Wound field synchronous machine control system and method

• US 6,870,350 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• 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: Young, Henry Todd, Garrigan, Neil Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): GONZALEZ, JULIO C
• Application Number:
  US10/429,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 322/52, 322/59, 322/89, 322/25, 322/27, 322/28, 322/38, 322/54, 322/26, 322/24, 322/47, 322/36, 318/700, 318/716
• 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 flux observer for a wound field synchronous machine coupled to a direct current load, the flux observer comprising analog electronics, digital electronics, or a combination of analog and digital electronics configured receive machine field and direct current load currents from sensors and to to use the sensed machine field and direct current load currents to provide a magnetizing flux estimate.

2. The flux observer of claim 1 wherein the flux observer comprises a load saturation model for receiving the sensed machine field and direct current load currents and providing the magnetizing flux estimate.

3. The flux observer of claim 1 wherein the flux observer comprises

a load saturation model for receiving the sensed machine field and direct current load currents and providing a preliminary magnetizing flux estimate;

and

a correction function for receiving a direct axis machine auxiliary current and providing an auxiliary current correction factor;

a summation element using the preliminary magnetizing flux estimate and the auxiliary current correction factor to obtain the magnetizing flux estimate.

4. A method for observing flux in a wound field synchronous machine coupled to a direct current load, the method comprising sensing machine field and direct current load currents and using the sensed machine field and direct current load currents to provide a magnetizing flux estimate.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein using the sensed machine field and direct current load currents comprises using a load saturation model for receiving the sensed machine field and direct current load currents and providing the magnetizing flux estimate.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein sensing occurs while exciting a field winding of the wound field synchronous machine and while maintaining an auxiliary winding of the wound field synchronous machine as an open circuit.