Test results of 50 MVA superconducting generator

A 50 MVA superconducting synchronous generator with a superconducting field winding was developed. This paper describes its features and test results. The saddle-shaped field winding, impregnated with epoxy resin, was mounted on a torque tube and fastened with prestressed non-magnetic stainless steel wires. A free convection cooling system, which uses the thermosiphon effect, was adopted for the field winding. Cooldown of the rotor was carried out with a constant liquid helium feed rate of 50 l/h and it was completed smoothly within about 40 hours. After that, the rotor could rotate stably at 3600 rpm. Electrical tests of no-load, short-circuit and sudden short-circuit characteristics were also carried out. Finally, the 50 MVA generator was connected to a power network and confirmed to operate successfully for 80 minutes as a syncronous condenser with a small capacity.