2018 21st International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS) October 7-10, 2018┃Jeju, Korea

Analysis of Electromagnetic Characteristics of

Synchronous Condenser Under Stator Inter-turn
Short Circuit Fault
Zhangao Ren Cong Wang* Liwen Ye
State Grid Hunan Electric Power State Key Laboratory of Advanced State Key Laboratory of Advanced
Company Limited Research Institute Electromagnetic Engineering and Electromagnetic Engineering and
State Grid Hunan Electric Power Technology Technology
Company Limited School of Electrical and Electronic School of Electrical and Electronic
Changsha, China Engineering, Huazhong University of Engineering, Huazhong University of
344493567@qq.com Science and Technology Science and Technology
Wuhan, China Wuhan, China
congwang@hust.edu.cn
Jing Hu Yun Liu Weihua Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Advanced State Grid Hunan Electric Power State Grid Hunan Electric Power
Electromagnetic Engineering and Company Limited Research Institute Company Limited Research Institute
Technology State Grid Hunan Electric Power State Grid Hunan Electric Power
School of Electrical and Electronic Company Limited Company Limited
Engineering, Huazhong University of Changsha, China Changsha, China
Science and Technology
Wuhan, China

Abstract—The magnetic field, vibration characteristics of
stator and rotor, and circulating characteristics of stator
parallel branch, of a 300 MVA large capacity synchronous
condenser were researched in cases of the stator inter-turn
short circuit fault. A stator inter-turn short circuit fault model
was established using the finite element method. Secondly,
using the Maxwell stress method and the simulated magnetic
field data, the dynamic electromagnetic force of the rotor core
before and after the turn-to-turn short circuit is calculated.
The Fast Fourier Transform was used to extract the harmonics
of the magnetic flux density. It provides a theoretical basis for
the study of stator inter-turn short circuit fault on air-gap flux
density, vibration characteristics of stator and rotor, and
circulating characteristics of stator parallel branch, and
provides diagnostic criteria for synchronous condenser fault
monitoring.
Keywords—synchronous condenser, inter-turn short circuit,
finite element method, vibration characteristics
I. INTRODUCTION
New generation large capacity synchronous condenser
has become the best choice for reactive power compensation
of UHVDC power grid because of its advantages of fast
response, good running stability and long service life [1].
The large capacity grid-connected synchronous condenser is
a reactive power compensation device that is a synchronous
rotating motor that operates in the state of the motor and
supplies or absorbs reactive power to the power system
without mechanical load, and does not have a steam turbine
in the thermal power unit. Motivation is mainly used to
absorb or send out reactive power, improve grid power
factor, and thus maintain grid voltage level [2].
The large-sized rotating synchronous condenser is large
in size, complicated in structure, numerous in components,
and has a large inrush current due to the commutation failure
Scientific Research Project of State Grid Hunan Electric Power
Company Limited (5216A516002Z).
phenomenon of the UHVDC transmission system. Therefore,
the probability of the failure of the synchronous condenser is
high. Although there is a relay protection device inside the
synchronous condenser, it does not mean that it can prevent
accidents [3]. It can only take action after the accident. In
order to ensure the reliable operation of the synchronous
condenser and the UHVDC transmission system, it is
necessary to analyze the failure mechanism of the
synchronous condenser.
The stator inter-turn short circuit fault of the synchronous
condenser stator is the same as the external phase-to-phase
short-circuit fault, and the stator phase current after the fault
theoretically also generates additional negative-sequence
current components [4]. Therefore, the synchronous
condenser stator turns short-circuit will generate amplitude.
Extremely large fault currents, such large fault currents not
only threaten the safe operation of the grid, but also subject
the core to extremely damaging electromagnetic forces.
Under the impact of electromagnetic force, the vibration of
the motor is intensified, and even a series of serious faults
such as further damage of the winding insulation and
cracking of the core are caused [5], resulting in huge
economic losses. Therefore, it accurately analyzes the
dynamic electromagnetic force of the synchronous condenser
and the concentrated position of the local electromagnetic
force under the inter-turn short-circuit fault, and optimizes
the design of the motor core and the importance of the
accurate and reliable synchronous condenser main protection
scheme to reduce the internal short circuit. The destructive
power of the synchronous condenser has practical value.
This paper analyzes electromagnetic characteristics of
synchronous condenser under stator inter-turn short circuit
fault. A stator inter-turn short circuit fault model was
established using the finite element method. Secondly, using
the Maxwell stress method and the simulated magnetic field
data, the dynamic electromagnetic force of the rotor core
before and after the turn-to-turn short circuit is calculated.
The Fast Fourier Transform was used to extract the

Copyright ⓒ KIEE Electrical Machinery and Energy Conversion Systems 2638

harmonics of the magnetic flux density. It provides a From equations (3), the electromotive force induced by
theoretical basis for the study of stator inter-turn short circuit the field winding in the three-phase winding of the
fault on air-gap flux density, vibration characteristics of synchronous condenser stator is as shown in (4). Where
stator and rotor, and circulating characteristics of stator K = 2qwc k w1τ lf . The first term of the induced
parallel branch, and provides diagnostic criteria for electromotive force is the fundamental frequency component
synchronous condenser fault monitoring. generated by the synchronous condenser excitation system,
which generates the armature reaction magnetomotive force
II. ANALYSIS OF INTER-TURN SHORT CIRCUIT FAULT rotating counterclockwise at the synchronous speed; the
second term is the fundamental frequency component
A. Annlysis of air gap magnetic density generated by the additional current Id, which is generated to
When the stator winding of synchronous condenser is be synchronized. The armature reaction magnetomotive
short-circuited, an additional current Id is generated in the force of the counterclockwise rotation of the rotation speed;
short-circuit branch. The magnetic field generated by the the third term is the 3 times frequency component generated
additional current in the short-circuit ring is the pulse- by the additional current Id, which generates an armature
vibrating magnetic field. The center of the pulse is the axis of reaction magnetomotive force which rotates clockwise at a
the short-circuit winding, and the pulse frequency is The speed of 3 times the synchronous rotation speed.
fundamental frequency is 50Hz. Fig. 1 is a schematic
diagram of the inter-turn short circuit of the stator winding.
In the figure, rd is the short-circuit transition resistance. If the ­ea ( t ) = 2qwc kw1τ lfBm ( t ) cos ωt = KN Λ 0 I f 0 cos ω t
higher harmonics are not considered, the pulse vibrating °
potential generated by Id is as shown in (1). ° +0.5KN Λ 0 I f 2 cos ω t + 0.5KN Λ 0 I f 2 cos 3ωt
°
Id
(
°eb ( t ) = 2qwc k w1τ lfBm ( t ) cos ωt − 3
2ʌ )
°
( )
° = KN Λ 0 I f 0 cos ω t − 2ʌ + 0.5KN Λ 0 I f2 cos ωt + 2ʌ
° 3 ( )
3
rd
® +0.5KN Λ I cos 3ωt − 2ʌ
° 0 f2 ( 3) (4)
A X °
(
°ec ( t ) = 2qwc kw1τ lfBm ( t ) cos ωt + 3
2ʌ )
°
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of inter-turn short circuit of stator winding
( )
° = KN Λ 0 I f 0 cos ω t + 2ʌ + 0.5KN Λ 0 I f 2 cos ω t − 2ʌ
° 3 ( )
3
f d (α m , t ) = Fd cos ω t cos (α m − α m′ )
(1) ¯
° +0.5 KN Λ I cos 3ωt + 2ʌ
0 f2 ( )
3
= Fd + cos ¬ªω t − (α m − α m′ ) ¼º + Fd − cos ¬ªω t + (α m − α m′ ) º¼
According to the analysis above, when the stator winding
of synchronous condenser is short-circuited between turns,
Where α m is the mechanical angle at which the stator
the air-gap synthetic magnetomotive force is as shown in (5).
winding is shorted to the axis, Fd is the magnetomotive force
of the shorting ring, and Fd+ and Fd- are its positive and
negative sequence components. The positive sequence
(
f (α m , t ) = ( I f 0 + I f2 cos 2ωt ) N cos ωt − α m + ψ + ʌ + )2 (5)
component Fd+ will rotate counterclockwise at the FS1+ cos ( t ω − α m) + FS1− cos ( t
ω − α m) + FS3+ cos ( 3 t − α m )
ω
synchronous speed, and no additional harmonic
electromotive force will be generated in the field winding; Where, the first term containing FS1+ characterizes the
the negative sequence component Fd- will rotate armature reaction magnetomotive force rotating
counterclockwise by 2 times relative to the synchronous counterclockwise at synchronous speed, and the second term
speed, and an additional electromotive force of frequency containing FS2+ is characterized by armature reaction
2ω is generated in the field winding. Therefore, when a magnetomotive force rotating clockwise at twice the speed of
short-circuit between the stator winding of synchronous synchronous speed The third term containing FS3+
condenser occurs, the current in the field winding is as characterizes the armature reaction magnetomotive force that
shown in (2). rotates counterclockwise at a speed three times the
synchronous speed.
I f = I f 0 + I f 2 cos 2ωt (2)
It can be obtained from the equation (5) that the air gap
Where, If0 is the current supplied by the excitation system magnetic density of the stator winding of the synchronous
of the synchronous condenser during normal operation, and condenser is as shown in (6).
I f 2 cos 2ωt is the 2 octave current corresponding to the 2
B (α m , t ) = f (α m , t ) Λ 0 =
octave electromotive force generated on the rotor side when
the stator winding is short-circuited between turns [6]. The
main magnetic density amplitude of the air gap generated by
(
( I f 0 + I f 2 cos 2ωt ) N Λ 0 cos ωt − α m +ψ + ʌ 2 ) (6)
the rotor excitation winding under fault is as shown in (3). + FS1+ Λ 0 cos (ω t − α m ) + FS1- Λ 0 cos (ωt − α m )
Bm ( t ) = ( I f0 + I f2 cos 2ωt ) N Λ 0 (3) + FS3+ Λ 0 cos ( 3ωt − α m )

