest technology.

Reduction in time cycle and consumption for MW also less and it gives high quality.
Disadvantages of Resin Poor System of Insulation:
If any short circuit is noticed, the repairing process is difficult and need of excess resin from outside.
Dependability for basic insulating material on foreign supply.
Advantages of Resin Rich System of Insulation:
Better quality and reliability is obtained
In case of any fault (phase - ground/ phase phase short) carrying the repair process is very easy.
Addition of excess resin will be avoided because of using resin rich mica tape.
Disadvantages of Resin Rich System of Insulation:
It is a very long procedure.
Due to fully manual oriented process, the cost is more.
It is possible to process stator bars only.
Even though the advantages and disadvantages of both the process are explained above, resin poor process is
the best of all, as the resin content used is almost only 35% compared to resin poor process and also show
good insulation properties.
6.16.3 Resin Impregnation:
Resin impregnation fills the porosity of a part with a resin to create a pressure-tight part for hydraulic
applications which can withstand several thousand psi, to improve machine ability, or to allow
electroplating. The parts are placed in a mesh basket and loaded into a vacuum tank. This is then submerged
in a bath of anaerobic resin. A vacuum is pulled to remove all air from the porosity of the parts. This vacuum
is released to and the tank is pressurized, causing the resin to be drawn into the porosity of the parts. Parts
that typically undergo resin impregnation include hydraulic fittings for pressure tightness and plating, covers
and plated for pressure tightness, as well as machined components.
The previous method of sealing parts was a furnace treatment, which formed a hard oxide layer on the
internal and external surfaces of a part, filling the porosity. Most machining operations were performed prior
to sealing the part because the hard oxide layer adversely affected mach inability.
34

Residue left by traditional cutting fluids tended to inhibit the formation of an oxide layer. With resin
impregnation, conventional cutting fluids can be used because the furnace treatment is eliminated resulting
in improved mach inability. These fluids efficiently remove heat from the cutting tool, extending the tool
life. Machining a porous part effectively creates a continuous interrupted cut.
Each time the tool impacts metal after passing through a pore, it may chip and become dull. Resin
impregnation reduces that effect and may also provide added lubrication to the cutting tool. Before resin
impregnation, many parts were mechanically plated. Resin impregnation allows the use of electroplating.
The manufacturing process has two stages:
The first stage
It is VPI (vacuum pressure impregnation) which begins by drying the winding component in an autoclave,
under vacuum. This process phase is done with extra heating. Moisture and air are removed from the dry
tapes (without resin) and therefore the quality of the main insulation is improved.
After that, the resin is pumped to the impregnation vessel and the coils and bars are impregnated with a very
low viscosity resin which fully saturates the Mica ground tape.
Later, pressure is increased to about 4 bar (0.4 MPa) by means of the injection of Nitrogen.
The second stage
It consists of the full cure of the resin. The ground wall Mica tape contains a catalyst. By heating, the
catalyzer or cure agent will accelerate the polymerization until the full cure. Mobile molds are used to
control the shape and size of finished product, ensuring consistency and repeatability. This, in conjunction
with the fully controlled impregnation and curing process, increases the breakdown strength and service life
of the ground wall, which are properties retained even at elevated temperatures and after thermal aging.
For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, entire insulated bar is dipped in the impregnation tank for 10 hours.
Resin fills up all the air gaps present in the bar. After that, the bar is pressed in the press wagon at a
temperature of 60 C and then cooled. Nitrogen gas is used as a drier at a pressure of 500kg/cm 2. The bar is
then sent for surface finishing. Then extra resin is drained out and bars are heated and baked under pressed
condition in closed box fixture.

35

Figure 6.10 Impregnation tank

For 600MW turbo generator, bars are impregnated individually while for lower MW generator, the bars are
first placed in the stator slots and then entire stator is dipped in the impregnation tank. Impregnation tank is
vacuumed so that no air bubbles are present in the insulation.
All the process can be listed in a table as:
Table 6.2 Impregnation Details
S.

