Claims
- 1. 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 during the startup process, the inverter section provides the permanent magnet alternator with a controlled time variant AC power.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inverter section comprises an inverter, an inverter power circuit to input/output power to/from the inverter, and an inverter control circuit to control the inverter.
- 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inverter section comprises a single inverter.
- 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein reconfiguring of the inverter section includes switching of the inverter power circuit and switching of control of the inverter.
- 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time variant AC power has time variant frequencies and/or time variant frequency voltages.
- 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time variant AC power is controlled in a closed loop manner.
- 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the closed loop manner control is based upon rotor position feedback.
- 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the rotor position is detected by a shaft position sensor.
- 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the shaft position sensor is a Hall effect sensor.
- 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a power boost is utilized during the startup process.
- 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the power boost is a boost chopper.
- 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the boost chopper is controlled by a controller to ramp the voltage supplied to the inverter section.
- 13. The method according to claim 2, wherein a variable voltage DC power supply applies a time variant voltage to a power input circuit of the inverter during the startup process.
- 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein once the permanent magnet alternator has reached its normal operating speed, the variable voltage DC power supply is deactivated.
- 15. The method according to claim 2, wherein the AC output voltage of the permanent magnet alternator is rectified and the resulting DC output voltages are applied to a power input circuit of the inverter during the power output process.
- 16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the reconfiguration permits the inverter to operate as a fixed frequency power output source independent of turbine rotor speed.
- 17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the inverter provides output power through an output filter during the power output process.
- 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the output filter comprises an inductor and a capacitor.
- 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the filtered output power is supplied to load through an output contactor controlled by a system controller and an output breaker.
- 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein a system controller controls fuel flow, ignition, rotation speed, temperature, and/or pressure.
- 21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the startup electrical power is supplied from a temporary power supply.
- 22. The method according to claim 2, wherein at an initial stage of the startup process, a fixed low frequency signal is supplied to the inverter control circuit.
- 23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time variant AC power is a three-phase AC power.
- 24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time variant AC power is controlled in an open-loop manner.
- 25. The method according to claim 2, wherein the output current is sensed and is fed back to enable current limit and power balancing of the inverter output.
- 26. 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.
- 27. 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.
- 28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the phase of the power grid voltage is monitored and the generated electrical power is synchronized thereto.
- 29. The method according to claim 27, wherein power grid voltage amplitudes are monitored and the output electrical power is adjusted to facilitate the transfer of power to the grid.
- 30. The method according to claim 27, wherein power grid voltage amplitudes are monitored and the output electrical power is adjusted to control the transfer of power to the grid.
- 31. 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.
- 32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the voltage of the DC battery power is ramped by a boost circuit to a voltage necessary for driving the permanent magnet alternator at a speed that enables safe ignition of the gas driven turbine during the startup process.
- 33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the boost circuit comprises a boost chopper having a boost switch and an inductance.
- 34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the boost chopper supplies the DC bus of the inverter section with a voltage of 0 to 350 volts from a 12 or 24 volt battery during the startup mode.
- 35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the DC source is charged by a charger circuit during the power output process.
- 36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the charger circuit comprises a charger switch and an inductance.
- 37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the inductance of the charger circuit is shared with a boost circuit for ramping the voltages from the DC source.
- 38. 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.
- 39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the inverter section comprises an inverter, an inverter power circuit to input/output power to/from the inverter, and an inverter control circuit to control the inverter.
- 40. The system according to claim 39, wherein reconfiguring of the inverter section includes switching of the inverter power circuit and switching of control of the inverter.
- 41. The system according to claim 38, wherein the time variant AC power has time variant frequencies and/or time variant frequency voltages.
- 42. The system according to claim 38, wherein the time variant AC power is controlled in a closed loop manner.
- 43. The system according to claim 42, wherein the closed loop manner control is based upon rotor position feedback.
- 44. The system according to claim 43, wherein the rotor position is detected by a shaft position sensor.
- 45. The system according to claim 44, wherein the shaft position sensor is a Hall effect sensor.
- 46. The system according to claim 38, wherein a power boost is utilized during the startup process.
- 47. The system according to claim 46, wherein the power boost is a boost chopper.
- 48. The system according to claim 47, wherein the system controller controls the boost chopper to ramp the voltages supplied to the inverter section.
- 49. The system according to claim 39, further comprising a variable voltage DC power supply portion for applying a time variant voltage to a power input circuit of the inverter during the startup process.
- 50. The system according to claim 49, wherein once the permanent magnet alternator has reached its normal operating speed, the variable voltage DC power supply is deactivated.
- 51. The system according to claim 39, wherein the AC output voltage of the permanent magnet alternator is rectified and the resulting DC output voltages are applied to a power input circuit of the inverter during the power output process.
- 52. The system according to claim 39, wherein the reconfiguration permits the inverter to operate as a fixed frequency power output source independent of turbine rotor speed.
