General Electric Company

Joseph A Laukaitis

Ronald B Bailey

Myron L Smith

Herbert J Brown

Edgar T Balch

Philip R Cooke

Roger D Huczko

Stuart W McElhenny

Frederick J Kuehn, Jr

A fault current protection system for a traction vehicle propulsion system including a synchronous generator having armature and field windings and power conditioning circuitry connecting the generator armature windings to a traction motor employs a normally charged capacitor which, in response to a fault signal resulting from excess current in the generator armature windings, is electrically switched into parallel with the excitation current source connected to the generator field windings so as to discharge through the generator field windings and commutate the excitation current source.

Automatic fault current protection for a locomotive propulsion system

A shorted diode protection system for a traction vehicle propulsion system including a synchronous generator having armature and field windings and a bridge rectifier circuit coupling the generator armature windings to a traction motor employs a normally non-conducting solid-state controllable electric valve in parallel with the generator field windings. When a rectifier diode of the bridge rectifier circuit fails short, an a-c current is reflected into the generator field winding circuit. Upon detection of this reflected current, the valve is switched into a conducting state, thereby limiting the voltage on the generator field windings.

Automatic overvoltage protection for an alternator in a locomotive

Flashover protection is provided for a locomotive propulsion system including a plurality of d-c traction motors each having a commutator subject to flashovers, a traction alternator having armature and field windings and a rotor driven by a prime mover, a controllable source of excitation current connected to the alternator field, and means including an electric power rectifier for connecting the alternator to the motor commutators. It comprises means for producing a fault signal whenever a flashover occurs in any motor, a solid-state controllable electric valve connected between the excitation current source and the alternator field and having alternative conducting and non-conducting states, and means for changing the valve from conducting to non-conducting states in response to a fault signal being produced, whereupon the magnitude of excitation current in the alternator field is rapidly reduced toward zero and the alternator's output current is correspondingly decreased whenever a flashover occurs.

Automatic flashover protection for locomotive traction motors

A control system for a self-excited alternator which includes an auxiliary winding adapted to supply excitation to the alternator field winding incorporates a circuit for supplementing field excitation when the available energy from the auxiliary winding is less than the desired magnitude of field excitation. The self-exciting a-c current from the auxiliary winding is coupled through a phase-controlled rectifier circuit to the alternator field winding. A secondary excitation source such as a battery is coupled to the alternator field winding through a chopper circuit. A regulating circuit is responsive to a field current reference signal for controlling the conduction of the phase controlled rectifier circuit and the chopper circuit in a manner to regulate the alternator field excitation to the desired value. The regulating circuit is adapted to supplement the excitation supplied by the auxiliary winding with excitation from the secondary source until the excitation available from the auxiliary winding is sufficient to supply the desired magnitude of alternator field excitation.

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Erie, PA, United States of America

Joseph A Laukaitis