g

GER-3954B

GE Power Systems

Generator In-Situ
Inspections

Dean T. Roney
Ronald J. Zawoyski
GE Power Systems
Schenectady, NY
 Generator In-Situ Inspections

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
In-Situ Inspection Supports Condition-Based Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Equipment Condition Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
In-Situ Inspection A Critical Part of Generator Maintenance Cost Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
In-Situ Inspection Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
MAGIC Visual Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Stator Wedge Tightness Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Electromagnetic Core Imperfection Detection (EL-CID). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Stator Clearance Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Remote Access Camera (RAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Remote Capacitance Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Retaining Ring NDE Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Other Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Qualification Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Changing an Industry Mindset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Qualification Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Qualification Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Traditional vs. In-Situ Cost Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
GE Position On In-Situ Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Introduction
Equipment maintenance programs are among
the latest budget items coming under increased
fiscal scrutiny by utilities and non-utility genera-
tors alike as the power generation industry
seeks to reduce operating costs in a newly com-
petitive, deregulated market. Plant mainte-
nance programs based on periodic disassembly
and inspection of critical turbine-generator
components, while relatively costly, have proven
remarkably effective as evidenced by the
industrys consistently favorable plant reliability
and availability statistics. New bottom line reali-
ties, however, are motivating many plant opera-
tors to reevaluate established maintenance
practices and deviate from them where they
perceive net cost-to-risk advantages.
Plant operators are increasingly looking to
extend equipment running time between
planned maintenance outages, eliminate
unnecessary outages and reduce the duration
of the necessary ones. GE, as the leading manu-
facturer of turbine-generators and a major sup-
plier of power generation services, is assisting
operators in this objective by:
Developing improved monitoring and
diagnostic instrumentation for on-line,
condition-based maintenance (CBM),
rather than time-based maintenance, of
turbine-generators
Updating equipment maintenance rec-
ommendations based on GEs fleet
experience
Developing inspection tools and servic-
es that facilitate rapid off-line assess-
ment of equipment condition
Industry insurers also have a vested interest in
these objectives and are understandably reluc-
tant to assume greater risks by deviating from
proven maintenance practices. Consequently,
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
insurers review proposed plant maintenance
protocol modifications with operators and
often require supporting recommendations
and other evidence from original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) that new protocols are
functionally equivalent to the traditional.
Toward that end, this paper presents GEs mod-
ified inspection protocol for generators utiliz-
ing new in-situ inspection tools, and compares
the results, advantages and limitations of a typi-
cal generator in-situ inspection to those of a tra-
ditional inspection with the rotor removed.
In-Situ Inspection Supports Condition-
Based Maintenance
Equipment Condition Assessment
There are four methods to determine turbine
generator condition:
Continuous on-line assessment
Periodic on-line assessment
Minor outage inspections
Major outage inspections
These methods range from low impact on oper-
ation and cost for continuous and periodic on-
line assessments to medium for minor outage
inspections and high for major outage inspec-
tions (Figure 1). It is desirable, then, that the
CBM program make best use of the first two
methods while requiring the latter two methods
as infrequently as possible. Figure 2 shows those
items typically inspected on a generator and
when these inspections occur in a traditional
maintenance plan.
In-Situ Inspection A Critical Part of
Generator Maintenance Cost Reduction
Visual and quantitative inspection techniques
play an important role in assessing generator
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 Generator In-Situ Inspections

GT24977
of Inspection ($)
Total Cost

On-Line Major Outage

Figure 1. Cost impact of condition assessment techniques

Continuous Periodic Minor Major

On-Line On-Line Outage Outage
STATOR
Stator Wedge Tightness X
Bar Movement X
Stator Winding Leaks X X
Core Insulation X
Stator Winding Insulation Integrity X X X
Greasing X
Cracked Connections/Integrity X
Oil Contamination X X
HV Connection Bolts X
FIELD
Blocked Vent Ducts X
RR NDT X
Field Coil Distortion X
Field Coil Loose Blocks X
Field Wedge Migration X
Field Winding Insulation Integrity X X
Thermal Sensitivity X
Rotor Surface Heating X GT25553

