Patent GB-1377483-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus including brushless synchronous electrical machines
IPC: H02K19/26
Filed: 1970-12-11
Abstract: 1377483 A.C. machines with D.C. excitation; control of A.C. motors NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP 2 Dec 1971 [11 Dec 1970] 59168/70 Headings H2A and H2J An apparatus comprises an A.C. supply means, e.g. an inverter providing a non-sinusoidal current, which in addition to a fundamental output frequency provides at least one output at a harmonic of the fundamental, in combination with a brushless synchronous electric machine comprising a stator with a stator winding coupled to the A.C. supply means to provide a rotating magnetic field having fundamental and harmonic components, a rotor rotatable about the axis of the field and mounting rectifier means for rectifying current induced in a rotor winding, and control means for allowing alternating currents to flow in the rotor winding when the speed of rotor rotation is less than a predetermined speed. Although it is envisaged that the machine may function as a generator, e.g. upon regeneration, it is basically an induction motor starting synchronous motor wherein in one embodiment Figs. 1 and 2, the salient pole rotor winding 53, 15 is shorted during starting by a centrifugal switch 17 whereby A.C. induced currents flow in the winding, and which switch when synchronism is approached opens whereupon a series rectifier 16 rectifies such currents so that the winding is D.C. excited. Short initiated conductors 56... 59 are provided to improve starting. In Figs. 3(a), 3(b) (not shown), the rotor winding is 3ph. star or delta connected with centrifugal switch/ rectifier combinations connected to two phases, whilst in Fig. 4 the rectifiers are replaced by triacs 26, 27 and the switches by control circuits 28, 29 which may comprise, Fig. 5, the abovedescribed rectifier/switch combination 31, 32. In Fig. 6 (not shown), starting is assisted by series resistors which are shunted by similar rectifier/switch combinations except that in each phase two switches are provided and which operate at different speeds. It is envisaged that by varying the output frequency of the inverter the motor speed may be varied between wide limits. The rotor to stator air gap may be larger, e.g. two to five times, than that which is normal. With a variable frequency, each triac in Fig. 4 may be shunted by a rectifier bridge (63), Fig. 7 (not shown), instead of the switch 32 of Fig. 5, the bridge supplying a resistor (66), capacitors (64, 65), diac (67) and pulse transformer (68), all of which form a circuit which fires the triac for each half cycle following that in which firing is effected by a diode (62) equivalent to diode 31, of Fig. 5. These alternating induced currents flow until synchronous speed is reached, after which the triac is fired only by the diode (62) to pass half cycles of the voltage induced by the harmonic component of the rotating field, the other firing circuit being inoperative due to the low voltage across the bridge (63) produced by the fundamental component and the choice of the circuit RC time constant in relation to the frequency of the harmonic component. This method of operation is applied to another embodiment, Fig. 8 (not shown), wherein the firing circuit responsive to the components includes a resistor, a capacitor and a pair of opposed Zener diodes.