Switched reluctance generator system with fault recovery capability

A switched reluctance generator system, comprising:

• a multi-phase switched reluctance generator including a stator having at least one pair of opposing stator poles corresponding to each respective generator phase with a machine phase winding wound thereon and further including a rotor having at least one pair of opposing rotor poles;
• a plurality of converters, each respective converter coupling a dc voltage via an excitation bus to said switched reluctance generator and thereby providing power to excite said generator;
• and
• a generator bus associated with each respective converter for providing the output voltage of said switched reluctance generator, each said generator bus being separate and distinct from said excitation bus such that the average current generated by said switched reluctance generator is substantially independent of said output voltage;
• OR means for coupling each respective generator bus to said excitation bus such that the generator bus having the highest voltage thereon delivers power to said excitation bus.

A switched reluctance generator system, comprising:

• a multi-phase switched reluctance generator including a stator having at least one pair of opposing stator poles corresponding to each respective generator phase with a machine phase winding wound thereon and further including a rotor having at least one pair of opposing rotor poles;
• a plurality of converters, each respective converter having an associated excitation bus for coupling a dc voltage to said switched reluctance generator and thereby providing power to excite said generator;
• a generator bus associated with each respective converter for providing the output voltage of said switched reluctance generator, each said generator bus being separate and distinct from the excitation bus associated with its respective converter such that the average current generated by said switched reluctance generator is substantially independent of said output voltage;
• and
• OR means for coupling each said excitation bus to at least two of the respective generator busses such that the coupled generator bus having the highest voltage thereon delivers power to each respective excitation bus.

A switched reluctance generator system, comprising:

• a multi-phase switched reluctance generator including a stator having at least one pair of opposing stator poles corresponding to each respective generator phase with a machine phase winding wound thereon and further including a rotor having at least one pair of opposing rotor poles;
• a converter for coupling a dc voltage from a dc power source to said switched reluctance generator and thereby providing power to excite said generator, said converter including a plurality of excitation nodes, each said excitation node coupling, via first diode means, one phase of said converter to said dc power source during starting and during operation under heavy overload and short-circuit fault conditions;
• and
• a generator bus for providing the output voltage of said switched reluctance generator, said generator bus being separate and distinct from said excitation nodes such that the average current generated by the switched reluctance generator is substantially independent of said output voltage;
• and
• second diode means coupling the output voltage on said generator bus to the excitation node associated with each respective phase of said converter during normal generating operation.

A switched reluctance generator system, comprising:

• a multi-phase switched reluctance generator including a stator having at least one pair of opposing stator poles corresponding to each respective generator phase with a machine phase winding wound thereon and further including a rotor having at least one pair of opposing rotor poles;
• a plurality of converters, each said converter including a plurality of excitation nodes, each said excitation node providing power to excite one phase of said generator;
• a generator bus associated with each respective converter for providing the output voltage of said switched reluctance generator, each said generator bus being separate and distinct from said excitation nodes such that the average current delivered by each generator bus is substantially independent of its associated output voltage;
• OR means for coupling each said excitation node to the generator bus associated with its respective converter and to at least one of the other generator busses associated with the other converters such that the coupled generator bus having the highest voltage thereon delivers power to said excitation node and its associated generator phase.

A switched reluctance generator system, comprising:

• a switched reluctance generator including a stator having at least one pair of opposing stator poles with a machine phase winding wound thereon and further including a rotor having at least one pair of opposing rotor poles;
• a converter incorporating switching means for coupling a dc voltage from a dc power source via a dc excitation bus to each phase of said switched reluctance generator, said switching means being activated during starting and during operation under heavy overload and short-circuit fault conditions to provide power to excite said generator, said switching means being deactivated during normal generating operation;
• a generator bus for providing the output voltage of said switched reluctance generator, said generator bus being separate and distinct from said dc excitation bus such that the average current generated by said switched reluctance generator can be controlled to be substantially independent of said output voltage;
• said converter further comprising converter switching means for coupling said generator bus to each respective machine phase winding, said converter switching means being controlled to provide excitation power to said generator during normal generating operation, said converter switching means being deactivated during starting and during heavy overload and short-circuit fault conditions;
• and
• said converter further comprising flyback diodes means coupled to said generator bus for delivering electromagnetic energy stored in the respective machine phase winding thereto at the end of the conduction interval of the respective switched reluctance generator phase.