Feasibility of Rotor Installed Machine Corona Mapping with Patch Antennas

Project ID: 1711
Principal Investigator: Jacob Lapenna
Research Topic: Improved Power Generation
Funded Fiscal Years: 2017
Keywords: None

Research Question

Is it possible to map corona discharge throughout the stator of a rotating machine using patch antennas, without removing the rotor or exposing personnel to increased high-voltage safety risks?

Need and Benefit

If this research is not funded, we will continue to schedule corona probe testing around facilities' rotor removal schedules. This will still give important insight into the machine's health, but often too late in the machine's life to cost effectively implement corrective action. This testing frequency may be once in a machine's life span; and does more for hindsight than it does for forecasting. If this research is funded, and we find rotor installed corona mapping is feasible, the potential benefits to all Reclamation power generation and pumping facilities are numerous. We will be able to determine high-voltage rotating machine health with much higher accuracy, and implement possible corrective and preventative actions much sooner than is currently possible. By generating a more complete and accurate picture of fleet health, maintenance intervals and outages can be more reliably predicted and budgeted. Many months of personnel hours can be saved over a given machine's life by more accurately diagnosing machine conditions. We could also track corona discharge throughout a machine's life, better understanding changes and life expectancy. Safety could also improve by no longer requiring personnel to be in close proximity to high-voltage potentials to perform this crucial test.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Please contact research@usbr.gov about research products related to this project.

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Last Updated: 6/22/20