Mitigation and Prevention of Ground Faults in Water-Cooled Generators: A Case Study of Water Box Failures

In water-cooled generators, the water constitutes a primary risk to the stator winding, since leakage can result in ground faults between the stator bars and the surrounding structure. One common source of leakage is the water box joints. There are several factors that contribute to these faults, including improper soldering, end-winding vibration, and arcing at the strand wire connections. These issues can be monitored and corrected through targeted maintenance strategies. Generally, inspection of critical areas during scheduled maintenance is crucial for mitigating potential water leakage risks, especially at the stator winding connection points.