Process

600 MW / TARI Individual Bar THRI/ TARI

Heating
Evacuation

with or without
60 +/- 5 C
0.5 mm bar

60 +/- 5 C
0.5 mm bar

(vacuum

For maximum 8 hrs

For maximum 8 hrs

3.

impregnation)
Maintain

0.2 mm bar or less preferably

0.2 mm bar or less preferably

4.
4.1

Vacuum
0.1 mm bar for maximum 2 hrs
Hold temperature for
Minimum
10 hrs

4.2

Heating
Maximum

5.
5.1

Heating
Ensure (Before transferring)
Resin
70 +/- 3 C

70 +/- 3 C

5.2
6.

Temperature
Resin Vacuum
20 minutes
Total Cycle time Not to exceed 24 hrs

20 minutes
Not to exceed 35 hrs

No.
1.
2.

12 hrs

0.1 mm bar for maximum 2 hrs

10 hrs
12 hrs

in achieving and
holding
temperature
36

7.

Apply Nitrogen 140 +/- 5 C, 8 hrs

140 +/- 5 C, 8 Hrs

Pressure
(Gradually and
hold

as

per

scheme)

6.17 SURFACE FINISHING OF STATOR BAR

The baked and dimensionally correct bars are sanded-off to smoothen the edges and the surface is calibrated,
if required, for the dimension. It includes following processes:
1. Leg Cleaning: All the bars are cleaned at their slot portions to remove the oxide formed during
impregnation and curing of stator bars. The edges of slot and overhang portion is rounded off and
then sanded off.
2. Tanning
3. Hydraulic testing.
4. Power hexa-grid and sand paper are used as scrap paper to remove extra paper present in the stator
bars.
5. All the dimensions are made according to the drawing.
6. Conducting varnish is applied because conducting particles are present and if not used then a surface
discharge is produced at the surface. Graphite is a commonly used material for it as explained in the
next section. Then it is sent for testing.

6.18 CORONA PROTECTION AND CONDUCTOR VARNISH

COATING

37

Corona or partial discharge in rotating machines is a phenomenon caused by the ionization of gas molecules
(usually air) in a strong electric field (Field gradient 3 kV/mm). Corona usually refers to visible luminous
discharges whereas the term partial discharge is rather used for hidden discharges in voids. The term partial
discharge (PD) indicates that the insulation between conductors is partially bridged and an exchange of
electric charges is taking place. However named, the physical cause and the effect on insulating materials are
the same. PD can result from breakdown of gas in a void, in an electric tree channel or along an interface.
Usually PD does not cause immediate failure of a rotating machine. But enduring PD is detrimental for
insulating materials. Although mica, the main insulating component in rotating high voltage machines, is
corona-resistant, precautions must be taken to prevent the onset of PD. PD induces several mechanisms
which destroy the insulation:

Local overheating of the insulation

Generation of free radicals and ions

Formation of nitric acid by decomposition of air

Onset of UV-radiation

Micalastic insulation is suitable for all types of large and small stator windings. Because of its excellent
discharge resistance, fine mica paper was the obvious choice as a key insulation component and with the
addition of solvent less, heat curing epoxy resin now represents the base material of the main insulation.
Overlapping wound fine mica tape the actual number of layers is proportional to the voltage forms the
basic structure of the main insulation over the whole length of the bars and coils (slot and end-winding
portions)..
One of the key improvements of the winding manufacturing process was the introduction of a 6 axis
controlled taping machine for bars and coils. The taping machine wraps the fine mica tape with an adjustable
and consistent overlap and tension around the slot and end-winding portions of the bars and coils thus
ensuring a uniform thickness over the full length of the bar or coil including the knuckle of the coil.
6.18.1 ICP (Internal Corona Protection):
It is 1st intermittent layer. The ICP is a grading system which is applied directly to the transposed slot
portion of the bars. Its function is to equalize the voltage over the length of the bars surface to guarantee a
homogeneous distribution of electrical field in the ground wall. All bars manufactured by BHEL have an ICP
system incorporated. The machine used for the process is a six axis auto taping machine, shown in figure
6.11.
38

