Vehicle or environment-controlled unit having a multiphase alternator with a protected high-voltage bus

A vehicle comprising:

• a chassis;
• a multiphase alternator powered by an internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power for the environmental-control system, the alternator having phase windings and a neutral point for the phase windings;
• and
• a high-resistance resistor electrically coupling the neutral point for the phase windings to the chassis.

A mobile environment-controlled unit comprising:

• a chassis;
• a compartment supported by the chassis;
• an environmental-control system supported by the chassis and in environmental communication with the compartment, the environmental-control system being configured to control an environmental parameter of the compartment, the environmental-control system including
• an internal combustion engine;
• a three-phase alternator to be powered by the internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power to the environmental-control system, the alternator having phase windings in a wye arrangement and a neutral point for the phase windings;
• a high-resistance resistor electrically coupling the neutral point for the phase windings to the chassis, the high-resistance resistor having a value in a range sufficient to limit current in a possible phase-to-chassis fault and to dissipate parasitic current during a possible intermittent phase-to-chassis fault;
• a solid-state module electrically coupling the neutral point for the phase windings to the chassis, the module being configured to monitor a voltage from the neutral point for the phase windings to the system chassis, and to provide an output when the monitored voltage indicates a possible phase-to-structure fault.