High voltage direct current system with improved generator excitation

• US 9,660,563 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Rozman, Gregory I., Moss, Steven J., Gieras, Jacek F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/744,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 322 10, 322 63, 290 44
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/25 for combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/007 Control circuits for doubly fed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/009 Circuit arrangements for detecting rotor position
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/302 Brushless excitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/305 controlling voltage H02P9/302 takes precedence
• 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

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a variable frequency generator is provided. The variable frequency generator can comprise a main stator comprising multi-phase armature windings and an exciter field winding; and a rotating portion comprising an exciter multi-phase windings, a main field winding, and an amplification component between the exciter windings and the main field winding, wherein the amplification component operates at a variable duty cycle to maintain a phase voltage of the main stator armature windings near independent of a shaft speed of the variable frequency generator.

Claims

1. A variable frequency generator, comprising:

a main stator comprising of multi-phase armature windings;

an exciter field winding,

a rotating portion comprising exciter multi-phase windings, a main field winding, and an amplification component between the exciter multi-phase windings and the main field winding,

wherein the amplification component operates at a variable duty cycle to maintain a phase voltage of the armature windings near independent of a shaft speed of the variable frequency generator; and

a rotating controller,

wherein the rotating controller interfaces with and manages operations of the amplification component.

2. The variable frequency generator of claim 1, wherein the rotating controller includes a frequency detector, a lookup table, and a gate drive.

3. The variable frequency generator of claim 2, wherein the frequency detector receives at least one input signal from the exciter multi-phase windings, detects a frequency or phase from the at least one input signal, and outputs a frequency signal to the lookup table.

4. The variable frequency generator of claim 2, wherein the lookup table receives a frequency signal from the frequency detector, retrieves a value based on the frequency signal, and supplies a value signal to the gate drive.

5. The variable frequency generator of claim 2, wherein the gate drive receives a value signal from the lookup table and produces an input for at least one gate of the amplification component.

6. The variable frequency generator of claim 1, wherein the amplification component comprises a rotating boost converter,

wherein the rotating boost converter is in electrical communication with a rotating controller.

7. The variable frequency generator of claim 6, wherein the rotating controller regulates a duty cycle of the rotating boost converter in response to a speed of the variable frequency generator.

8. The variable frequency generator of claim 6, wherein the rotating boost converter comprises a direct current boost inductor.

9. The variable frequency generator of claim 1, wherein the amplification component is a boost rotating active rectifier.

10. The variable frequency generator of claim 9, wherein the boost rotating active rectifier operates at a variable duty cycle as a function of generator shaft speed.

11. The variable frequency generator of claim 1, wherein the variable frequency generator is include in a high voltage direct current system.

12. A high voltage direct current system, comprising a variable frequency generator that comprises:

a main stator comprising armature windings;

an exciter field winding; and

a rotating portion comprising exciter multi-phase windings, a main field winding, and an amplification component between the exciter multi-phase windings and the main field winding, wherein the amplification component operates at a variable duty cycle to maintain a phase voltage of the main stator armature windings near independent of a shaft speed of the variable frequency generator; and

a rotating controller configured to interface with and manage operations of the amplification component by detecting at least one input signal from the exciter multi-phase windings, retrieving a value based on the at least one input signal, and providing an input for at least one gate of the amplification component.

13. The high voltage direct current system of claim 12, wherein the amplification component comprises a rotating boost converter and a rotating rectifier in electrical communication with a rotating controller.

14. The high voltage direct current system of claim 12, wherein the amplification component comprises a rotating boost converter that comprises a direct current boost inductor.