Evaluating turbine-generator shaft fatigue due to system faults and faulty synchronization using Monte Carlo simulation approach

The phenomenon of electrical disturbance induced shaft torsional stressing of large turbine-generators has received considerable attention during the 1980s-1990s. In most reported studies in this area, the main concern was to evaluate the effect of network and system components electrical disturbances on turbine-generator shaft torsional system. Fewer studies have, however, investigated the mechanical impact on turbine-generator shaft sections. The main objective of this paper is to extend the evaluation procedure to calculate the expected life expenditure ratio and the expected shaft lifetime of different turbine-generators shaft sections. In this approach, a Monte-Carlo simulation technique is used to evaluate the maximum turbine-generator shaft torsional torques considering the uncertainties associated with system faults and faulty synchronization.