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Cooling of A Synchronous Generator

Cooling of synchronous generators is important to dissipate the large amounts of heat produced. Forced air cooling and closed circuit ventilation systems are commonly used to effectively cool generators. In forced air cooling, fans blow air through ducts in the stator and rotor to increase the surface area in contact with cooling air. Radial, axial, and circumferential ventilation systems vary in how cooling air flows through these internal ducts, each with advantages and limitations depending on the generator size and design. Larger generators may use direct water cooling which is more efficient than hydrogen cooling but also more expensive.

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Bonaventure Nzeyimana
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181 views3 pages

Cooling of A Synchronous Generator

Cooling of synchronous generators is important to dissipate the large amounts of heat produced. Forced air cooling and closed circuit ventilation systems are commonly used to effectively cool generators. In forced air cooling, fans blow air through ducts in the stator and rotor to increase the surface area in contact with cooling air. Radial, axial, and circumferential ventilation systems vary in how cooling air flows through these internal ducts, each with advantages and limitations depending on the generator size and design. Larger generators may use direct water cooling which is more efficient than hydrogen cooling but also more expensive.

Uploaded by

Bonaventure Nzeyimana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cooling of a Synchronous Generator

Cooling of a Synchronous Generator is very essential. Natural cooling


is not adequate to dissipate the great amount of heat produced in the
alternators. In the forced air cooling system, air is forced into the
alternator so that a greater quantity of air is passed over the surface and
a large amount of heat is removed. The closed circuit ventilation system
is used for better cooling of the synchronous generator. In the closed
system clean, hot air from the alternator is cooled by a water-cooled heat
exchanger and forced through the alternator by fans.

Ducts are provided in the stator and the rotor cores and also in the field
coils of the generators or machine for increasing the surface area which
is in contact with the cooling air. Depending upon the direction of the air
flow these ducts can be radial or axial.

Radial Flow Ventilation System


In the radial flow ventilation system, the cooling air enters the ducts
through stator by way of the air gap and passes radially to the back of
the stator from where it is removed.

Advantages of Radial Ventilation

 The energy loss for ventilation is minimum.


 The system is applicable both to the small and large machine.
Limitations of Radial Ventilation

 It makes the machine less compact since ventilating ducts occupy


about 20 percent of the armature length.
 The heat dissipation is less as compared to the other system. In
certain cases, the system becomes unstable because of the quantity
of cooling air flowing through the machine.
Axial Flow Ventilation System
In the method, the air is forced in the Axial direction through passages
formed by the holes in the stator and rotor.

It is highly effective, except for machines with considerable axial length.


The disadvantage of axial ventilation is non-uniform heat transfer. The
air outlet part of the machine is cooled less because the air in passing
through the axial ducts has time to become heated.
Circumferential Ventilation
In this method air is supplied at one or more points on the outer
periphery of the stator core and forced circumferentially through the
ducts between the laminations to suitable outlets. In this method, the
duct area can be increased.

In some cases, this method is combined with the radial flow system, but
the resultant interference in the two streams of air has to be avoided. For
this, the alternating radial ducts are closed on the outer surface.

Requirements of Cooling Air

The air should be clean and free from dust. These will clog the ducts to
reduce area which results in reducing heat transfer by conduction. Air
filters and cheese cloth filters are used. Sometimes air has to be washed
in a spray chamber. In most cases, the air is cooled by water coolers
and used again.

Limitations of Air Cooling

For large capacity machines, the sizes of the fans required for circulation
of air increases and required considerable power. Thus, auxiliary
equipment are required, which are expensive.

There is an optimum rating of the machine beyond which air cooling will
not be able to keep the temperature within safe limits.

Hydrogen Cooling of Synchronous Generator


In a hydrogen-cooled system, hydrogen gas is used as a medium for
cooling. A detailed explanation is given in the article Hydrogen Cooling
of Synchronous Generator.

Direct Water Cooling in Synchronous Generator


As hydrogen cooling is not sufficient to extract heat generated in large
turbo alternators of sizes 500 MW or more. For such large machines, the
volume of hydrogen gas required may be so large that its use may
become uneconomical.

In such cases, the direct water cooling is used. In very large turbo-
generators, rotors are direct hydrogen cooled and stator windings are
direct demineralized water cooled. Water is circulated by an AC motor
centrifugal pump. Cartridge filters are used to filter water. These filters
are designed to prevent metallic corrosive particles generated in winding
and piping from entering into winding hollow conductors.

Advantages of Water Cooling Over Hydrogen Cooling

 Water cooled system is faster and more efficient because the


thermal conductivity of water is higher than that of hydrogen.
 The duct area of water is smaller to allow more space for conductors
in the slot.
Disadvantages of Water Cooling

 The water, which is used for cooling should be highly purified so that
the conductivity of water does not increase.
 Water cooling is more expensive than hydrogen cooling.

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