Patent ID: 7863868

Claim:
A generator system, comprising: a shaft rotating at a rotational speed provided by a prime mover; a main generator stator with a plurality of main stator windings wound thereon; a main generator rotor mounted on the shaft and disposed at least partially within the main generator stator, the main generator rotor having a plurality of main generator rotor windings wound thereon to receive a two-phase alternating current, wherein the main generator rotor windings generate an air gap flux when they are electrically excited; an exciter rotor mounted on the shaft, the exciter rotor having a plurality of exciter rotor windings wound thereon, the exciter rotor windings electrically connected to the main generator rotor windings and configured, upon electrical excitation thereof, to supply the two-phase electrical excitation to the main generator rotor windings; an exciter stator surrounding at least a portion of the exciter rotor, the exciter stator having a plurality of exciter stator windings wound thereon, the exciter stator windings configured, upon electrical excitation thereof, to electrically excite the exciter rotor windings irrespective of whether the exciter stator windings are two phase or three phase windings; and an exciter controller electrically coupled to the exciter stator windings, the exciter controller configured to provide electrical excitation to the exciter stator windings, wherein the main generator rotor windings generate the air gap flux at a substantially constant, predetermined frequency.