Practical Modal Analysis of a Prototyped Hydrogenerator

The vibration on the stator core of hydrogenerators caused by electromagnetic forces is an important factor affecting the reliability and long-lasting operation of a machine. For a suitable addressment of the problem, it is necessary to accurately predict the eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies of the mechanical system. However, different results for the eigenfrequencies can be achieved depending on the applied model and material parameters. This work contributes to solving this issue by investigating the impact of different input parameters on the eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies calculated by analytical and numerical models. The results are discussed and compared to measurements performed on a prototyped 732 kVA hydrogenerator.