Field-winding fault detection in synchronous machines with static excitation through frequency response analysis.

Frequency Response Analysis is a well-known technique for the diagnosis of power transformers. Currently, this technique is under research for its application in rotary electrical machines. This paper presents significant results on the application of Frequency Response Analysis to fault detection in field winding of synchronous machines with static excitation. First, the influence of the rotor position on the frequency response is evaluated. Secondly, some relevant test results are shown regarding ground fault and inter-turn fault detection in field windings at standstill condition. The influence of the fault resistance value is also taken into account. This paper also studies the applicability of Frequency Response Analysis in fault detection in field windings while rotating. This represents an important feature because some defects only appear with the machine rated speed. Several laboratory test results show the applicability of this fault detection technique in field windings at full speed with no excitation current.

Variable impedance bearings for large rotating machinery

This thesis describes an investigation which was carried out under the Interdisciplinary Higher Degres (IHD) Scheme of The University of Aston in Birmingham. The investigation, which involved joint collaboration between the IHD scheme, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and G.E.C. Turbine Generators Limited, was concerned with hydrostatic bearing characteristics and of how hydrostatic bearings could be used to enable turbine generator rotor support impedances to be controlled to give an improved rotor dynamic response. Turbine generator rotor critical speeds are determined not only by the mass and flexibility of the rotor itself, which are relatively easily predicted, but also by the dynamic characteristics of the bearing oil film, pedestal, and foundations. It is because of the difficulty in accurately predicting the rotor support characteristics that the designer has a problem in ensuring that a rotor's normal running speed is not close to one of its critical speeds. The consequence of this situation is that some rotors do have critical speeds close to their normal running speed and the resulting high levels of vibration cause noise, high rotor stresses, and a shortening of bearing life. A combined theoretical and experimental investigation of the effects of mounting the normal rotor journal bearing in a hydrostatic bearing was carried out. The purpose of the work was to show that by changing the oil flow resistance offered by capillaries connecting accumulators to the hydrostatic bearing, the overall rotor support characteristics could be tuned to enable rotor critical speeds to be moved at will. Testing of a combined journal and hydrostatic bearing has confirmed the theory of its operation and a theoretical study of a full size machine showed that its critical speed could be moved by over 350 rpm and that its rotor vibration at running speed could be reduced by 80%.

Design methodology for the servo control of high speed multi-axis machinery (BL): decoupling and synchronisation of a generic machine by blockwise decentralised MIMO control

Traditional machinery for manufacturing processes are characterised by actuators powered and co-ordinated by mechanical linkages driven from a central drive. Increasingly, these linkages are replaced by independent electrical drives, each performs a different task and follows a different motion profile, co-ordinated by computers. A design methodology for the servo control of high speed multi-axis machinery is proposed, based on the concept of a highly adaptable generic machine model. In addition to the dynamics of the drives and the loads, the model includes the inherent interactions between the motion axes and thus provides a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) description. In general, inherent interactions such as structural couplings between groups of motion axes are undesirable and needed to be compensated. On the other hand, imposed interactions such as the synchronisation of different groups of axes are often required. It is recognised that a suitable MIMO controller can simultaneously achieve these objectives and reconciles their potential conflicts. Both analytical and numerical methods for the design of MIMO controllers are investigated. At present, it is not possible to implement high order MIMO controllers for practical reasons. Based on simulations of the generic machine model under full MIMO control, however, it is possible to determine a suitable topology for a blockwise decentralised control scheme. The Block Relative Gain array (BRG) is used to compare the relative strength of closed loop interactions between sub-systems. A number of approaches to the design of the smaller decentralised MIMO controllers for these sub-systems has been investigated. For the purpose of illustration, a benchmark problem based on a 3 axes test rig has been carried through the design cycle to demonstrate the working of the design methodology.

Adaptive electrical signal post-processing in optical communications systems

Improving bit error rates in optical communication systems is a difficult and important problem. The error correction must take place at high speed and be extremely accurate. We show the feasibility of using hardware implementable machine learning techniques. This may enable some error correction at the speed required.

The single-phase induction motor:a critical appraisal of the rotating-field and cross-field theories with particular reference to skin effect

The purpose of this thesis is twofold: to examine the validity of the rotating-field and cross-field theories of the single-phase induction motor when applied to a cage rotor machine; and to examine the extent to which skin effect is likely to modify the characteristics of a cage rotor machine. A mathematical analysis is presented for a single-phase induction motor in which the rotor parameters are modified by skin effect. Although this is based on the usual type of ideal machine, a new form of model rotor allows approximations for skin effect phenomena to be included as an integral part of the analysis. Performance equations appropriate to the rotating-field and cross-field theories are deduced, and the corresponding explanations for the steady-state mode of operation are critically examined. The evaluation of the winding currents and developed torque is simplified by the introduction of new dimensionless factors which are functions of the resistance/reactance ratios of the rotor and the speed. Tables of the factors are included for selected numerical values of the parameter ratios, and these are used to deduce typical operating characteristics for both cage and wound rotor machines. It is shown that a qualitative explanation of the mode of operation of a cage rotor machine is obtained from either theory; but the operating characteristics must be deduced from the performance equations of the rotating-field theory, because of the restrictions on the values of the rotor parameters imposed by skin effect.

