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A1-103

CIGRE 2008

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE LATEST DESIGN OF THE POWERFUL AIR-COOLED TURBOGENERATOR STATOR E.I.GUREVICH*, N.D.PINCHUK Electrosila Russia

SUMMARY The main circumstance limiting the turbogenerator capacity having indirect gas cooling is the heating of the stator winding. The natural aspiration to reduce this stator winding heating is connected with the intensification of the convective heat exchange in the stator tooth zone. This purpose is achieved in the investigated design owing to bypass of cooling gas between adjacent radial ducts through slit axial ducts in the stator teeth. In that way, extension of the total cooling surface in the stator tooth zone, radical reduction of considerable path portion of the heat flow from the winding to the axial cooling ducts and increase of heat-transfer coefficients in radial ducts are achieved. A number of variants of arranging the cooling air flow in the radial ducts was rendered using vent spacers, and for each variant some experiments over a wide range of air flows and heat loads were done. Detailed measurements of the local air velocities, air flow temperature and duct surfaces temperature were made. Visualization of the air flows and the temperature distribution on the radial duct surfaces was used as an additional tool for studying the heat transfer process. Finally the integral characteristics of heat transfer in the radial and axial ducts were obtained and some measures on design optimization were taken. The most important and nontrivial behavior of the new modern cooling system obtained with the laboratory experiment is the increase of heat-transfer coefficient in the radial ducts at specified value of air flow velosity. The average heat-transfer coefficients in the radial ducts of the new design at comparable air velosities are higher than that in the conventional design by 4560%, that is probably a consequence of an artificial stream turbulence and break-down of the boundary layer as a result of branching the air flow into the axial ducts. For instance, at the air velocity in the ordinary radial or Ushaped duct equal to 25 m/s the heat transfer coefficient averaged along tooth surface is 122 W/m2K; while in the latest design at air bypass through the axial ducts and at the same air velocity corresponding heat transfer coefficient attains values of 180 and 205 W/m2K depending on the arrangement of vent spacers in the radial duct. The total result of the intensification of the stator tooth zone cooling is the decrease of stator winding and teeth temperature by 2225 with reference to the turbogenerator of 265 MWA capacity. Now this new design is used at the projection of air-cooled turbogenerators over 300 MWA capacity. KEYWORDS Turbogenerator, Stator, Air cooling, Duct, Heat transfer, Temperature

___________________________________________________________________________
*gur@elsila.spb.ru

1. INTRODUCTION When increasing the current loads determining the unit power of the generator with indirect gas cooling [1, 2], the improvement of the slot portion cooling by means of the intensification of the convective heat exchange in the stator channels is required. It is precisely this problem that is solved in a new construction of the air-cooled turbogenerator. In the initial construction with U-shaped channels [3] cold air from the pressure chambers arranged along the periphery of the stator gets into radial channels between the packs of the active steel and passes consecutively at first in the direction of the bore and then comes back in the opposite direction to the rarefaction chambers arranged also on periphery of the stator. The idea of U-shaped channel and the concept of alternation in pairs of unlike zones on the periphery of the stator is preserved. However, instead of the channel located in one (radial-tangential) plane, in this case we have a channel oriented in a space and realized by means of air by-pass between the adjacent radial channels via slit-shaped axial channels made in teeth (Fig. 1). To study the properties of a new construction on the laboratory units, we fulfilled experiments in a wide range of air flow rates and heat loads as applied to different variants of the cooling system design. Characteristics of aerodynamic resistance and convective heat exchange in radial and axial channels have been investigated and on this basis the optimization of the construction has been made. Thermal calculations of the new construction based on the obtained experimental results show substantial temperature decrease of the teeth and stator winding, therefore the construction has been applied to the turbogenerators of 265 MVA capacity as an experiment. In the future we intend to use it when developing the air-cooled turbogenerators of the capacity above 300 MVA. In prospect it is possible and worthwhile to use this construction also for turbogenerator stators with indirect hydrogen cooling.

a)

b)