Where N is the total number of turns per pole of the B. Vibration characteristics of stator and rotor
synchronous condenser rotor.
According to the magnetic density calculation method of
the magnetic pull force, the magnetic pull force per unit area

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of the stator when the stator winding of the synchronous fundamental frequency and the octave frequency component,
condenser is short-circuited between turns is as shown in (7). and the combination equation (10), so that the circulating
current between the parallel branches contains the
B 2 (α m , t ) fundamental wave component and the third harmonic
q (α m , t ) = (7)
2μ0 component.

According to (7), when the synchronous condenser
operates in the inter-turn short-circuit state of the stator
winding, the stator core will have radial vibrations of 2, 4
and 6 times, the amplitude of the radial vibration and the
inter-turn short circuit. The degree is positively correlated.
The equation (7) is integrated circumferentially, and the
magnetic pulling force that the rotor receives when the stator
winding of the synchronous condenser is short-circuited is as
shown in (8).
­ F =LR 2ʌ q (α , t ) cos α dα = 0
° X ³0 m m m
(8)
® 2ʌ
° FY =LR ³ q (α m , t ) sin α m dα m = 0
¯ 0
It can be known from equation (8) that when the
synchronous condenser operates in the inter-turn short-circuit
state of the stator winding, the rotor has no additional
vibration, and its vibration is not affected by the inter-turn
short circuit between the stators.
C. Circulating characteristics of stator parallel branch
According to the above equation, the electromotive force
of the two parallel branches when the synchronous condenser
stator winding is short-circuited is as shown in (9).
When both branches have a symmetrical inter-turn short
circuit, wca1 = wca2 , La1 =La2 , Ra1 =Ra2 , the mutual inductance
of the two branches is equal. At this time, the potential
difference between the branches is 0, and there is no
circulation between the parallel branches.
In actual operation, when the stator windings are short-
circuited between turns, most of them have only one branch
with a turn-to-turn short circuit, that is, there are fundamental
waves and 3rd harmonic circulation between the parallel
branches.
III. MODELING AND SIMULATION ANALYSIS
A. Finite element model
In this paper, a 300 MVA synchronous condenser is
given to investigate the influence of stator inter-turn short
circuit fault. A field-circuit coupling calculation model is
built to calculate and analyze electromagnetic field. The
main mechanical and electrical parameters of this motor are
shown in Table 1. The synchronous condenser studied is a
two-pole, and because of its structural space symmetry, there
is no need to establish a global model when simulating and
analyzing the generator.
TABLE I. PARAMETERS OF SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSER

­ ª( I f 0 + I f 2 cos 2ωt ) N Parameters Value Parameters Value

° E (α , t ) = 2qw k τ lf Λ « Operating capacity
°
°
a1 m ca1 w1 0

¬ (
«cos ωt − α m + ψ + ʌ + ) 2
Rated capacity (MVA)

Rated power (MW)

