TIL1292

Generator Rotor Toth, J.

Dovetail Cracking Bently Nevada Slovakia, Ltd

Recommended Inspection & Upgrade Modification

GE Power Systems
January 2004
All Large Steam Turbine Generators
Should Be Inspected for Cracks
Mild to Severe Rotor Tooth
Cracks Have Been Observed on
Some Long Service Generator
Rotors
Cracks Can Lead to Extended
Outages & Ultimately to Rotor
Failure
GE's Rotor Tooth Upgrade
Modification Solution is Available
Eddy Current Inspection
& Recommended to Eliminate
This Cyclic Duty Life Limitation

2 January 2004
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GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Background Data
Cracks Detected During TIL-1292 Inspections
Ten Known Cases with Crack Indications Out of 29
Inspections So Far:
Predominantly Large 2 Pole Generators (One 4 Pole)
In-Service Dates from the Early 1960s to Late 1970s
Fleet Applicability Includes:
All Large Steam Turbine Generators - Conventional &
Direct Cooled Fields ( 2 Pole & 4 Pole)
Select Prototype 324 Rotors

3 January 2004
PIP261R1
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Typical Rotor Configuration

Large 2 Pole
Diagonal Flow
Generator
Rotor

Wedge
Tooth

4 January 2004
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GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Cracks Detected at Dovetail Load
Surface
Tooth

Dovetail
Load
Surface

Crack Indicated at Butt End

Joint of Wedge Rotor Slot Cross Section

5 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Rotor Crack Orientation & Indications

Fretting Damage Can Lead

to Cracks which Propagate

Orientation of Cracks
(Radial Circumferential Direction) Large Crack Indication

6 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Without Inspection, a Forced Outage or
Catastrophic Failure May Occur
Cracks Detected in Extremely High Stress Region
of the Rotor
Most Detected Cracks Are Small & Readily
Repairable
If Not Repaired, Cracks May Propagate Through
the Rotor Tooth
Two Cases of Very Large Cracks
Large Cracks Are of Particular Concern

7 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Rotor Tooth Large Crack Examples

Crack Initiation Location

Large Crack Indicated with Red Samples of Tooth After Being

Dye Penetrant in LSTG Rotor Removed from the Rotor Shows
Both Sides of Crack Broken Apart

8 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Rotor Tooth Large Crack Examples
(Continued)
Cross Slot

Crack

Butt End
of Wedges

35 Inch Circumferential Crack in Conventional Rotor

9 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Potential Drivers: Negative Sequence
Duty & Starts/Stops
At Present, Following Causes are Believed to Increase Likelihood of
Rotor Tooth Cracking:
Excessive Negative Sequence Duty Steady State or Transient
Large Number of Starts/Stops
Field Observations Have Found Fretting Fatigue:
At Steel Wedges, Not Aluminum Wedges
In Middle 2/3 of Rotor Body
In #1 Coil Slots
Additional Damage Caused by Negative Sequence Events May
Occur Anywhere in Rotor, Including Aluminum Wedges
GE Strongly Recommends That All Rotors are Inspected per TIL-
1292 Until All Root Causes are Completely Understood

10 January 2004
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GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Fretting Analysis
Rotor Tooth

Wedge
Wedge GE Analytical Model
Provides an
Understanding of
Pressure from Centrifugal Loading Fretting Mechanism
& Assessment of
Fretting Initiation Parameter = Solutions
= Axial Stress (rotor bending)
= Contact Frictional Shear Stress
= Contact Relative Slip

11 January 2004
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GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Fretting Analysis (Continued)

Relative slip
Stick

Slip at wedge ends

Low Speeds During Start/Stop Are

Believed to Initiate Cracking
Significantly Higher Fretting Damage
Occurs with Steel Wedges

12 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
 TIL1292 Fleet Data
Unrealiability vs Time
1.00
Fleet Inspection
Results Plotted on
0.80 Weibull Curve
Curve Indicates
Unreliability, F(t)=1-R(t)

Increased Risk of
0.60 Cracking Over Time
Approximately 1/3 of
Rotors Inspected
0.40
Have Had Crack
Indications
0.20 For Example: After 30
Years of Continuous
Service, Curve Predicts
40% of Units Will Have
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 Crack Indications
Time, (t)
13 January 2004
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GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Inspection Should Be Incorporated into
Major Generator Outage Planning
Units That Have
More Than 25 Years in Service
Less Than 25 Years in Service
Experienced:
Extensive Start/Stop
Negative Sequence Events
Change in Rotor Vibration
Characteristics
Should Be Inspected
During Next Major Outage, But No
Later Than 1/1/2006
During Next Major Outage, But No
Later Than 30th Anniversary of the
Unit in Service
During Next Major Outage or
Immediately if the Incident is
Severe

14 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Eddy Current or Magnetic Particle
Inspections Are Recommended
Eddy Current Sensor Head
(Patent Pending)
Eddy Current
Detects damage from fretting
Detects damage from Negative Sequence
Events
Detects small closed cracks
Fast inspection of dovetails with winding in
Magnetic Particle
Detects small closed cracks
Easy inspection of entire slot with winding out
Provides useful data beyond the specific
region affected by this TIL