Fig. 1. Air stream in leading (a) and trailing (b) radial ducts

2. PROCEDURE OF LABORATORY EXPERIMENT The aerodynamic resistance of the channel in the active zone with inlet and outlet at the level of the stator periphery has been investigated on the laboratory units. The main attention was paid to the variation of the construction in teeth zone where the predominant part of the cooling path resistance is concentrated. To estimate the distribution of air flows in radial channels, leading and trailing ones, the colour temperature visualization of each channel wall was made when heating with a source providing an uniform heat flow and with using a thermosensitive film with a high resolution. To determine thermal characteristics of the present cooling system, conditions of cooling air motion in the system of radial channels with by-pass via axial channels are simulated in the experimental unit. Heat sources in radial channels serve flat two-sectional electric heaters made of constantan and supplied with direct current. Heat sources in axial channels represent themselves electric coils mounted in walls of slitshaped channels. Operating surfaces of both channels are equipped with an appropriate quantity of thermocouples. Cooling air temperature was measured at inlet and outlet of radial channels. Local heat-transfer coefficients were determined in axial slit-shaped channels at various distance from the channel inlet. In this case the air temperature determination in a respective section was based on the assumption about linear distribution of this temperature along the channel. 3. EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COOLING SYSTEM Windage tests of both constructions: basic one (U-shaped channels) and new one (with air by-pass via axial channels) show that these mentioned ventilation systems may be considered as equivalent ones with regard to the capacity. However, the capacity does not characterize completely the quality of the ventilation system it is also important to have satisfactory indices of the uniform distribution of losses along the parallel axial channels in the tooth. This uniform distribution is not provided automatically: reasonable minor differences from the average value are achieved only at a definite arrangement of spacers in the channel near the tooth base. The curves of heat-transfer factor in the tooth zone of radial channels versus air flow rates per one elementary channel are presented in Fig. 2 with blue lines. The corresponding curves for U-shaped channels are plotted with read lines.
300 Heat-transfer factor, W/m K 250 200 150 100 50 1,5 2 2,5 Air volume, l /s 3 3,5 4

Fig. 2. Heat transfer factor in the tooth zone of radial channels (plotted lines are for leading ducts and full lines are for trailing ones) The substantial intensification of the convective heat exchange is achieved in radial channels as compared with U-shaped channels at comparable air velocities in them. The heat-transfer factor rise can be explained by artificial turbulization and by breakdown of the boundary layer due to branching of the air flow into axial channels. Indirect evidence of available breakdown flows in the radial channel is obtained

by means of highly sensitive thermograms taken when the constant thermal flow source has an effect on the channel surface. The average heat-transfer coefficients in new construction are 1.5.1.6 higher than that in the U-shaped channels at the same air flow rates.

Heat-transfer factor, W/m K

240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100

15,0 m/s 11,6 m/s 10,5 m/s 8,4 m/s

10

20

30

40

50

Distance from channel inlet, mm

Fig. 3. Distribution of the heat-transfer coefficients along the axial channel The experimental distribution of the heat-transfer coefficients along the axial channels is shown in Fig. 3. The reasonably high intensity of convective heat exchange in these channels are characterized by average heat-transfer coefficients of the order 120160 W/m2, attained at moderate air velocity (from 8 to 15 m/s), that corresponds to the expected air flow rate in the new construction. Such a positive result is explained by the well-known effect of the air flow disturbance at the inlet of the axial channel [4] and gives evidence in favour of decrease of the generator active steel pack thickness in the designed constructions. 4. EFFICIENCY OF THE STATOR NEW AIR COOLING SYSTEM The thermal process in the tooth zone of the new construction is illustrated schematically in Fig. 4. The total losses in the slot portion of the stator winding and teeth P are decomposed in thermal flows p1, p2 p3, oriented to leading (1), axial (2) and trailing (3) channels, in this case we may neglect heat removal from the tooth zone to the direction of the bore and the tooth base.

p1

p3
Entering duct

Tooth basis

Leaving duct

p2

Fig. 4

Stator bore

b
Fig. 4. Heat flows in the cooling system From the equations of thermal balance

p1 p p p p p p + p2 p + 1 = 2 + 1 + 2 = 3 + 1 + 3 = , k1F1 2cQ 2 F2 cQ 2cQ k3 F3 cQ 2cQ p1 + p2 + p3 = P

(1)

it follows that the average tooth temperature rise over the air temperature at the level of the slot bottom on the leading tooth surface makes up:

m2 + 0,5 (m1 + 0,5) P m2 0,5 = . m2 + 0,5 m2 0,5 cQ 1+ + m1 0,5 m3 + 0,5

Here the following designation is used:

(2)

m1 =

cQ cQ cQ ; m2 = ; m3 = ; k1F1 2 F2 k3 F3

where: c specific heat of air volume unit, kJ/m3; Q air volume flow rate, m3/s; k1, k3 heat-transfer coefficients in tooth zone of the pack with respect to leading (1) and trailing (3) channels, W/m2:

k1,3av =

1 1

1,3

b + 6

(3)

1, 3 heat-transfer coefficients from the surface of leading (1) and trailing (3) channels, W/m2.

Relationship between the average temperature rise calculated of the stator tooth and air flow rate is shown in Fig. 5 as applied to the pair of 265 MVA turbogenerators of the same overall dimensions with basic (1) and new (2) cooling systems. The stator of the basic construction has stator core packs of 30 mm thick and the stator of the new construction has packs of 40 mm thick. The present series of calculation has been fulfilled at the value of transverse heat conduction of the pack = 1.0 W/m..

