Method and apparatus for controlling a microturbine

• US 20030222458A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cardinal, Mark Edward, Garces, Luis Jose, Sinha, Gautam, Dame, Mark Edward
• Granted Patent: US 6,924,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/7
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/268 Starting drives for the rotor , acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a microturbine, the apparatus comprising: a rectifier adapted for converting at least one generated voltage from the microturbine to a DC link voltage; an inverter adapted for converting the DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, the at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus; a starter drive adapted for converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, the at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to the external power bus, the at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to the microturbine.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a microturbine, said apparatus comprising:

a rectifier adapted for converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage;

an inverter adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, said at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus;

a starter drive adapted for converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, said at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to said external power bus, said at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to said microturbine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said microturbine to provide said at least one generated voltage from said microturbine;

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a starter contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said at least one starter output voltage to said microturbine.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inverter further comprises:

a converter stage adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one unfiltered output voltage; and

a filter stage adapted for filtering said at least one unfiltered output voltage to produce said at least one inverter output voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fault contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said external power bus to said at least one inverter output voltage and said at least one starter input voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said starter drive further comprises:

a starter rectifier adapted for converting said at least one starter input voltage to a starter link voltage; and

a starter inverter adapted for converting said starter link voltage to said at least one starter output voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rectifier further comprises:

a rectification stage adapted for converting said at least one generated voltage to an intermediate DC voltage; and

a buck/boost stage adapted for converting said intermediate DC voltage to said DC link voltage.

8. An apparatus for controlling a microturbine, said apparatus comprising:

a rectifier adapted for converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage;

an inverter adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, said at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus;

a starter drive adapted for converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, said at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to said external power bus, said at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to said microturbine;

a contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said microturbine to provide said at least one generated voltage from said microturbine; and

a starter contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said at least one starter output voltage to said microturbine.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said inverter further comprises:

a converter stage adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one unfiltered output voltage; and

a filter stage adapted for filtering said at least one unfiltered output voltage to produce said at least one inverter output voltage.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a fault contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said external power bus to said at least one inverter output voltage and said at least one starter input voltage.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said starter drive further comprises:

a starter rectifier adapted for converting said at least one starter input voltage to a starter link voltage; and

a starter inverter adapted for converting said starter link voltage to said at least one starter output voltage.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said rectifier further comprises:

a rectification stage adapted for converting said at least one generated voltage to an intermediate DC voltage; and

a buck/boost stage adapted for converting said intermediate DC voltage to said DC link voltage.

13. A system comprising:

a microturbine;

a rectifier adapted for converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage;

an inverter adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, said at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus;

a starter drive adapted for converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, said at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to said external power bus, said at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to said microturbine.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said microturbine to provide said at least one generated voltage from said microturbine;

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a starter contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said at least one starter output voltage to said microturbine.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said inverter further comprises:

a converter stage adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one unfiltered output voltage; and

a filter stage adapted for filtering said at least one unfiltered output voltage to produce said at least one inverter output voltage.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a fault contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said external power bus to said at least one inverter output voltage and said at least one starter input voltage.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said starter drive further comprises:

a starter rectifier adapted for converting said at least one starter input voltage to a starter link voltage; and

a starter inverter adapted for converting said starter link voltage to said at least one starter output voltage.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein said rectifier further comprises:

a rectification stage adapted for converting said at least one generated voltage to an intermediate DC voltage; and

a buck/boost stage adapted for converting said intermediate DC voltage to said DC link voltage.

20. A system comprising:

a microturbine;

a rectifier adapted for converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage;

an inverter adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, said at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus;

a starter drive adapted for converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, said at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to said external power bus, said at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to said microturbine;

a contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said microturbine to provide said at least one generated voltage from said microturbine; and

a starter contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said at least one starter output voltage to said microturbine.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said inverter further comprises:

a converter stage adapted for converting said DC link voltage to at least one unfiltered output voltage; and

a filter stage adapted for filtering said at least one unfiltered output voltage to produce said at least one inverter output voltage.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising a fault contactor adapted for controllably electrically coupling said external power bus to said at least one inverter output voltage and said at least one starter input voltage.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said starter drive further comprises:

a starter rectifier adapted for converting said at least one starter input voltage to a starter link voltage; and

a starter inverter adapted for converting said starter link voltage to said at least one starter output voltage.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein said rectifier further comprises:

a rectification stage adapted for converting said at least one generated voltage to an intermediate DC voltage; and

a buck/boost stage adapted for converting said intermediate DC voltage to said DC link voltage.

25. A method for controlling a microturbine, said method comprising:

converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage;

converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, said at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus;

converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, said at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to said external power bus, said at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to said microturbine.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising controllably electrically coupling said microturbine to provide said at least one generated voltage from said microturbine;

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising controllably electrically coupling said at least one starter output voltage to said microturbine.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage further comprises:

converting said DC link voltage to at least one unfiltered output voltage; and

a filter stage adapted for filtering said at least one unfiltered output voltage to produce said at least one inverter output voltage.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising controllably electrically coupling said external power bus to said at least one inverter output voltage and said at least one starter input voltage.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage further comprises:

converting said at least one starter input voltage to a starter link voltage; and

converting said starter link voltage to said at least one starter output voltage.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage further comprises:

converting said at least one generated voltage to an intermediate DC voltage; and

converting said intermediate DC voltage to said DC link voltage.

32. A method for controlling a microturbine, said method comprising:

converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage;

converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage, said at least one inverter output voltage being electrically coupled to an external power bus;

converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage, said at least one starter input voltage being electrically coupled to said external power bus, said at least one starter output voltage being electrically coupled to said microturbine;

controllably electrically coupling said microturbine to provide said at least one generated voltage from said microturbine; and

controllably electrically coupling said at least one starter output voltage to said microturbine.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of converting said DC link voltage to at least one inverter output voltage further comprises:

converting said DC link voltage to at least one unfiltered output voltage; and

a filter stage adapted for filtering said at least one unfiltered output voltage to produce said at least one inverter output voltage.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising controllably electrically coupling said external power bus to said at least one inverter output voltage and said at least one starter input voltage.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of converting at least one starter input voltage to at least one starter output voltage further comprises:

converting said at least one starter input voltage to a starter link voltage; and

converting said starter link voltage to said at least one starter output voltage.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of converting at least one generated voltage from said microturbine to a DC link voltage further comprises:

converting said at least one generated voltage to an intermediate DC voltage; and

converting said intermediate DC voltage to said DC link voltage.