2000 Era Brushless Exciters - Maintenance and Refurbishment
The transition from commutator‑type DC exciters to brushless excitation systems in the mid‑1980s marked a major advancement in generator reliability by eliminating carbon‑dust accumulation, sparking, and frequent maintenance associated with brushes. Between 1990 and 2010, hundreds of brushless exciters were designed, manufactured, and deployed byBHEL across Indian power plants and industrial stations. Today, more than half of these units have already crossed their intended service life, and the remaining fleet is rapidly approaching end‑of‑life.
Field studies by MRTG engineers reveal a concerning pattern: many of these ageing exciters are operating under harsh conditions, with inoperative or mismatched diodes, severe contamination, degraded insulation, corroded hardware, and weakened mechanical assemblies. These issues, if unaddressed, pose significant risks to generator reliability and plant availability.
This webinar aims to build awareness among utilities, industries, and maintenance teams about the typical failure modes observed in legacy brushless exciters and the urgent need for structured condition assessment, maintenance and refurbishment. The session will highlight how MRTG—supported by former BHEL generator experts—provides OEM‑equivalent diagnostic services, refurbishment solutions, and reliability restoration for these ageing systems. Case studies will illustrate successful refurbishment of diode wheels, PMGs, rotating rectifier assemblies, and associated components.
The talk will also cover MRTG’s in‑house manufacturing capabilities, including power diodes, fuses, RC blocks, stroboscopes, multi‑contact pins, DC ring assemblies, PMGs, and PMG magnet assemblies—ensuring continuous support to customers with components built to OEM standards. Preventive maintenance practices, condition‑based monitoring, and recommended inspection intervals will be discussed to help users extend exciter life and avoid forced outages.
The session will additionally present MRTG’s collaborative work with JNTUA academic institution on diode failure mechanisms, offering deeper insights into reliability engineering for excitation systems. This webinar is intended to equip asset owners with practical knowledge, actionable maintenance strategies, and confidence in managing their ageing brushless exciter fleet.
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Dr. P. SHASHAVALI
Chairman,
RSC Hyderabad section - Co-sponsored by IEEE ANANTHAPURAMU SUB SECTION
Speakers
P G S KUMAR of MRTG Power Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad.
the principal architects behind the introduction and widespread adoption of brushless exciters for the Indian industrial
P. G. S. Kumar, Generator Specialist and former AGM of BHEL, is one of the principal architects behind the introduction and widespread adoption of brushless exciters for the Indian industrial power sector. With decades of hands‑on engineering experience, he has witnessed and resolved numerous failures across the entire fleet of brushless exciters installed since the 1990s. His deep understanding of the inner workings, design philosophy, failure mechanisms, and refurbishment pathways of these machines has guided utilities, OEMs, and service providers in restoring generator reliability. As Director (Technical) of MRTG Power Diagnostics, he has driven the development of OEM‑equivalent components such as power diodes, fuses, RC blocks, stroboscopes, multi‑contact pins, DC ring assemblies, PMGs, and magnet assemblies—ensuring continuous support for ageing excitation systems. His vision, field experience, and product development leadership have enabled MRTG to deliver dependable solutions to customers across the power sector. In this webinar, he will take participants through the evolution, challenges, and growth journey of brushless exciters, enriched with real case studies and practical insights from decades of field engagement.
Biography:
Generator Expert,
Former AGM, BHEL, HYderabad.
Address:Former AGM, BHEL, Hyderabad, India
K. K. Roy of MRTG Power Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad.
Technical insight spans design engineering, field performance, failure analysis, and reliability enhancement.
As Technical Advisor to MRTG Power Diagnostics, he has guided the refurbishment of diode‑wheel assemblies, rotating rectifier systems, and associated components, ensuring OEM‑equivalent quality and long‑term reliability for ageing fleets.
In this webinar, he will present case studies on revitalising ageing brushless exciters, highlighting practical refurbishment strategies, design improvements, and reliability‑driven interventions that have restored performance in numerous power plants. His extensive field knowledge and design legacy make him an invaluable voice in understanding the past, present, and future of brushless excitation systems.
Biography:
K. K. Roy, Generator Specialist and former Head of Engineering at BHEL, brings more than four decades of hands‑on experience with brushless exciters across a wide spectrum of designs and ratings. He is one of the principal designers behind the modern generation of brushless excitation systems and has played a pivotal role in their evolution, standardization, and growth within the Indian power sector. His deep technical insight spans design engineering, field performance, failure analysis, and reliability enhancement of excitation systems deployed over the last decades of years. His contributions include the development of the latest overhang‑type brushless exciters, which stand as a testament to his engineering leadership and innovation.
Address:Managing Director, MRTG Power Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad., Hyderabad, India
K. M. Reddy of MRTG Power Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad.
Dependable OEM‑equivalent source for the refurbishment and life‑extension of brushless excitation systems
The continuous monitoring of brushless exciters in the field, combined with a deep understanding of customer pain points, has enabled MRTG to respond rapidly to failures, supply critical components, and restore machines to reliable operation. Under his leadership, MRTG has developed in‑house capabilities for manufacturing power diodes, fuses, RC blocks, stroboscopes, multi‑contact pins, DC ring assemblies, PMGs, and PMG magnet assemblies—ensuring uninterrupted support for plants operating legacy excitation systems.
Reddy’s vision of creating a robust alternative to OEM supply chains has helped numerous customers overcome long lead times, obsolete components, and end‑of‑life equipment challenges. In this webinar, he will share insights on MRTG’s journey, customer success stories, and the strategic importance of building indigenous capability for exciter refurbishment and reliability enhancement.
Biography:
K. M. Reddy, Managing Director of MRTG Power Diagnostics, has been instrumental in establishing MRTG as a dependable OEM‑equivalent source for the refurbishment and life‑extension of brushless excitation systems across the power sector. With the strategic guidance of former BHEL generator specialists, he built MRTG into a technically strong, customer‑centric organization capable of supporting utilities and industries facing ageing exciter fleets and diminishing OEM availability.
Address:Former AGM , BHEL, Hyderabad, India
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