Analysis of Magnetic Flux Linkage Distribution in Salient- Pole Synchronous Generator with Different Kinds of Inter- Turn Winding Faults

A reliable and accurate diagnosis of inter-turn short circuit faults is a challenging issue in the area of fault diagnosis of electrical machines. The purpose of this study is to present a more efficient technique in fault detection and to provide a reliable method with low-cost sensors and simple numerical algorithms which not only detects the occurrence of the fault, but also locates its position in the winding. Hence, this paper presents a novel method for diagnosis of different kinds of inter-turn winding faults in a salient-pole synchronous generator based on changes in the magnetic flux linkage. It describes the influence of inter-turn winding faults on the magnetic flux distribution of the generator. The main feature of the proposed method is its capability to identify the faulty coils under two types of inter-turn winding faults. Also, the occurrence of two other types of faults can be detected by the proposed technique. Simple algorithm, low cost sensor and sensitivity are the other features of the proposed technique. Experimental results derived from a 4- pole, 380V, 1500 rpm, 50 Hz, 50 KVA, 3-phase salient-pole synchronous generator confirm the validity of the proposed method.