HYDRO POWER PLANTS

CONCEPT TO COMMISSIONING
S.S Jamwal
Electricity – Basic Principle
Electricity – Basic Principle
Electricity – Basic Principle
 Basic Elements of Electricity Generation
• Motion Prime Mover
• Magnetic Field Electro-magnets on Rotor
coupled to Prime Mover.

• Conductor Stator Winding.

Steam Turbine
Gas Turbine
• Prime Mover – Hydro Turbine
Wind Turbine
Diesel Engine
 Types of Hydro Turbines
Hydro Turbine

Impulse - Pelton

Reaction - Francis (Radial Flow)

Kaplan (Axial Flow)
 Basic 3 (Three) Parameters of Electricity
Electricity so Generated –

Three parameters

Voltage
Current
Frequency
 Parameters Control
• Voltage and frequency to be maintained within Preset Limits.

• Voltage maintained through Excitation System – Achieved by

varying DC Supply to Electromagnets (Poles) with the help of
AVR/DVR.

• Frequency (Speed) maintained through governing system –

Which involves speed sensing – regulating the guide vanes /
nozzle openings.

• Current would vary according to the connected load – cannot

be allowed to exceed the rated capacity of the Generator.
Various Facilities & Services in Hydro Power
Plant
 Installation
Hydro sites are mostly situated in remote areas entailing
transportation constraints. Generating Plant components
have per force to be brought in parts from manufacturer’s
works and assembled at site. In some case this assembly is
done for the first time at site. So to say, some
manufacturing activities get extended to Project Site.

More so, because of typical plant layout and design of

vertical shaft Generating Sets, the installation of Turbine/
Generator components has to be carried out sequentially in
phases alongwith Civil construction activities in
Powerhouse.
 Transportation Constraints
Weights of different components of
Generating Unit of (18 X 700 MW) Itaipu Hydro Power Plant

Generator Rotor: 1760 Tons

Generator Stator: 988 Tons
Runner: 295 Tons
Spiral Casing: 600 Tons
Speed Ring: 425 Tons
Guide Apparatus: 180 Tons
Turbine Shaft: 130 Tons
Generator Shaft: 119 Tons
Lower Bracket: 283 Tons
Upper Bracket: 180 Tons
Cross Section of Generating Unit
Teesta III HE Project
Cross Section of Powerhouse
Malana II HE Project
Cross Section of Turbine
Malana II HE Project
Spiral Casing Assembly
 Generator Assembly

Generator Stator Being

Generator Rotor Being Lowered
Lowered into the Barrel
 Runner Assembly

Pelton Runner with Nozzles &

Francis Runner
Deflectors
 Checks during Installation

Equipment Checklist
Turbine
- Draft Tube Liners/ Pit Dimensions/ Elevations/ Centering-
Liners Alignment/ weld check etc.

- Distributor/ Speed Dimensions/ Elevations/ Centering/

Ring/ Spiral Casing Alignment/ Radiography/ Hydraulic
Testing
 Checks during Installation
- Runner Shaft Assembly Elongation check for final tightening
of coupling bolts.

- Guide Apparatus/ Jets -Guide Vane Clearances-Top/Bottom

Operating Mechanism -Radial Clearances-Top/ Middle
-Opening & Closing of Guide
Apparatus/ Jets
- Turbine Guide Bearing -Radial Clearances b/w texolite ring
and journal.
-Radial Clearance b/w segments and
journal.
-Turbine Guide Bearing Coolers
Testing
 Checks during Installation
- Servomotors -Stroke Checking
-Clearance b/w piston/ cylinder.
-Hydraulic Test
- Main Inlet Valve (MIV) -Clearance b/w Body & Disc
-Tightness of fasteners-by elongation
method.
-Hydraulic Tests
-Leakages
-Closing time and Opening time.
Setting of Master
Controller/ Nozzles
Operating Sequence
 Checks during Installation

