Brushless starter generator

• US 10,584,671 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Tunzini, Marc, Le Guerroue, Eric, Bedjai, Stanislas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US16/306,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 290 2, 290 46, 322 10, 363 37
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/268 Starting drives for the rotor , acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/087 Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0896 Inverters for electric machines, e.g. starter-generators
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/05 Rectifiers associated with casings, enclosures or brackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2211/03 Machines characterised by circuit boards, e.g. pcb
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/20 Structural association with auxiliary dynamo-electric machines, e.g. with electric starter motors or exciters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/03 with brushless excitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/0241 the fault being an overvoltage

Abstract

A brushless starter generator includes a main electric machine and an exciter comprising a stator, comprising a direct-current stator winding and an alternating-current stator winding, and a rotor comprising rotor windings; an alternator regulator that is intended to be connected to the direct-current stator winding via first and second direct-current electrical lines and intended to supply electrical power to the direct-current stator winding when the starter generator is operating in generator mode in order to generate a voltage at the output of the stator of the main electric machine and an SBU starter regulator supplying electrical power to the alternating-current stator winding and the stator windings of the main electric machine when the starter generator is operating in starter mode. The starter generator comprises an electrical connection device that is arranged and configured to establish an electrical connection between the two electrical lines. The alternating-current stator winding is provided with electrical power by means of the starter regulator.

Claims

1. A brushless starter generator, said starter generator being capable of operating in starter mode so as to rotate said shaft in order to start a turbomachine or in synchronous electric generator mode so as to transform mechanical energy delivered by the turbomachine into electrical energy, the starter generator comprising:

a main electric machine having a stator comprising stator windings and a rotor comprising a rotor winding and intended to be coupled to the turbomachine;

a rotary rectifier;

an exciter comprising a stator, comprising a direct-current stator winding and an alternating-current stator winding, and a rotor comprising rotor windings that are connected to the rotor winding of the main electric machine via the rotary rectifier, the rotors of the main electric machine and of the exciter being intended to be mechanically coupled to the turbomachine;

an alternator regulator that is intended to be connected to the direct-current stator winding via the first and second direct-current electrical lines and intended to supply electrical power to the direct-current stator winding when the starter generator is operating in generator mode in order to generate a voltage at the output of the stator of the main electric machine;

an SBU starter regulator that is intended to supply electrical power to the alternating-current stator winding and the stator windings of the main electric machine when the starter generator is operating in starter mode,

wherein it comprises an electrical connection device that is arranged and configured to establish an electrical connection between the two electrical lines when the starter generator is operating in starter mode.

2. The starter generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical connection device is configured to establish an electrical connection between the two electrical lines over the entire duration over which the alternating-current AC stator winding is being supplied with alternating current by the starter regulator.

3. The starter generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection device comprises a connection element that is electrically connected both to the first electrical line and to the second electrical line and allows, when it is in a first, closed state, an electrical connection to be established between the first electrical line and the second electrical line and, when it is in a second, open state, this electrical connection between the first line and the second line to be removed.

4. The starter generator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connection device comprises a control means allowing the switching of the connection element between the first, closed state and the second, open state to be controlled, the control means being configured to place the connection element in the first, closed state when the starter generator is operating in starter mode and to place the connection element in the second, open state when the starter generator is operating in generator mode.

5. The starter generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection device comprises a connection element comprising an ohmic conductor that is electrically connected both to the first electrical line and to the second electrical line.

6. The starter generator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrical resistance of the ohmic conductor is higher than that of the direct-current stator winding.

7. The starter generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection device comprises a connection element that is connected both to the first electrical line and to the second electrical line, and wherein the connection element is attached to the alternator regulator.

8. The starter generator as claimed in claim 7, comprising a rotary machine comprising the main machine, the exciter and a casing enclosing the main machine and the exciter, said starter generator comprising a regulator assembly comprising the alternator regulator and the connection element, the regulator assembly and the rotary machine forming two objects that are electrically connected or intended to be electrically connected to one another.

9. The starter generator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the alternator regulator comprises a first regulator allowing the supply current and/or voltage of the direct-current stator winding to be regulated, the first regulator comprising power components that are electrically connected to one another by conductive tracks that are formed on a printed circuit board, the connection element being added to the printed circuit board.

10. The starter generator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connection device comprises a connection element that is connected both to the first electrical line and to the second electrical line, and wherein the alternator regulator comprises a first support and a first regulator that is supplied with direct current and allows the supply current and/or voltage of the direct-current stator winding to be regulated, wherein the first support is a housing accommodating the first regulator and the connection element.

11. The starter generator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the starter regulator comprises a single-phase inverter and a three-phase inverter that are attached to the alternator regulator.

12. The starter generator as claimed in claim 1, comprising a rotary machine comprising the main electric machine and the exciter and a casing accommodating the main electric machine and the exciter, wherein the connection device comprises a connection element that is connected both to the first electrical line and to the second electrical line, the connection element being attached to the casing.

13. The starter generator as claimed in claim 12, wherein the connection element is accommodated in the casing.

14. The starter generator as claimed in claim 12, comprising a transformer assembly comprising the rotary machine and the connection element, the transformer assembly and the alternator regulator forming two objects that are electrically connected or intended to be electrically connected to one another.

15. The starter generator as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electrical resistance of the ohmic conductor is higher than that of the direct-current stator winding, and

wherein the alternator regulator is attached to the casing.

16. The starter generator as claimed in claim 14, wherein the connection device comprises a connection element that is connected both to the first electrical line and to the second electrical line, and wherein the connection element is attached to the alternator regulator, and

wherein the connection element is attached to the casing via said printed circuit board or the housing.

17. The starter generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the direct-current stator winding and the alternating-current stator winding are mounted substantially in phase quadrature so as to limit the voltage induced in the direct-current stator winding when the starter generator is operating in starter mode.