Electric drivetrain of a device, and gas compression equipment including such a drivetrain

• US 20140161646A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Taillardat, Jean-Marc
• Granted Patent: US 9,276,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/410.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/14 Arrangements for reducing ripples from dc input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/10 arranged for operation in series, e.g. for multiplication of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/487 Neutral point clamped inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/14 with three or more levels of voltage

Abstract

An electric drivetrain of a device, such as a gas compression device, includes an electric machine and a system for supplying power to the electric machine, the electric machine including a rotor and a stator. The electric machine is an asynchronous electric machine, and the power supply system is suitable for supplying voltage to the stator of the electric machine, the power supply system making up a source of voltage.

Claims

1. An electric drivetrain for a device, such as a gas compression device, the drivetrain comprising:

an electric machine comprising;

a power supply system;

a rotor; and

a stator,

wherein the electric machine is an asynchronous electric machine, and the power supply system is configured to supply voltage to the stator of the electric machine, wherein the power supply system making up a source of voltage.

2. The drivetrain according to claim 1, wherein the power supply system is further configured to be electrically connected to an AC electrical grid comprising N phases, N being a whole number greater than or equal to one, wherein the power supply system comprises:

N connection terminals configured to connect to the AC electrical grid, wherein each of the N connection terminals corresponds to a phase of the AC electrical grid;

P terminals configured to connect to the stator of the electric machine, P being a whole number greater than or equal to one;

a first conversion device configured to convert AC voltage comprising N phases to at least one DC voltage; and

a second conversion device configured to convert at least one DC voltage to AC voltage comprising P phases, the second conversion device being connected between the first conversion device and the stator of the electric machine.

3. The drivetrain according to claim 2, wherein the first conversion device comprises M1 first conversion modules configured to convert AC input voltage to DC output voltage, M1 being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the M1 first conversion modules being connected in parallel to each other, each of the M1 first conversion modules comprising at least N first intermediate input terminals, each of the at least N first intermediate input terminals corresponding to a phase of the AC input voltage, each of the M1 first conversion module being configured to convert the AC input voltage having N phases into intermediate DC voltage supplied to multiple first intermediate output terminals.

4. The drivetrain according to claim 2, wherein the second conversion device comprises M2 second conversion modules configured to convert DC input voltage to AC output voltage, M2 being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the M2 second conversion modules being connected in parallel to each other, each of the M2 second conversion modules comprising three second intermediate input terminals, each of the M2 second conversion module being configured to convert one of the intermediate DC voltages to AC output voltage comprising P phases and supplied in P second intermediate output terminals, at least one of the P second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a phase of the AC output voltage, and the second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a same phase being connected to the corresponding connection terminal.

5. The drivetrain according to claim 3, wherein the second conversion device comprises M2 second conversion modules configured to convert DC input voltage to AC output voltage, M2 being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the M2 second conversion modules being connected in parallel to each other, each of the M2 second conversion modules comprising three second intermediate input terminals, each of the M2 second conversion module being configured to convert one of the intermediate DC voltages to AC output voltage comprising P phases and supplied in P second intermediate output terminals, at least one of the P second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a phase of the AC output voltage, and the second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a same phase being connected to the corresponding connection terminal.

6. The drivetrain according to claim 5, wherein the power supply system further comprises M capacitor banks, M being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, each of the M capacitor banks comprising at least one capacitor, and wherein the whole numbers M, M1 and M2 are equal to each other, the M first modules and the M second modules each being connected to a corresponding bank of capacitors.

7. The drivetrain according to claim 4, wherein each of the M2 second conversion modules comprises a voltage inverter with P phases connected to the three second intermediate input terminals, and a magnetic coupling connected to the output side of the voltage inverter.

8. The drivetrain according to claim 7, wherein each of the voltage inverters comprises P switching paths, each of the P switching paths comprising at least two controllable electronic switches connected in series at a connection point, each of the connection points being connected to the magnetic coupling, and the power supply system further comprises a calculator configured to calculate the control signals of the at least two controllable electronic switches of the voltage inverters, and to produce a time lag of the carrier signals of at least two corresponding voltage inverters.

9. The drivetrain according to claim 3, wherein each of the M1 first conversion modules comprises N first intermediate input terminals, a magnetic coupling connected to the N first intermediate input terminals, and a voltage rectifier with N phases connected to the output side of the magnetic coupling.

10. The drivetrain according to claim 9, wherein the voltage rectifier comprises N switching paths, each of the N switching paths comprising at least two controllable electronic switches connected in series at a connection point, each of the connection points being connected to the magnetic coupling.