Figure 2. Generator inspection items

condition. On-line monitoring and diagnostic inspection supplements the capabilities of on

techniques are limited in detecting potential
problems, such as bar movement and vibration,
component damage, copper dusting, coil dis-
tortion and foreign object damage (FOD).
Many of these conditions could lead to a major
failure of the equipment if left unresolved for a
period of time. It is in these areas that in-situ
line monitoring and diagnostics to reduce the
risk of a failure.
In-situ inspection should be used during minor
outages as a tool for assessing the generator
condition. The inspection results can be used to
help plan the generator maintenance at future

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outages. This information can be used to deter- tion, it now becomes more practical to perform
mine if the field will need to be pulled and what more frequent inspections which can facilitate
components will require maintenance at this or early problem detection and resolution. As a
result the cost of maintenance and the equip-
future outages. If the generator condition is
ment reliability are both improved.
found to be acceptable, a future in-situ inspec-
tion may be planned with no maintenance nec-
essary at this time. As long as the generator con-
In-Situ Inspection Technologies
dition is found acceptable, there would be no GEs in-situ inspection capabilities were devel-
oped to address areas requiring field removal
additional need to pull the field. GEs in-situ
for inspection in the past (Figure 3). Four basic
inspection techniques can also be used with tra-
inspection systems used to provide the inspec-
ditional inspection and test techniques to pro- tion are:
vide a complete major inspection without
Miniature Air Gap Inspection Crawler
field removal.
(MAGIC)
GEs recommended standard tests for a major Remote access camera
outage are described in Technical Information
In-Situ retaining ring NDE scanner
Letter-1154 and GEK-103566.
Remote capacitance probe
In cases where known generator problems exist,
The generator in-situ inspection consists of the
periodic in-situ inspection may allow postpone-
basic MAGIC visual inspection using GEs
ment of field removal to a more convenient
patented inspection robot with the option of
time by monitoring the problem and minimiz-
adding one or more additional inspections
ing the risk of an in-service failure and resulting
based on the circumstances and customer
damage. The in-situ inspection is valuable in all
needs. Table 1 lists critical generator compo-
cases of abnormal operation where a generator
nents and the in-situ inspection techniques
suitability for service inspection is needed
used for each.
before returning to service. An in-situ inspec-
tion can be done quickly with miminal disas- MAGIC Visual Inspection
sembly of the generator, thus providing an accu-
Visual inspection of the generator stator and
rate, documented inspection and a quick
field within the bore region is performed by a
return to operation. Outage duration is less-
trained specialist using GEs exclusive MAGIC
ened by reducing the time needed to inspect
inspection robot. The robot is a precision
the generator, as well as providing condition
crawler carrying two high resolution video cam-
assessment information that can be used to plan
eras that moves through the gap between the
and perform more efficient repairs.
stator core and field. Full inspection coverage
In-situ inspection of the generator is a critical of the core ID and field surface is made possible
part of the generator maintenance program. It by the robots axial and transverse motion capa-
allows the owner to acquire high quality condi- bility. This capability also allows it to navigate
tion assessment data while minimizing the risk around the gas baffles present on many genera-
and cost. By lowering the cost of this informa- tor designs. The high resolution video scopes

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 Generator In-Situ Inspections

MAGIC Visual Stator Wedge Tightness Assessment

Core Laminations
Space Blocks Electromagnetic Core
Stator Bars, Wedges Imperfection Detection (ELCID)
Field Surface, Wedges
Retaining Ring Nose Stator Insulation
Capacitance Measurement

Stator Clearance Measurement

Retaining Rings
Outside Surface:
Eddy Current
Remote Access Camera Inner Surface:
Field Coil End Turns Ultrasonic
Stator Bars
End Winding Support System
Flux Shield
Lower Frame Extension GT25678

Figure 3. Generator in-situ inspection capabilities

Component Common Problems MAGIC RAC Wedge EL-CID RR Capac- Clearance

Visual Visual Tapping NDE itance Meas.

