A Multiparameter and Web Based Modular On-line Monitoring System for High Voltage

Motors and Generators

R. Haslimeier, B. Fruth
PD Tech Power Engineering AG
Seestrasse 14b, 5432 Neuenhof, Switzerland
E-Mail: haslimeier@pdtech.ch

the interdependence of the parameters (root cause

analysis).

Abstract: An integrated monitoring system for high

voltage rotating machines is presented, which measures
parameters relevant for risk assessment through one
single platform. These are among others, partial
discharge, rotor magnet field, endturn vibration and
operating parameters. The system incorporates a web
server for remote access.

The system is equipped with a LAN interface and an

embedded web server, providing access for different
workgroups for expert data analysis and remote
maintenance.
Its modular concept allows expanding or configuring
the system according to the plant operator's needs both
in terms of budgetary constraints and physical necessity.
A flexible and "configurable" design allows the system
to be connected to already installed sensors, thus
avoiding to re-install proprietary sensors.

INTRODUCTION

Unexpected faults in the insulation of rotating highvoltage machines can incur high costs in materials,
repairs, and, in particular, in machine outage time. In
the deregulated energy market the strategy has therefore
evolved from periodic to condition-based maintenance.
On-line condition monitoring of the most critical
components of an electrical machine has become an
indispensable element of a modern risk management
strategy. Other than so-called off-line inspection, data is
extracted without interrupting the operation or being
destructive. Furthermore, the machines are tested whilst
they are being stressed by thermal, electrical, ambient,
and mechanical (TEAM) forces. These stresses may
lead to substantially different results and dielectric
properties [1] as compared to standstill analysis.
On-line monitoring is a continuous quality control of the
electrical machine and the ability to provide a "risk
factor forecast" allows to:
* Take immediate remedial action
* Prevent catastrophic failures
* Plan for outage
* Minimize lost production
On-line monitoring data and data trends help to clear up
ageing and fault dynamics and thus underpin
maintenance and warranty contracts and decisions
whether to replace or rehabilitate machines or
components thereof.

Partial Discharge
Partial discharge (pd) monitoring is the preferred
method to evaluate the performance of stator winding
and to detect its defects. High local electrical fields in
conjunction with insulation degradation may lead to
partial discharges, which may increase over time and
eventually lead to failure. Frequently, these defects are
created by the TEAM-stresses and not by the electrical
field alone and discharges may be caused by e.g.
mechanical abrasion, thermal deterioration or surface
contamination.
The partial discharge detection principle is based on the
so-called PRPDA or phase resolved partial discharge
acquisition principle [2]. The partial discharge pattern
(example see Fig. 1) images the stochastic properties of
the underlying gas discharge mechanism [3] and can
therefore be related to certain defect types. The patterns
themselves are numerically treated in order to derive
integral trending quantities as described by certain
standards [4] the patterns themselves can be analysed
by experts , and/or, by "artificial intelligence" routines

[5].

-.-

MONITORING DEVICE PHILOSOPHY

6.

The web-based modular (multiparameter) on-line

monitoring system for high voltage motors and
generators presented here, acquires and processes data
from the most critical areas of the machines.
The multi-parameter acquisition function of the device
allows monitoring a variety of different physical
quantities through one platform. This allows analyzing

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Fig. 1: partial discharge pattern indicating two

individual partial discharge sources; 1: endturn surface
discharge; 2: discharge between bar and core

interference due to magnetic field is controlled and their

electrical insulation is sufficient.
The authors have installed such systems on large turbine
generators and pump storage generators, which have
typically a strongly variable load regime.

The partial discharge module consists of four

independent input channels with variable input filters
which can be adapted to the characteristic frequency
band of electrical machines (around 0... .10MHz, [6]), to
the local electromagnetic disturbance spectrum and to
the frequency range of the pd sensor. The sensors
themselves have specific "antennae gains". In order to
compensate these a calibration procedure is necessary,
which relates a calibrated charge impulse to the detector
reading (see [4] for details about the procedure).
Therefore, various pd sensors as current transformers,
Rogowski coils, coupling capacitors (80 pF to 9nF) and
modified surge capacitors are in use with this device.
Parallel acquisition of 4 channels allows applying a
coincidence technique for removal of impulse
disturbance if necessary.

