Étude sur l’utilisation de l’aluminium en remplacement du cuivre pour l’enroulement statorique des alternateurs hydroélectriques de grande puissance

Hydroelectric generators are among the most important equipment for energy production on the power grid. In a context of accelerating energy transition, major investments are required to keep this equipment operating and to meet growing energy demand. Copper used in the stator winding of hydroelectric generators is considered one of the critical materials for the energy transition. Forecasts show that demand will significantly exceed supply from 2030 for this material, thus generating a significant risk in terms of supply and planning of investment projects. Aluminum is the main option for replacing copper, and is already used in several applications such as power transformers, electric motors and cables. However, this option still requires further investigation in the case of high-power hydroelectric generators. The main objective of this research project is to evaluate the applicability of using aluminum to replace copper in the stator winding of hydroelectric alternators operating at high voltage. The work will be oriented from the point of view of electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical aspects, but also technical-economic and environmental aspects.