Deriving Specifications for Coupling through Dual-Wound Generators

Many candidate power system architectures are being evaluated for the Navy’s next generation all-electric warship. One proposed power system concept involves the use of dual-wound generators to power both the Port and Starboard side buses using different 3-phase sets from the same machine (Doerry, 2015). This offers the benefit of improved efficiency through reduced engine light-loading and improved dispatch flexibility, but the approach couples the two busses through a common generator, making one bus vulnerable to faults and other dynamic events on the other bus. Thus, understanding the dynamics of cross-bus coupling is imperative to the successful implementation of a dual-wound generator system.

In (Rashkin, 2017), a kilowatt-scale system was analysed that considered the use of a dual-wound permanent magnet machine, two passive rectifiers, and two DC buses with resistive loads. For this system, dc voltage variation on one bus was evaluated in the time domain as a function of load changes on the other bus. Therein, substantive cross-bus coupling was demonstrated in simulation and hardware experiments. The voltage disturbances were attributed to electromechanical (i.e. speed disturbances) as well as electromagnetic coupling mechanisms.  

In this work, a 25 MVA dual-wound generator was considered, and active rectifier models were implemented in Matlab both using average value modelling and switching (space vector modulation) simulation models. The frequency dynamics of the system between the load on one side and the dc voltage on the other side was studied. The coupling is depicted in the frequency domain as a transfer function with amplitude and phase and is shown to have distinct characteristics (i.e. frequency regimes) associated with physical coupling mechanisms such as electromechanical and electromagnetic coupling as well as response characteristics associated with control action by the active rectifiers. In addition, based on requirements outlined in draft Military Standard 1399-MVDC, an approach to derive specifications will be discussed and presented. This method will aid in quantifying the allowable coupling of energy from one bus to another in various frequency regimes as a function of other power system parameters. Finally, design and control strategies will be discussed to mitigate cross-bus coupling. The findings of this work will inform the design, control, and operation of future naval warship power systems.