Danilo MAKUC, Maks BERLEC, Damijan MILJAVEC

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering

Analyses and tests of interlamination short-circuits

Abstract. Since the interlamination short-circuits in stator cores can cause major damage to electrical machine a great emphasis is placed to detect
such faults. ELCID (Electromagnetic Core Imperfection Detector) test is nowadays often used for testing of interlamination insulation in stator cores
of large electrical machines. To investigate this relatively young method a laboratory model of stator core was built, which enables measurements
and analyses of intentional short-circuits in the core. Interlamination faults were also simulated and analysed using FEM.
Streszczenie. Poniewa zwarcia midzywarstwowe w rdzeniach stojanw mog spowodowa istotne awarie maszyn elektrycznych jest spraw
wielkiej wagi detekcja takich zwar. Test detektorem uszkodze rdzeni magnetycznych jest wspczenie czsto uywany dla testowania izolacji
midzywarstwowej w rdzeniach stojana duych maszyn elektrycznych. Do zbadania tej relatywnie nowej metody zbudowany zosta laboratoryjny
model rdzenia stojana, ktry umoliwia pomiary i analiz celowych zwar w rdzeniu. Uszkodzenia midzywarstwowe byy take symulowane i
analizowane za pomoca MES. (Analizy i testy zwar midzywarstwowych)

Keywords: ELCID, fault diagnostics, interlamination short-circuit, stator core.

Sowa kluczowe: detector uszkodze rdzenia elektromagnetycznego, zwarcia midzywarstwowe, rdze stojana

Introduction
A traditional method for detection of interlamination
faults is the High Flux Ring Test, often referred to as a
Thermal Loop Test. The rotor is removed from the machine
and the stator core is magnetically excited by a high voltage
high current temporary winding. Magnetic flux produced in
stator yoke should be near to that normally applied in
service. Hot spots are detected by a variety of means
including thermal cameras. Because of the required
dismantling of the machine, high voltage excitation winding,
high power source, that method is not very convenient.
One of contemporary methods is ELCID test [1], which
is nowadays often used for testing of interlamination
insulation in stator cores of large electrical generators and
motors. The main advantages of the ELCID method are that
the core is excited with just 4% of the rated flux and
detection of damaged areas is sometimes possible even
when the rotor of the machine is not removed. Positions
and strength of the faults are determined with a
measurement of leakage fluxes produced by the fault
currents.
Investigation of the test method on a real working
machine is difficult or almost impossible to perform,
moreover the faults cannot be generated on purpose. To
investigate the influence of the fault position and strength
on measurements we performed several simulations of
interlamination faults using FEM and compare them with
measurements on a laboratory test core which enables
measurements and analyses of intentional short-circuits in
the core.
Laboratory test core
To verify the results obtained using FEM and to test
different sensing coils we carry out measurements on a real
model of stator core (Fig. 1 and 2). All measurements were
performed without a rotor in a stator bore. Since the model
consists of separated sheets which are not welded together
or fasten with building bars, the interlamination faults can be
simulated using short-circuit turns.
In Fig. 3 an electrical scheme of the laboratory model is
shown. It is similar to short-circuit of a transformer but in
this case only a part of the ferromagnetic core is shortcircuited. Separated sheets and short-circuit turns enable
also the investigation of the fluxes in the core, since every
part of the core can be embraced with a test winding.
A length and position of the short-circuit turn can be
arbitrary chosen, while the value of the fault current can be
determined using an external resistor. Furthermore, the

fault current can be simply measured and used as a

reference value for results of a testing device. Introducing of
artificial shorts at different places on the test core has been
already presented in [2] where the core was intentionally
irreversibly damaged. In such case the fault current could
not be directly measured or changed.

Fig. 1. Test core for investigation of interlamination short-circuits for

different positions and strength.

Short-circuit
turn

Pick-up coil
Fig. 2. Short-circuit turn at the top of the tooth and a pick-up coil.

PRZEGLD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 87 NR 3/2011

115

Excitation

Short-circuit turn

Ie
A

Considering some negligible simplifications, a magnetic

circuit of such magnetic structure is shown in Fig. 6, where
can be noticed a flux source f in a branch t, which
represent a flux produced by a short-circuit current It.

Rc

It
f

Fig. 3. Electrical scheme of the laboratory model.

Rt

Using a pick-up coil the induced voltage is measured.

The positioning of the pick-up coil on stator teeth is shown
in Fig. 4. If the short-circuit turn exists, the measured
voltage should be proportional to the fault current in the turn
[4].

