Abstract: In an electric power supply system including an alternator generating a low-voltage for energizing a battery and a low-voltage load and a high-voltage for energizing a high-voltage load such as a heater for a catalytic converter. Switching elements are disposed in an alternator housing to supply a low-voltage load and a high-voltage load selectively. The switching elements compose a part of rectifying unit for supplying DC output power to the high-voltage or low-voltage load.

Abstract: Reverse current is supplied from a battery to armature coils of a three-phase synchronous power generator, via semiconductor switching devices of a three-phase full-wave rectifier, by controlling the switches. By this control, the reverse current will reduce waveform distortion of armature current of each phase so as to reduce the electromagnetic force pulsation and, therefore, reduce vibration or noise.

Abstract: A labyrinth formed between a pulley and a housing of a rotary machine such as an alternator is arranged to have a plurality of differently-shaped air gaps. When the size of a first air gap between a belt guide of the pulley is .delta.1, the size of a second air gap formed between a cylindrical base portion of the pulley and a bearing box of the housing is .delta.2, a third air gap formed between a front wall and a flange portion of the bearing box is .delta.3 and a fourth air gap formed between a boss portion and a bearing seal member is .delta.4, the air gap is arranged to satisfy the following inequality: .delta.1<.delta.2, .delta.2>.delta.3, .delta.3>.delta.4.

Abstract: A vehicular electric power system is composed of a rotating AC machine having polyphase armature coils, a full-wave rectifier for rectifying the generated voltages by a plurality of SiC-MOSFETs to give a rectified output to the battery unit, and a control device for selectively turning on the plurality of SiC-MOSFETs to raise the generated voltages by short-circuiting and open-circuiting the armature coils on the basis of the phases of voltages generated by the rotating AC machine at a predetermined duty factor.

Abstract: Leading current or lagging current of an alternator is supplied by a simple structure including short-circuit switch elements. The short-circuit switch elements are connected across output terminals of the alternator three-phase armature windings, and are turned on and off at fixed timings to supply a suitable amount of the leading current to armature windings regardless of the rotational speed. Thus, the leading current can be supplied without phase-leading-capacitors so that the apparatus can be made compact, lightweight and powerful. Even if any of the short-circuit switch elements can not turn off, the battery discharge can be prevented.

Abstract: A generating apparatus includes a generator, a first and a second rectifiers, and a voltage regulator. The generator has three-phase star-connected armature windings which generate three-phase high-output voltage at phase-terminals and low-output voltage at a neutral point. The first rectifier is a three-phase full-wave rectifier connected between the phase-winding and a high-voltage load, and the second rectifier is a diode connected between the neutral point and a low-voltage load with a battery. The regulator regulates the high output voltage to energize the high-voltage load and, at the same time, the low-output voltage to become an optimum voltage level for charging battery. MOSFETs may be used for the first rectifier to short-circuit the armature windings thereby supplying them with leading currents which are respectively ahead of the high-output voltages, so as to increase the generator output power.

Abstract: To directly mount a generator to an engine block without causing overheating of the generator or a rectifier, a voltage regulator incorporates a rectifier which employs monocrystalline silicon carbide (SIC) MOS power transistors as semiconductor rectifying devices. This voltage regulator is fixed to housings of a generator, and the housings of the generator are directly mounted to an engine block. In this construction, it is possible to prevent overheating of the rectifier in the voltage regulator as well as of armature windings and a field coil of the generator regardless of an increase in the amount of heat transferred to the generator due to direct mounting.

Abstract: A power-generating voltage outputted from a vehicle synchronous power generator is adjusted to a first voltage for charging a battery under the control of a field current. Further, a leading phase current that leads a phase voltage is supplied to each of multiple armature windings and the field current is supplied to the field winding, whereby the power-generating voltage can be adjusted to a second voltage higher than the first power-generating voltage. Owing to the above construction, a voltage higher than the normal voltage can be generated by supplying each leading phase current from the vehicle synchronous power generator; hence power can be supplied to a high-voltage load based on the generated high voltage.

