THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF CAPACITIVE AIR GAP SENSOR FOR POWERFUL HYDRO GENERATORS CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH COPLANAR ELECTRODE SYSTEM

Abstract

An important aspect of ensuring the reliability of the operation of hydraulic units of power plants there is control of their technical condition.

During operation lot of physico-chemical, thermal and mechanical processes take place in the structural elements of powerful generators, which eventually lead to the development of defects in rotating and non-rotating machine structural elements. One of the main parameters of hydro generators is the air gap between the rotor and the stator.

The results of determining the conversion function of the capacitive sensor of the air gap with a system of coplanar electrodes based on experimental, analytical and simulation calculations presented. Showing that the use of such a system of electrodes allows reducing the impact of errors in the design parameters of the control unit on the measurement result. The conducted studies showed that the proposed capacitive sensor is effective and can provide accurate measurement of the air gap between the rotor and the stator of the hydrogen generator. The use of the proposed sensor or a group of sensors in the control and diagnostic systems of hydroelectric units of power plants will ensure uninterrupted operation of the electrical equipment of the IPS of Ukraine.