Multi-stress aging of stator bars with electrical, thermal, and mechanical stresses as simultaneous acceleration factors

Accelerated aging tests have been carried on stator bars under simultaneous electrical, thermal and mechanical multi-stress conditions, using a simulated three-phase model stator. Over each thermal load cycle, the partial discharge activity has been found to be a strong function of temperature. Tests at twice rated electrical stress did not result in any bar specimen failures up to a total of 1500 load cycles. However, when the three phase load current was increased above its rated value, current-limited type failures were observed to occur below 1000 load cycles, thereby indicating a marked influence of thermal and mechanical stresses associated with the elevated three phase load current.