Method of providing electric power with thermal protection

A method of providing a thermally limited source of electrical power within an aircraft, said method comprising:

• providing an electric generator comprising a stator mounted about a rotor, and at least one winding about said stator, said stator at least partially defining a magnetic circuit guiding magnetic flux emanating from said rotor, wherein said magnetic circuit comprises a portion formed from magnetic material having a Curie temperature below a temperature at which said generator is damaged;
• and said stator is thermally coupled to said winding, so that said magnetic circuit is thermally coupled to said winding and thereby limits flow of said magnetic flux about said magnetic circuit above said Curie temperature, limiting operating temperature of said windings, and preventing overheating of said generator during operation;
• driving said rotor using an engine of said aircraft to generate electrical power from said generator.

A method of preventing overheating in an electric generator in the presence of an internal fault, said generator having a stator, a rotor and at least one winding about said stator, said stator at least partially defining a magnetic circuit guiding magnetic flux emanating from said rotor, said method comprising:

• (a) determining a desired shut-down temperature for said generator which is below a temperature at which said generator is thermally damaged;
• and
• (b) selecting a generator having at least a portion of said magnetic circuit composed of a magnetic material having a Curie temperature substantially equal to said desired shut-down temperature, said winding being thermally coupled to said portion of said magnetic circuit, so that in the presence of an internal fault causing an operating temperature of said windings to increase, said portion of said magnetic circuit is heated to said Curie temperature, thereby limiting said magnetic flux about said magnetic circuit and current induced in said windings, and thereby preventing overheating of said generator in the presence of said internal fault.

A method of preventing overheating in an electric generator, said generator having a stator, a rotor and at least one winding about said stator, said stator at least partially defining a magnetic circuit guiding magnetic flux emanating from said rotor, said method comprising:

• (a) determining a desired shut-down temperature for said generator which is below a temperature at which said generator is damaged;
• and
• (b) selecting a generator having at least a portion of said magnetic circuit composed of a magnetic material having a Curie temperature not greater than said desired shut-down temperature, said winding being thermally coupled to said portion of said magnetic circuit, so that an increase in operating temperature of said windings causing said portion of said magnetic circuit to increase to said Curie temperature thereby limits said magnetic flux about said magnetic circuit and current induced in said windings, thereby substantially shutting down an electricity generating function of said generator until said portion of said magnetic circuit cools below said Curie temperature.