Method for customising the operation of an alternator regulator

Abstract

A method for customizing operation of an alternator regulator including at least one processor executing a program governing its operation. The regulator receives input signals and acts on output signals according to at least one control law. The control law is implemented in the regulator by a programming interface by inputting at least coordinates (x, f(x)) of at least two points of the law.

Claims

1. A method for customizing operation of an alternator regulator including at least one processor executing a program governing its operation, the method comprising: the regulator receiving input signals and generating control signals as a function of at least one regulation law, the law defining setpoint values to be achieved during operation of the regulator, and the law configured to be modified by a programming interface without the regulator being completely reprogrammed; and selecting a regulation setpoint and an associated input variable as a function of which the regulation setpoint changes, wherein the at least one regulation law is implemented, in the regulator, using the programming interface by inputting at least the coordinates (x,f(x)) of at least two points of the law f, wherein x is an input variable and y=f(x) is an associated setpoint value, and/or by inputting the law f itself.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein three points of the regulation law are input using the programming interface.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulation law is a composite of at least two functions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a function between two consecutive points is linear.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a function between two consecutive points is non-linear.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input variable is chosen from among the following parameters: measured voltage of the network; reactive power at the terminals of the alternator; power factor cos(phi) measured at terminals of the alternator, phi being phase difference between the alternator current and the alternator voltage.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulation law is reactive power at terminals of the alternator as a function of active power thereof.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulation law is average voltage of the network as a function of speed of the alternator.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input variable and the setpoint value are chosen by a drop-down list.

10. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a fourth point is input using the programming interface.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the setpoint value is chosen from among the parameters.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the points imposed on the regulation law are contained within a region defined by respective slope lines tan(phi.sub.min) and tan(phi.sub.max), phi.sub.min and phi.sub.max corresponding to minimum and maximum phase differences between current and voltage of the alternator.

13. An alternator regulator comprising: at least one processor executing a program governing its operation, the program including instructions implementing a method for customizing operation of the regulator, the method comprising: the regulator receiving input signals and generating control signals as a function of at least one regulation law, the law defining setpoint values to be achieved during operation of the regulator, and the law configured to be modified by a programming interface without the regulator being completely reprogrammed; and selecting a regulation setpoint and an associated input variable as a function of which the regulation setpoint changes, wherein at least one regulation law is implemented, in the regulator, using the interface by inputting at least the coordinates (x,f(x)) of at least two points of the law, wherein x is an input variable and y=f(x) is an associated setpoint value, and/or by inputting the law f itself.

Description

(1) The invention will be able to be better understood upon reading the following description of exemplary nonlimiting modes of implementation thereof and upon examining the appended drawing, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show curves of voltage regulation laws from the prior art,

(3) FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a regulator and alternator assembly according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a first exemplary regulation law according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a second exemplary regulation law according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows an exemplary interface of the alternator regulator according to the invention, designed for the example of FIG. 4,

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a third exemplary regulation law according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 shows an exemplary interface of the alternator regulator according to the invention, designed for the example of FIG. 6,

(9) FIG. 8 illustrates a fourth exemplary regulation law according to the invention, and

(10) FIG. 9 shows an exemplary interface of the alternator regulator according to the invention.

(11) FIG. 2 shows an assembly 1 according to the invention, formed of an alternator 4 and of an associated regulator 5.

(12) The alternator 4 may be of any known type, being driven in rotation for example by a combustion engine, or by another power source, in particular if the alternator is used with wind power or with hydraulic power, or else by a gas turbine.

(13) The alternator 4 typically includes an exciter and a main machine whose inductor is supplied with power by the exciter armature. The regulator 5 makes it possible to control the current in the main machine in such a way as to keep the operation of the alternator in a predefined regime, in accordance with at least one regulation law, as will be detailed hereinafter.

(14) The regulator 5 may be positioned in a housing separate from the alternator 4, for example in an electrical enclosure, or, as a variant, be present in a housing fixed to the casing of the alternator 4.

(15) In the case of an alternator 4 driven by a combustion engine, the regulator 5 may receive, if appropriate, information from the controller of this engine, for example in order to perform regulation that anticipates the load variations.

(16) The regulator 5 includes a processor 2 including for example one or more microcontrollers with associated electronics. The regulator 5 also includes an interface 3 that allows an operator to input parameter values into the regulator and/or other data.