11. The drivetrain according to claim 8, wherein the voltage rectifier comprises N switching paths, each of the N switching paths comprising at least two controllable electronic switches connected in series at a connection point, each of the connection points being connected to the magnetic coupling, and wherein the power supply system is configured to synchronize the switching of the electronic switches of each switching path of each voltage rectifier and each voltage inverter.

12. The drivetrain according to claim 3, wherein the M1 first conversion modules comprise N×

Q first intermediate input terminals, Q being a greater than or equal to two, and a voltage rectifier with N phases connected to the first intermediate input terminals, the voltage rectifier with N phases comprising Q diode bridges connected in series, each of the Q diode bridges comprising N paths of one-way circulation of a current, each of the N paths of one-way circulation of a current comprising at least two diodes connected in series at a connection point, each of the connection points being connected to one of the first intermediate input terminals.

13. A gas compression equipment, comprising:

a gas compression device; and

an electric drivetrain for the compression device, wherein the electric drivetrain comprises;

an electric machine comprising;

a power supply system;

a rotor; and

a stator,

wherein the electric machine is an asynchronous electric machine, and the power supply system is configured to supply voltage to the stator of the electric machine, wherein the power supply system making up a source of voltage.

14. The gas compression equipment according to claim 13, wherein the power supply system is further configured to be electrically connected to an AC electrical grid comprising N phases, N being a whole number greater than or equal to one, wherein the power supply system comprises:

N connection terminals configured to connect to the AC electrical grid, wherein each of the N connection terminals corresponds to a phase of the AC electrical grid;

P terminals configured to connect to the stator of the electric machine, P being a whole number greater than or equal to one;

a first conversion device configured to convert AC voltage comprising N phases to at least one DC voltage; and

a second conversion device configured to convert at least one DC voltage to AC voltage comprising P phases, the second conversion device being connected between the first conversion device and the stator of the electric machine.

15. The gas compression equipment according to claim 14, wherein the first conversion device comprises M1 first conversion modules configured to convert AC input voltage to DC output voltage, M1 being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the M1 first conversion modules being connected in parallel to each other, each of the M1 first conversion modules comprising at least N first intermediate input terminals, each of the at least N first intermediate input terminals corresponding to a phase of the AC input voltage, each of the M1 first conversion module being configured to convert the AC input voltage having N phases into intermediate DC voltage supplied to multiple first intermediate output terminals.

16. The gas compression equipment according to claim 14, wherein the second conversion device comprises M2 second conversion modules configured to convert DC input voltage to AC output voltage, M2 being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the M2 second conversion modules being connected in parallel to each other, each of the M2 second conversion modules comprising three second intermediate input terminals, each of the M2 second conversion module being configured to convert one of the intermediate DC voltages to AC output voltage comprising P phases and supplied in P second intermediate output terminals, at least one of the P second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a phase of the AC output voltage, and the second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a same phase being connected to the corresponding connection terminal.

17. The gas compression equipment according to claim 15, wherein the second conversion device comprises M2 second conversion modules configured to convert DC input voltage to AC output voltage, M2 being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the M2 second conversion modules being connected in parallel to each other, each of the M2 second conversion modules comprising three second intermediate input terminals, each of the M2 second conversion module being configured to convert one of the intermediate DC voltages to AC output voltage comprising P phases and supplied in P second intermediate output terminals, at least one of the P second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a phase of the AC output voltage, and the second intermediate output terminals corresponding to a same phase being connected to the corresponding connection terminal.

18. The gas compression equipment according to claim 17, wherein the power supply system further comprises M capacitor banks, M being a whole number greater than or equal to 2, each of the M capacitor banks comprising at least one capacitor, and wherein the whole numbers M, M1 and M2 are equal to each other, the M first modules and the M second modules each being connected to a corresponding bank of capacitors.

19. The gas compression equipment according to claim 16, wherein each of the M2 second conversion modules comprises a voltage inverter with P phases connected to the three second intermediate input terminals, and a magnetic coupling connected to the output side of the voltage inverter.

20. The gas compression equipment according to claim 19, wherein each of the voltage inverters comprises P switching paths, each of the P switching paths comprising at least two controllable electronic switches connected in series at a connection point, each of the connection points being connected to the magnetic coupling, and the power supply system further comprises a calculator configured to calculate the control signals of the at least two controllable electronic switches of the voltage inverters, and to produce a time lag of the carrier signals of at least two corresponding voltage inverters.