Influence of Rotor Slot Wedge Materials on Rotor Losses of Turbogenerator During Loss of Excitation

A short period of steady-state asynchronous operation after loss of excitation can improve the reliability of turbogenerator. The rotor damping structure of the turbogenerator can provide asynchronous torque and, thus, play an important role in improving the asynchronous operating ability. The rotor slot wedges as a part of rotor damping structure often made of aluminum, beryllium bronze, or stainless steel. The different materials of the rotor slot wedges can affect not only the asynchronous operating ability of the turbogenerator but also the rotor losses. The selection of material for the rotor slot wedges is therefore a key factor that should be carefully considered in the design of turbogenerator. In this article, the effect of the rotor slot wedges made of different materials on the asynchronous operating ability, rotor loss densities, and loss distributions of the turbogenerator after loss of excitation is investigated by time-stepping finite element model. The variations of the asynchronous operating ability and the rotor losses are revealed along with the rotor slot wedge conductivity. The rotor regions where the losses are significantly affected by the rotor slot wedge material are obtained. The results provide theoretic basis for improvement of the asynchronous operating ability and reduction of the rotor loss of turbogenerator.