voith.

com

Excellence in generator control

HyCon Thyricon Excitation
Excitation system
The HyCon Thyricon Excitation family represents the extensive HyCon Thyricon family
experience and knowledge of Voith as one of the major hydropower An excitation system comprises all the devices responsible for Excitation systems for
generator m­ anufacturers. Our excitation product line offers
delivering the field current to a synchronous generator along
with the equipment responsible for regulating the stator
a wide range of hydro­
best-in-class technology to reliably control the stator voltage ­voltage, including the limiting and protecting functions. Voith power generators.
and reactive power. provides excitation systems for a wide range of hydro genera-
tors. All families use standard industrial off-the-shelf hardware
components with worldwide support.

Voith is a global leader in hydropower plant equipment and

From the simplest system to the complex redundant The HyCon Thyricon Family consists of the following members
services for both new and modernization projects. For nearly
programmable controllers and redundant rectifier bridges
150 years, our name has been synonymous with excellence in Family Thyricon 300 Thyricon 400 Thyricon 500 Thyricon 600
the hydropower industry, with almost 40 000 generators and
turbines installed worldwide. Module(s) 1 1 – 3 4 – 5 5 – 7

Throughout our history, we have continuously set new records Type of rectifier IGBT Thyristor Thyristor Thyristor
in performance and size of hydropower machines and compo-
nents, as well as having a high understanding of solutions Rectifier redundancy None or (1+1) None (1+1) (n+1)
from our staff around the world. This combination has s­ upplied
best designs and solutions based on state-of-the-art engi- Cooling type Natural or forced Natural or forced Natural or forced Forced

neering and manufacturing expertise.

Cooling redundancy Optional Optional Optional Optional

HyCon Thyricon, the Voith excitation product line, ensures

Circuit breaker type Contactor or MCCB Air circuit breaker or Air circuit breaker or Air circuit breaker or
­excellence in generator control. This modular system can be DC contactor with DC contactor with DC contactor with
customized to provide an optimized solution for all ranges of discharge contact discharge contact discharge contact
synchronous generators and motors.
Circuit breaker location AC or DC side AC or DC side AC and /or DC sides AC and /or DC sides
Many configurations are available, including redundant con-
trollers and fully or n + 1 redundant thyristor bridges. All parts Max. continuous current [A] Up to 150 Up to 3 000 Up to 3 000 Up to 10 000

of the HyCon Thyricon family are factory-tested prior to ship-

Max. output voltage [V] Up to 600 Up to 2 000 Up to 2 000 Up to 2 000
ment. The comprehensive controller software includes special
features like data logging function – where all parameters are
Controller platform Siemens or others Siemens or others Siemens or others Siemens or others
accessible through the operator panel and can be changed
online without operation interruption – as well as special mod- Controller redundancy Optional Optional Optional Optional
ules for the service and commissioning teams.

2 3
Digital voltage regulator
Control features Digital measuring transducers
The voltage regulator’s primary task is to keep the voltage of The Thyricon Excitation system has a future-proof concept; its Measuring of stator voltage and current is done by fast A / D
the generator constant. It is also required to maintain the highly modular design allows future upgrades and integration conversions of each phase value several times per period.
stability of the generator in steady-state conditions, as well as of different hardwares. The software logics are widely configu- True RMS value is calculated by the measuring device.
during transient disturbances. The voltage regulator covers all rable and allow customization to different applications and cus-
control functions needed for excitation systems. The micro- tomer requirements. Also, the modularity of HyCon Thyricon Automatic voltage regulator (AVR)
processing capacity makes it possible to realize accurate Excitation system can improve existing exciters, modularizing The AVR control algorithm of PID characteristic regulates the
control functions, and the digital technology provides good and modernizing them, adding value for customers. stator voltage to the desired value. Special derivative path for
long-term stability. brushless excitation provides optimal response.

Field current regulator (FCR)

Field Current Regulation fulfills the usual requirement of man-
ual control. FCR is a backup to the AVR in case of, e. g., fault
in the stator voltage measuring circuits. Alarms and events buffer screen are
exportable as text files to USB or SD
HyCon Thyricon Excitation systems card directly from the operator panel
Reactive power controller (VAR)
Simplified diagram of a static excitation system and the generator unit The VAR controller keeps the reactive power constant. The
reactive power is regulated by a slow operating three-state
controller that adjusts the AVR’s reference value. This main-
tains the favorable effects of the fast AVR during transient
Grid
power line disturbances.

