Abstract: A power supply system for a motor vehicle includes a generator that includes a rotor having a field coil and a stator having an armature coil; a rectifier that rectifies AC power generated in the armature coil; an excitation control circuit that takes control of a voltage applied to the field coil; a capacitor that is connected to the DC side of the rectifier, and receives and transfers the rectified power; a battery connected to an electric load of the motor vehicle; a DC-DC converter that is connected between the capacitor and the battery and capable of converting unidirectionally or bidirectionally an input DC voltage into any DC voltage; and a selection switch which connects the capacitor or the battery to the excitation control circuit as a power supply source.

Abstract: A co-generation apparatus for the generation of electricity from an external source of forced air is described in which the co-generation apparatus comprises a turbine, a generator, a co-generation control unit, and an adjustable standoff. The turbine is connected to the generator for the production of electricity. The generator interface electrically connects the generator to an electrical system. The co-generation control unit is connected to the turbine and generator interface. The forced air drives the turbine. The turbine can be positioned in a turbine housing that receives the forced air. An adjustable standoff is connected to the turbine. The standoff adjusts the position of the turbine relative to the forced air.

Abstract: A wind turbine is arranged to operate in a fully-functional converter mode and a faulty-converter mode. A plurality of converters are arranged to share electric current in the fully-functional converter mode. The converters are dimensioned not only to operate at nominal active current but to provide an over-current margin to enable reactive current to be produced on top of the nominal active current in the fully-functional converter mode. In the fully-functional converter mode the converters are caused to produce reactive current on top of the nominal active current. In response to a fault of one or more of the converters, operation is changed from the fully-functional converter mode to the faulty-converter mode.

Abstract: A load protection system for a turbine is provided. The turbine has a load floor representing a lowest allowable load the turbine generally operates above. The turbine supplies power to an electrical grid. The grid has a grid frequency where as the grid frequency increases the turbine sheds load. The load protection system includes a controller in communication with the turbine and the electrical grid. The controller has a memory for storing a commanded target turbine load. The commanded target turbine load is the load the turbine operates at the load floor. The controller includes control logic for sending a flag to a variable rate limiter and a commanded load control block. The variable rate limiter and the commanded load control block generally prevent the turbine from shedding load and operating below the load floor once the flag is received.

Abstract: A wave action electric generating system comprises a platform floating on water, the platform being subject to rocking from side to side from wave action; an electric generator disposed on the platform; a pulley engagable with the generator in a first direction to power the generator, and free-wheeling with the generator in a second direction opposite the first direction; a spring to rewind the cable; an arm extending over the water, the arm including a far end that moves substantially up and down over the water as the platform rocks from side to side; a cable operably connected to the pulley and supported by the far end, the cable pulling on the pulley in the first direction and rewinding around the pulley in the second direction; a member disposed in the water and connected to another end of the cable, the member resisting lifting as the far end moves upwardly from wave action thereby to unwind the cable and drive the generator, the member resisting sinking as the far end moves downwardly, thereby to rewind

Abstract: An electrical generator includes a stator having fractional-slot concentrated windings and a rotor having field windings. A drive is provided having a circuit to control current flow to the field windings and a controller to input an initial DC field current demand to the circuit to cause the circuit to output an initial DC field current representative of a DC field current demand that would cause an electrical generator having sinusoidal stator windings to output a desired AC power. The controller receives feedback on the magnetic field generated by the initial DC field current, isolates an ideal fundamental component of the magnetic field based on the feedback and to generate a modified DC field current demand, and inputs the modified DC field current demand to the circuit, thereby causing the circuit to output an instantaneous non-sinusoidal current to the field windings to generate a sinusoidal rotating air gap magnetic field.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine for a vehicle that is capable of starting synchronous rectification through switching elements after having ensured absence of a short circuit fault. The rotary electric machine includes a multi-phase armature winding, a switching element set that includes a plurality of pairs of upper-arm and lower-arm switching elements to form a bridge rectification circuit together with the armature winding, an on/off-timing setter that sets on/off-timing of each switching element, a switching element driver that drives each switching element at the on/off-timing set by the on/off-timing setter; and a synchronous control start determiner that determines timing when an energization period for the upper-arm switching element and an energization period for the lower-arm switching element occur alternately as start timing of the synchronous rectification.