Fig. 6. Magnetic circuit of core model with interlamination shortcircuit turn.

Fig. 4. Position of pick-up coil on stator teeth.

FEM model
Since the interlamination fault is a genuine 3D problem,
a 3D FEM model would be adequate for simulation. In spite
of that the investigation of ELCID core testing was
performed using a 2D FEM model. The geometry of the
model was simpler and the calculation of parametric
analyses was not time consuming. Before the FEM model is
introduced let us get familiar with the problem definition.
Figure 5 shows the structure, which has to be calculated
using FEM (figure does not include the excitation). Shortcircuit turn does not embrace the whole cross-section of the
core. Length of the core is lc, while lt is length of the shortcircuit turn. The total magnetic flux in the core can be
written as the sum of a turn flux t and remaining core flux
c. Since the excitation is sinusoidal, all mentioned
magnetic quantities are complex.

A=0
2nd branch

Short-circuit turn
return path

1st branch

0
t

Different positions
of short-circuit turn

lc

A = Bc h
Fig. 7. FEM model with boundary conditions and material
properties.

lt
It

Fig. 5. Problem definition of interlamination short-circuit for FEM

simulation.

116

Neumann boundary condition

U It

Neumann boundary condition

It

Having the magnetic circuit in mind a FEM model can be

introduced. Figure 7 shows the geometry, material
properties and boundary conditions of the model.
The material properties were linear and eddy-current
(AC) solver was used. Instead of the whole iron core only
slots around the fault were included in the model. Since the
fault (short-circuit turn) can have a variable but specific
length, two parallel ferromagnetic branches were introduced
also in the model geometry. The first branch (lower core)
represents the core embraced with the short-circuit turn,
while the second (upper core) represent a remaining stator
core.

As can be seen the geometries of both branches are

equal. Furthermore, the model does not change if the length
of the short-circuit turn changes. Different cross-sections of
both magnetic branches are considered with applying
appropriate permeability for the second branch.
Permeability that defines the magnetic property of the real
ferromagnetic core is assigned for the first branch, for the

PRZEGLD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 87 NR 3/2011

second branch a new fictitious permeability c has to be

calculated:

Fault position
A fault position can be recognized by analysing the
voltage induced in the pick-up coil, considering also results
from the neighbouring teeth. Since the pick-up coil is
actually a Rogowski coil [4] the measured voltage is
proportional to derivative of the fault current. In conditions
where the current is sinusoidal or almost sinusoidal and the
frequency is constant we can simplify that and just say that
the voltage is proportional to the current. Therefore, the
results obtained from measurements on the laboratory
model are simply presented as voltages, while the results
obtained using FEM are presented as integrals Hdl along
the defined lines between the stator teeth (Fig. 9, 10). We
just compared the models therefore the absolute values
were not so important.
In both measurements and calculations the induced
voltage due to excitation flux was deducted from the
obtained signal so we could analyse only a "clear" signal
caused by the fault current. The influence of the fault length
was not included in the investigation since the FEM model
was only a 2D model, while the faults on the laboratory
model were 40 mm long and much longer than the pick-up
coil dimensions. Therefore, the end effect was neglected.

Line 1-2

0,25
0,20
0,15
0,10
0,05
0,00
0,25

Line 2-3

where h is the height of the stator core (see Fig. 7). Using
such boundary condition it was assured that the flux
through the core is constant what is also the case in a real
core.
Interlamination short-circuits were modelled as shortcircuit turns at different positions and with different material
properties. The FEM model consists of 10 conductors at
different positions and one outer conductor as return path
outside the core. If we would like to simulate a real
interlamination fault the position of the short-circuit turn
should be at the edge but in the ferromagnetic core. Since
an insulated wire was used to make a short-circuit turn in
the laboratory model, same position and properties were
used also in FEM model.
Only one pair of conductors was included in every
calculation. The pair consists of one conductor at specific
position (1 to 10) and the outer conductor. Figure 8 shows
the positions and numbers of conductors and the defined
lines (1-2, 2-3, 3-4) along which the integrals Hdl were
calculated. Positions and labels of the defined lines were
used also for positions of pick-up coil during the
measurements on a test core.

