Developments in Gas Conductor-Cooled Generators

Rapid advances in the capabilities of turbine-generators in recent years have resulted in substantial economies in the production of electric power. Developments in generator cooling deserve a large measure of the credit. The circulation of hydrogen at high velocity within the major insulation walls of the conductors is employed for cooling some of the largest generators now under construction. Problems encountered in applying this new cooling principle to large machines required extensive study and experimental investigation. Loss reduction measures to sustain high efficiency, new more effective design features to improve reliability, and the use of better materials and improved manufacturing techniques are among the developments that have made today's large gas conductor-cooled generators possible.