Analysis of Leak and Water Absorption Test Results for Water-Cooled Generator Stator Windings

Abstract – Cases of insulation breakdown damage of water-cooled generator stator windings occur frequently due to coolant leakage and water absorption worldwide. Such serious accidents may cause not only enormous economic loss but also very serious grid accidents in terms of stable supply of electric power. More than 50 % of domestic generators have been operated for more than 15 years, and leak and water absorption problem of windings are often found during the planned preventive maintenance period. Since 2005, leak and water absorption tests have been performed for total water-cooled stator windings after fully drying the inside of the windings. The results are then comprehensively analyzed. The result of the test performed by GE, a foreign manufacturer, for 141 generators showed failures in 80 of them (failure rate: 57 %), whereas in the tests carried out in Korean domestic power plants, only 14 out of 50 generators showed failures (failure rate: 28 %)