Reactive Power factor controller (PF)

setpoint The PF Controller keeps the power factor constant. The pow-
VAR & PSS & Excitation Step-up
PwFact limiters AVR transformer trafo er factor is regulated by a slow operating three-state controller
Pow. fact.
setpoint
Automatic voltage This includes for example:
regulator that adjusts the AVR’s reference value. This maintains the
­favorable effects of the fast AVR during transient power line • Electrical brake
Stator
voltage PID Logic disturbances. • Line charging and black start
setpoint • Back-to-back start
Stator
Logic voltage Firing Test modes (FVR and FCS) • Static frequency converter (SFC)
Limiters Generator
card HyCon Thyricon features two test modes: Field Voltage Regu- • Direct start  / across-the-line
FCR lator (FVR) and Fixed Control Signal (FCS). The test modes are • Start field flashing, DC and  / or AC
Field current Power part
regulator used for factory/commissioning tests and as a maintenance • Natural cooled or forced cooled thyristor converter
Field
Field current tool, as well. • Redundant thyristor bridge and controller
current Digital
setpoint PI transducer • Auto adjustment of reactive power after synchronism
VA Measurement Transfer between control modes • Reactive load shedding before disconnection from
W VAR
Stator Hz
transformers The commutation between VAR Controller, PF Controller, AVR the grid
Controller
measurements and FCR can be requested by the operator or is accomplished • Grid voltage follow-up
automatically in case of specific faults. Any transition is • Handling of external set points
smooth, so there are no perceptible generator terminal voltage • Selection of the control modes, rectifiers and
transients (“bumpless transition”) .* controllers with follow-up and bumpless transfers
* Follow-up and bumpless transitions between control modes.

4 5
Monitoring, control, supervision and protection Self monitoring and diagnose Reactive and active compensation or droop Volts per Hertz limiter (V / Hz)
The regulator includes all necessary logical functions for The programmable logic controller self-monitoring functions In addition to the AVR structure, there are reactive and active The limiter, also called the flux limiter, reduces the voltage
­control and supervision of the excitation equipment during cover the power supply, processor, memories, I / O units and droop compensators. (Droop), line droop compensation (LDC) ­during under-frequency conditions. Two configurable limiters,
startup, service and shutdown. Generator protection functions communication. Some of the supervision can be time-delayed, and reactive differential compensation (RDC). These features an instantaneous and a time-delayed can be adjusted to pro-
are also available in the regulator and can be adjusted as and this is necessary to obtain adequate voltage­­regulation compensate for active and reactive voltage drops in the step- tect the generating unit, especially the step-up transformer,
backup of the generator relay protection functions (VHz, stator during temporary network faults. up transformer and/or transmission line. The reactive droop against magnetic saturation.
overcurrent / overvoltage, field overcurrent / overvoltage, loss compensation also helps in balancing the reactive power
of excitation, etc). Limiters and control features among synchronous machines that are connected in parallel Time-delayed overexcitation limiter (OEL)
Upon voltage changes in the power system, the AVR will or directly to the grid without a transformer in between. The time-delayed overexcitation limiter primarily avoids over-
Generator voltage measurement supervision ­restore the stator voltage by increasing or decreasing the heating of the synchronous machine field winding. The OEL
The generator voltage measurement signal and the supply machine field current, and thereby also the reactive power. Frequency compensation also prevents overheating of the excitation system’s power
voltage to the rectifier bridge can be supervised by mutual The higher the short circuit power of the electrical system Frequency compensation is used to help weak grids during part. The permissible duration of the field current overload is
comparison. In the event of discrepancy, automatic change- compared with the machine ratings, the higher the risk of transients. The generator voltage is changed in phase with the inversely proportional to the overload current level. The time
over to FCR is initiated. overloading the generator; this is due to high amounts of deviation of the frequency. The changes in the active power delay limiter is implemented with every characteristic as de-
produced (overexcited) or consumed (under excited) reactive delivered to the weak grid due to the voltage changes help to fined by IEC 60255-3 and IEEE C37.112 for coordination with
Alarm system power. damp the oscillations. protection functions. The OEL allows time-delayed overloads
Each individual internal and external alarm is indicated in a of the generator unit that are required for the stability of the
local Human-Machine Interface. They can also be indicated The limiters have the task of preventing outages of the Reactive differential compensation (RDC) electrical system.
with LEDs, relay contacts or on a remote control panel. machine due to operation of the protection relays caused by The reactive differential compensation, also known as cross
The alarm signals are grouped into “Event”, “Warning” and reactive overloading, underexcitation, or overloading of the current compensation, compensates for the drooping voltage Instantaneous overexcitation limiter (OELf)
“Alarm.” These message classes help operators to act imme- exciter. characteristic while enforcing reactive current sharing between The instantaneous overexcitation limiter keeps the field
diately when necessary and plan accordingly the maintenance synchronous machines sharing a common connection. The current below a predetermined value. The OELf is mainly used
and corrective or preventive actions. RDC is used to achieve stability of parallel units; it reduces to ­prevent the thyristor converter from overheating, because
reactive unbalancing between units and also provides reactive of its short thermal time constant.
power support in case of short circuit in the power system.
RDC can be used for up to four machines connected in paral-
lel to the same step-up transformer.

