Application Note

Electromagnetic Imperfection Test on Stator Cores

using the CPC 100
Author
Fabian ttl

Fabian.Oettl@omicronenergy.com

Date
23.03.2016
Related OMICRON Product
CPC 100
Application Area
Rotating Machines
Version
v1.0
Document ID

Abstract
This application note shows how to perform the electromagnetic imperfection test on rotating machines stator
core using the CPC 100.

OMICRON

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Content
1

Using this document .............................................................................................................................3

1.1 Operator qualifications and safety standards .................................................................................3
1.2 Safety measures .............................................................................................................................3
1.3 Related documents .........................................................................................................................3

Rotating machines stator core testing ................................................................................................4

2.1 Measurement principle ...................................................................................................................4

Test setup and measurement ...............................................................................................................5

3.1 Buildup of the excitation loop ..........................................................................................................6
3.2 Test card settings ...........................................................................................................................7
3.3 Performing the measurement .........................................................................................................8

Assessment of the measurement ........................................................................................................9

Please use this note only in combination with the related product manual, which contains several important safety
instructions. The user is responsible for every application that makes use of an OMICRON product.
OMICRON electronics GmbH including all international branch offices is henceforth referred to as OMICRON.
OMICRON 2015. All rights reserved. This application note is a publication of OMICRON.
All rights including translation reserved. Reproduction of any kind, for example, photocopying, microfilming, optical character
recognition and/or storage in electronic data processing systems, requires the explicit consent of OMICRON. Reprinting,
wholly or in part, is not permitted.
The product information, specifications, and technical data embodied in this application note represent the technical status
at the time of writing and are subject to change without prior notice.
We have done our best to ensure that the information given in this application note is useful, accurate and entirely reliable.
However, OMICRON does not assume responsibility for any inaccuracies, which may be present.
OMICRON translates this application note from the source language English into a number of other languages. Any
translation of this document is done for local requirements, and in the event of a dispute between the English and a nonEnglish version, the English version of this note shall govern.

OMICRON 2016

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Using this document

This application note provides you with detailed information about how to measure and assess an
electromagnetic imperfection test on a laminated stator core of a rotating machine using the OMICRON CPC
100 in combination with an excitation winding and a Rogowski or Chattock coil.
Please refer to national and international safety regulations relevant to working with the CPC 100. The
regulation EN 50191 ("The Erection and Operation of Electrical Test Equipment") as well as all the applicable
regulations for accident prevention in the country and at the site of operation has to be fulfilled when performing
this test.

1.1

Operator qualifications and safety standards

Working on high-voltage (HV) devices is extremely dangerous. Measurements must be carried out only by
qualified, skilled and authorized personnel. Before starting to work, clearly establish the responsibilities.
Personnel receiving training, instructions, directions, or education on the measurement setup must be under
constant supervision of an experienced operator while working with the equipment. The measurement must
comply with the relevant national and international safety standards listed below:

EN 50191 (VDE 0104) "Erection and Operation of Electrical Equipment"

EN 50110-1 (VDE 0105 Part 100) "Operation of Electrical Installations"

IEEE 510 "Recommended Practices for Safety in High-Voltage and High-Power Testing"

LAPG 1710.6 NASA "Electrical Safety"

Moreover, additional relevant laws and internal safety standards have to be followed.

1.2

Safety measures

Before starting a measurement, read the safety rules in the CPC 100 Reference Manual and observe the
application specific safety instructions in this application note, when performing measurements to protect
yourself from HV hazards.

1.3

Related documents
Title

Description

CPC 100 Reference Manual

Contains information on how to use the CPC 100 test system and
relevant safety instructions.

OMICRON 2016

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Rotating machines stator core testing

Stator cores in rotating machines are build up in thin, stacked laminated segments, insulated from
each other by a thin layer of varnish to ensure low eddy currents. Weak spots in the insulation can
cause interlamination short-circuits, which result in higher eddy currents and local hot spots in the
core, which can lead to major damage of the electrical equipment due to partial core melting.
A traditional method of stator core testing is the Thermal Loop Test. The rotor is removed during the
test and the stator magnetically excited with nominal (or close to nominal) flux by a temporary winding.
Hot spots are detected by a variety of means including thermal cameras. This method requires high
effort in time and energy, as a high power source is required.
The method described below uses the CPC 100 as source and measurement device. The stator core
is excited to a minor percentage of the nominal flux. To perform the measurement, a pick up coil moves
along the slots and measures the stray flux. Any significant change in the stray flux indicates an
interlamination fault.

2.1

Measurement principle
Figure 1 shows the measurement principle, where the stator core joke is excited with some percentage
of the nominal flux by a temporary winding from the CPC 100 booster output.

Ik.Fault current caused by the interlamination short-circuit

k...Stray flux as a result of Ik
E...Excitation flux
Figure 1: Principle of stray flux measurement; source: (VE Merkblatt 2; 2. Auflage, 1990)

According to Amperes law, the integrated magnetic field around a closed loop relates to the current
passing through the loop. Due to the high permeability of the iron, the share is low compared to the
section in air. The pick-up coil (Rogowski or Chattok coil) in combination with the CPC 100 integrates
the stray flux caused by the fault current over the slot. The output voltage is proportional to the fault
current caused by the interlaminated short circuit.

