Wound field synchronous machine control system and method

• US 6,859,018 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Garrigan, Neil Richard, Jones, Bradley Allen, Young, Henry Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): GONZALEZ, JULIO C
• Application Number:
  US10/429,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 322/28, 322/38, 322/54, 322/26, 322/24, 322/47, 322/36
• US Class Current: 322/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/305 controlling voltage H02P9/302 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A wound field synchronous machine control system comprises: an auxiliary winding for obtaining auxiliary AC voltage from the wound field synchronous machine; a phase controlled rectifier for rectifying the auxiliary AC voltage and supplying rectified DC voltage to the wound field synchronous machine; and a controller. The controller is configured for using a voltage signal across the auxiliary winding to obtain volt-second values of the auxiliary winding and using the volt-second values for firing angle control of switches of the phase controlled rectifier. Alternatively or additionally, the controller is configured for obtaining airgap flux values of the wound field synchronous machine and using the airgap flux values for firing angle control of switches of the phase controlled rectifier.

Claims

1. A wound field synchronous machine control system comprising:

(a) alternating current (AC) voltage sensors for sensing AC phase voltage signals from the machine;

(b) a rectifier for rectifying the AC phase voltages and supplying rectified DC voltage to a load; and

(c) a controller for using the AC phase voltage signals to estimate a DC load voltage signal by computing a maximum instantaneous difference between any two of the AC phase voltages, obtaining a difference between a load voltage command and the estimated DC load voltage signal, and using the difference for controlling operation of the synchronous machine.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller further comprises a low pass configured for low pass filtering the maximum instantaneous difference.

3. A wound field synchronous machine control method comprising:

(a) sensing AC phase voltage signals from the machine;

(b) rectifying the AC phase voltages and supplying rectified DC voltage to a load;

(c) using the AC phase voltage signals to estimate a DC load voltage signal by computing a maximum instantaneous difference between any two of the AC phase voltages;

(d) obtaining a difference between a load voltage command and the estimated DC load voltage signal; and

(e) using the difference for controlling operation of the synchronous machine.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein using the AC phase voltage signals to estimate the DC load voltage signal further comprises low pass filtering the maximum instantaneous difference.

5. A wound field synchronous machine control system comprising;

alternating current (AC) voltage sensors for sensing AC phase voltage signals from the machine; and

a controller for using the AC phase voltage signals to estimate a DC load voltage signal by computing a maximum instantaneous difference between any two of the AC phase voltages.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller further comprises a low pass filter configured for low pass filtering the maximum instantaneous difference.