Testing and Cleaning Synchronous Motors and Generators of 3500 to 25000 kW/kVA

Plant production and maintenance staff are usually tasked with establishing maintenance systems, practices and schedules that should result in the long-term reliability and dependability of the plant. Frequently, direct support from the Original Manufacturer is lacking or they no longer exist. The plant personnel then need to find third-party resources to assist with the maintenance of specialized large synchronous motors and generators. Without local plant experts, customers are reliant on the third-party service company’s knowledge and experience to complete the maintenance of such large machines successfully. It is the important for the customer to have the ability to provide oversight and evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance cycle; however, they may find themselves ill-equipped for this and may need additional technical knowledge for such an evaluation. This paper provides end users and plant owners specific information regarding an important part of the maintenance cycle: the testing and cleaning of large synchronous motors and generators, detailing specific components of the machine and the test methodology and reason for testing and cleaning processes.