3-4

Figure 9 shows that we can only determine whether the

fault is at the top of the tooth (positions 8-10) or in the slot
(positions 1-7), while the exact position can not be
specified. Authors [1], [3] describe that also the fault at the
vertical edge of the slot can be determined (position 6 or 7
in the model, see Fig. 8), but results of our calculations and
measurements do not show that. On the laboratory model
only three fault positions were examined (1, 5 and 10) and
comparison of the measured results with the calculated
values shows good agreement (Fig. 10).

0,20
0,15
0,10
0,05
0,00
0,25

Line 3-4

A Bc h

2-3

Fig. 8. Positions of the faults and defined lines between teeth.

0,20
0,15
0,10
0,05
0,00

10

Fault position

Fig. 9. Calculated Hdl along defined lines at different fault positions

using FEM.
1,5

U1-2 (V)

(2)

1-2

1,0
0,5
0,0
1,5

U2-3 (V)

where lc is the length of the whole core and lt is the length of

the short-circuit turn. In such a way only permeability c has
to change when we analyse conditions at different fault
lengths. Because the FEM model is two dimensional,
different fault lengths can only be used to analyse the core
fluxes and fault current values but not to find the influence
of the length to induced voltage in the pick-up coil.
Excitation of the model was not a sinusoidal current
source but a prescribed sinusoidal magnetic vector potential
A at the lower boundary of the model (see Fig. 7).
Considering relation B = curl A, the magnetic vector
potential A for a specified magnetic flux density Bc is:

3
4
5 3
6
7
8 9 10

1,0
0,5
0,0
1,5

U3-4 (V)

(1)

12

c c 1
l
t

1,0
0,5
0,0

10

Fault position

Fig. 10. Magnitudes of measured voltages using a pick-up coil at

different fault positions.

Fault strength
Using the FEM model the power losses of
interlamination faults during the ELCID test can be simply
calculated and investigated. The resistance of the short-

PRZEGLD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 87 NR 3/2011

117

circuit turn in the model represents a contact resistance

together with resistance of lamination in a real stator core.
The obtained results for different conductance of shortcircuit turn were used just to show that the fault current,
which can be recognized and evaluated by the ELCID test,
can not be a measure for the fault strength (Fig. 11).
15

diminish the disadvantages of ELCID. Our goal is to

develop a measuring device with the sensing coil which will
automatically scan the whole circumference of the stator
bore. The scan results would be used for generation of a
"flux image" of the stator bore which could be a
replacement for thermal image obtained from thermal
camera at Thermal Loop Test.

0,25

12

0,20

0,15

0,10

0,05

10

15

20

25

Short-circuit current (A)

Power losses (mW/m)

REFERENCES

0,00
30

Conductivity of short-circuit turn (MS/m)

Fig. 11. Power losses in short-circuit turn for different conductance

of the turn.

Conclusion
Laboratory test core and FEM model offer a lot of
possibilities for investigation, evaluation and research in the
field of diagnostics of laminated stator cores. Tests and
calculations showed that the interlamination faults can be
recognized using ELCID testing, but the fault strength can
not be easily determined. There are possibilities to combine
ELCID with additional methods, such as described in [5], to

118

[1] J. Sutton, "EL Cid: an easier way to test stator cores", Electrical
Review, 207 (1980), No. 1, 33-37
[2] J. Stein, "Generator core investigation and the importance of
good lamination contact at the back of the core", Iris Rotating
Machine Conference, Santa Monica, 2003, (paper obtained
from 'http://www.irispower.com/techpapers').
[3] D. B. Paley, "Current Low Power Core Testing Using EL CID",
Adwel International Ltd., April 1999 (paper obtained from
'http://www.adwel.com/technical.html').
[4] D. A. Ward, J. La T. Exon, "Using Rogowski coils for transient
current measurement", Engineering science and education
journal, June 1993, 105-113
[5] G. B. Kliman, S. B. Lee, M. R.Shah, R. M. Lusted and N. K.
Nair, "A New Method for Synchronous Generator Core Quality
Evaluation", IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, 19
(2004), No. 3, 576-582
[6] Z. Posedel, "Inspection of Stator Cores in Large Machines with
a Low Yoke Induction Method - Measurement and Analysis of
Interlamination Short-Circuits", IEEE Transactions on Energy
Conversion, 16 (2001), No. 1, 81-86

Authors: Danilo Makuc, E-mail: [email protected], Maks

Berlec, E-mail: [email protected], Damijan Miljavec, E-mail:
[email protected]. All authors are with University of
Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of
Mechatronics, Trzaska 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

PRZEGLD ELEKTROTECHNICZNY (Electrical Review), ISSN 0033-2097, R. 87 NR 3/2011