Generator
- Rotor - Rotor Building, Spider, rim etc.
(Distribution as per weight)
-Checking Rotor form
-Inter-turn Test of Rotor Poles.
-HV Testing of poles (before and after
mounting)
-Dryout, HV Test of Rotor and current
carrying leads.
 Checks during Installation
Generator
- Stator -Stator Frame Assembly Large
-Core Building Machine
-Laying of Winding
-Gap-Joints: Plates and Core at split
-Elevation, radius-bore & magnetic
axis setting etc.
-HV Test of Stator bars before and after
laying
-Ultrasonic testing of brazed stator bar
joints
 Checks during Installation
Generator
-Stator -Dryout & AC HV Testing of Stator
-Hydraulic Testing of Air Coolers
-Hydraulic Testing of Brakes
-Alignment -Rotor Shaft Alignment
-Combined Turbine & Rotor Shaft
Alignment
-Final Boxing up -Load Distribution of TB Pads
-Verticality of Turbine & Generator
Shaft
 Checks during Installation
Generator
-Final Boxing up -Runner Elevation and Labyrinth
Clearance (Francis)
-Alignment of Runner and Jet Axes
(Pelton)
-TGB, LGB & UGB radial Clearances
Excitation System Standard Checks/ Tests
 Pre-Commissioning
Automation Ckts
Control Ckts Start Ckt.
-All interlocks to be checked
-Start Operation from both Control Room &
Unit Control Panel.
Stop Ckt.
-Operation from Control Room and Unit
Control Panel.
-Operation through emergency Control
Circuits.
 Pre-Commissioning
Automation Ckts
Control Ckts Generator Air Brakes
-Open/ Close checks and signaling.
Protection Ckts.
-Open/ close checked by initiating the
contacts at fault points.
Annunciation Panels
-Temp. Measurement
Panel:
Check whether temperature indications are
O.K.
 Pre-Commissioning
Automation Ckts
Control Ckts Electrical Measurement
Panel:
-Check Whether parameters being measured
are O.K.
Automation AVR Check Following:
-Speed Relay Operation
-Operation of Field Breaker
-Operation of Exciter Field Discharge
-Operation of Field Rheostat
-Operation of de-excitation
 Pre-Commissioning
Protection System
and Circuits Secondary and Primary Injection testing of
Protections.
 Unit Start-Up & Spinning
After the above discussed checks are satisfactorily completed
with success, the following checks are done to clear the unit
for operation.

-AC HV Testing of Stator, Rotor etc.

-Spinning of Generating Unit.
 Unit Start-Up & Spinning
-Temperature rise in Bearings during first spinning

The Unit is run for pre-determined time and the temperature

rise in bearings/ oil is checked.

Unit is also checked for radial, axial and tangential vibrations.

In case of high temperature rise, necessary corrective actions

are taken, till the bearings satisfactorily withstand the
spinning.
SLD of Generating Unit Bay

Electrical Protection 1
Electrical Protection 2
 Electrical Protection Checking
Sensitivity of Generator Differential: 3 Phase Short at “A”.
Stability of Gen. Differential. 3 Phase Short at “B”.
Sensitivity of Split Phase Diff. 3 Phase Short at “B”.
Stability of Stator E/F 3 Phase Short at “B”.
Sensitivity of Neg. Seq. Prot.Relay 1 Phase to Earth at “B”.
Sensitivity of Neg. Seq. Prot.Relay 1 Phase to Earth at “B”.
Residual Voltage across stator E/F on OCC of Gen.
Split phase current
Check on O/V Prot. With delayed tripping
Check on instantaneous O/V Protection SLD
 Electrical Protection Checking

-S.C.C
-O.C.C

At full Stator Current: (SCC)

- Spill Voltage across stator Gen. Differential – 87G
- Spill Voltage across split phase diff. – 87GS

SLD
 Synchronization
After the above tests/ checks are successfully completed, the
following tests are done for clearing the unit for Commercial
Operation.
-Synchronization
-Load throw off -25%
-Test at: -50%
-75%
-100%
 Functional & Guarantee Tests
The Unit is tested, so as to meet the Guaranteed Efficiency,
Temperature rise, response time etc.

After Completion of the Guarantee Tests, the Unit is given an

acceptance Certificate by the Owner, and this indicates the
Start of Unit’s Commercial Operation.
 Conclusion
Commissioning of a Plant is considered to have taken place
when its various systems and sub-systems are first energized
after satisfactory completion of all tests which prove the plant
is capable of meeting its design specifications. This is achieved
by rigorously and religiously carrying out all checks and tests
of all components of the plant at intermediate stages of
installation as per manufacturer’s standards. Ultimate aim and
objective of commissioning is to achieve high levels of plant
availability. This can be possible only if construction and
commissioning program are closely linked and quality control
is maintained at every stage during assembly and installation
of each item of equipment, sub-system and systems of the
Hydro-Plant.
Continued on next slide…
 Conclusion
Long term availability of the plant for generation can
thereafter be ensured during operation stage by adopting and
implementing effective Maintenance Management Systems in
the Plant.
Thank You