HyCon Thyricon ensures the operation of the generator inside its capability curve Step response in the stator voltage and the resulting Safe operation of the excitation system and of the
step in Q and the oscillation in active P generator guaranteed by the HyCon Thyricon limiters

1.4 P
1.1 0.4 SCL SCL
1.2

1.0 0.3 UEL OEL f

1.0 OEL

P [p.u.]
0.8 UEL
0.9 0.2
Q

Q [p.u.]
0.6

U [p.u.]
0.8 0.1 Control loops AVR and FCR have two different sets of
0.4 parameters for NO LOAD and LOAD (four sets in total
for each) and some limiters and functions, such as
0.7 0.0
0.2 OEL, OELf, SCL, UEL and PSS have two sets of
U
P parameters; double set of parameters are available to
Q
0.6 -0.1 allow a perfect adaptive control according to the grid
-1.6 -1.4 -1.2 -1.0 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 conditions and customer requirements.

6 7
Underexcitation limiter (UEL) Grid voltage follow-up
The underexcitation limiter avoids operation conditions that Also known as pre-synchronization, the line (bus) voltage is
would cause stator overheating or instability and loss of used as a reference value for the voltage regulator during
synchronism. The UEL action is determined by identified
­ synchronizing. The voltage regulator will then keep the stator
regions on the ­synchronous machine capability curve. The voltage equal to the grid voltage during the synchronization
limiter region is programmed in the HyCon Thyricon’s logic phase. This not only decreases the synchronization time, but
controller and is coor­dinated with the loss of excitation func- also reduces transients upon closing the generator breaker.
tion of the generator protection relay. The UEL curve is
dynamically compensated by the voltage variation (linear or Power system stabilizer
square), and it can be configured with up to six points. HyCon Thyricon features the dual-input integral of the accel-
erating power PSS2C and the multiple band power system
Stator current limiter (SCL) stabilizer type PSS4C. Four separate bands respectively ded-
Stator current limiter avoids overheating of the stator due to a icated to very low-, low-, intermediate, and high-frequency
Graphical user-friendly software with possibility to switch Graphical user-friendly software with possibility to
rise in the generator current. SCL detects the overcurrent and modes of oscillations can simultaneously be damped by the programming languages – function block diagram (FBD) switch programming languages – ladder (LAD)
compares it with the reactive current to determine how the PSS. The PSS models are compatible with the ones described
voltage regulator should act. An adjustable inverse time by the IEEE 421.5 Standard. Generator-compensated fre-
characteristic allows coordination with PSS and therefore quency is available to be used as input for either PSS type. It
increases the grid stability. The SCL is most useful following is calculated to correctly emulate internal generator voltage Application software
upgrades of the maximum turbine power without a corre- and generator shaft mechanical oscillation improving effective- The software modules incorporated in the voltage regulator The function blocks are interconnected to obtain the required
sponding increase of generator rating. ness of PSS damping action. are structured to provide a very clear and detailed view of the functions in the program module. The function blocks contain
modules included. All analog signals are scaled in the per-unit parameter inputs for setting of gains, limit values, time delays,
Rotor temperature limiter (RTL) Programmable logic controller (PLC) system (1 pu = 100 %). etc. The software is coded using tools that provide object-
The rotor temperature limiter avoids overheating of the rotor HyCon Thyricon’s hardware platform is based on program- oriented programming and full integration between controller
winding. The RTL detects overtemperature and acts on the field mable logic controllers, PLC. Digital and analog input / output The software modules are built up from function blocks from and HMI.
current in order to decrease the rotor winding temperature. cards as well as communication modules for serial communi- a library according to the Standard IEC 61131-3. Examples of
cation are available for internal and external interfaces. The function blocks are AND-gates and SR-flip-flops, arithmetic
equipment is normally mounted in a cubicle together with blocks, control and filter blocks, timers and oscillators.
power supply units, transducers and interface relays.

