Battery charger/pre-exciter for engine-driven generator

• US 5,537,025 A
• Filed: 08/18/1993
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Generac Corporation
• Inventors: McLean, Graham W., Kern, Robert D., Ruehlow, Gerald C., Wedel, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US08/108,992
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 322/29, 322/46, 322/86, 310/181
• US Class Current: 322/46
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/08 Control of generator circuit during starting or stopping of driving means, e.g. for initiating excitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/30 using semiconductor devices

Abstract

An engine-driven generator having a battery powered starter motor includes a permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter for charging the starting battery and for exciting the main alternator field winding of an AC synchronous alternator included in the engine-driven generator. A first winding in the permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter provides power to a first voltage regulator that, in turn, maintains a desired load voltage substantially independently of alternator loading. A second winding within the permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter supplies power to a second voltage regulator that maintains a desired battery charging voltage substantially independently of the alternator loading. Use of the permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter maintains a desired battery charge current and a desired main alternator field excitation substantially independently of the load current supplied by the alternator.

Claims

1. An engine-driven generator comprising:

an engine;

a starter motor coupled to said engine;

a battery for supplying current to said starter motor to start said engine;

an alternator coupled to said engine, said alternator having a main exciter field winding;

a permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter coupled to said engine, said permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter having a pre-exciter winding and a battery charge winding;

a voltage regulator coupled to said pre-exciter and to said main exciter field winding for maintaining a desired main winding voltage substantially independently of the load current supplied by said engine-driven generator; and

an additional voltage regulator coupled to said battery charge winding and said battery for maintaining a desired voltage across said battery substantially independently of the load current supplied by said engine-driven generator.

2. An engine-driven generator as defined in claim 1 wherein said permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter includes a permanent magnet coupled to said engine for rotation around said pre-exciter winding and said battery charge winding in response to operation of said engine.

3. An engine-driven generator as defined in claim 2 wherein said permanent magnet battery charger/pre-exciter includes a plurality of said permanent magnets.

4. An engine-driven generator as defined in claim 1 wherein said alternator further includes a main alternator output winding, a main alternator field winding and a main exciter armature magnetically coupled with said main exciter field winding for supplying an electrical current to said main alternator field winding when said voltage regulator maintains said desired load voltage and said engine rotates said main exciter armature winding relative to said main exciter field winding.

5. An engine-driven generator as defined in claim 4 wherein said main alternator output winding and said main exciter field winding are relatively stationary and said main alternator field winding and said main exciter armature winding are relatively non-stationary.

6. A battery charger/pre-exciter for an engine-driven generator of the type having a starting battery, an alternator and an alternator main exciter field winding in the alternator, said battery charger/pre-exciter being operable to charge the starting battery and to excite the alternator main exciter field winding in the engine-driven generator, said battery charger/pre-exciter comprising:

a permanent magnet;

means for rotating said permanent magnet to provide a changing magnetic field;

a first winding within said changing magnetic field;

a first voltage regulator coupled to said first winding and operable to develop a desired voltage for application to the alternator main exciter field winding in response to the voltage induced in said first winding by said changing magnetic field;

a second winding within said changing magnetic field; and

a second voltage regulator coupled to said second winding and operable to develop a desired voltage for application to the starting battery of the engine-driven generator in response to the voltage induced in said second winding by said changing magnetic field.

7. A battery charger/pre-exciter as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for rotating said permanent magnet comprises a rotatable shaft couplable to the engine of the engine-driven generator.

8. A battery charger/pre-exciter as defined in claim 7 wherein said battery charger/pre-exciter includes a plurality of said permanent magnets.

9. A battery charger/pre-exciter as defined in claim 7 wherein said desired voltage developed by said second voltage regulator comprises a substantially constant voltage that is substantially independent of the current supplied by the engine-driven generator.

10. An alternator comprising:

an input shaft;

a main alternator field winding co-rotatable with said input shaft;

a main alternator output winding in magnetic communication with said main alternator field winding;

a main exciter field winding;

a main exciter armature winding co-rotatable with said input shaft in magnetic communication with said main exciter field winding and electrically coupled to said main alternator field winding;

a plurality of permanent magnets co-rotatable with said input shaft for developing a changing magnetic field in response to rotation of said input shaft;

a pre-exciter winding in magnetic communication with said permanent magnets;

means for coupling electrical energy developed in said pre-exciter winding to said main exciter field winding;

a battery charge winding;

said main alternator output winding, said main exciter field winding, said pre-exciter winding and said battery charge winding each being stationary relative to said input shaft; and

voltage regulator means coupled to said battery charge winding for converting electrical energy induced in said battery charge winding to a direct current suitable for charging a battery.

11. An alternator as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for coupling electrical energy includes a rectifier for converting alternating current energy developed in said main exciter armature winding to a unidirectional current for application to said main alternator field winding.

12. An alternator as defined in claim 11 wherein said main exciter armature winding comprises a three-phase winding and said rectifier comprises a three-phase rectifier.

13. An alternator as defined in claim 11 wherein said main alternator output winding comprises a three-phase winding.

14. An alternator as defined in claim 10 wherein said desired direct current output provided by said voltage regulator means is maintained at a substantially constant voltage substantially independently of the rotational speed of said input shaft.