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US 9,577,557 B2Granted
Turbine-generator system with DC output
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsSandeep Bala, Darren Tremelling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbine generator system includes a doubly-fed alternating-current (AC) generator having a first poly-phase circuit (e.g., a stator circuit) and a second poly-phase circuit (e.g., a rotor circuit), a poly-phase AC-to-AC converter circuit coupled between the first and second poly-phase circuits, a poly-phase transformer having input windings coupled to the first poly-phase circuit and having output windings, and a uni-directional rectifier circuit coupled to the output windings of the poly-phase transformer and configured to convert poly-phase AC from the transformer output windings to direct current (DC).
Claims22
A turbine generator system, comprising:
- a doubly-fed alternating-current (AC) generator having a first poly-phase circuit and a second poly-phase circuit;
- a poly-phase AC-to-AC converter circuit coupled between the first poly-phase circuit and the second poly-phase circuit configured to produce a substantially fixed frequency voltage output;
- a poly-phase transformer having input windings coupled to the first poly-phase circuit and having output windings, wherein the poly-phase transformer is configured to increase, a voltage level of the substantially fixed-frequency voltage output from the AC-to-AC converter circuit for rectification;
- a uni-directional rectifier circuit coupled to the output windings of the poly-phase transformer and configured to convert poly-phase AC from the transformer output windings to direct current (DC);
- a grid-fault protection circuit configured to de-energize the second poly-phase circuit in the event of a fault on the DC side of the unidirectional rectifier circuit, wherein the grid-fault protection circuit includes a rectifier circuit coupled to the second poly-phase circuit, the rectifier circuit being combined with a thyristor and a crowbar resistor, wherein the second poly-phase circuit is de-energized by firing the thyristor and dissipating energy in the crowbar resistor;
- and
- a backup power source coupled to the AC generator and configured to power the turbine generator system during startup, wherein the backup power source includes a battery coupled to the doubly-fed AC generator with a battery inverter circuit, wherein the backup power source further comprises a flywheel mechanically coupled to the AC generator, wherein the battery is arranged to power the flywheel.
4 more elements
A power generation system comprising:
- a plurality of turbine generator systems configured to provide direct current (DC) power via respective DC buses;
- and
- a collection circuit connected to each of the DC buses and configured to combine the provided DC power;
- wherein each of one or more of the turbine generator systems comprises
- a doubly-fed alternating-current (AC) generator having a first poly-phase circuit and a second poly-phase circuit;
- a poly-phase AC-to-AC converter circuit coupled between the first poly-phase circuit and the second poly-phase circuit configured to produce a substantially fixed-frequency voltage output;
- a poly-phase transformer having input windings coupled to the first poly-phase circuit and having output windings, wherein the poly-phase transformer is configured to increase a voltage lever of the substantially fixed-frequency voltage output from the AC-to-AC converter circuit for rectification;
- a uni-directional rectifier circuit coupled to the output windings of the poly-phase transformer and configured to convert poly-phase AC from the transformer output windings to direct current (DC);
- and
- a backup power source coupled to the doubly-fed AC generator and configured to power the turbine generator system during startup, wherein the backup power source includes at battery coupled to the doubly-fed AC generator via a battery inverter circuit, wherein the backup power source further comprises a flywheel mechanically coupled to the AC generator, wherein the battery is arranged to power the flywheel.
7 more elements
A method for direct-current (DC) power generation, the method comprising:
- providing a doubly-fed alternating-current (AC) generator having a first poly-phase circuit and a second poly-phase circuit and having as poly-phase AC-to-AC converter circuit coupled between the first poly-phase circuit and the second polyphase circuit, such that the doubly-fed AC generator and the converter circuit are configured to provide a substantially fixed-frequency voltage output;
- powering the doubly-fed AC generator with a backup power source that includes a battery coupled to the doubly-fed AC generator with a battery inverter circuit, wherein the backup power source further comprises a flywheel mechanically coupled to the AC generator, wherein the battery is arranged to power the flywheel;
- increasing a voltage level from the substantially fixed-frequency voltage output sufficiently for rectification to provide power to a DC transmission line;
- converting the increased voltage level to a direct-current (DC) voltage, using a rectifier circuit that is co-located with the doubly-fed AC generator and the converter circuit;
- and
- applying the DC voltage to is DC transmission line.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.