Abstract: Cooling wind is introduced into an electric-parts-chamber through openings formed at the bottom of a cover, then taken into the intake side of a cooling fan through the air intakes formed in the wall end of a housing from the electric-parts-chamber. The cooling wind is accelerated by the fan to be driven off from the outlets formed in the peripheral wall of the housing. The cylindrical portion of the positive side cooling fins of the rectifier is extended to the space between the outer periphery of the fan and the outlets. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is longer than that of the rear coil end. Thus, the coil end and the cylindrical portion of the positive side cooling fin are cooled sufficiently by the cooling wind blowing thereon at high speed, so that the rectifier can endure large thermal load with reduced wind noise even if the size of the alternator is small.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine that controls fluid pressure and loss of cooling air, increases the cooling air flow rate, and is able to favorably cool the end of a coil with little regard to the positional relationship between the centrifugal blades and the end of the stator coil, is disclosed. A cooling fan of such a rotary electric machine includes centrifugal blades having deflecting blades disposed therebetween, which are mounted so as to incline towards an inside of the axial direction. The centrifugal blades and the deflecting blades are integrally formed. For this reason, the cooling air accelerates at areas between the individual blades in the centrifugal direction and is separated into two flows, one in the direction of inside portions and one in the direction of outside portions of the end of a stator coil. The end of the stator coil is cooled favorably.

Abstract: A power supply system has a three-phase alternating current generator, a storage battery, and a three-phase rectifying device connected between the alternating current generator and the storage battery. The rectifying device includes three SiC-MOSFETS which are turned on when the corresponding alternating voltage is positive and turned off when the corresponding alternating voltage is negative. A duty control device switches each of the three SiC-MOSFETS on and off according to a selected duty ratio so that the alternating current generator can generate an optimum voltage in proportion to a rotational speed of a rotor of the alternating current generator.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine such as an alternator or a motor has an engine-cooling water-pump in an integral unit. The rotary electric machine is composed of a frame secured to a front surface of an engine, an electric machine unit , a pump unit and a driving unit. The frame has a wall portion and a water passage formed on a rear surface of the wall portion and connected between the engine cooling system and the engine. The electric machine unit has a stator disposed in thermal contact with a front surface of the wall portion and a rotor fixed to a shaft of the driving unit. The pump unit is fixed to the frame and has a pump impeller disposed in the water passage to take cooling water from the cooling system to the engine through the cooling water passage. The driving member includes a pulley driven by an engine and a shaft supported by the wall portion through a bearing to drive the rotor and the impeller.

Abstract: A rotary electric machine that controls fluid pressure and loss of cooling air, increases the cooling air flow rate, and is able to favorably cool the end of a coil with little regard to the positional relationship between the centrifugal blades and the end of the stator coil, is disclosed. A cooling fan of such a rotary electric machine includes centrifugal blades having deflecting blades disposed therebetween, which are mounted so as to incline towards an inside of the axial direction. The centrifugal blades and the deflecting blades are integrally formed. For this reason, the cooling air accelerates at areas between the individual blades in the centrifugal direction and is separated into two flows, one in the direction of inside portions and one in the direction of outside portions of the end of a stator coil. The end of the stator coil is cooled favorably.

Abstract: An electric power generating device including an induction type electric rotating machine rotating in interlock with an engine comprises an inverter connected at the AC side to and end of an armature winding and at the DC side to an electric power storing device, a detecting means for detecting the quantity of state related to the electric power generating voltage of the induction type electric rotating machine excluding the measured RPM of the induction type electric rotating machine but including the electric power storing voltage of the electric power storing device, and an electric power generation controlling means for maintaining the electric power storing voltage within the preset range by controlling the frequency of the controlling voltage of the inverter based on the quantity of state related to the electric power generating voltage.