Abstract: A wind turbine system is disclosed. The system includes a controller configured to receive at least one output from at least one measurement device, an anemometer in communication with the system controller, the anemometer for measuring wind speed, a temperature sensor in communication with the system controller, the temperature sensor for measuring ambient temperature, a transmission, and a load cell coupled to the transmission and in communication with the system controller, the load cell configured to measure the torque output of the transmission, wherein the system controller receives wind speed, ambient temperature and load cell information and determines optimal power outputs of the wind turbine for a weather condition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the utilization of wave energy, with an increased efficiency. Thereto, the device according to the invention comprises a Darrieus rotor having at least two Darrieus rotor blades, wherein the Darrieus rotor has a solidity ?D, and a Wells rotor having at least two Wells rotor blades, wherein the Wells rotor has a solidity ?W, wherein the Darrieus rotor and the Wells rotor are rotatable about a common axis of rotation A, and ?W is larger than or equal to ?D. The invention also relates to a method for harnessing wave energy.

Abstract: A technique facilitates generation of electric power in well environments. The technique involves combining a cooperating stator and rotor assembly to create an electromagnetic generator. The cooperating stator and rotor assembly utilize an electromagnet which works with a generator coil to create electrical power. Use of the electromagnet enables the electromagnetic field created during generation of electrical power to be selectively eliminated. Elimination of the electromagnetic field allows magnetic particles to be freely flushed from the electromagnetic generator.

Abstract: A system for maintaining buoyant, energy-capture devices in general relative position in water in the presence of surface waves allows heeling of the energy capture devices while preventing collision. The system includes a grid of structural members that resists compression while permitting limited relative surface displacement between the first and second energy-capture devices. The structural members may be partially compressible and provide a restoring force, and they may allow heeling. Electricity from wave energy capture devices is combined in a way that smoothes variations inherent in wave action. Electricity from wind energy capture devices is combined with energy from wave energy capture devices for transmission to shore.

Abstract: An electric power generation system may be constructed of multiple similar generator modules arranged between a rotor and a stator. The rotor may be coupled to and/or integrated with a turbine that is configured to rotate in the presence of a fluid stream such as wind or water. Each generator module may have a rotor portion configured to generate a magnetic field having at least one characteristic that changes with respect to the rotational speed of the rotor. Each generator module may further have a stator portion configured to generate an alternating electric current responsive to the magnetic field. The generated electric current may be controlled by the stator portion of the generator module in order to magnetically control the rotational speed of the rotor and the turbine. Separation between the rotor and stator portions of the generator module may be magnetically maintained.

Abstract: An alternator has a field coil that produces a magnetic field which induces electricity in an coil arrangement. A field coil excitation system includes a generator with an output coil assembly for producing alternating electricity. A rectifier converts the alternating electricity into voltage and direct current at two nodes. A capacitor, between the nodes, has capacitance that forms a resonant circuit with inductance of the output coil assembly. Due to that resonant circuit, the voltage and direct current oscillate in a predefined phase relationship. A switch and the field coil are connected in series between the nodes. A controller renders the switch conductive for a time period specified by a received control signal. The switch is rendered non-conductive at the first occurrence of a minimum current level after the time period ends. The predefined phase relationship enables the minimum current level to be detected by sensing the voltage.

