Exciter Maintenance Best Prevention of Forced Outages

Problem: Exciters are particularly susceptible to dirt and other contamination. Regular inspections and testing are the best preventative against an exciter-induced forced outage and will keep your system running reliably. Many owners perform some regimen of inspections and testing in-house, although depending on in-house resources, some may need help with additional tests or a higher level of expertise for diagnosis of problems. Dirt, contamination or other debris coming in contact with high-voltage parts can cause shorts or grounds to develop. Time, stress and heat have long-term impacts on the glass banding, which can fray or fail. Phase lead cracking can be initiated by the failure of the phase lead riser band. Arcing damage can occur, as well as deformation of the phase lead connectors.