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US 11,780,550 B2Granted
Electric power generator for vessels
AssigneeMase Generators S.P.A.
InventorLuigi Massimiliano Piero Maria Foresti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric power generator for marine vessels includes a containment enclosure, an internal combustion engine housed in the containment enclosure and including a drive shaft, rotating at a variable rotation speed, an alternator housed in the containment enclosure and configured to receive mechanical power from the internal combustion engine and to convert it into electric power, a second cooling circuit configured to cause sea water to circulate, and an electrical power converter connected to the alternator to receive an input current, having an input frequency, and to convert it into an output current, having an output frequency. The second cooling circuit includes a first heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between the sea water and the electrical power converter.
Claims17
An electric power generator for marine vessels, the electric power generator comprising:
- a containment enclosure provided with an inlet section and an outlet section;
- an internal combustion engine housed in the containment enclosure and including a drive shaft, rotating at a variable rotation speed, the internal combustion engine including a first cooling circuit filled with a cooling liquid that is one or more of air and water;
- an alternator housed in the containment enclosure and configured to receive mechanical power from the internal combustion engine and to convert the mechanical power into electric power, the alternator including a stator;
- a driven shaft, connected to the drive shaft to receive the mechanical power,
- a rotor keyed to the driven shaft and including permanent magnets;
- a second cooling circuit configured to circulate sea water from the inlet section to the outlet section;
- and
- an electrical power converter connected to the alternator to receive an input electrical current, having an input frequency, and to convert the input electrical current into an output electric current, having an output frequency different from the input frequency, the electrical power converter comprising
- a plurality of electronic power components,
- an electronic card configured to control the plurality of electronic power components, and
- a supporting structure connected to the containment enclosure to support the electrical power converter, the supporting structure including a first cooling opening and a second cooling opening, aligned along a cooling direction to allow a cooling fluid to come into contact with the electronic card, the cooling fluid being further to the cooling liquid,
- wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a first heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between the sea water and the electrical power converter, the first heat exchanger including an exchange element traversed by an exchange portion of the second cooling circuit and in contact with the electrical power converter in order to cool the electrical power converter.
9 more elements
An electric power generator for marine vessels, the electric power generator comprising:
- a containment enclosure provided with an inlet section and an outlet section;
- an internal combustion engine housed in the containment enclosure and including a drive shaft, rotating at a variable rotation speed, the internal combustion engine including a first cooling circuit filled with a cooling liquid that is one or more of air and water;
- an alternator housed in the containment enclosure and configured to receive mechanical power from the internal combustion engine and to convert the mechanical power into electric power, the alternator including a stator;
- a driven shaft, connected to the drive shaft to receive the mechanical power,
- a rotor keyed to the driven shaft and including permanent magnets;
- a second cooling circuit configured to circulate sea water from the inlet section to the outlet section;
- and
- an electrical power converter connected to the alternator to receive an input electrical current, having an input frequency, and to convert the input electrical current into an output electric current, having an output frequency different from the input frequency, the electrical power converter comprising
- a plurality of electronic power components,
- an electronic card configured to control the plurality of electronic power components, and
- a supporting structure connected to the containment enclosure to support the electrical power converter,
- wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a first heat exchanger configured to allow heat exchange between the sea water and the electrical power converter, the first heat exchanger including an exchange element traversed by an exchange portion of the second cooling circuit and in contact with the electrical power converter in order to cool the electrical power converter
- wherein the supporting structure includes:
- an exchange wall, having an inside surface, the electronic power components being mounted on the inside surface, and an outside surface in contact with the exchange element,
- a first supporting wall and a second supporting wall, each rising up from the exchange wall and connected to the containment enclosure at a respective fastening zone, and
- a first and second cooling opening aligned along a cooling direction to allow a cooling fluid to come into contact with the electronic card.
13 more elements
A method for generating electric power for marine vessels, the method comprising:
- generating mechanical power by an internal combustion engine including a drive shaft which rotates at a variable rotation speed;
- cooling the internal combustion engine by a first cooling circuit in which a cooling liquid circulates, the cooling liquid being one or more of air and water;
- converting the mechanical power generated by the internal combustion engine into electrical power by an alternator;
- circulating sea water in a second cooling circuit extending from an inlet section to an outlet section, the outlet section and the inlet section being formed in a containment enclosure;
- adjusting the frequency of the electric current generated by the alternator, in an electrical converter comprising
- a plurality of electronic power components,
- an electronic card configured to control the plurality of electronic power components, and
- a supporting structure connected to the containment enclosure to support the electrical power converter, the supporting structure including a first cooling opening and a second cooling opening, aligned along a cooling direction to allow a cooling fluid to come into contact with the electronic card, the cooling fluid being further to the cooling liquid;
- and
- cooling, by a first heat exchanger causing the sea water circulating in the second cooling circuit to cool the electrical power converter, the first heat exchanger including an exchange element traversed by an exchange portion of the second cooling circuit and in contact with the electrical power converter in order to cool the electrical power converter.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.