Patent · US Expired

System and method for controlling load dump voltage of a synchronous machine

US6803748B2 · kind B2 · utility

27Cited by
28References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 3, 2003
Grant dateOct 12, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 16, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02H7/067
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In an automobile electrical system having an alternator drivingly connected to a vehicle engine the alternator has a polyphase output winding producing a polyphase output in the form of a polyphase alternator voltage for each phase. A load dump apparatus and method for varying the output of the alternator employs a bridge coupled to the polyphase output winding and having a pair of direct voltage output terminals. The bridge has lower and upper switchable elements for each corresponding phase winding, the switchable elements are forward biased and connected in series across the output of the bridge and have a common or neutral input note connected to the corresponding phase winding. Each switchable element is controllable in accordance with a respective conduction signal applied thereto. A controller produces a plurality of conduction signals, which are applied to the switchable elements for controlling the conduction thereof for controlling the conduction timing for each of the lower switchable elements to render them conductive when the output voltage of the corresponding phase winding is above a selected over-voltage limit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.