Design of the Los Alamos generator installation

A 1430 MVA synchronous generator from a cancelled nuclear power plant is being installed at Los Alamos to be used as the pulsed power generator for the Confinement Physics Research Facility. The generator is mounted on a spring foundation to avoid dynamic forces from being transmitted to the substructure and the ground. A 6 MW load-commutated inverter drive will accelerate the machine from standstill to the maximum operating speed of 1800 rpm and from 1260 rpm to 1800 rpm between load pulses. The generator cooling method is being changed from hydrogen to air cooling. A current limiting fuse, with a fuse clearing current of 80 kA, will protect the generator output against short circuit currents. Changes in the excitation system are described. A status report of the installation and an approximate schedule for completing the installation are presented. The paper also addresses results of special studies and tests undertaken to evaluate the condition of the generator and to predict the behavior of some critical mechanical generator components under pulsed loading conditions. 1 ref., 4 figs., 2 tabs