HyCon Thyricon enhances the stability of the electrical system through the use the Industrial off-the-shelf programmable logic controllers guarantee worldwide access to maintenance and spare parts.
IEEE 421 dual-input power system stabilizer (PSS2C) shown in diagram below. The Siemens s7-1500 PLC illustrated in the picture is one application example; other PLCs are available on request.

PSSmax

sTw1 sTw2 1 + 1+sT8 + 1 +sT1 1 +sT3 1 +sT10 1 +sT12

( (1+sT ) )
N
ω/ƒ/ƒcomp ∑ ∑ Ks1 PSS
1 +sTw1 1+ sTw2 1+sT6 9
M
1 +sT2 1 +sT4 1 +sT11 1 +sT13
+ -

Ks3 PSSmin

sTw3 sTw4 Ks2

P
1 +sTw3 1+ sTw4 1+ sT7

8 9
User-friendly operator panel with touch-sensitive
color LCD screen

Communication protocols User-friendly operator screen Data logging

Typical input and output signals
The voltage regulator can operate as a stand-alone unit with The HyCon Thyricon user-friendly human-machine interface HyCon Thyricon’s human-machine interface incorporates a
communication to all types of joint control and remote control • Excitation off / on provides ­information about the general status of the excitation powerful data logging tool. The number of samples, the sam-
equipment via parallel digital and analog signal interface. S
­ erial • Selection of control mode system and the measured generator data. Active control and pling time and the number of analog values to be logged are
communication with different types of protocols can be in- AVR / VAR-controller / PF-controller operation mode, as well as the current state of the system, configurable. Various events and analog values can be
cluded. The programmable logic controller takes care of the • Decrease / increase signals for set-point adjustment can be seen in the corresponding output fields. selected as trigger to the data logger.
excitation system and only a few input / output signals are • Signal for closed generator circuit breaker
needed. • Speed > 90 % Local and remote interlocking of commands The data logging configuration is performed through the
• Limiter in operation HyCon Thyricon can be operated remotely from the control ­human-machine interface, but the actual data is stored in the
Control Panel or Human-Machine Interface (HMI) • Excitation “Ready to Start” room or locally from the human-machine interface. The set PLC. In this way, the last data trends will not be lost even in
HyCon Thyricon is fitted with a local operator panel (HMI) • Common signal “Warning” points of the control modes can be locally changed, if neces- case of power outages.. The data logging tool can be ad-
available in different sizes usually mounted in one of the cu- • Common signal “Trip Request” sary. Local and remote mode commands are safely inter- justed to permanently store the events related to the last
bicles’ front doors. The operator panel features a touch sensi- locked so the maintenance staff is protected from dangerous emergency shutdown. The stored data can be viewed in the
tive ­color LCD screen. Different user levels with different pass- remote commands during inspections and service. operator panel.
words allow access to the different functions of the
operator panel. The chance of incorrect operation is reduced by a two- Simulation The parameter changing and the data logging capabilities
staged c
­ ommand confirmation s ­ ystem incorporated in HyCon Thyricon incorporates powerful commissioning, testing enable the commissioning of HyCon Thyricon without any
As a safety precaution, HyCon Thyricon incorporates a com- the operator panel. and maintenance tools into the human-machine interface. external tool. The recorded analog and digital values can be
mand confirmation system. All frequently used commands that Monitoring of digital and analog inputs and alarms is acces- exported as text file to a USB or SSD card directly from the
­directly effect the status of the system are subject to a two- sible to all users. Forcing of input, output and alarms is operator panel. The number of data logs stored in the PLC is
stage operation sequence. protected by password. A simplified generator model imple- limited. A PC-based software tool is available on request for
mented in the controller is available for closed loop simulation retrieving, analyzing, reporting and storing the data logs.
and dynamic tests.
Special test tools
Block diagram and parameter changing HyCon Thyricon includes a maintenance tool for testing
HyCon Thyricon parameters are accessible through the op- Frequency Response, Step Response and Pseudorandom
erator panel and can be changed online without any system Binary Sequences (PRBS). All of these tools are available from
operation interruption. The parameters are organized in self- the local panel.
explanatory groups. Accidental changes are avoided by
minimum and maximum limits, command confirmation and /
or password protection. The parameter list with the actual
values can be exported as text file to a USB or SSD card
directly from the operator panel.

