Development of a multifunctional testing platform for generator de-excitation switches

Abstract

Generator de-excitation switches are crucial devices for generator protection. Proper maintenance and testing are essential to ensure their optimal working condition. This study focuses on the CEX series de-excitation switches from LENOIR, France, and develops a multifunctional testing platform capable of measuring contact resistance, testing switch opening and closing, and evaluating synchronous performance. The platform utilizes coordinated control of supercapacitors and loop current control load components to generate a high-quality 1500 A constant current as the measuring power supply. This significantly reduces the volume of the high-current generation device and improves power density. A shunt and multi-channel synchronous recording module record the action status and time of each switch contact, with a recording accuracy of 0.2 ms + 0.1%FS, enabling multifunctional testing of the de-excitation switch.