Ozone Concentration

Fig. 2: endturn vibration, FFT vs. time pattern during

machine start-up (frequency in Hz, Time in s, amplitude
coded in colour)

Gas discharges in air lead to formation of nitrogen

oxides and ozone. The latter may be used to augment
and verify electrical partial discharge readings and to
determine the corrosive risk of ozone formation. Ozone
is a highly aggressive gas and may predominantly attack
polymers as e.g. natural rubber, which is used for seals.
Ozone concentration is a qualitative parameter, as the
measurable concentration strongly depends on sensor
location and environmental parameters. Ozone level is
fed into the system by an analogue (4.. .2OmA) signal
from a UV absorption type detector capable of
measuring ozone concentrations of some ppb to lppm.
Endturn and Bar Vibration

Endturn vibration may have various origins as endturn

resonances or loose windings, which may be caused by
loose wedges, side packings or spacers..
The vibration may depend on temperature causing
softening of impregnating resins or on mechanical
forces under different loads. Winding vibration may
cause mechanical abrasion of the insulation, interturn
faults by continuous friction and gradual loosening of
spacers between the windings.
The occurrence of resonance is therefore timedependent and plots of amplitudes vs. time and
frequency are used for analysis, so-called FFT vs. time
patterns, (Fig. 2).
In order to record the vibration of the endturns,
accelerometers are installed on both sides of the
machine. These are placed on the endcaps (Fig.3). This
location is generally on high electrical potential
accompanied by strong magnetic fields, which requires
transducers of special design. Preferably, biaxial fibre
optical transducers [7] are installed which measure two
directions of the vibration (tangential and radial), which
allows to describe the spatial displacement (e.g. Fig. 4).

Fig. 3: biaxial fibreoptical sensor placed on the endcaps

in the endturn region

Fig. 4: time integral of the biaxial displacement of an

endcap

Standard accelerometers can be connected provided the

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Overheat Detection
Monitoring

and

Hydrogen

Purity

In order to monitor potential hotspots and overheating in

a rotating machine a system called core monitor is used
[7]. These systems are often combined with hydrogen
purity monitors in hydrogen cooled machines. Even
though these devices are designed as stand-alone
systems, their connection to the monitoring unit was
desirable in order to facilitate data correlation and
provide LAN and Internet access.

*
*
*

Rotor Insulation Monitoring

User Interface Software

Interturn and ground faults in the rotor insulation lead to

a deformation of the magnetic field in the air-gap and to
changes of the so-called shaft voltage [7, 8].
The magnetic field in the air-gap is measured by socalled "air gap search coils" or so-called Hall-effect
sensors which were installed by the authors. Whereas
the airgap installed sensors measure the magnetic field
directly (e.g. every turn of the exciter winding in 2-pole
rotors) the shaft voltage is an image of the whole
magnetic loops through the length of the generator.
Therefore a variety of effects are embedded in one
signal which may complicate evaluation. The permanent
measurement of the shaft voltage requires a brush-like
pickup on the generator shaft, or, the voltage of some
isolated bearings may be measured. The appearance of
certain harmonic frequencies and the symmetry of the
magnetic field sensors is commonly used as an indicator
for potential problems.

Thais software is typically installed on a (portable) PC

and includes:
* Tools for system set-up and alarm configuration
* Download and display of stored data
* Performance of manually started measurements
with external expert analysis software
* Data display and further evaluations
Hardware Design

The monitoring device is based on an industrial

embedded PC technology, and is free of moving parts.
Modules can be added by plugging in the necessary
interface boards.
EXAMPLE: INTRA-/INTERNET MONITORING
OF A HYDROELECTRIC POWERPLANT
SCHEME

Operating Parameter and Environmental Data

The plant complex in Switzerland starts in Upper Valais

where at the foot of the Gries glacier Aegina AG built a
storage basin with a storage capacity of 18 million m3,
and 400 m further down the mountain the Altstafel
power plant. At the elevation of Robiei the tributaries
from the Gries, the catchment area between the
tributaries and from the Bedretto Valley are collected in
the two equalizing basins Robiei and Zot. This water
can be pumped into the Cavagnoli storage basin, or used
to drive the turbines in the Bavona Hydro Power Plant.
As major players in the energy sector the Maggia and
Blenio power plants use the water from the Maggia and
Brenno river catchments areas to produce a total of
2,100 GWh hydroelectric power.

The system records operating parameters as power and

temperature and allows the connection of further
temperature and humidity sensors. These quantities are
used for parameterisation of the monitoring data.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
The monitoring system is designed to be used as a
portable instrument for periodic checks in conjunction
with a portable computer or to be temporarily connected
to a LAN. Or, it can be used as a permanently installed
device.
There are several software modules:

The actual machine park is around 50 years old and will

be successively modernised. Therefore monitoring is
essential for timing and identification of critical units.
Each of the about 21 machines to be monitored is
equipped with a monitoring device, which is assigned a
fixed IP address.
The data supplied by the instruments are transmitted via
the company network (overhead lines) to the power
company's central server and analyzed by the software.
The device is compatible with the customer's existing
infrastructure, thereby simplifying installation and
reducing initial and operating costs. Since power plants
are frequently interconnected by an in-house Intranet,

Embedded Software

These modules are installed in the monitoring device

itself and include:
*
*

data acquisition management, including a database

for parameter and raw data storage and trending.
Parameter extraction software, which calculates
scalar trending values as FFT's (fast Fourier
transforms) and processing of the partial discharge
patterns.

