Synchronous electric power distribution startup system

A system comprising:

• an auxiliary rotational machine;
• a prime mover;
• a controller configured to control the auxiliary rotational machine, the prime mover, and generation of a variable excitation signal;
• and
• a synchronous generator driven by the auxiliary rotational machine at a relatively slow rotational speed or by the prime mover at a linearly increasing speed between the relatively slow rotational speed and a rated speed of the generator, the generator configured to generate output power for a plurality of rotational synchronous motor loads in response to receipt of the variable excitation signal;
• the controller configured to intermittently output pulses of the variable excitation signal to the generator while at the relatively slow rotational speed provided by the auxiliary rotational machine to initiate rotation of the plurality of rotational synchronous motor loads into synchronous alignment with the rotation of the synchronous generator based on corresponding pulses of output power generated by the synchronous generator in response to receipt of the pulses of the variable excitation signal;
• and
• the controller further configured to output a continuous variable excitation signal, start the prime mover and control transition of the rotational speed of the generator and rotational motor loads from the relatively slow rotational speed to the linearly increasing speed in response to the generator powering the rotational motor loads to synchronously rotate at the relatively slow rotational speed.

A method comprising:

• controlling, with a controller, an excitation signal to excite a synchronous generator rotatable by an auxiliary rotational machine or a prime mover to output electric power;
• directing, with the controller, the auxiliary rotational machine to drive the synchronous generator to rotate at a predetermined relatively low speed;
• directing, with the controller, output of a continuous variable level excitation signal and an intermittent pulse of the excitation signal, during rotation of the synchronous generator at the predetermined relatively low speed, the intermittent pulse of the excitation signal output to initiate energized synchronous rotation of a plurality of synchronous motor loads that are initially non-rotational at in response to the output of the continuous variable level excitation signal;
• and
• directing, with the controller, the prime mover to startup and linearly accelerate both the synchronous generator and the plurality of synchronous motor loads from the predetermined relatively low speed toward rated speed of the synchronous generator in response to the plurality of synchronous motor loads achieving energized synchronous rotation of the synchronous motor loads with the synchronous generator at the predetermined relatively low speed.