BRUSHLESSALTERNATOR

Onegeneratornowinuseisthebrushlesstype.Itismoreefficientbecausetherearenobrushesto
weardownortoarcathighaltitudes.
Thisgeneratorconsistsofapilotexciter,anexciter,andthemaingeneratorsystem.Thenecessityfor
brusheshasbeeneliminatedbyutilizinganintegralexciterwitharotatingarmaturethathasitsac
outputrectifiedforthemainacfield,whichisalsooftherotatingtype.Abrushlessalternatoris
illustratedinfigure940.
Thepilotexciterisan8pole,8,000rpm,533cps,acgenerator.Thepilotexciterfieldismountedon
themaingeneratorrotorshaftandisconnectedinserieswiththemaingeneratorfield(figure940).
Thepilotexciterarmatureismountedonthemaingeneratorstator.Theacoutputofthepilotexciter
issuppliedtothevoltageregulator,whereitisrectifiedandcontrolled,andisthenimpressedonthe
exciterfieldwindingtofurnishexcitationforthegenerator.
Theexciterisasmallacgeneratorwithitsfieldmountedonthemaingeneratorstatorandits3phase
armaturemountedonthegeneratorrotorshaft.Includedintheexciterfieldarepermanentmagnets
mountedonthemaingeneratorstatorbetweentheexciterpoles.
Theexciterfieldresistanceistemperaturecompensatedbyathermistor.Thisaidsregulationby
keepinganearlyconstantresistanceattheregulatoroutputterminals.Theexciteroutputisrectified
andimpressedonthemaingeneratorfieldandthepilotexciterfield.Theexciterstatorhasa
stabilizingfield,whichisusedtoimprovestabilityandtopreventvoltageregulatorovercorrections
forchangesingeneratoroutputvoltage.
Theacgeneratorshowninfigure940isa6pole,8,000rpmunithavingaratingof31.5kilovolt
amperes(KVA),115/200volts,400cps.Thisgeneratoris3phase,4wire,wyeconnectedwith
groundedneutrals.Byusinganintegralacexciterthenecessityforbrusheswithinthegeneratorhas
beeneliminated.Theacoutputoftherotatingexciterarmatureisfeddirectlyintothe3phase,
fullwave,rectifierbridgelocatedinsidetherotorshaft,whichuseshightemperaturesiliconrectifiers.
Thedcoutputfromtherectifierbridgeisfedtothemainacgeneratorrotatingfield.
Voltageregulationisaccomplishedbyvaryingthestrengthoftheacexciterstationaryfields.Polarity
reversalsoftheacgeneratorareeliminatedandradionoiseisminimizedbytheabsenceofthe
brushes.Anyexistingradionoiseisfurtherreducedbyanoisefiltermountedonthealternator.
Therotatingpolestructureofthegeneratorislaminatedfromsteelpunchings,containingallsixpoles
andaconnectinghubsection.Thisprovidesoptimummagneticandmechanicalproperties.
Somealternatorsarecooledbycirculatingoilthroughsteeltubes.Theoilusedforcoolingissupplied
fromtheconstantspeeddriveassembly.Oilflowbetweentheconstantspeeddriveandthegenerator
ismadepossiblebyportslocatedintheflangeconnectingthegeneratoranddriveassemblies.
Voltageisbuiltupbyusingpermanentmagnetinterpolesintheexciterstator.Thepermanentmagnets
assureavoltagebuildup,precludingthenecessityoffieldflashing.Therotorofthealternatormaybe
removedwithoutcausinglossofthealternator'sresidualmagnetism.