Brushless rotating exciter conversion to main field static exciter system

In the 1960s, many generator manufacturers began providing large scale brushless rotating exciters for use on a variety of turbine generator applications. The brushless exciters became increasingly popular in the 1970s through the present. Prior to brushless excited generators, rotating exciters were all rotating brush type which required brushes and commutators to rectify the voltage from ac to dc. Slip rings then apply the rectified dc voltage to the main field of the generator via the brushes, springs and holders. Today, in some applications, the brushless rotating exciter is being removed and a static exciter installed because of issues with the brushless exciter. This paper will discuss the retrofit process of a brushless rotating exciter to a static exciter main field system.