10 11
 Static excitation system
Static exciters are used for synchronous generators in all The excitation power can also be derived from the local power
types of power generating plants: hydro, thermal, gas, diesel supply or from a suitable point outside the machine circuit
and wind, as well as for synchronous condensers and motors. breaker. As the connection point is normally energized, no
field flashing equipment is required. During de-excitation,
The advantages are summarized in the following main points: the field breaker is opened and the field of the machine is
• Superior dynamic control characteristics ­de-energized.
User-friendly main screen for operation and maintenance Clean and meaningful single line screen with excitation equipment
status information • Low losses

• The size is not dependent on the speed of the machine

for a given excitation power

High ceiling voltage capacity and a wide-range
The power circuit operating voltage of the firing card guarantee that
The main power circuits included in the static excitation HyCon Thyricon continues to work even during severe
­system consist of: voltage drops in the electrical system.
• Excitation transformer

• Thyristor rectifier bridge

• Equipment for de-excitation

• Equipment for field flashing Excitation transformer

The purpose of the excitation transformer is to adapt the
The excitation power is normally derived from the machine power supply voltage to the converter and to isolate the field
 ynamic capability curve with the indication of the operation point
D Transfer functions screen with a real and iterative representation of terminal bus and is conducted via the rectifier bridge into the winding from the power supply. The transformers are sized by
and HyCon Thyricon Limiters AVR Loop, access to all parameters and allowance of parameter
field winding of the synchronous machine. Power necessary our experts to meet the most demanding requirements from
changing from the operator panel
for voltage build-up at start is supplied via the field flashing customer around the world, compliant with regional and glob-
equipment. al standards.

In most of the static excitation systems, the rectifier bridge is fed by the generator itself.

Digital voltage
regulator
Ua, b, c
PLC
Ia, b, c
Exc.
transformer
Highly flexible data logger can be configured to record machine and Built-in data logging and real-time trend from the operator panel
excitation behavior during any condition, such as a trip or an allow testing of the system without external loggers or computers
electrical transient

Field
flashing

De-excitation and field Rectifier bridge

current measurement and firing card

Ua, b, c

Generator

Waveform Generator: HMI integrated tool for frequency response, Configurable Alarm Matrix, available from the operator panel
step response and PRBS analyzes

12 13
Thyristor rectifier bridge It should also be able to carry the field forcing current received De-excitation Field circuit overvoltage protection
The converter, a fully controlled bridge, consists of a thyristor at ceiling voltage as described above. The normal field forcing Special measures have to be taken to break the DC current The purpose of the field overvoltage protection (crowbar)
stack, firing card and the necessary equipment for supervision time is 5 to 60 seconds, depending on project specifics. To and discharge the energy stored in the field winding of the is to prevent excessive voltages in the field circuit that
and cooling. Each thyristor stack is connected as a three- achieve higher reliability, the excitation equipment can be sup- machine. Otherwise very high voltages occur, which can dam- might otherwise arise during certain unfavorable transient fault
phase, six-pulse bridge. This connection allows the converter plied with redundant thyristor bridges. Redundancy is either age both the excitation equipment and the rotor winding. In conditions, such as incorrect synchronization or loss of syn-
to operate as a rectifier as well as an inverter. performed as a 1 + 1 system with one bridge in operation and case a ­generator electrical fault should occur, it is also very chronism. The overvoltage protection is incorporated in the
the other one in hot stand-by or as an N + 1 system from important to de-excite the generator as fast as possible. de-excitation equipment. It consists of two thyristors con-
The thyristors are protected against short circuits by means of which one bridge can be disconnected. In case of a 1 + 1 Two different methods can be offered: nected in anti-parallel in series with the discharge resistor and
a quick-acting fuse in each branch or phase. Protection ­system, each bridge is designed for rated load. In case of an • De-excitation is performed by an excitation circuit breaker a overvoltage detection device (ODD). The ODD triggers the
against voltage transients is achieved by RC circuits (snub- N + 1 system, the bridges are designed for rated load with one connected on the AC or DC side of the converter, and a thyristor fires when the voltage in either direction across the
bers). For efficient cooling, the thyristors are clamped into heat bridge out of service. de-excitation thyristor connected in series with the de- field winding exceeds the protection level chosen with the trig-
sinks that can be natural, or more demanding systems can excitation resistor on the DC side parallel to field winding. gering unit and short-circuits the field winding through the dis-
have closed loop cooling upon request.The thyristor converter Field flashing • De-excitation is performed by by a DC field breaker with a charge ­resistor. The ODD is an independent device, which
is controlled by the digital voltage regulator via the firing card. When the excitation equipment is supplied from the generator make-before-break pole. The breaker disconnects the doesn’t need power supply to work and has fast response in
This card converts the output signal from the regulator to trig- terminals, it is necessary to supply the field winding of the rectifier from the field winding. the order of micro seconds.
ger pulses, with correct phase shift compared with the supply machine with a small current for a few seconds to initiate
voltage. the voltage build-up. The special circuit for field flashing The de-excitation resistor can be delivered both as linear and Protection
feeds current into the field winding until the voltage of the gen- non-linear type. The non-linear type is voltage dependant and In addition to the protection for different parts of the main
The supply voltage is determined by the required ceiling volt- erator through the excitation transformer is sufficient to supply de-excites the last third of the field energy faster than a linear circuit described above, dedicated devices, built-in functions or
age from the thyristor converter and is adapted to machine the converter. resistor. De-excitation during normal unit shutdown is achieved standalone relays protecting against the following are available:
data in each individual case. The ceiling voltage is critical for by ­reversing the field voltage. The excitation breaker is opened • Excitation transformer overcurrent / short circuit