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Test setup and measurement

The test setup principle is shown in Figure 2, where the excitation of the stator performs the current in
the excitation loop. V2 AC input offers the connection to the Rogowski coil, which is moved along the
slots (blue area) to detect possible interlamination faults. The procedure is repeated for every slot
around the stator.

Figure 2: Test setup

As the measurement is a comparative method, every measurement on a certain stator requires similar
excitation. To check the excitation, an optional reference loop (consisting of standard laboratory
cables) measures the excitation of the core. The measurement is performed with the V1 AC input of
the CPC 100 prior the electromagnetic imperfection test starts.
The CPC 100 Booster Output is not galvanically isolated from the supply. Once the
CPC 100 is turned on, the booster output will have a certain voltage and has to be
considered as energized.

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3.1

Buildup of the excitation loop

The excitation loop influences the height of the measurement signal. A higher excitation results in a
higher measurement signal and a more reliable detection of the potential fault.
The excitation of the stator core is proportional to the following parameters:
Output current
Windings in the excitation loop
Frequency of the output current
As every core of a rotating machine is different in design and build up, the CPC 100 specifications in
the manual have to be considered in order to avoid an overload of the device during test time.
Our recommendation is an excitation loop of 5 to 10 windings, which enables a good measurement.
Output current and frequency adjustment enable an optimization of the excitation.
Due to their different speeds, hydro generators and turbo generators or motors have different
diameters. Corresponding to the different dimensions, two different setups are used for the two types
of machines. Figure 3 shows fast-turning machines with the centered excitation loop (left) and
machines with lower speed (right) where the excitation is distributed evenly over the circumference.

Figure 3: Setup of the excitation loop. Left: Arrangement for turbo machines; Right: Arrangement for hydro machines

The wire for the turbo machines in Figure 3 is a multi-turn cable as described above in order to achieve
a higher current for the excitation. Regarding machines with a higher diameter, either single turn
cables or multi turn cables can be used.
Before Starting
Make sure that the CPC 100 is properly grounded and the machine is disconnected
from the line. Always touch the leads and terminals with a grounding rod first.

For your own safety:

Be sure to ALWAYS follow the following five safety rules:
1. Disconnect mains
2. Prevent reconnection
3. Test for absence of harmful voltages
4. Ground and short circuit
5. Cover or close off nearby live parts

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3.2

Test card settings

The CPC 100 offers either the Sequencer Test Card or the Quick Card to perform the test. For both
tools, the external booster CU1 10A is chosen, resulting in an output ratio of 1/3. This means that for
the output setting of e.g. 5 A, the booster output provides 15 A. To measure the true RMS value, select
I Out as the measurement parameter. The Rogowski coil is connected to V2 AC. For a better noise
suppression, the option V2 AC sel is selected. Figure 4 shows an example of the Sequencer Test
Card settings.

Figure 4: View of the Sequencer Test Card in the CPC Editor

The options Switch off on trigger and Repeat enable better usability. Measurement results can be
saved by trigger command (e.g. a button at the pick-up coil). This possibility is not available in the
Quick Card, where the results have to be saved manually at the device.

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3.3

Performing the measurement

Scan every slot by defining the number of measurement points per slot segment. A slot segment
defines the area between two cooling ducts. Pick up coils with proper size guarantee higher sensitivity,
a suggestion of scanning is presented in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Position of the pick-up coil between the different slot teeth

For the sake of clarity, every test card should represent a maximum of one slot. The results are
displayed and analyzed in Excel using the CPC Excel File Loader tool.

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Assessment of the measurement

The measurement is a comparative method to evaluate the integrity of the core interlamination
insulation. Absolute values regarding limits are not reliable due to the different dimensions of the stator
and the change in the test setup. The reference loop described in section 3 is a good way to monitor
the excitation and to reproduce the test conditions for a future test.
Fingerprint measurements at the installation of the machine are recommended. They guarantee a
save commissioning of the machine and enable a reference for future tests.

Figure 6: Evaluation example of a fault position with significant differences in amplitude (left), phase (middle) and the verification
with the test at nominal flux (right)

The values in Figure 6 are between 4 mV and 6 mV in amplitude with a maximum of 23 mV at the fault
position. The change in phase shift from the measurement signal to the excitation current at the weak
spot amounts 20. On the right, the fault is identified during the conventional test at nominal flux.

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OMICRON is an international company serving the electrical power industry

with innovative testing and diagnostic solutions. The application of
OMICRON products provides users with the highest level of confidence in
the condition assessment of primary and secondary equipment on their
systems. Services offered in the area of consulting, commissioning, testing,
diagnosis, and training make the product range complete.
Customers in more than 140 countries rely on the company's ability to
supply leading edge technology of excellent quality. Broad application
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America, Europe, South and East Asia, and the Middle East, together with
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