Variable High-speed Induction Motor Systems & Alternative Methods of Machine Online Monitoring @ IEEE PCIC New Orleans 2023

This year the IEEE IAS PCIC conference took place from September 7 to 14 in New Orleans. GE Vernova Power Conversion actively participated in this event with its delegation led by Rob Freeman. All our thanks go to the organizing teams chaired by Kevin Peterson and Dean Ruiz who did an outstanding job. I was able to participate in the API541 commission on September 7&8 in which the committee of experts, led by Bill Lockley and Dennis Bogh, notably improved the paragraphs relating to anti-friction bearings and vertical axis motors.

Our thanks also go to the "Electrochemical and Emerging Technology" committee chaired by Greg Clement & Richard Anderson. This sub-committee, during its general meeting, presented the progress of subsea technologies being deployed in Australia by Chevron. We want to thank also all the reviewers who helped improve the quality of our first publication entitled " Alternative Technology Trends and Returns of Experience of Compression Services Driven by Variable High-speed Induction Motors Systems " co-written by Edouard Thibaut from TotalEnergies, Alexandre Krall from SKF-S2M, Mustapha Bouchakour and Lionel Durantay from GE Vernova Power Conversion.

Over the past three decades, the introduction of high-speed induction motors has enabled the electrification of various compression services. This paper aims to provide feedback from end user and manufacturer of compression trains using direct electric drives. Technology trends of the squirrel cage induction motor are highlighted in this paper up to 130MW, with a special focus of on 80MW induction motor. This first part of this paper describes the theory and the different technologies of 2-pole induction motors for direct drive systems, with a special focus on the advantages of the high-speed laminated core rotor piloted by Neutral Point Piloted technology for both Inverter and Active Front End threads. It presents the technology coverage of induction motors and voltage frequency drives up to 150 MW, including the use of active magnetic bearings as a replacement for oil lubricated bearings, and replacement for gas and steam turbines.

The second part reviews the existing architectures of electric compression trains in operation, commissioning, or design phases, for compressor services, covering standalone and integrated motor-compressor systems … focusing on three business cases operate by the End-user (TotalEnergies), including the biggest reference of high-speed motor on active magnetic bearings operating at 16MW@9,000rpm.

Returns of Experience and recommendations are also presented, focusing on the reasons that led the end-user to migrate their compression services to high-speed electric, including gas monetization, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and process flexibility, highlighting the benefits in term of CAPEX and OPEX.

The second paper of GE Vernova Power Conversion presented by Saeed Ul Haq and Madu TS Moorthy entitled “Alternative Methods of Machine Online Condition Monitoring – Recommendations for Rotating Machines in Petroleum and Chemical Industry” was widely followed by the participants.

In this paper, individual online tests and monitoring techniques were discussed on both synchronous and induction motors between 4kV and 13.8kV, including rotor flux monitoring, stator endwinding vibration monitoring, broken bar detection, stator inter-turn fault detection and online partial discharge monitoring.

Through its more than a century of experience in the design and use of electrical machines, GE Power Conversion demonstrates through these two papers and its teams, its experience, and its commitment to meeting the needs of these customers.