15 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Rotor Tooth Upgrade Modification
Recommendations (Patent Pending)
The Recommended Upgrade Modification for Small Cracks Involves
Three Components:
State-of-the-Art Stress, Fatigue Life, & Electromagnetic Analysis
Methods
Specialized Local Machining of Rotor Dovetails
Replacement of Select Steel Wedges in Vulnerable Areas with
New Aluminum Alloy Wedges
In Extreme Cases, Large Cracks May Require Replacement of the
Rotor
With Recommended Upgrade, Rotor Can Usually Resume Service
with No Future Inspection Requirements of Rotor Dovetail Area

16 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Stress & Fatigue Life Analysis is Critical
to Avoid Rotor Operational Limitations
Wedge
Rotor Tooth Dovetail
is Highest Stress
Region of Rotor
Body
GE has Developed
Rotor Tooth State-of-the-Art
Stress and Fatigue
Life Analysis
Methods to Quickly
Analyze Optimized
Red Indicates Geometry Design
Highest Stress Modifications
Areas

17 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Electromagnetic Analysis of Upgrade
Modification
GE Has Developed a Sophisticated
Electromagnetic Analysis Based on
Finite Element Technology
Analysis Determines:
Magnitude of Eddy Currents &
Related Loss Densities in
Wedges and Forging Under
Unbalanced Load & Abnormal Flux Pattern
Operation
Diagram
High Loss Densities Can Limit the
Depth of Crack Repair
Component Design Requirements
Limit Permissible Modifications

18 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Specialized Machining of Rotor Dovetails
Optimizes Cyclic Duty Capability
Material is Removed at
All Wedge Joints in the
#1 Slots
Identified Cracks are
Removed
Fatigued or Fretted
Material is Removed
Wedge as a Preventative
Dovetail Measure
Load Rotor Body Profile is
Surface Optimized to Minimize
Stresses

19 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Specialized Machining of Rotor Dovetails
Implemented at Service Shop or On Site

Specialized Machining for Unit-Specific Machining of

Performing TIL 1292 Upgrade Rotor Dovetail Per Advanced
Modification Engineering Analysis

20 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Wedge Replacement Eliminates Initiation
of Additional Fretting Cracks
Wedge Material Replacement is Evaluated to Optimize
Rotor Fretting Resistance & Electrical Performance
Selected Steel Wedges are Replaced with Aluminum
Wedges
Modification is Currently Approved for Direct Cooled
LSTG 2 Poles and 4 Poles (Most Vulnerable Designs)
New Wedge Dimensions are Customized to Match Rotor
& Meet GE Design Tolerances

21 January 2004
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GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Engineering Material & Inspection Lead
Times
Pre-Outage Requirements
GE Recommends Ordering Materials and Beginning Preliminary
Engineering, 12 Weeks Ahead of Planned Outage
Outage Cycles for Modification
Typical Cycle Times are as Follows:
Inspection:
2 Pole 7 Days * (One 12 Hour Shift per Day)
4 Pole 14 Days *
Typical Machining Modifications:
2 Pole 17 Days
4 Pole 21 Days * Does Not Include Time to
Mobilize & Demobilize

22 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Benefits of Recommended Inspection
and Upgrade
Improves Unit Availability
Avoids Risk of Outage Extension for Emergent
Rotor Tooth Repairs * * Unplanned TIL-
Eliminates Future Need for Routine Inspection of 1292 Rotor
Upgrade
Rotor Tooth Dovetail Areas
Modification
Supports Extended Intervals Between Rotor Pulls Can Extend an
& Major Inspections Outage for
Restores Field Forging Cyclic Duty Capability of Several Weeks
Resulting in
Degraded Dovetail Areas
Significant Lost
Eliminates Risk of In-service Rotor Failure Due to Revenue, Easily
This Problem Exceeding
Avoids Risk of More Serious Collateral Damage $1,000,000.
and Catastrophic Failure Caused by Crack Growth

23 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Generator Rotor Dovetail Cracking
Summary
All Large Generators are Susceptible to Developing
Rotor Tooth Cracks as They Age
Likely Potential Drivers are Frequent Start /Stop
Operation & Negative Sequence Events
Inspection for Cracking Needs to Be Incorporated into
Major Generator Outage Planning
Eddy Current & Magnetic Particle are Preferred
Inspection Techniques

24 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution
Generator Rotor Dovetail Cracking
Summary (Continued)
Recommended Upgrade Involves Three Components:
Stress, Fatigue Life, & Electromagnetic Analysis
Machining Worn & Damaged Material
Replacing Selected Steel Wedges with Aluminum
Wedges
Recommended Upgrade Typically Eliminates:
Need for Future Inspection Requirements of the Rotor
Tooth Dovetail Areas
Operational Limitations Due to Fretting Damage

25 January 2004
PIP261R1
GE proprietarynot for external distribution