Electrical system for turbine/alternator on common shaft

A method for controlling a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator, the method comprising:

• a turbine/alternator through an inverter section to controllably rotate the permanent magnet alternator to start the turbine/alternator;
• and
• a power output process, after the turbine/alternator has reached speeds necessary to sustain operation of the turbine, to reconfigure the inverter section to extract output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator,
• wherein output voltages from the inverter section are measured which are used to control the turbine/alternator to compensate for output voltage fluctuations caused by varying output load conditions.

A method for controlling a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator, the method comprising:

• a startup process to provide startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator through an inverter section to controllably rotate the permanent magnet alternator to start the turbine/alternator;
• and
• a power output process, after the turbine/alternator has reached speeds necessary to sustain operation of the turbine, to reconfigure the inverter section to extract output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator,
• wherein the output of the inverter section is tied to an existing power grid for providing user electrical power.

A method for controlling a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator, the method comprising:

• a startup process to provide startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator through an inverter section to controllably rotate the permanent magnet alternator to start the turbine/alternator;
• and
• a power output process, after the turbine/alternator has reached speeds necessary to sustain operation of the turbine, to reconfigure the inverter section to extract output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator,
• wherein the startup electrical power is obtained, during the startup process, from a DC source, such as a battery.

A generation system comprising:

• a turbine/alternator having a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator;
• an inverter section operable, during a startup process, to provide startup electrical power as a time variant AC power to the turbine/alternator to rotate the permanent magnet alternator and, during a power output process, to output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator;
• and
• a system controller operable to reconfigure the inverter section during a transient period from the startup process to the power output process.

A generation system comprising:

• a turbine/alternator having a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator;
• an inverter section operable, during a startup process, to provide startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator to rotate the permanent magnet alternator and, during a power output process, to output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator;
• and
• a control system operable to reconfigure the inverter section during a transient period from the startup process to the power output process, wherein the control system measures output voltages from the inverter section and uses it to control the turbine/alternator to compensate for output voltage fluctuations caused by varying output load conditions.

A generation system comprising:

• a turbine/alternator having a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator;
• an inverter section operable, during a startup process, to provide startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator to rotate the permanent magnet alternator and, during a power output process, to output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator;
• and
• a system controller operable to reconfigure the inverter section during a transient period from the startup process to the power output process, wherein the output of the inverter section is tied to an existing power grid for providing user electrical power.

A generation system comprising:

• a turbine/alternator having a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator;
• an inverter section operable, during a startup process, to provide startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator to rotate the permanent magnet alternator and, during a power output process, to output electrical power for providing user electrical power from the turbine/alternator;
• a system controller operable to reconfigure the inverter section during a transient period from the startup process to the power output process;
• and
• a DC power source, such as a battery, to provide the startup electrical power during the startup process.

A generation system comprising:

• a gas driven turbine;
• an alternator having a permanent magnet rotor and a stator;
• a DC bus supplied with electric power selectively from a startup power source or the alternator;
• an inverter for receiving DC power from the DC bus and outputting controlled AC power;
• a driver for driving the inverter;
• a signal generator portion and a waveform generator portion selectively connected to the driver;
• and
• a controller for, during a startup process, supplying DC power from a startup power source to the DC bus and connecting the signal generator portion to the driver and, during a power output process, supplying power supplied from the alternator as DC power to the DC bus and connecting the waveform generator portion to the driver.

A method for controlling a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator, the method comprising:

• providing startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator through an inverter section having a pulse width modulated inverter to start the turbine/alternator;
• deactivating the startup electrical power after the turbine has reached its normal operating speed;
• and
• reconfiguring the inverter section to input the output power from the permanent magnet alternator to the pulse width modulated inverter and to output user power therefrom,
• wherein during the startup process, the inverter section provides the permanent magnet alternator with a controlled time variant AC power.

A method for controlling a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator, the permanent magnet alternator comprises a permanent magnet rotor and a stator, the method comprising:

• providing startup electrical power to the turbine/alternator through an inverter section having an inverter to raise the speed of the permanent magnet alternator to a speed that enables safe ignition of the gas driven turbine;
• starting up the turbine/alternator after it has reached the safe ignition speed;
• and
• after the turbine/alternator has reached speeds necessary for sustained operation, reconfiguring the inverter section to input the output power from the permanent magnet alternator to the inverter to output user power therefrom.