the transient response of the generator voltage, and thereby HyCon Thyricon only needs an exceptionally low field current when the field current is zero, reducing the wear on breaker • Excitation transformer overtemperature

the contribution from the generator to the voltage stability in during field flashing, reducing the burden on battery systems. poles. • Rotor earth fault

the power line during disturbances. The ceiling voltage can be This is due to wide-range HyCon Thyricon firing card. The • Field overcurrent

tailored for customer and grid authority requirements. The thy- start-up energy is normally provided by the station battery.
ristor converter is sized for the continuous field current neces- Another solution available is to obtain the start-up energy from
sary for maximum long-term load on the machine. the station AC power supply via a transformer and a diode
rectifier bridge.

Examples of a HyCon Thyricon static excitation system Example of a HyCon Thyricon brushless excitation system
The wide-range operating voltage of the firing card
allows HyCon Thyricon to start only with the remanent
voltage. Nevertheless, field flashing is a must, as the
remanent voltage may be zero after long periods
without operation.

14 15
Brushless excitation system Documentation and quality assurance
On some generating units, the excitation system is realized The excitation power supply can also be derived from the local The excitation system is described in a set of instructions and HyCon Thyricon has undergone evaluation by independent
with a rotating electrical machine. Voith also has products in power supply or the generator terminal bus via a suitable drawings. Additional documents can be delivered depending third-party companies specializing in power system control. It
the portfolio to cover customer requirements for this applica- transformer for isolating and voltage adaptation. With supply on project requirements. was tested and evaluated in depth through hardware-in-the-
tion, its VBE series. The main advantage of this solution com- from the ­generator terminals, power for voltage build-up at loop simulation. Results were compared with mathematical
pared to DC rotating exciters and small size static exciters is start must be supplied via field flashing equipment. The con- • Operation and maintenance manual with models from an independent simulation tool. HyCon Thyricon
that the problems associated with the commutator and brush- trolled rectifier supplies adequate excitation power to the field − Technical specification meets or exceeds the most stringent requirements for high
es can be completely eliminated. The brushless system elimi- winding of the synchronous generator. The rotating diode rec- − Equipment ratings initial response excitation systems for both rotating and static
nates the slip rings and thus all current-carrying brushes, tifier does not allow the main exciter to supply negative volt- − Functional description applications. The implemented control loops can be fully
preventing carbon dust issues. Footprint is also reduced; as age or current to the generator field. During de-excitation, the − Operation instructions modeled with IEEE 421 predefined models.
all power parts are rotating with the generator, only a small exciter field breaker is opened and the exciter field is de-ener- − Troubleshooting guide
voltage regulator is required. The brushless excitation system gized through the d ­ ischarge circuit. The field winding of the • Layout
can be used for any synchronous generator. synchronous generator is then de-energized through the di- • Circuit diagram
ode rectifier mounted on the generator shaft. The AVR con- • Test report
Main components sists a controller with a small power converter based on a
The main power circuits included in the brushless excitation one- or two-quadrant DC chopper. The specification, design, manufacturing, testing and commis-
system consist of: sioning of the voltage regulator as well as the complete excita-
• Power supply Protection tion system are executed under high quality standards and
• Rotating diode rectifier Common protections and supervisions that are available: requirements. Prior to delivery, each system is subjected to a
• Digital voltage regulator with small rectifier module • Detection of diode faults in the rotating rectifier of test and verification procedure. The verification covers every
• Rotating brushless exciter the main exciter unit according to a pre-defined inspection and test plan.
• Field overcurrent protection