80 Temperature rise, K 70 60 50 40 16 18 20 Air volume, m 3 /s 22 24 1

Fig. 5. Dependence of stator tooth temperature rise on air volume Relationship between the temperature rise of the tooth and the pack thickness and heat conduction is shown in Fig. 6. The weakened temperature sensitivity to the transverse heat conduction of the pack is explained by the next: the worse the heat removal into radial channels, the better the heat flow into the slit caused by increasing temperature drop on its surface. Thus, decrease of the heat conduction twice is accompanied by increase of the tooth temperature merely by 5.

As to temperature reaction to the pack thickness, the last value involves also the common cooling surface of radial channels. As seen in Fig. 6, enlargement of the pack thickness twice, say from 40 to 80 mm, results in the temperature increase already by 16. This is the first argument in favour of minimization of the pack thickness in the present construction, the second argument is an increase of the middle heattransfer factor in axial channels due to the reduction of their length (see Fig. 3).
70

Temperature rise, K 60

= 1,0 W/m*

50

= 2,0 W/m*
40

30 0,02

0,04

0,06

0,08

0,10

Stator pack thickness, m

Fig. 6. Dependence of the temperature rise on the pack thickness and heat conduction

p1

p3

a)

p2

b)

p*

p*

Inner temperature drop in the pack

3 1 1 m 3 m U

Fig. 7. Comparison of temperature drops in the latest (a) and the based (b) designs The positive effect achieved due to the application of the new cooling system is explained in Fig. 7 where the qualitative comparison of temperature differences in the stator air cooling constructions with Ushaped channels and with air by-pass through the axial channels in teeth is presented. The quantitative

evaluation of this effect as applied to 265 MVA turbogenerator gives the temperature range from 15 to 20.
120
2

100 Temperature rise, K 80 60 40 20 0 0 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08

2,5 3

Water, = 23 W/m*

1 2

Air, = 12 W/m*

0,1

0,12

Steel pack thick ness, m

Fig. 8 Temperature rise of the stator teeth at the different pack thickness and the different heat conduction for the latest air cooling system and indirect water cooling system It is useful to compare the opportunities of the new air cooling system and the water cooling system of the stator core by means of coolers placed between the packs of the active steel [5]. The corresponding qualitative comparison is made in Fig. 8 as applied to the turbogenerator of the capacity 265 MVA in the form of relationship between the average temperature rise of the stator teeth and the pack thickness at different coefficient values of the pack transverse heat conduction. If the pack thickness in the water cooling construction cannot be accepted less than 60 mm (for example, according to production conditions of water coolers) the new air cooling system being discussed with the pack thickness from 35 to 45 mm is equivalent to the water one.

CONCLUSIONS The conducted investigation of the new modification of the turbogenerator air cooling system shows the substantial thermal reserve which can be realized due to the application in the basic construction with Ushaped channels of air flow by-pass through axial slit-shaped channels in the stator teeth. The new cooling system provides the practical conservation of the previous common air flow rate through the stator and possesses the following advantages as compared with the existing system with respect to the heat transfer conditions. 1) Enlargement of the common cooling surface in the tooth zone. 2) Radical reduction of the path of the heat flow substantial part from the winding to the axial cooling channels. 3) Practical absence of the tangential heat flow in the yoke decreasing the efficiency of the basic construction. 4) Increase of heat-transfer coefficients in the radial channels by 1.51.6 times owing to artificial turbulization and the boundary layer breakdown due to branching of the flow into axial channels. 5) Sufficiently high heat-transfer coefficients in relatively short axial channels. Besides there is a following negative feedback of the tooth zone temperature in the construction: with decrease of the cooling intensity from the side of radial channels (for instance, local decrease of air flow rate, reduction of the heat-transfer coefficient on the surface of the pack, reduction of the heat conduction, etc.) the increase of heat flow into the axial channel occurs that counteracts a substantial tooth temperature increase.

In this construction it is useful to strive for the minimization of the pack thickness: in addition to the evident advantages of enlargement of the radial channel surface and their flow sections we achieve a substantial increase of the heat-transfer coefficients in axial slit-shaped channels. Thanks to the mentioned advantages of the turbogenerator with a capacity of the order 250 300 MVA in the same overall dimensions, it may be achieved the reduction of the temperature in the stator slot portion by 1520 as compared with the initial construction. The new air cooling system may compete with the indirect water cooling system of the stator core and with a great probability it can be used for turbogenerators with a capacity up to 400 MVA provided that groundwall insulation of the stator winding is used with a higher heat conduction. BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

C.-E. Stephan, J. Baer, R. Joho, R. Schuler, Advanced Technologies for Larger Aircooled Turbo-generators with Highest Unit Ratings (CIGRE-Session 1996, paper 11-101) R. Joho, C. Picech, K. Mayor, Large Air-cooled Turbogenerators Extending the Boundaries (CIGRE-Session 2006, paper A1-106) Russian patent Application Disclosure No. 2095919. William H. McAdams, Heat Transmission (3d ed). New York, McGraw-Hill, 1954. J.F. Filippov, Fundamental of Heat Transfer in Electrical Machines. Energy (Rus), 1974.