Methods and apparatus for protection in a multi-phase machine

• US 8,941,961 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BWP Group
• Original Assignee: Boulder Wind Power, Inc.
• Inventors: Banerjee, Swarnab, Sullivan, Brian J., Smith, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, ANGELA D
• Application Number:
  US13/972,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20140268460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 361/87
• US Class Current: 361/87
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/06 for dynamo-electric generators; for synchronous capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/08 for dynamo-electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0822 Integrated protection, motor control centres
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/008 Intrinsically safe circuits

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system includes multiple coils of a multi-phase machine in which the coils are each associated with a different phase. Associated with each coil is a protective element such that each protective element is associated with a different coil. When its associated protective element is in a first configuration, a coil is part of an electrical circuit, and its associated protective element allows a first amount of current to flow through the coil. Its associated protective element allows a second amount of current to flow through the coil when its associated protective element is in a second configuration. When in the second configuration, the coil'"'"'s associated protective element does not obstruct current flow through other coils that are not associated with the protective element.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of coils of a multi-phase machine, each coil from the plurality of coils being associated with a different electrical phase from a plurality of electrical phases of the multi-phase machine; and

a plurality of protective elements, each protective element from the plurality of protective elements being associated with a different coil from the plurality of coils, each coil from the plurality of coils being part of an electrical circuit when its associated protective element from the plurality of protective elements is in a first configuration, each coil from the plurality of coils being disposed between its associated protective element and a phase terminal connection associated with its associated electrical phase from the plurality of electrical phases,

a protective element from the plurality of protective elements is configured to allow a first amount of current through its associated coil from the plurality of coils when in the first configuration, the protective element configured to allow a second amount of current through its associated coil from the plurality of coils when in a second configuration, the protective element configured to not obstruct current flow through the coils from the plurality of coils that are not associated with the protective element when in the second configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each protective element from the plurality of protective elements is configured to remove its associated coil from the plurality of coils from the electrical circuit but not remove the remaining coils from the plurality of coils from the electrical circuit when in the second configuration.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each protective element from the plurality of protective elements is disposed between its associated coil from the plurality of coils and a neutral point.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged in a wye configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged in a delta configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective element is configured to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a short circuit between its associated coil from the plurality of coils and another coil from the plurality of coils.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each coil from the plurality of coils is configured such that a voltage is induced in each coil from the plurality of coils in response to a magnetic field from a rotor moving with respect to the plurality of coils.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each protective element from the plurality of protective elements includes at least one of an electrical fuse, a mechanical fuse, an electrical breaker, an inductor, or a diode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second amount of current is substantially zero.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of protective elements is a first plurality of protective elements, the apparatus further comprising:

a second plurality of protective elements, each protective element from the second plurality of protective elements being disposed between its associated coil from the plurality of coils and the phase terminal connection associated with its associated electrical phase from the plurality of electrical phases.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils is a first plurality of coils, the apparatus further comprising:

a second plurality of coils of the multi-phase machine, each coil from the second plurality of coils being associated with a different electrical phase from the plurality of electrical phases, each protective element from the plurality of protective elements being associated with a different coil from the second plurality of coils, each protective element from the plurality of protective elements being disposed in series between its associated coil from the first plurality of coils and its associated coil from the second plurality of coils.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-phase machine is a multi-phase electromagnetic generator or motor.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of coils of a multi-phase machine, each coil from the plurality of coils being associated with a different electrical phase from a plurality of electrical phases of the multi-phase machine; and

a plurality of passive protective elements disposed within the multi-phase machine, each passive protective element from the plurality of passive protective elements being arranged in series with a different coil from the plurality of coils,

each coil from the plurality of coils is disposed between its associated passive protective element from the plurality of passive protective elements and a phase terminal connection associated with an electrical phase from the plurality of electrical phases,

a passive protective element from the plurality of passive protective elements is configured to allow a first amount of current through its associated coil from the plurality of coils when in a first configuration, the passive protective element configured to allow a second amount of current through its associated coil from the plurality of coils when in a second configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each passive protective element from the plurality of passive protective elements includes at least one of an electrical fuse, a mechanical fuse, an electrical breaker, an inductor, or a diode.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each passive protective element from the plurality of passive protective elements is disposed between its associated coil from the plurality of coils and a neutral point.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of passive protective elements is a first plurality of passive protective elements, the apparatus further comprising:

a second plurality of passive protective elements, each coil from the plurality of coils being arranged in series with a passive protective element from the first plurality of passive protective elements and a passive protective element from the second plurality of passive protective elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged in a wye configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged in a delta configuration.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the passive protective element is configured to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a short circuit between its associated coil from the plurality of coils and another coil from the plurality of coils.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each coil from the plurality of coils is configured such that a voltage is induced in each coil from the plurality of coils in response to a magnetic field from a rotor moving with respect to the plurality of coils.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each passive protective element from the plurality of passive protective elements includes at least one of an electrical fuse, a mechanical fuse, an electrical breaker, an inductor, or a diode.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second amount of current is substantially zero.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of coils of a multi-phase machine, each coil from the plurality of coils being associated with a different electrical phase from a plurality of electrical phases of the multi-phase machine; and

a plurality of protective elements, each protective element from the plurality of protective elements being associated with a different coil from the plurality of coils, each protective element from the plurality of protective elements is disposed between its associated coil and a phase terminal connection associated with an electrical phase from the plurality of electrical phases,

a protective element from the plurality of protective elements is configured to allow a first amount of current through its associated coil from the plurality of coils when in a first configuration, the protective element configured to allow a second amount of current through its associated coil from the plurality of coils when in a second configuration.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protective element from the plurality of protective elements is a first protective element from the plurality of protective elements, the first protective element configured to provide an indication to a second protective element from the plurality of protective elements when the first protective element transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration,

a coil from the plurality of coils and associated with the second protective element is part of an electrical circuit when the second protective element is in the first configuration, the second protective element configured to remove the coil from the electrical circuit in response to the indication.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each protective element from the plurality of protective elements includes at least one of an electrical fuse, a mechanical fuse, an electrical breaker, an inductor, or a diode.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of protective elements is a first plurality of protective elements, the apparatus further comprising:

a second plurality of protective elements, each coil from the plurality of coils being associated with a protective element from the first plurality of protective elements and a protective element from the second plurality of protective elements.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protective element is configured to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration in response to a short circuit between its associated coil and another coil from the plurality of coils.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged in a wye configuration.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of coils are arranged in a delta configuration.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each coil from the plurality of coils is configured such that a voltage is induced in each coil from the plurality of coils in response to a magnetic field from a rotor moving with respect to the plurality of coils.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each protective element from the plurality of protective elements includes at least one of an electrical fuse, a mechanical fuse, an electrical breaker, an inductor, or a diode.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second amount of current is substantially zero.

33. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the protective element from the plurality of protective elements is a first protective element from the plurality of protective elements, the first protective element configured to provide an indication to a second protective element from the plurality of protective elements when the first protective element transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration.