When the main back-up generator failed at an NHS hospital in Ireland, their engineering team initially contacted the OEM who dismantled it and advised that it was beyond economic repair. They offered a replacement unit at a cost of £60,000 and a 30-week delivery time. As this was such a critical asset, it was sent to RJW’s Liverpool Electrical Services Workshop for evaluation.
Our challenge was to provide a solution which restored back-up generation to the hospital in the shortest possible time, and which was cost-effective. The dismantled unit was received into our workshop from the OEM. The 2800kVA unit had to be inspected and fully tested by RJW’s Electrical Services Team to establish if an effective and robust repair was possible.
Testing established that the unit could be brought back into service at a substantially lower cost than purchasing a new unit, and without delay. The repair consisted of a complete rewind of the main stator (see photo) and the alternator was given a full overhaul. A full electrical testing program verified the repair, alongside thermographic and vibration analysis. It was driven and separately excited producing 400V balanced. The work was completed in four weeks and at a fraction of the price of a new generator.
