Effect of Fault Clearing and Damper Modelling on Excitation and Decay of Vibrations in Generator Shafts Following Severe Disturbances on the System Supply

Abstract
The paper examines the effect damper circuit modelling and the current interruption process has on amplitude and decay of torsional vibrations in turbine-generator shafts following severe supply network disturbances. A phase-variable model of a synchronous-generator with up to 2 direct-axis and 3 quadrature-axis dampers where fault current is cleared at fault current zeros is employed to calculate generator airgap torque which results from a severe disturbance on the electrical supply. Using airgap torque, effective amplitude of torque excitation acting on the generator rotor for each eigenfrequency is determined by Fourier analysis. Amplitude of torsional vibration at each shaft section for each modal frequency is then calculated. Shaft torque at each shaft location for each modal frequency is thereby deduced. These components, together with the steady-state component (and that due to rotor swing), are summed as absolute values for all modal frequencies to yield approximate peak torque at critical locations along the shaft following each disturbance. Approximate peak shaft torque estimated by frequency domain analysis is compared in some instances with peak torque predicted by solution of exact differential equations. Presented results illustrate amplitude of torque excitation and shaft torques as a function of fault clearing time for L-L-L and L-L high-voltage system short-circuits, and effect reactive power and system resistance has on damping predominant torsional vibrations in the shaft.