Stator/Core

Core Laminations Foreign object damage, hot spots, evidence of movement X X

Space Blocks Migration, cooling passage blockage X X
Gas Gap Baffle Studs Cracked welds, looseness X X
Stator Wedges Looseness, loss, sparking damage X X
Stator Bars Foreign object damage, sparking, girth cracks, movement X X X
Wet groundwall insulation X
End Windings Bar movement, loose/broken ties, supports, etc., excessive X
corona activity
Copper Flux Shield Overheating, looseness, general condition X
Instrumentation RTD, thermocouple wiring ties, flux probe, general condition X

Field

Field Surface Heating, arcing, foreign object damage X

Body Weights Looseness, staking X
Field Wedges Arcing, migration, cracking X X
Retaining Ring Wedge contact, arcing, foreign object damage, material X X X
cracks, pitting
Coil End Turns Blocked ventilation, damaged insulation, coil distortion, X
contamination

General

All Excessive oil or other contamination, foreign object damage, X X

blocked cooling
Lower Frame Ext. Bus Insulation condition, connection integrity (if exposed), high X
Leads & Connections voltage bushing condition

Table 1. Inspection capabilities

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 Generator In-Situ Inspections

provide the specialist with a clear view of the sta- The wedge tightness test cannot be performed
tor core laminations, stator wedges, field on asphalt insulation systems or windings held
wedges and surface on the inboard ends of the in place with camelback style wedges.
retaining rings. Figure 4 is a picture of some
The MAGIC system determines wedge tightness
repaired core damage using both the wide
by measuring the response of the wedge to a
angle and close up cameras on the MAGIC
mechanical stimulus (impact). Wedges are test-
robot.
ed in several locations along their length. The
Stator Wedge Tightness Assessment inspection data is stored in a file and provided
with the final report. The data is also used to
The Stator Wedge Tightness Test is offered as
generate a color coded wedge tightness map
an option to the MAGIC visual generator
which clearly shows the wedge tightness within
inspection. It is performed to accurately quanti-
the generator (Figure 5). Some generator
fy stator wedge tightness and is used to assess
designs limit access to all wedges and permit
the need for wedge tightening or replacement.
only a partial inspection. Wedges closest to the
This inspection is similar to that performed in
slot ends are the most critical to inspect and are
GEs factory as a quality check on new genera-
inspected in all cases. The reports data can be
tors. Loose wedges and the resulting stator bar
used for accurate trending of the winding con-
movement are major contributors to premature
dition and for determining when repairs are
stator winding damage and failure. A tight sta-
needed.
tor winding can last two or three times as long
as a winding that is not firmly held in the stator
core. The test can be performed on stator wind- Electromagnetic Core Imperfection
ings that meet the design requirements of hard Detection (EL-CID)
stator insulation (Micapal or GEGARD EL-CID is an accurate and economical means of
600) and flat or piggyback wedge systems. testing the condition of the stator core lamina-

Figure 4. View of repaired core damage taken with MAGIC robot

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 Generator In-Situ Inspections
Figure 5. Generator wedge tightness
tion insulation. Damaged insulation can result
in circulating currents that can lead to core
overheating and stator damage or even failure
(Figure 6). EL-CID uses a low core excitation
level (about 4% rated flux) to establish a mag-
netic field within the core. A highly sensitive,
miniaturized sensing coil, or chattock, is used
along the core surface to detect fault currents
which will result from core insulation damage.
A signal processor located in the control system
computer is used to measure, record and report
these faults. EL-CID has been proven to be espe-
cially valuable on machines where core loosen-
ing has been more prevalent.
Stator Clearance Measurement
Radial clearance between the stator winding
and core permit unwanted motion of the stator
bars during operation. In some cases, radial
motion has led to severe abrasion damage to
the stator groundwall insulation and ultimately
electrical failure. Wedge tightness was once
thought to be the best means of detecting radi-
al slot clearance. However, GE has found that
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
although wedge tightess is a good indicator of
clearance between the top stator bar and
wedge, it can be misleading when the radial
clearance exists elsewhere in the slot. As a
result, GE recommends measuring the actual
clearance between the stator bars and the bot-
tom of the core slot through a stator clearance
test. Clearance testing involves applying a force
on each stator bar where it exits the core slot,
and accurately measuring its radial movement.
GE has developed specialized tooling to per-
form this test which protects against stator dam-
age during the test. Measurements are made on
both ends of the stator core (Figure 7). A map of
the stator winding and each bars radial clear-
ance is analyzed to determine the existence of,
or potential for bar movement.
Remote Access Camera (RAC)
The RAC inspection is an option to the MAGIC
visual inspection. It makes use of a miniatur-
ized, remotely actuated video camera to provide
a high resolution visual inspection of normally
inaccessible areas on the generator, outside of
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 Generator In-Situ Inspections

