Dual-winding synchronous reluctance machine composed of an excitation winding and a separate power winding

A control system for operating a rotating field machine, the rotating field machine comprising a stator and a rotor, the rotor being mounted for rotation with respect to the stator, the stator comprising an excitation winding configured to receive an excitation current and a power winding physically decoupled from the excitation winding and configured to accommodate power flow in the rotating field machine, the control system configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• determining to operate the rotating field machine in a starting mode;
• wherein during the starting mode, the operations comprise:
• energizing the excitation winding and the power winding with one or more power converters;
• and
• operating the one or more power converters to start the rotating field machine;
• determining to operate the rotating field machine in a generating mode;
• wherein during the generating mode, the operations comprise:
• decoupling the power winding from the one or more power converters;
• and
• operating the one or more power converters to manage excitation current flowing in the excitation winding to control a generated power in the power winding;
• wherein the excitation winding and the power winding are located in the stator such that the excitation winding and power winding are in electrical quadrature with respect to one another;
• wherein the excitation winding is associated with a d-axis current and the power winding is associated with a q-axis current for the rotating field machine, and wherein the excitation winding is 90° out of electrical phase with respect to the power winding.

A method of operating a rotating field machine, the rotating field machine comprising a stator and a rotor, the rotor being mounted for rotation with respect to the stator, the stator comprising an excitation winding configured to receive an excitation current and a power winding physically decoupled from the excitation winding and configured to accommodate power flow in the rotating field machine, the method comprising:

• determining to operate the rotating field machine in a starting mode;
• wherein during the starting mode, the method comprises:
• energizing the excitation winding and the power winding with a power converter;
• and
• operating the power converter to start the rotating field machine;
• determining to operate the rotating field machine in a generating mode;
• wherein during the generating mode, the method comprises:
• decoupling the power winding from the power converter;
• and
• operating the power converter to manage excitation current flowing in the excitation winding to control a generated power in the power winding;
• wherein the excitation winding and the power winding are located in the stator such that the excitation winding and power winding are in electrical quadrature with respect to one another;
• and
• wherein the excitation winding is associated with a d-axis current and the power winding is associated with a q-axis current for the rotating field machine, and wherein the excitation winding is 90° out of electrical phase with respect to the power winding.