Patent GB-103065-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Electric Ship Propulsion Systems.
Inventor: MORSE ROBERT VIRGIL
IPC: B63H23/24
Filed: 1916-05-26
Abstract: 103,065. Morse, R. V. May 26, 1916. Systems for continuous-current motors only.- In an electric transmission system employed for ship propulsion, a homopolar generator and a homopolar motor are employed, and the motor is constructed with a large number of conductors which are arranged so that various numbers of them may be connected in series. The generator 50 is driven by the prime-mover 51, and is connected through the main switch 58 and the controller 75 to the motor 70 which drives the propeller 86. The motor has two armature windings, one between the terminals 71, 72 and the other between the terminals 73, 74. When the controller, in its lower position, connects the contacts 78 and 80, 79 and 81, the windings are in series, while in the upper position of the controller the windings are in parallel. A braking resistance 87 may be connected across the motor terminals by closing the switch 88. A number of motors may be employed with one or more generators, and the motors may be connected in series for starting and in parallel for high speeds. The generators and motors are similarly constructed, and a typical form is shown in Fig. 2. The structure is built of castings and the flux is produced by a coil 92 wound on the main field structure, or by a coil 94 encircling the armature 95, or by both coils 92, 94. With this arrangement, the flux is in opposite directions across the air gap on each side of the central line. The armature 95 carries two sets of conductors 100, one set having contact brushes 101, 102, and the other set having brushes 103, 104. Each conductor 100 is made in two parts, which are held firmly in place by a cooling tube 33, Fig. 10, connected by radial pipes 32, 32<1> to inlet and outlet chambers 30, 30<1>. The contact brushes are arranged to connect with a number of armature conductors, and to accomplish this, the conductors may have overlapping T-shaped ends. The controller 75 may be of the drum type with contacts as shown developed in Fig. 11 The brushes 101 are marked 1, 3, 5, &c., and the brushes 102 are marked 2, 4, 6, &c., each brush covering a group of conductors in parallel, or the brushes may be sub-divided and cross-connected so that conductors may be in series. With the controller in position for speed 1, all the groups are connected in series. For speed 2, pairs of groups are connected in parallel, the sets so obtained being connected in series. For speed 3, groups of three are connected in parallel, and so on for higher speeds. Intermediate speeds may be obtained by varying the number of series and parallel connexions. This form of controller may be combined with that shown in Fig. 1. A regulating device 56, which can be operated automatically and by hand, is included in the generator field circuit. The sector 110 on the spindle 116 carries contacts 111 connected to a resistance 112 or to separate field coils of the generator. The sector is linked to a handle 137 and the contacts 111 engage a contact 117 at the end of an arm 115 on the spindle 116. The arm 115 is connected by a link 135 to an arm 132 on an armature 121 carrying the main current. The limbs of this armature pass across the polepieces 125, 126 of the electro-magnet 127. The movement of the arrrature is restrained by adjustable springs 130, 131. The movement of the armature to the right for a distance corresponding to the strength of the current causes the arm 115 to move to weaken the generator field. The regulator also acts as a safety device in the event of a reversal of current.