Investigation of a High-Frequency Pulsed Alternator Integrating Motor and Alternator

TLDR

Homopolar inductor machines are promising for high‑power pulsed supplies, but a single HIM cannot simultaneously act as a motor and a pulsed alternator because the alternator’s voltage and frequency are far higher than the motor’s, necessitating a separate prime motor and complicating the system. This paper proposes a novel four‑stator‑core HIM that integrates the alternator and motor into a single unit to simplify the system. The authors present the FSCHIM’s configuration and operating principle, derive sizing equations, analyze armature reaction and parameter effects using finite‑element analysis, and validate the optimized design with 3‑D FEA and experimental tests on sub‑electrical machines. The FSCHIM successfully functions as both motor and pulsed alternator, delivering high‑voltage, high‑frequency discharge performance while being driven by a lower‑voltage, lower‑frequency system.

Abstract

Homopolar inductor machines (HIMs) are promising candidates of the pulsed alternator for the application of high power pulsed supplies. However, a single HIM can hardly serve as both a pulsed alternator and a motor, because the voltage and frequency of the pulsed alternator are usually much higher than those of the motor. Thus, a prime motor is needed to drag the pulsed alternator, which makes the pulsed alternator system rather complex. To simplify the structure of the system, this paper proposes a novel four-stator-core HIM (FSCHIM) consisting of an alternator and a motor. First, both the configuration and operation principle of the FSCHIM are introduced. Second, the sizing equations of the FSCHIM are deduced to obtain its primary size parameters. Third, the armature reaction is investigated and the influences of main structure parameters on key output indices are studied by using finite-element analysis (FEA). Finally, the optimized scheme is validated by three-dimensional FEA and experimental results on the subelectrical machines. The results demonstrate that the FSCHIM can serve as a combination of the motor and the pulsed alternator, which enjoys the merits of high-voltage and high-frequency discharge performance with a lower voltage and lower frequency driving system.