DISTRIBUTED ARCHITECTURE FOR A GAS-TURBINE STARTER/GENERATOR

• US 20080238098A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electrical & Power
• Original Assignee: Hispano - Suiza
• Inventors: BECQUERELLE, Samuel Raymond Germain, Galivel, Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 7,728,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/3
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/042 Rectifiers associated with rotating parts, e.g. rotor cores or rotary shafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 19/38 Structural association of synchronous generators with exciting machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil

Abstract

A gas-turbine starter/generator comprises: a generator module comprising a first casing, a generator housed in the first casing, and a first shaft constrained to rotate with the rotor of the generator, projecting from the first casing, and carrying a first mechanical coupling member; an exciter module, comprising a second casing, an exciter housed in the second casing, and a second shaft distinct from the first shaft, constrained to rotate with the rotor of the exciter, projecting from the second casing, and carrying a second mechanical coupling member; and an electrical connection comprising a rectifier and at least one connector for connecting the secondary circuit of the exciter to the primary circuit of the generator. The mechanical coupling members are coupled to a common gearwheel or to respective different gearwheels of a gearbox of the gas turbine.

Claims

1. A starter/generator for a gas turbine, the starter/generator comprising a generator with a rotor forming a primary magnetic circuit and a stator forming a secondary magnetic circuit, and an exciter with a stator forming a primary magnetic circuit and a rotor forming a secondary magnetic circuit, the starter/generator comprising:

a first module or generator module comprising a first casing, the generator housed in the first casing and a first shaft constrained to rotate with the rotor of the generator projecting from the first casing and carrying a first mechanical coupling member;

a second module or exciter module, comprising a second casing, the exciter housed in the second casing, and a second shaft secured to rotate with the rotor of the exciter, the second shaft being distinct from the first shaft, projecting from the second casing, and carrying a second mechanical coupling member; and

an electrical connection comprising a rectifier and at least one connector for connecting the secondary circuit of the exciter to the primary circuit of the generator.

2. A starter/generator according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection is housed at least in part within the shafts.

3. A starter/generator according to claim 1, further comprising a permanent magnet generator having a rotor carrying permanent magnets and a stator forming a secondary circuit, wherein the permanent magnet generator forms part of one of said modules, is housed inside the casing of the module, and has its rotor constrained to rotate with the shaft of that module.

4. A starter/generator according to claim 3, wherein the permanent magnet generator forms part of the exciter module.

5. A starter/generator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the modules is associated with a device specific to the module for feeding it with cooling/lubricating liquid.

6. A starter/generator according to claim 5, wherein the shaft of the module associated with a specific device for feeding it with cooling/lubricating liquid projects from the casing of said module through an opening that is provided with a sealing device.

7. An assembly comprising a gearbox for a gas turbine having a geartrain with a plurality of gearwheels housed in a casing, and at least one starter/generator coupled mechanically to the gearbox, wherein:

the starter/generator is in accordance with claim 1, each of the first and second coupling members is coupled to a gearwheel of the gearbox, and each of the first and second casings is connected to the casing of the gearbox.

8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first and second shafts share a common axis and are coupled to a common gearwheel of the gearbox, and the casings of the first and second modules are separately connected to the casing of the gearbox on opposite sides thereof.

9. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first and second shafts are not on a common axis and the first and second coupling members are coupled to respective distinct gearwheels of the gearbox.

10. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein the electrical connection comprises a first rotary electrical coupling having stationary contacts and rotary contacts connected to the secondary circuit of the exciter, a second rotary electrical coupling having stationary contacts and rotary contacts connected to the primary circuit of the generator, and a stationary connection connecting the stationary contacts of the first rotary coupling to the respective stationary contacts of the second rotary coupling.

11. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein the rectifier is inserted in the stationary connection.

12. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the modules is fed with cooling/lubricating liquid from a cooling/lubricating liquid circuit of the gearbox.

13. A gas turbine fitted with an assembly according to claim 7.