Core Lamination Insulation

Core Laminations Damaged Insulation

Core Vent Duct

Stator Winding
Stator Core

Circulating Current

Figure 6. Circulating current due to damage core insulation

Field Body
Stator Clearance
Measurement System

Retaining Ring

Top Stator Bar

Stator Bottom Stator Bar
Clearance

GT25775

Figure 7. Stator winding clearance measurement

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 Generator In-Situ Inspections
the bore region. These areas include the stator
endings, field coil end turns and stator terminal
connections. This information is combined
with that provided by a MAGIC visual inspec-
tion and the results of the standard visual and
electrical exams to provide the most thorough
visual inspection possible with the field in place.
Figure 8 shows a picture of the stator end wind-
ing support system taken with the RAC system
during an in-situ inspection.
Remote Capacitance Probe
GE water-cooled generators manufactured
before 1986 are susceptible to water leaks and
the resulting concerns as discussed in Technical
Information Letter-1098. One of the periodic
tests recommended in TIL-1098 is capacitance
mapping of the stator bars. This test has proven
to be very reliable in identifying stator bars with
deteriorated groundwall insulation resulting
from a water leak.
Capacitance mapping requires placing a con-
ductive electrode on the surface of the bars
Figure 8. Stator end winding viewed using GEs remote access camera
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
groundwall insulation at the location where the
bar exits the core slot (Figure 9). A meter is used
to measure the capacitance across the insula-
tion between the electrode and the stator bar
conductor. Each bar in the winding is measured
on both ends of the core and statistical analysis
is used to identify those bars with higher than
normal expected capacitance. High capaci-
tance is a good indicator of moisture presence
in the insulation.
It is recommended that a capacitance test be
performed at each major outage on an approx-
imately five-year interval. This recommendation
presented a roadblock to implementing an in-
situ inspection program on water-cooled gener-
ators because performing the capacitance test
required field removal.
As part of its in-situ inspection program we have
recently developed a tool enabling the capaci-
tance test to be performed without removing
the field from the stator. This tool uses an inflat-
able electrode, similar to that used with the
field removed, and a remote actuator arm for
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 Generator In-Situ Inspections
GT25552
Figure 9. Stator bar capacitance test in process
locating the probe. GEs remote access camera
is also used for positioning the probe and iden-
tifying its location. This system is being used
successfully and provides results similar to those
obtained during field out inspections.
Retaining Ring NDE Scanner
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of 18Mn-5Cr
generator retaining rings is a well documented
industry-wide concern for generator mainte-
nance. SCC develops on the surface of the
material in the presence of moisture and stress.
As a result of the stress concentration and
geometry which tends to hold moisture, the
retaining ring inside diameter surface tends to
be more susceptible to this phenomena.
GE recommends replacement of 18Mn-5Cr
rings with the improved 18Mn-18Cr alloy which
has not been susceptible to SCC. However, for
those customers who choose to periodically
inspect and repair the rings, GE offers a com-
plete inspection program. The most thorough
NDE inspection can be performed with the
rings removed from the field. This permits
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
Test
Area
Copper
Conductors
Test Groundwall
Electrode Insulation
access to the ID surface where eddy current test-
ing is used to detect very small surface indica-
tions. Testing of the rings while installed on the
field can also be performed, however, with less
sensitivity to crack detection on the ID surface.
Testing, similar to that performed with the field
removed from the stator, can be completed on
many units without removing the field. The
NDE test equipment has been modified by
miniaturizing the scanner assembly using the
same signal processing system as that used with
the field out. The system provides an ultrasonic
test (0.050/1.27 mm crack detection thresh-
old) on the ring ID and an eddy current test
(0.005/0.127 mm crack detection threshold)
on the ring OD.
Other Testing
There are several other tests and inspections
recommended during minor and major out-
ages in addition to those discussed. They
include electrical testing of the stator and field
windings and RTDs as well as hydraulic testing
of water-cooled stator windings. A complete
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 Generator In-Situ Inspections
description of GE-recommended tests is provid-
ed in Technical Information Letter-1154 and
GEK-103566. In-situ inspection of the generator
does not change the need or importance of
these tests.
Qualification Efforts
Changing an Industry Mindset
Generator inspection for years consisted of a
minor outage every 2 1/2 years and a major out-
age with the field removed every five years. This
practice proved to be quite successful in main-
taining a high level of reliability of the genera-
tor fleet. Deregulation is causing the power gen-
eration industry as a whole to rethink its philos-
ophy on equipment maintenance and OEMs,
and utilities and insurers alike need to evolve to
meet the needs of this new marketplace. In-situ
inspection of generators is one way GE has
evolved to meet these demands, and GE needs
to work with customers and their insurers to
properly apply this technology. In-situ inspec-
tion will not be considered a complete success
unless it can provide an inspection with the sim-
ilar accuracy, sensitivity and thoroughness of a
field removed inspection. In-situ inspection
must not bring with it a significant increase in
the risk of failure over traditional inspection
techniques.
Many GE customers with generators at nuclear-
powered plants are required by their insurers to
remove the generator field at a specified inter-
val to complete a major inspection. GE is cur-
rently working with several major insurers to
reconsider this policy as a result of in-situ
inspection technology. The first step toward
replacing traditional inspections with those per-
formed in-situ is qualification of the inspection
techniques. GE has completed several qualifica-
tion tests and is in the process of documenting
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
the results for industry use. Given acceptable
qualification results, GE expects that insurers
will evolve with the changing market and accept
in-situ in place of traditional inspections.
Qualification Testing
Qualification testing involved performing an in-
situ inspection on an actual generator and com-
paring these results with those obtained
through traditionally accepted inspection meth-
ods. MAGICs visual inspection system was the
first to be qualified. The MAGIC inspection was
performed on a GE generator at Georgia
Powers Plant Vogtle, during a scheduled major
inspection outage. An inspection report was
written which documented the condition of the
generator gas gap region as well as the collector
endwinding region which was inspected using
the remote access camera. A thorough visual
inspection was then performed with the field
out and the results were compared. GE found
the in-situ inspection results were completely
satisfactory with good image resolution, thor-
oughness and perspective. The field out inspec-
tion found no defects which had not been
detected with the MAGIC visual inspection.
MAGICs wedge tapping capability was devel-
oped by miniaturizing and remotely delivering
an industry accepted wedge tapping device.
This direction was taken so that wedge tightness
data, whether taken with the field in or out,
could be easily correlated. Data correlation is
important to the long term trending and condi-
tion assessment. MAGICs wedge tap system was
qualified on a large GE generator through
comparison of in-situ test results with field out
wedge tapping and hammer testing tech-
niques. As a result of its wedge tapping devel-
opment, GE added the ability to listen to the tap
test while in progress. This information is very
useful in assuring the test is being performed
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 Generator In-Situ Inspections
wedge tightness. The positive results with audi-
ble testing of wedges has led GE to pursue this
as the companys primary means of wedge tight-
ness testing on a MAGIC Jr. test system under
development.
A similar philosophy was used in the develop-
ment of MAGICs EL-CID test capability. The
most common and accepted EL-CID test system
in the industry was developed by Adwel
Industries, UK. GE currently uses Adwel systems
for performing field out EL-CID tests and, for
the reasons stated, GE wanted to use a similar
system for in-situ testing. This was accomplished
by miniaturizing the test chattock portion of
the system while making no changes to the dig-
ital EL-CID system. By doing so, GE can use the
same digital EL-CID test system for both field
out or in-situ testing, the only difference being
the miniaturized chattock used for in-situ test-
ing.
To qualify the results of the miniaturized chat-
tock, GE ran comparison tests between it and
the standard chattock, including testing stator
cores of various design types and condition
through use of actual in-service and laboratory
test cores. The critical characteristic of the EL-
CID test is the electrical test signal which must
be consistent between standard and in-situ tests.
This signal determines the cores defect magni-
tude. Through the comparison tests, GE found
the test signal was very similar while testing
good sections of core iron as well as when sizing
core detects. These results demonstrated GE