The excitation power is normally derived from a PMG (a pilot • Earth fault protection; to be connected to an auxiliary

AC exciter of permanent magnet type) and is conducted via slip ring in the main generator field
the controlled converter equipment into the field winding of the • AVR converter failure

main exciter.

Voith HyCon brushless excitation system diagram

Digital voltage
regulator

Ua, b, c PLC
Local power
Exc. supply
Ia, b, c transformer
(optional)

Field
flashing
(optional)
De-excitation
and field current Rectifier
measurement module

Pilot
exciter

De-excitation
Generator Exciter circuit

16 17
Technical data References in recent years
General data for control and regulation circuits. Concerning
data for main circuit, please see specification available for the
project.

Technical data 2013 Lanforsen, Sweden 2017 Yacyreta, Argentina

4 x 14 MVA, Thyricon 400 2 x 172.5 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600
Auxiliary / electronics supply voltage DC 24 V or 48 – 250 Vdc

AC 110 – 240 Vac 2013 Agua Vermelha, Brazil 2017 Coo, Belgium

5 x 250 MVA, Thyricon 500 6 x 230 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600
Measuring circuits Voltage 1, 2 or 3 phases Max. 500 V

Current, 1, 2 or 3 phases Max. 100 A per 1 s 2014 Ingula, South Africa 2018 LTK, Thailand
Frequency 50 / 60 Hz 4 x 373 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600 2 x 282 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 500

Load < 0.1 VA / phase
2014 Beyhan I, Turkey 2018 Tarbela 4, Pakistan
Regulating accuracy – + /-  0.1  % 3 x 235 + 1 x 38 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600 3 x 522 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600

Ambient temperature Storage -40 – +70 °C

2015 Red Rock, US 2019 Tucuruí, Brazil
Operation 0 – +50 °C 3 x 27 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 400 11 x 390 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600
Protection degree With self-cooled bridges Max. IP32

With forced cooling Max. IP43

2015 Teles Pires, Brazil 2019 Tatev, Armenia
3 x 404 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600 3 x 67 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 600
With air-water heat exchanger Max. IP54

Environment conditions No condensation permitted 95 % (space heaters will be added as 2016 Stornorrfors, Sweden 2020 Brekke, Norway
required to reach this) 3 x 155 MVA + 1 x 206 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 300 2 x 4.5 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 400

Rodents and termite free –

2016 Paute Molino, Equador 2020 Kirchbichl, Austria
Up to 1 000 m. a. s. l. Higher altitudes on request 5 x 111 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 500 1 x 20 MVA, HyCon Thyricon 300
Power section input Voltage range 5 – 2 000 V

Frequency 5 – 500 Hz

Applicable codes IEEE Std. 421.1-2007 Criteria and definitions 1 Red Rock, USA

IEEE Std. 421.2-2014 Guide for identification of dynamic 2 Tarbela, Pakistan

performance

IEEE Std. 421.3-2016 Standard for pigh-potential test

requirements for excitation
1 2
IEEE Std. 421.4-2014 Guide for the preparation of
excitation system specification

IEEE Std. 421.5-2016 Excitation system models for PSS-studies

IEC 60034-16-1 (2011) Excitation systems for synchronous

machines

18 19
 VH3387, en, vvk, 2021-02. All data and information without obligation. Subject to change.

Voith Group
Voith Hydro Holding GmbH & Co. KG
Alexanderstr. 11
89522 Heidenheim, Germany

Contact:
Phone +49 7321 37-9990
digital-hydro@voith.com
www.voith.com/digitalhydro