300

0
(MVA)
Operating power (MW)
42.5

1.7
° F cos (ωt − α ) + F cos (ωt − α ) + F cos ( 3ωt − α ) º
° S1+ m S1- m S3+ m ¼
Rated voltage (kV) 20 Operatingvoltage (kV) 20
® (9)
° ª( I f 0 + I f 2 cos 2ωt ) N Stator outside diameter Stator inner diameter
2500
° Ea2 (α m , t ) = 2qwca2 k w1τ lf Λ 0 « 1240
( )
(mm) (mm)
° «cos ωt − α m + ψ + ʌ + Rotor outside diameter
° ¬ 2 1100 Rotor ring diameter (mm) 1184
(mm)
° FS1+ cos (ωt − α m ) + FS1- cos (ωt − α m ) + FS3+ cos ( 3ωt − α m ) º¼
¯ Stator slots (pieces) 48 Rotor slots (pieces) 32
When the stator windings are short-circuited, the
effective turns wca1 and wca2 of the upper and lower branches According to the basic size of the synchronous
shown in Fig. 1 are no longer equal, and the difference condenser, the finite element model of the synchronous
between the electromotive forces of the parallel branches is condenser is established. The transient field is used to solve
as shown in (10). the problem. The outer circle of the stator is used as the outer
boundary of the solution area. Regardless of the end effect of
the synchronous condenser, the magnetic field at any time is
ª º treated as a two-dimensional constant magnetic field. In
ΔU (α m , t ) = « − Ea1 (α m , t ) + jω La1 I a1 + Ra1 I a1 + jω ¦ M a1i I i » order to calculate accurately, the mesh size of each area is
¬ i ¼ appropriately selected, Because the flux change in the
ª º synchronous condenser mainly concentrates on the air gap,
− « Ea 2 (α m , t ) + jω La 2 I a2 + Ra2 I a2 + jω ¦ M a 2i I i » for the accuracy of calculation, the air gap part needs to be
¬ i ¼
(10) custom-divided to increase the accuracy of the air gap at the
air gap. For other parts, since the flux change is small, Use
For equation (10), when there is only one branch with free splitting. The air gap is divided into two layers, the outer
short-circuit between turns, or if both branches have short- layer is the stator air gap, the inner layer is the rotor air gap,
circuit between turns (but short-circuited and asymmetrical), the rotor air gap rotates synchronously with the rotor, and the
wca1 ≠ wca2 , La1 ≠ La2 , Ra1 ≠ Ra2 , the mutual inductance of the stator air gap is fixed.. The solution domain mesh is shown in
two branches is not equal. There is a circulation between the Fig.2.
parallel branches. Further, from the equation (4), it is known
that the induced electromotive force contains the

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Fig. 2. Subdivided cross section of synchronous condenser with FEM
The field-circuit coupling method solves the
electromagnetic field finite element equation and the winding
circuit equation by coupling, which is a more accurate and
commonly used calculation method for analyzing the
winding short-circuit fault of the synchronous condenser. A
schematic diagram of the field-circuit coupling model of the
entire system is shown in Fig. 3. The external circuit model
of stator winding is shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 3. Field circuit coupling model of synchronous condenser
Fig. 4. The external circuit model of synchronous condenser
B. Simulation result analysis
Fig. 5 is the excitation current under the sudden inter-turn
short-circuit fault of the synchronous condenser at the 0.4s.
Fig. 5. The excited current under short-circuit fault
Observing Fig. 5, it can be seen that in the no-fault state,
the excitation current is constant DC, and after the stator
inter-turn short-circuit fault occurs, the excitation current
fluctuates greatly, and the component at the frequency of 100
Hz appears in the spectrum. The results shown in the
equation (2) are identical. In the theoretical analysis process,
in order to simplify the formula derivation, the higher
harmonics are omitted, and when the finite element
calculation of the motor is performed, all the existing
harmonics are taken into account, so the excitation current is
not as in the equation(2). The standard sinusoid of the
representation, in the spectrum of the current, except for the
component at the 100 Hz frequency, there are components at
other frequencies.
The finite element is used to calculate the magnetic field
line distribution of the motor under normal operation and
stator short circuit fault as shown in Fig. 6. When there is a
short circuit fault between the stator windings, the magnetic
field lines at the fault are spiral, and the magnetic field is
severely distorted, so that the magnetic field in the entire
synchronous capacitor no longer satisfies the symmetry
condition.
(a) (b)
Fig. 6. The magnetic field lines in two cases: (a) operating normally; and
(b) operating on stator inter-turn short circuit fault
The air gap flux density becomes stronger when the
synchronous generator is operating on stator inter-turn short
circuit fault, as it is shown in Fig. 7.
Fig. 7. The magnetic flux density in two cases: (a) operating normally;
and (b) operating on stator inter-turn short circuit fault
IV. CONCLUSION
When the synchronous condenser operates in the inter-
turn short-circuit state of the stator winding, the magnetic
2641
field lines at the fault are spiral, and the magnetic field is
severely distorted, so that the magnetic field in the entire
synchronous capacitor no longer satisfies the symmetry
condition. The stator core will have radial vibrations of 2, 4
and 6 times, the amplitude of the radial vibration and the
inter-turn short circuit. The degree is positively correlated.
The rotor has no additional vibration, and its vibration is not
affected by the inter-turn short circuit between the stators.
The circulating current between the parallel branches
contains the fundamental wave component and the third
harmonic component.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by the Scientific Research
Project of State Grid Hunan Electric Power Company
Limited (5216A516002Z). Cong Wang is the corresponding
author.
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