The Turbine Talk: One-on-one with National Electric Coil (NEC) at AMC 2026

National Electric Coil + Hanwha Power: Stator Winding Life Extension and How to Plan for It Before You Have To

Generator failures don't announce themselves on a schedule. What they usually announce is an unplanned outage at the worst possible time, with repair costs compounded by lost generation and, depending on grid conditions, obligations that don't pause because your stator winding gave out. Howard Moudy, Managing Director at National Electric Coil, sits down with Thomas Laird, Shaftline Engineer at Hanwha Power, to talk through what proactive stator life extension actually involves and why the planning matters as much as the execution.

National Electric Coil has been manufacturing high-voltage generator stator windings since 1917 and remains the largest independent manufacturer in the world. Their position outside the OEM structure gives plant owners an alternative path for rewinds, core work, and generator retrofits, one built around engineering judgment rather than proprietary parts programs.

This conversation covers the full scope of what a stator life extension involves, and it's more detailed than most treatment of the subject:

• Common stator deterioration causes: Voltage, thermal, and mechanical stresses all contribute, and the presentation explores which components are most affected and how degradation typically progresses.
• Replacement winding design and material options: What goes into designing a replacement winding for a specific machine, including material selection, qualification testing, manufacturing processes, and the quality considerations that most affect long-term reliability.
• Component reuse decisions: For major components not being replaced, the session addresses how to assess condition, what contingencies to build in, and when repair is a reasonable option versus when it isn't.
• GVPI machines: Global Vacuum Pressure Impregnated generators have been appearing in increasing numbers in the plant population, and premature failures in these machines are a growing problem. Moudy addresses the specific design and execution factors that make GVPI rewinds different.
• Resource and supply chain considerations: Candid discussion of the scheduling and cost realities that affect how stator life extension projects actually run, and how to manage them.

For anyone responsible for a plant's generator assets, this is a practical, technical conversation grounded in real project experience.