can expect good correlation between EL-CID
tests performed using the standard or in-situ
methods.
Qualification Report
A detailed qualification report will be prepared
to document the results and provide the data
needed to demonstrate the validity of in-situ
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
inspection. This report will be made available to
GE customers and their insurers to help sup-
port developing in-situ inspection programs for
their generators.
Traditional vs. In-Situ Cost Analysis
A significant factor in comparing in-situ vs. tra-
ditional inspection programs is the reduced
cost to the equipment owner. Cost reduction is
achieved in three major areas: reduced outage
duration, reduced disassembly and eliminating
consequential damage elimination.
In-situ inspection reduces the time required to
complete a major generator inspection.
Duration of a generator inspection includes the
time required for removal from service, disas-
sembly, inspection and reassembly, and prepa-
ration for service. In-situ inspection significant-
ly reduces the time required for disassembly
and reassembly of the generator, although it
does add some time to the actual inspection
process. The net time savings varies by plant
and generator design, but Table 2 provides a
good estimate for a typical large generator at a
nuclear plant.
Reducing the generator inspection time is most
important when the generator is on the outage
critical path. Suitability for service inspections
are generally recommended for generators fol-
lowing an abnormal operating event that may
have caused generator damage, including
breaker failures, short circuits and loss of cool-
ing. Each of these can cause generator damage
that would lead to an on-line major failure if the
damage is not repaired. These circumstances
provide an ideal application of in-situ inspec-
tion technology where every hour saved directly
affects the time spent offline.
In-situ inspection can also reduce outage dura-
tion when used for advanced outage planning.
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 Generator In-Situ Inspections
Type of
Inspection Visual
Traditional 14 Shifts
In-Situ 6 Shifts
Savings 8 Shifts
Table 2. Inspection time savings comparison
Performing an in-situ inspection during a
minor outage prior to a planned major outage
can help determine the necessity and scope of
the major outage. The outage may be post-
poned altogether if the generator is found in
good condition. If problems are found, the
information gathered during the inspection
can be used to make preparations for repair at
the next outage. These preparations include
planning the repair, identifying labor and mate-
rial needs and developing contingency plans.
When it comes to generator maintenance,
experience has shown that preparation and
planning are critical to effieicntly executing an
outage.
Inspection cycle through use of in-situ tech-
niques is achieved by greatly reducing the level
of generator disassembly required to complete
the inspection. Reducing the level of disassem-
bly has a number of benefits beyond reduced
cycle time. Cost savings result from reduced dis-
assembly and reassembly labor, repair and plan-
ning. Not removing the field from the genera-
tor also frees up overhead crane availability for
use on other parts of the outage. The total cost
of field removal and reassembly is reported at
$100,000 to $250,000 for fossil plants and
$250,000 to $500,000 for nuclear plants. The
cost associated with partial disassembly to allow
GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)
Visual Visual, Wedge
And Wedge Tightness
Tightness And EL-CID
16 Shifts 18 Shifts
9 Shifts 12 Shifts
GT25550
7 Shifts 6 Shifts
in-situ inspection varies with the scope of the
inspection but, generally, runs about 1/3 the
cost of complete disassembly. Table 3 compares
the cost of a traditional vs. in-situ inspection.
Another economic benefit of in-situ inspection
is the reduction of consequential generator
damage as a result of the outage. Rotor removal
requires uncoupling the turbine-generator
shafts; careful disassembly of stator endshields
on both ends of the generator; removal of the
bearings, hydrogen seals, oil deflectors and
exciter assemblies; and the skillful reassembly
and realignment of these same components.
Improper endshield reassembly may result in
oil ingestion problems, expensive and time con-
suming oil cleanup procedures, undesirable
lubrication of the armature slot and endwind-
ing restraining systems, increased armature
motion, and accelerated armature insulation
wear. (Refer to TIL 1098-3R2 for additional
information on the adverse effects of oil inges-
tion). Rotor removal incurs risk of damage to
the precision components of the hydrogen seal
oil assemblies, and requires the heavy lifting
and temporary warm, dry storage of the rotor.
The problems or damage resulting from dis-
assembly can lead to very costly repairs. For
this reason, the best policy is to minimize dis-
assembly.
12
 Generator In-Situ Inspections