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Alarm thresholds can be defined for all scalar

values. A selection of scalar values can be reconverted in an analogue 4... 2OmA signal which
can be routed to the plants digital control system. If
a threshold is exceeded an alarm relay can be
operated.
An embedded webserver which allows remote
access to the system with a standard web browser.
Security and password handling
LINUX operating system

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central data storage in the parent company is readily

feasible.
The central server is equipped with a web interface
which records all evaluated data in the form of trend
curves and partial discharge patterns. External experts
can view this data online, reconfigure and check the
instruments and do detailed analysis should the need
arise. The connection is made via a routing table which
assigns the various ports to the respective IP addresses
of the measuring devices .

additional parameters further evaluation algorithms can

be developed which provide more exact information on
the condition of the windings and which uncover
problems at an earlier time and with great precision.
Internet solutions allow remotely implementing new
algorithms, interactively optimising procedures and
allowing human expert support without the necessity of
travelling of a specialist to a site, which has proven to
strongly reduce overhead and support cost.

In the development of the monitoring system the accent

was placed for the one part on the exploitation of
findings from research and practice, and for the other
part on the integration of practical experience and
contemporary technical expertise.
The PD pattern measuring system features automatic
PD pattern storage, recording of the most prominent
trend data, integrated evaluation algorithms and system
Internet-connectivity

REFERENCES

[1] B. Fruth and G. Liptak, "Dielectric Properties of

Mica Epoxy Composites Subjected to Thermal and
Thermoelectrical Aging", 6h Int. Symp. High Voltage
Engineering, New Orleans, USA, paper 21.02. 1988
[2] B. Fruth, J. Fuhr, "Partial Discharge Pattern
Recognition - A Tool for Diagnosis and Monitoring of
Aging", CIGRE, paper 15/33-12, 1990

Automatic evaluation of the data proves to be difficult

due to the fact that several variables are needed to
evaluate the condition of the insulation with any degree
of surety. For this reason manual evaluation of the PD
patterns by an expert supported by numerical tools is
still the state of the art. The expert normally requires not
only the trend data, but also the development of the PD
pattern itself. The system was developed for the event of
experts not being available at the site location. It can
therefore be configured to measure automatically, to
make a provisional evaluation, and if necessary to signal
an alarm.

[3] L. Niemeyer, B. Fruth, F. Gutfleisch,

"Simulation of Partial Discharges in Insulation
Systems", Proc. 7th Int. Symp. High Voltage
Engineering, ISH, Dresden, paper 71.05, 1991

[4] International Standard, High Voltage Test

techniques - Partial Discharge Measurements, IEC
60270:2000

[5] G. Ujvari, G. Pascoli, C. Kral, C. Kollmitzer,

"Partial Discharge Pattern Recognition Algorithm for
Turbo Generator Monitoring", SDEMPED 2005
Symposium on Diagnostics for Electric Machines,
Power Electronics and Drives, Vienna, Austria, 7-9
September 2005

Every 0.5 h the measuring system fully automatically

records the PD pattern of all individual phases and
stores them in a temporary internal memory. Once daily
these patterns are weighted on the basis of the
calculated apparent charge, and the one with highest
value is saved. The internal memory capacity is
adequate to store the trend data for the last 90 days.
Independent bi-stable contacts are available for the
status output and can be programmed by any given
trend value to a "Warning" and "Alarm" value, so that a
non expert user is informed easily about the system

[6] H. Zhu, V. Green, M. Sasic, S. Halliburton,

"Increased Sensitivity of Capacitive Couplers for InService PD Measurement in Rotating Machines, IEEE
Transactions on Energy Conversion, Vol. 14, No. 4,
December 1999

status

[7] A. J. Gonzalez, M. S. Baldwin, J. Stein, N. E.

Nilsson, "Monitoring and Diagnosis of Turbine-Driven
Generators, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-606096-X, 1995

Conclusion

[8] Z. F. Posedel, "Shaft Voltage in Electric

Machines, Shaft Grounding and Monitoring System",
IEEE Shaft Voltage Control and Monitoring, July 23 July 17, 1995, Portland, Oregon

We have presented a modular multi-parameter

monitoring system. We expect from a future correlation
of an abundance of parameters a more precise
possibility to reconstruct the occurrence of faults and an
improved tool which helps to avoid unplanned outages
and improves preventative maintenance actions.
In the area of research, in particular the effects of
temperature and vibrations on the PD properties are
investigated. Further characteristic parameters can be
added or modified at any time. On the basis of these

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