Systems utilizing a controllable voltage AC generator system

• US 9,166,510 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Himmelmann, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/243,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 290/52, 606/08
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/46 using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/48 driven by a gas turbine fed by propellant combustion gases or fed by vaporized propellants or other gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/60 Constructional parts; Details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/764 of the alternating current (A.C.) type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/48 Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle H02P9/04 - H02P9/46 take precedence

Abstract

A rocket propelled vehicle includes a controllable voltage AC generator configured to be connected to a power generation turbine shaft and configured to convert rotational energy to electrical energy, wherein the controllable voltage AC generator is configured to output a desired voltage irrespective of a change in a rotational speed of the power generation turbine shaft, an AC electric motor pump configured to pump at least one of fuel or oxidizer to a combustion chamber of the rocket propelled vehicle, and an AC bus connecting the controllable voltage AC generator to each of the AC electric motor pump.

Claims

1. A system for powering a pump in a rocket propelled vehicle, comprising:

a controllable voltage AC generator configured to be connected to a power generation turbine shaft and configured to convert rotational energy to electrical energy, wherein the controllable voltage AC generator is configured to output a desired voltage irrespective of a change in a rotational speed of the power generation turbine shaft;

an AC electric motor pump configured to pump at least one of fuel or oxidizer to a combustion chamber of the rocket propelled vehicle; and

an AC bus connecting the controllable voltage AC generator to the AC electric motor pump.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the controllable voltage AC generator to output the desired voltage.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller includes a feedback system for determining a fluid flow or a speed of the AC electric motor pump and can modify the voltage of the controllable voltage AC generator to achieve a desired fluid flow or pump speed.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power generation turbine operatively connected to the controllable voltage AC generator and configured to convert energy of an exhaust gas to rotational energy of a power generation turbine shaft.

5. The system of claim 1, further including:

both an AC electric fuel pump and an AC electric oxidizer pump; and

a controllable voltage generator for each pump.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the fuel pump is disposed proximate to a fuel tank.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the oxidizer pump is disposed proximate to an oxidizer tank.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein one of the pumps is coaxially disposed on or geared to the power generation turbine shaft or the controllable voltage AC generator such that the pump is mechanically driven, and the other pump is driven electrically by the controllable voltage AC generator.

9. A method, comprising:

controlling an output voltage of a controllable voltage generator attached to a power generation turbine of a rocket propelled vehicle that is configured to convert energy of an exhaust gas to rotational energy of a power generation turbine shaft; and

allowing the controlled voltage to power an AC electric motor pump disposed in the rocket propelled vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a speed of the pump or a fluid flow rate of at least one of an oxidizer or fuel.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising increasing the output voltage if the pump speed or fluid flow rate is determined to be below a desired speed.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising decreasing the output voltage if the pump speed or fluid flow rate is determined to be above a desired speed.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising actuating the controllable voltage AC generator to produce a constant voltage in response to a change in power generation turbine shaft speed.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling multiple AC electric motor pumps of the rocket propelled vehicle independently of each other.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the speed of the AC electric motor pump of the rocket propelled vehicle independently of the speed of the power generation turbine shaft.