Figure 6.11 Six axis auto taping machine used for doing ICP
6.18.2 O.C.P (Outer Corona Protection)
The surface of the cured insulation of the slot portion of the bar and coil is coated with conductive varnish or
with a conductive tape to act as OCP. It equalizes the potential over the coil surface to guarantee uniform
consistency of electrical field around the perimeter of a coil /bar and prevents electrical discharges taking
place in between the coils surface and stator slot.
OCP tape is wrapped final in straight portion by but joint up to end of straight portion on both the sides. The
black semi-conducting varnish coating is applied on the bar surface on the core length.
6.18.3 ECP (End Corona Protection)
It is the next intermittent layer. The end corona protection is a semi-conductive coating or semi conductive
tape on a silicon carbide base and is applied to the bars and coil where they exit from the slot portion. The
ECP overlaps the graphite-covered section and extends several centimeters into the end-winding section. The
ECP serves to control the voltage grading at the transition from the slot portion (grounded) to the end
winding, where full voltage is applied during the tests of individual winding elements or the winding
assembly. Silicon carbide belongs to the group of semi-conductive materials and, thanks to its voltagedependent conductivity, ensures exceptional potential grading on the insulation surface. The danger of partial
discharges during operation and flashovers during high voltage tests is thus ruled out.
ECP tape is wrapped from the end of straight portion up to over hang over a length of 90-110mm. The grey
semi-conducting varnish is applied at the bend outside core end of bars in gradient to prevent from discharge
and minimize the end corona.

39

Figure 6.12 Use of end corona protection (a) Top bar: No ECP at either end (b) Center bar: No ECP on right-hand side and
with ECP at left-hand side (c) Bottom bar: ECP applied to both end

For 600 MW turbo generator stator bars, 16 layers of insulation are deposited on the bars but for 210 MW,
12 layers are sufficient. ICP is done by the machine but OCP and ECP are done manually. As shown in figure
6. 13, Isoseal taping is done on the overhang portion and Conducting taping on the slot portion. Semi
conducting tape is used below conducting tape at the edges of the bar.
For 600 MW, 4 layers of mica paper are deposited and then 12 layers of mica split paper are used. Isoseal
tape is used so that moisture does not come inside the bar. The size of mica glass tape used is 0.15 35 mm.
After final insulation, inter strand short test is again performed on the stator bars.

Figure 6.13 (a) Corona control finishes (b) ICP, Internal Corona Protection system

6.19 TESTING
Before performing tan delta test and high voltage test, the stator bars are covered with some special tapes
and materials. They are shown in the figure 6.14. The conducting varnishing tape is used on the stator bars.
The viscosity of this varnish must be 30-35 mm. It is filled in a cup and then allowed to pass through a hole
at the bottom. The time taken to flow gives a measure of viscosity of the varnish.

40

Figure 6.14 Different tapes before test

6.19.1 Tan Delta Test

This test is carried out to ensure the healthiness of dielectric (insulation) i.e. dense or rare and measure the
capacitance loss. Insulation must have no air bubbles. A high voltage is applied across the bar in steps. The
difference between the tan delta values between two successive steps must be less than 0.005.
As shown in figure 6.17, the aluminum tape is grounded and the copper strip is given the voltage supply.
This forms a capacitor whose one plate is grounded and the other is connected to a voltage source. It creates
a voltage difference as explained in figure 6.17
The calculation of this capacitance is done by Schering Bridge which is a form of wheat stone bridge. It has
a low Q value. The graph shown in the figure 6.18 is drawn between capacitor current and voltage.
Theoretically, the angle between the two is 90 but the experimental value is quite different. The deviation
between the two values is termed as angle delta and the tangent value corresponding to the angle is
measured.

Figure 6.15 Use of tapes in tan delta test

41

In this test,
un is the rated voltage of the generator.
For 500 MW, UN = 21 kV
For 210 MW, un = 16.5 kV
Shipping Voltage of bars = 1.5 (2un +1)
The bar is given different voltages at a step of 0.2u n until 1.4 un is reached i.e. 0.2 un, 0.4 un, 0.6 un and so on.
1.4un is achieved only for 500MW only. For lower MW generators, 1.2u n is sufficient. We inject voltage and
at every step, we calculate the value of tan delta.

Figure 6.16 Graph between capacitor current and voltage

For every value of the voltage applied, the value of capacitance is constant because insulation does not
change but the value of tan changes. This is because after all tests, some voids still remain in the bar. So
when voltage increases, these voids also increase and the value of tan changes at every step.
For 0.2un V tan 20 10-3
And for other values the difference between the consecutive voltage step values must be less than 1 10-3
i.e. 0.4 un 0.2 un V = 1 10-3
0.6 un 0.4 un V = 1 10-3
0.8 un 0.6 un V = 1 10-3 and so on.
6.19.2 High Voltage Test
A high voltage test is an accelerated insulation-aging test. The test is performed on
stator bars or coils at much higher than normal operation stress levels within a short
period of time to simulate insulation aging during machine operation. The test can
predict the performance of the overall insulation system and measure the
manufacturing quality. A number of diagnostic tests on stator insulation can be
conducted before and after a voltage endurance test.
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Manufacturers of stator insulation could change its design, type of materials, and the
manufacturing process. The high voltage test can be done at the prototype and
production stage to ensure the quality consistency during manufacturing. The test
gives objective assessment of the quality of stator insulation. If coils fail the test, a
remedial action may be taken by the manufacturer to improve the quality of coil
manufacturing.
High voltage tests can be applied to both new coils and spare coils to check the
quality and performance of the insulation system. Spare coils have been stored for a
long period of time and need to be tested to check their performance.
A winding may contain a weak area which is located near the neutral end of the winding. Such an
area may continue to operate for a long period of time without service failure. However, it should be kept in
mind that a system disturbance may result in elevating of the voltage at neutral and thus cause service failure
at this location.

Figure 6.17 set-up of the high voltage testing

Full test voltage is applied to the entire winding, whereas in normal operation the voltage within the
winding scales from zero at the neutral end to line-to-neutral voltage at the line end. High potential testing
becomes particularly important on a machine with general, serious deterioration, since first failure is likely
to be at a location near line voltage. With high impedance grounding (common on larger machines), neutral
voltage will become elevated. This will place the line end of the other two phases near line-to-line voltage
and thus overstress weak bars in these locations. Should a second failure occur on the winding, extremely
high current will flow through the faults. The resultant burning will be severe, and the current cannot be
interrupted until the field voltage has decayed. The time constant of a typical field is about 5 seconds

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6.20 DISPATCHED FOR WINDING

The bars preserved with polythene sleeves to protect from dust, dirt, oil, rain etc are send to block-1 for
winding assembly.

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CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSION

The complete manufacturing process of the turbo-generator stator bars is quite tedious. It involves a lot of
processes, with each process having its own advantages. All of these processes have been discussed in detail
in the report. Many of these processes depend upon the rating of the generators. Higher is the rating, more
complicated is the process of manufacturing the bars. All of these processes are quite sensitive where even
small mistakes are not permissible. If the bars are not of exact dimension, they wont fit in the stator slots
completely and therefore vibrations will increase. If the overhang profile is not accurate, there will be a
problem in making electrical connections as well as cooling. The bars must pass the series of tests
performed. There must not be even a minute leakage present in the hollow conductors. The insulation should
be proper and proper materials must be used for them. Air gaps shouldnt be present in the bars otherwise it
can be hazardous. Each and every material used at various stages of production has their own advantages.
After the bars undergo all these processes and pass all the tests, they are sent to block 1 for winding. The
winding is assembled.

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REFERENCE
[1] Getting to Know More About Synchronous Generator
http://www.powergeneratorinfo.com/synchronous-generator/synchronous-generator.php
[2]
media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/75/04716144/0471614475.pdf
[3]
vega.unitbv.ro/eec/year3/EM/SYNCHRONOUS%20GENERATOR.doc
[4]
www.ee.iastate.edu/~jdm/EE456/SynchMachines.pdf
[5]
http://www.answers.com/topic/hydroelectric-generator
[6]
Wikipedia
[7]
http://www.densoproducts.com/graphics/cutaway_alternator.gif
[8]
era.teipir.gr/era3/fpapers/b25.doc
[9]
Book:- P.S.Bhimbra , I.J.Nagrath & D.P.Kothari

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