Redundant Generator Control

• US 20170250570A1
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Frampton, Isaac S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,447,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/10 The dispersed energy generation being of fossil origin, e.g. diesel generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/066 characterised by the use of dynamo-electric machines H02J9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/068 Electronic means for switching from one power supply to another power supply, e.g. to avoid parallel connection

Abstract

A generator system may include redundant control. The generator system may include any combination of redundant controllers, redundant communication paths, or other redundant control. A generator system may include an electrical bus, a first generator controller, and the second generator controller. The first generator controller may control a first generator breaker for connecting a first generator to the electrical bus and configured to control an external breaker for selectively connecting the electrical bus to an external source. The second generator controller may control a second generator breaker for connecting a second generator to the common bus and configured to control the external breaker for selectively connecting the electrical bus to the external source.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a circuit to provide a conductive path to a bus connected to a first generator and a second generator; and

a first generator controller configured to control the first generator and to monitor communication from a second generator controller for the second generator, the first generator controller configured to identify a failure in the second generator based on the monitored communication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first generator controller is configured to issue a command for the second generator based on the failure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bus is configured to provide a communication path for the communication from the second generator controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second generator controller is configured to control the second generator and to monitor communication from the first generator controller for the first generator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the failure indicates that the second generator is not sending one or more circuit breaker commands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication from the second generator controller include one or more operating parameters for the second generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more operating parameters includes a speed, an output voltage, an output phase angle, a breaker status of the sending generator or

measured data collected from a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a tachometer, a torque sensor, a deflection sensor, a dynamometer, a positional sensor, or a revolution sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication from the second generator controller include one or more load shedding commands or one or more error codes.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication from the second generator controller include messages that occur every predetermined period and the failure in the second generator is based on a lack of messages for at least the predetermined period.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first generator controller is configured to generate a start command for the second generator based on the failure.

11. A method comprising:

controlling, using a first generator controller, a first generator;

monitoring, using the first generator controller, communications from a second generator controller for a second generator; and

identifying, using the first generator controller, a failure in the second generator based on the monitored communications.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a conductive path to a bus connected to the first generator and the second generator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the conductive path is a communication path for the communications from the second generator controller.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a command for the second generator based on the failure.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the failure indicates that the second generator is not sending one or more circuit breaker commands.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications from the second generator controller include one or more load shedding commands or one or more error codes.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying, using the first generator controller, the failure in the second generator based on the monitored communications comprises:

determining whether the communications from the second generator controller occur every predetermined time period, the failure in the second generator being based on a lack of communication for at least the predetermined time period.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a start command for the second generator based on the failure.

19. A system comprising:

a bus connected to a first generator and a second generator; and

a first generator controller configured to control the first generator and to monitor communications from the second generator, the first generator controller configured to identify a failure in the second generator based on the monitored communications.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a second generator controller configured to control the second generator and to monitor communications from the first generator, the second generator controller configured to identify a failure in the first generator.