An investigation into vibration criteria for rotating machinery

Concern had been expressed by engineers of the Shell Chemical Company regarding the validity of existing vibration criteria for rotating machinery. A survey showed that existing criteria were based solely on the amplitude of vibration, normally of the bearing housings, with no allowance being made for the dynamic properties of the support1ng structure. The feasibility of measuring the mechanical impedance of bearing supports in order to assess the severity of vibration generated by a machine has been investigated. It is suggested that in many cases the oscillatory bearing force levels obtained for these measurements will provide a quantitative indication of severity. Theoretical and experimental work has been conducted on a model rig, comprising a flexible shaft running in journal bearings housed in flexible, asymmetric supports. The accuracy with which the system behaviour could be predicted using measured support impedances is discussed together with the extraction of uncoupled support impedances from measurements on the complete rotating system. Access was available to several industrial centrifugal compressors. To enable the bearing support impedances of these machines to be measured on site considerable attention has been paid to the evolution of a technique involving the use of transient excitation. To develop this technique the model rig and a large rotary converter have been used as test structures. Methods have also been devised and developed for the analysis of the transient impedance data.

Adaptive electrical signal post-processing in optical communications systems

Improving bit error rates in optical communication systems is a difficult and important problem. The error correction must take place at high speed and be extremely accurate. We show the feasibility of using hardware implementable machine learning techniques. This may enable some error correction at the speed required.

Single-phase active rectifier selection for fault tolerant machine

A fault tolerant, 5-phase PM generator has been developed for use on the low pressure (LP) shaft of an aircraft gas turbine engine. The machine operates at variable speed and therefore has a variable voltage, variable frequency electrical output (VVVF). The generator is to be used to provide a 350V DC bus for distribution throughout the aircraft, and a study has been carried out that identifies the most suitable AC-DC converter topology for this machine in terms of losses, electrical component ratings, filtering requirements and circuit complexity.

High frequency electric machine models for the evaluation of operational impacts in integrated drives

A high frequency physical phase variable electric machine model was developed using FE analysis. The model was implemented in a machine drive environment with hardware-in-the-loop. The novelty of the proposed model is that it is derived based on the actual geometrical and other physical information of the motor, considering each individual turn in the winding. This is the first attempt to develop such a model to obtain high frequency machine parameters without resorting to expensive experimental procedures currently in use. The model was used in a dynamic simulation environment to predict inverter-motor interaction. This includes motor terminal overvoltage, current spikes, as well as switching effects. In addition, a complete drive model was developed for electromagnetic interference (EMI) analysis and evaluation. This consists of the lumped parameter models of different system components, such as cable, inverter, and motor. The lumped parameter models enable faster simulations. The results obtained were verified by experimental measurements and excellent agreements were obtained. A change in the winding arrangement and its influence on the motor high frequency behavior has also been investigated. This was shown to have a little effect on the parameter values and in the motor high frequency behavior for equal number of turns. An accurate prediction of overvoltage and EMI in the design stages of the drive system would reduce the time required for the design modifications as well as for the evaluation of EMC compliance issues. The model can be utilized in the design optimization and insulation selection for motors. Use of this procedure could prove economical, as it would help designers develop and test new motor designs for the evaluation of operational impacts in various motor drive applications.

Design optimization of modern machine drive systems for maximum fault tolerant and optimal operation

Modern electric machine drives, particularly three phase permanent magnet machine drive systems represent an indispensable part of high power density products. Such products include; hybrid electric vehicles, large propulsion systems, and automation products. Reliability and cost of these products are directly related to the reliability and cost of these systems. The compatibility of the electric machine and its drive system for optimal cost and operation has been a large challenge in industrial applications. The main objective of this dissertation is to find a design and control scheme for the best compromise between the reliability and optimality of the electric machine-drive system. The effort presented here is motivated by the need to find new techniques to connect the design and control of electric machines and drive systems. ^ A highly accurate and computationally efficient modeling process was developed to monitor the magnetic, thermal, and electrical aspects of the electric machine in its operational environments. The modeling process was also utilized in the design process in form finite element based optimization process. It was also used in hardware in the loop finite element based optimization process. The modeling process was later employed in the design of a very accurate and highly efficient physics-based customized observers that are required for the fault diagnosis as well the sensorless rotor position estimation. Two test setups with different ratings and topologies were numerically and experimentally tested to verify the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. ^ The modeling process was also employed in the real-time demagnetization control of the machine. Various real-time scenarios were successfully verified. It was shown that this process gives the potential to optimally redefine the assumptions in sizing the permanent magnets of the machine and DC bus voltage of the drive for the worst operating conditions. ^ The mathematical development and stability criteria of the physics-based modeling of the machine, design optimization, and the physics-based fault diagnosis and the physics-based sensorless technique are described in detail. ^ To investigate the performance of the developed design test-bed, software and hardware setups were constructed first. Several topologies of the permanent magnet machine were optimized inside the optimization test-bed. To investigate the performance of the developed sensorless control, a test-bed including a 0.25 (kW) surface mounted permanent magnet synchronous machine example was created. The verification of the proposed technique in a range from medium to very low speed, effectively show the intelligent design capability of the proposed system. Additionally, to investigate the performance of the developed fault diagnosis system, a test-bed including a 0.8 (kW) surface mounted permanent magnet synchronous machine example with trapezoidal back electromotive force was created. The results verify the use of the proposed technique under dynamic eccentricity, DC bus voltage variations, and harmonic loading condition make the system an ideal case for propulsion systems.^