Patent ID: 8427092

Claim:
An electric power generation system comprising: a permanent magnet generator (PMG) having at least one permanent magnet and a first winding, a second winding, and a third winding for developing and alternating current (AC) voltage in response to a magnetic field provided by the at least one permanent magnet, the first winding, the second winding and the third winding each have a first end and a second end; a primary output connected to the second end of the first, second and third windings to receive the AC voltage developed in the first, second, and third windings of the PMG during a normal mode of operation; a secondary output connected to the first end of the first, second and third windings to receive the AC voltage developed in the first, second, and third windings of the PMG during a backup mode of operation; a first pair of contactors including a first contactor connected between the first end of the first winding and the first end of the second winding, and a second contactor connected between the first end of the second winding and the first end of the third winding; a second pair of contactors including a third contactor connected between the second end of the first winding and the second end of the second winding, and a fourth contactor connected between the second end of the second winding and the second end of the third winding; a controller for selectively operating the PMG system in either a normal mode or operation or a backup mode of operation, wherein during the normal mode of operation the controller closes the first pair of contactors to connect the first ends of the first, second and third windings to a first neutral point, and opens the second pair of contactors to supply the AC voltage developed in the first, second and third windings to the primary output; and wherein during the backup mode of operation the controller closes the second pair of contactors to connect the second ends of the first, second and third windings to a second neutral point, and opens the first pair of contactors to supply the AC voltage developed in the first, second and third windings to the secondary output.