Generator Inspection Cost Comparison Est. Cycle Est. Est. Cost

Traditional vs. In-Situ Inspection (Shifts) Craft Hrs. ($1000)

Traditional Generator Inspection

Exciter & Generator Disassembly & Field Removal 6 $125
Generator Test & Inspection 4 $20
Field Installation, Generator & Exciter Reassembly 6 $175
Lost Generation Profit (est. $20K/day, 8 days) $160
Total Cost of Inspection 1000/1500 $480

In-Situ Generator Inspection

Generator Disassembly 2 $40
Generator Test & Inspection 5 $50
Generator Reassembly 2 $60
Lost Generation Profit (est. $20K/day, 5 days) $100
Total Cost of Inspection 200/300 $250

Total Cost
Traditional Inspection ($K) $480
In-Situ Inspection ($K) $250
SAVINGS ($K) $230

Generator Inspection Cost

$500
$450
$400 Traditional Savings of $230,000
Total Cost ($1000)

$350
$300
$250
$200
In-Situ
In Situ
$150
$100
$50
$0
Traditional In-Situ Inspection
Inspection ($K) ($K)
Generator Inspection Type

Footnotes:
1. Generator Inspection Scope Included Visual and Wedge Tightness Inspection.
Electrical and Leak Testing Cost Not Included.
2. Disassembly and Test Costs Used for a Large Steam Turbine Generator
at a Nuclear Site.

Table 3. Traditional vs. in-situ inspection costs

GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03) 13

 Generator In-Situ Inspections

GE Position On In-Situ Inspection Recommended maintenance schedules for tra-

GEs MAGIC robot provides generator compo-
nent assessment capability comparable or supe-
rior to that routinely achieved by rotor removal
inspections for many applications. Closeup,
detailed views of the core and rotor surfaces,
stator and rotor wedges, retaining ring tips and
vent ducts allow a generator specialist to detect
and assess potential problems not generally dis-
cernible by electrical testing or other on-line
monitoring often prior to the occurrence of
any significant generator damage. Periodic
MAGIC in-situ inspections, together with elec-
trical testing and hydraulic checks, provide an
acceptable alternative to many traditional OEM
maintenance protocols. Skillful interpretation
of in-situ inspection observations and related
data can provide plant operators with cost effec-
tive opportunities to reduce outages and outage
duration while maintaining the outstanding
reliability and availability of their generators.
ditional and in-situ inspection protocols are
compared in Table 4.
Conclusions
The power generation industry is undergoing
major changes requiring power producers,
OEMs and insurers to adapt. One way GE has
responded to these market changes is through
the development of tools that enable in-situ
inspection of generators. In-situ inspection
offers an acceptable, low cost alternative to the
traditional field out generator inspection in
many cases. GE has been and will continue to
work within the industry to gain acceptance of
in-situ inspection techniques. GE is presently
working on enhancing the capabilities of its in-
situ inspection service and expanding the appli-
cation to smaller generators. In-situ inspection
will play an increasing role in reducing power
producers cost of generation.

Inspection Interval (Years)

First Year
Inspection
2.5 5 10
MAJOR MINOR MAJOR
Traditional Visual Visual Visual
Wedge Wedge
ELCID ELCID
IN-SITU IN-SITU IN-SITU IN-SITU
MAGIC In-Situ Visual Visual Wedge ELCID
EL-CID
Wedge
ELCID
GT25551

NOTES: Electrical and Hydraulic testing continue at recommended intervals

NDE testing and TILs may require rotor removal for completion

Table 4. Recommended generator inspection schedules

GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)

14
 Generator In-Situ Inspections

List of Figures
Figure 1. Cost impact of condition assessment techniques
Figure 2. Generator inspection items
Figure 3. Generator in-situ inspection capabilities
Figure 4. View of repaired core damage taken with MAGIC robot
Figure 5. Generator wedge tightness
Figure 6. Circulating current due to damage core insulation
Figure 7. Stator winding clearance measurement
Figure 8. Stator end winding viewed using GEs remote access camera
Figure 9. Stator bar capacitance test in process

GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)

15
 Generator In-Situ Inspections

List of Tables
Table 1. Inspection capabilities
Table 2. Inspection time savings comparison
Table 3. Generator inspection cost comparison
Table 4. Traditional vs. in-situ inspection costs

GE Power Systems GER-3954B (04/03)

16