Unusual PD pulse phase distributions in operating rotating machines

The position of partial discharges (PD) with respect to power frequency phase position has long been known to provide useful information on the nature of deterioration of electrical insulation. In the past, virtually all such data has been from PD tests performed in the laboratory on static models or equipment. Improvements in the past 15 years in noise elimination technology have made it possible to monitor the PD activity (number, magnitude and phase position) in the HV stator windings of operating motors and generators. Over a two year period, the PD activity was recorded on more than 100 motors, hydrogenerators and turbine generators, and the pulses analyzed with respect to the ac phase position, with a resolution of 3.6°. In the majority of stator windings, the PD pulses occurred in the expected portion of the ac phase, i.e. Between 0 and 90° as well as between 180 and 270°. However a significant number of instances were recorded where the pulses appeared to be shifted ~30°. This is probably due to the phase-to-phase electric stress which occurs in the endwinding portion of a three phase stator winding. In many other machines, the PO phase positions were very different from the expected patterns determined from static tests. In some of these cases, such results were obtained on machines with suspected loose stator windings. It seems reasonable to conclude that the unusual PD patterns may be due to the influence of moving stator coils on the PD patterns. Such an influence is not easy to simulate in static laboratory tests. PD pulse phase analysis is shown to be a useful means of helping to determine the main deterioration mechanisms of stator insulation systems of operating motors and generators