- 53. The system according to claim 39, further comprising an output filter through which the inverter provides output power during the power output process.
- 54. The system according to claim 53, wherein the output filter comprises an inductor and a capacitor.
- 55. The system according to claim 53, wherein the filtered output power is supplied to load through an output contactor controlled by the system controller and an output breaker.
- 56. The system according to claim 38, wherein the system controller controls fuel flow, ignition, rotation speed, temperature, and/or pressure.
- 57. The system according to claim 38, wherein the startup electrical power is supplied from a temporary power supply.
- 58. The system according to claim 39, wherein at an initial stage of the startup process, a fixed low frequency signal is supplied to the inverter control circuit.
- 59. The system according to claim 38, wherein the time variant AC power is a three-phase AC power.
- 60. The system according to claim 38, wherein the time variant AC power is controlled in an open-loop manner.
- 61. The system according to claim 38, wherein the permanent magnet alternator comprises a permanent magnet rotor and a stator.
- 62. The system according to claim 61, wherein the permanent magnet rotor comprises a rare earth samarium-cobalt permanent magnet.
- 63. The system according to claim 61, wherein the stator is manufactured using a stack of electric sheet steel laminations.
- 64. The system according to claim 39, wherein the inverter control circuit comprises a pulse width modulator.
- 65. The system according to claim 38, wherein the inverter section comprises a signal generator driven by signals derived from the rotation of the shaft of the gas driven turbine.
- 66. The system according to claim 38, wherein the inverter section comprises a waveform generator producing waveforms independent of the rotation of the gas driven turbine.
- 67. The system according to claim 66, wherein the waveform generator is an open loop waveform generator.
- 68. The system according to claim 66, wherein the waveform generator generates output pulses at frequencies selectable between 250 Hz and 600 kHz.
- 69. The system according to claim 38, wherein the system controller comprises plural microprocessors that communicate with each other through a high speed serial link.
- 70. The system according to claim 38, wherein both stand-alone and line tie operations are facilitated.
- 71. The system according to claim 39, further comprising a variable voltage DC power supply for applying a time variant voltage to an inverter power input circuit.
- 72. The system according to claim 39, further comprising a current transformer for sensing output current which is fed back to the system controller to enable current limit and power balancing of the inverter output.
- 73. The system according to claim 38, wherein the startup power is derived from an AC power source.
- 74. The system according to claim 38, wherein the startup power is derived from a battery.
- 75. The system according to claim 38, wherein the gas driven turbine and the permanent magnet alternator comprise a common shaft.
- 76. 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.
- 77. 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.
- 78. The system according to claim 77, wherein the system controller monitors the phase of the power grid voltage and synchronizes the generated electrical power thereto.
- 79. The system according to claim 77, wherein the system controller monitors power grid voltage amplitudes and adjusts the output electrical power to facilitate the transfer of power to the grid.
- 80. The system according to claim 77, wherein the system controller monitors power grid voltage amplitudes and adjusts the output electrical power to control the transfer of power to the grid.
- 81. 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.
- 82. The system according to claim 81, further comprising a boost circuit to ramp the voltage of the DC battery power to a voltage necessary for driving the permanent magnet alternator at a speed that enables safe ignition of the gas driven turbine during the startup process.
- 83. The system according to claim 82, wherein the boost circuit comprises a boost chopper having a boost switch and an inductance.
- 84. The system according to claim 83, wherein the boost chopper supplies the DC bus of the inverter section with a voltage of 0 t o 350 volts from a 12 or 24 volt battery during the startup mode.
- 85. The system according to claim 81, wherein the DC source is charged by a charger circuit during the power output process.
- 86. The system according to claim 85, wherein the charger circuit comprises a charger switch and an inductance.
- 87. The system according to claim 86, wherein the inductance of the charger circuit is shared with a boost circuit for ramping the voltages from the DC source.
- 88. 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.
- 89. 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.
- 90. 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.
- 91. A method for supplying user electric power from a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator by line tying the output of the permanent magnet alternator to an existing power grid, the method comprising:
monitoring the phase of the power grid voltage; and synchronizing the generated electrical power thereto.
- 92. A method for supplying user electric power from a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator by line tying the output of the permanent magnet alternator to an existing power grid, the method comprising:
monitoring power grid voltage amplitudes; and adjusting the output electrical power to facilitate the transfer of power to the grid.
- 93. A method for supplying user electric power from a turbine/alternator comprising a gas driven turbine and a permanent magnet alternator, by line tying the output of the permanent magnet alternator to an existing power grid, the method comprising:
monitoring power grid voltage amplitudes; and adjusting the output electrical power to control the transfer of power to the grid.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/840,572, filed Apr. 23, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/319,390, filed Jun. 1, 1999, which is the United States national phase of International Application No. PCT/US97/22405, filed Dec. 3, 1997 which designated, inter alia, the United States, and which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/032,149, filed Dec. 3, 1996.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09840572 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
10446386 |
May 2003 |
US |