Abstract: An underwater apparatus for generating electric power from ocean currents and deep water tides. A submersible platform including two or more power pods, each having a rotor with fixed-pitch blades, with drivetrains housed in pressure vessels that are connected by a transverse structure providing buoyancy, which can be a wing depressor, hydrofoil, truss, or faired tube. The platform is connected to anchors on the seafloor by forward mooring lines and a vertical mooring line that restricts the depth of the device in the water column. The platform operates using passive, rather than active, depth control. The wing depressor, along with rotor drag loads, ensures the platform seeks the desired operational current velocity. The rotors are directly coupled to a hydraulic pump that drives at least one constant-speed hydraulic-motor generator set and enables hydraulic braking. A fluidic bearing decouples non-torque rotor loads to the main shaft driving the hydraulic pumps.

Abstract: A wind power generation system is disclosed for suppressing an increase of torque when a voltage in a utility grid is restored, and to reduce a load to devices due to the torque. The wind power generation system includes a blade control unit for controlling the pitch angle of the wind turbine blades such that the pitch angle matches a target pitch angle determined on the basis of at least one of a wind speed, a rotation speed of the power generator, and a requested output power when the power control unit re-actuates the operations of the converter and the inverter.

Abstract: A reciprocal vibration type power generator includes a housing, a coil set seat, a power generation coil set surrounding the coil set seat, and a motion block including an outer magnetic member and a columnar magnet. An inner space is formed between the outer magnetic member and a periphery of the columnar magnet to enable reciprocal relative axial movement between the motion block and the coil set seat when the generator is vibrated. A rectifying and charging circuit is connected to the power generation coil set to rectify power induced in the power generation coil set upon movement of the motion block, and to supply the rectified power to a power storage device. The rectifying and charging circuit is also connected to input/output terminals on the generator housing for outputting power to an external device, and for inputting external charging power to the power storage device.

Abstract: A power supply system for a motor vehicle includes a generator that includes a rotor having a field coil and a stator having an armature coil; a rectifier that rectifies AC power generated in the armature coil; an excitation control circuit that takes control of a voltage applied to the field coil; a capacitor that is connected to the DC side of the rectifier, and receives and transfers the rectified power; a battery connected to an electric load of the motor vehicle; a DC-DC converter that is connected between the capacitor and the battery and capable of converting unidirectionally or bidirectionally an input DC voltage into any DC voltage; and a selection switch which connects the capacitor or the battery to the excitation control circuit as a power supply source.

Abstract: In a portable inverter power generation apparatus, a rectifying circuit converts AC electric power generated by an electric generator into DC electric power, and an inverter circuit converts the DC electric power into AC electric power. A current sensor detects an AC output current from the inverter circuit. In a first case where the AC output current detected by the current sensor increases from a value lower than a first value to a value higher than the first value, a computer sets a target rotational speed to a value lower than a resonance rotational speed at which an engine resonates until the AC output current detected by the current sensor increases to a second value higher than the first value, and sets the target rotational speed to a value higher than the resonance rotational speed when the detected AC output current increases to the second value.

Abstract: A subsurface power generating system in one embodiment includes a frame, an electric generator supported by the frame and operably connected to a first vertical rotor, another electric generator supported by the frame and operably connected to a second vertical rotor, a first louver operably connected to the first vertical rotor and including a front side, and a back side, and pivotable between a first position whereat the back side is in contact with a first pivot limiting structure, and a second position whereat the back side is not in contact with the first pivot limiting structure, and a second louver operably connected to the second vertical rotor and including a front side, and a back side, and pivotable between a third position whereat the back side is in contact with a second pivot limiting structure, and a fourth position whereat the back side is not in contact with the second pivot limiting structure.

Abstract: A central axis water turbine is described which comprises a turbine body having a central axis; a rotor mounted on the turbine body for rotation about the central axis, the rotor comprising a central hub supporting a plurality of blades, each blade extending from a blade root mounted on the hub to a blade tip; a generator driven by the rotor; and a housing surrounding the rotor and adapted to direct water flow towards the rotor, the housing converging from a front opening forward of the rotor to a narrower throat adjacent the turbine body; wherein the blades are splayed rearward from the blade root to the blade tip by a tilt angle of 1° to 20° from a plane perpendicular to the central axis.