Abstract: A vehicular generator motor performing generator operation and motor operation is disclosed. The generator motor comprises an AC-DC converter means and a switching means. The converter means is composed of a plurality of MOSFETs and connected between each armature coil and a vehicular storage battery. Alternating current produced across the coils is converted into a direct current for charging the battery by the AC-DC converter means in generator operation mode. In motor operation mode, the DC output from the battery is converted into an alternating current for setting up a rotating magnetic field by the converter means, and the battery output is fed to the armature coils. The mode of operation of the MOSFETs is switched between these two modes by the switching means. The rotating field produces a certain phase difference with the magnetic field developed by the rotating magnetic poles. The MOSFETs are made of SiC having a smaller resistivity than that of Si.

Abstract: An alternating current generator for a motor vehicle includes magnet type field cores, i.e., field cores with claw poles on which permanent magnets are interposed in the spaces between the claw poles, where the generator has a ratio of number of claw poles/outside diameter of the field core that allows generation of a large output current. The alternating current generator includes permanent magnets disposed in spaces between peripherally adjacent claws which reduce the magnetic flux leakage caused by the field coil occurring in the spaces. When a residual magnetic flux density higher than 0.25 tesla is applied in advance in a direction that reduces magnetic flux, a large output current is obtained when the above-noted ratio is in the range of from about 1.6.times.10.sup.-1 to 2.0.times.10.sup.-1 (1/mm).

Abstract: The present invention prevents the degradation of the power generating efficiency of an alternating current generator by preventing the expansion of an air gap formed between pole cores and a stator core, achieves low-noise operation by preventing generation of high-frequency impact magnetic noise, and makes it possible to relieve strains applied on a magnet holder. The present invention utilizes sixteen magnets, each of which fits between two of sixteen claw-like magnetic poles formed on the outer periphery of Lundell-type pole cores, which rotates integrally with a shaft. The magnets are caught and stopped by a magnet holder which has been formed by interconnecting zig-zagging segments and has elasticity as a whole. Here, the permanent magnets are held by the magnet holder so that the magnet holder does not protrude towards the rotor side from the outer peripheral face of the Lundell-type pole cores and the contacting faces of the magnet holder contact the outer faces of the permanent magnets.

Abstract: An alternating current generator having a first Y-form three-phase connecting circuit including three first windings connected with each other in a Y-form, a first rectifying circuit for rectifying currents output from output terminals of the three first windings, a second Y-form three-phase connecting circuit including three second windings connected with each other in a Y-form, and a second rectifying circuit for rectifying currents outputted from output terminals of the three second windings. The three first windings are inserted in slots of a stator core so that the three first windings have phase differences of approximately 120 degrees from each other.

Abstract: A stator coil of a rotary electric machine includes a three-phase Y-form connection circuit including first windings Y1, Y2 and Y3, which are connected in Y-form, and a three-phase delta-form connection circuit including second windings .increment.x3, .increment.y3 and .increment.z3 which are connected in delta-form, wherein the second windings .increment.x3, .increment.y3 and .increment.z3 are sequentially inserted in slots of a stator core to have a phase difference of 120.degree. therebetween, and each of the first windings Y1, Y2 and Y3 is divided into two windings, and the divided first windings are separately inserted in the slots, in which the second windings .increment.x3, .increment.y3 and .increment.z3 have been inserted, so that the resultant composite voltage vector of each pair of the divided first windings is shifted by 30.degree. in phase from the voltage vector of one of the second windings .increment.x3, .increment.y3 and .increment.z3.

Abstract: An a.c. generator having a stator including an armature core and a polyphase output winding wound around the armature core. A plurality of rotors mounted on a rotary shaft to establish a first and a second field magnetic circuits are arranged in parallel with respect to the armature core. The first field magnetic circuit includes permanent magnets acting as a source of exciting magnetomotive force, while the second field magnetic circuit includes a field winding acting as a source of exciting magnetomotive force. The magnetic fluxes generated from the first and second field magnetic circuits penetrate the armature core inducing an output voltage across the polyphase output winding. The magnetic flux from the second field magnetic circuit is changed so as to increase or decrease the total magnetic flux penetrating the armature core thereby controlling the induced output voltage.