Analysing mechanical aging behavior of the electrical insulation system used in rotating machines

Summary

Rotating machines are very important components in power generation, whereby there is a high level of demand for machine reliability and availability. In standard operation, the machine reliability and life time expectancy are influenced by thermal, electrical and thermal stress, which adversely affect aging mechanisms. To evaluate the condition of electrical insulation systems the knowledge of predominate aging mechanisms is of particular importance. This paper concentrates on mechanical aging behavior on the complex system of insulation aging. Sub-periodic non-destructive diagnostic tests such as dissipation factor and partial discharge measurements allow a global evaluation of condition. The presence of failure in structures, such as cracks, change the physical characteristics. This corresponds with the dynamic behavior of the system. The focus of this work is on investigation of modal analysis as a supplementary diagnostic method in order to analyse multi-factor aging process.

Additional informations

Keywords

rotating machines, insulation system, mechanical aging, dissipation factor, partial discharge