(17) The interface 3 includes for example buttons, a keypad, a display, a screen, in particular a touchscreen, a communication port, for example in accordance with the USB, RS232 or RS485 standard, and all combinations of these data input/output means.

(18) The regulator 5 includes a measurement interface that makes it possible to read signals representative of the operation of the alternator, for example the output voltage value of the alternator, the value of the currents within the inductor of the main machine, the armature of the main machine, the armature of the exciter, the inductor of the exciter, and the temperature at one or more points of the alternator, for example the temperature of the rotor or stator winding or of the bearings.

(19) The regulator 5 may also receive signals from the machine that drives the alternator 4, if appropriate, as mentioned above.

(20) The regulator 5 may include a power interface that makes it possible for example to drive the current in the inductor of the main machine.

(21) The processor 2 includes at least one memory, for example of EEPROM type, which contains at least one program governing the operation of the regulator 5. This program is loaded into the regulator when it is manufactured. This program makes it possible to ensure that the operation of the alternator 4 is regulated in accordance with at least one regulation law that is implemented by default.

(22) The program also makes it possible to manage the interface 3 in such a way as to allow the operator to modify values that are present in the regulator by default.

(23) According to the invention, the regulator 5 is designed such that the operator is able to have a great degree of freedom when customizing the operation of the regulator 5, without having to replace the existing version of the program with a new version.

(24) Specifically, the regulator 5 is designed such that the operator is able to:

(25) select the nature of the input variable x,

(26) select the nature of the associated setpoint y,

(27) input the coordinates of at least two points of the regulation law y=f(x).

(28) By way of example, FIG. 3 illustrates the case where the regulator 5 is designed to allow the operator to input four operating points p1 to p4 of a regulation law U=f(kVAr), U being the output voltage of the alternator, which may be the average voltage measured over the three phases, and kVAr being the reactive power defined as being the average of the reactive powers of each phase of the alternator.

(29) Thus, using the interface 3, the user is able to input the coordinates of each of the points p1 to p4.

(30) The regulator 5 is designed so as to apply, during operation, the regulation law as shown in FIG. 3, which passes through the points p1 to p4 and which has linear intervals.

(31) During the regulation, the intermediate points between the points p1 to p4 input by the user may be calculated in real time by the processor 2. As a variant, once the points p1 to p4 have been input into the interface 3 by the user, the processor 2 calculates intermediate points between these points input by the user and stores them in a table. During operation of the regulator, the processor directly links the values thus present in the table, thereby possibly saving calculating time.

(32) In one variant embodiment, the regulator 5 is designed to allow the operator to input a law y=f(x) in its algebraic form. The regulator 5 includes an editor that interprets the law input in its algebraic form in order to calculate y=f(x) at any point during the regulation. As a variant, the regulator 5 calculates, as soon as the law is input by the operator, the points of the regulation function and stores them in a table that the processor 2 then accesses during the regulation, so as to avoid having to calculate values in real time.

(33) FIG. 4 illustrates a second exemplary regulation law: Q(kVAr)=f(P(kW)), P being the active power of the alternator. This regulation law is for example the one provided by an electricity supplier contract for connecting the alternators to the network. The region defined by the respective slope lines tan(phi.sub.min) and tan(phi.sub.max), phi.sub.min and phi.sub.max corresponding to the minimum and maximum phase differences between the current and the voltage of the alternator, defines the authorized regulation points. For example, point B has the coordinates (0.2*P.sub.max, 0.2*P.sub.max*tan(phi.sub.max)).

(34) FIG. 5 shows an example of an alternator regulator interface in which the input variable and the setpoint value are chosen by way of a drop-down list. In this example, the choice is made so as to obtain the regulation law of FIG. 4. By virtue of this interface, it is possible to input the coordinates of a plurality of points.

(35) FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary regulation law for connecting the alternator to the network, with regulation of the kVAr as a function of the voltage at the supply point: Q=f(U.sub.PDL). The regulation is thus carried out locally as a function of the voltage measured on the network. If this voltage decreases, the reactive power is increased, and if U.sub.PDL increases, the reactive power is decreased. FIG. 7 shows the interface of the regulator, making it possible to drive the reactive power as a function of the voltage measured on the network.

(36) FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary regulation law in which the average voltage of the network, measured as a percentage of the nominal voltage, is regulated as a function of the speed of the alternator measured as a number of rotations per minute: U=f(V). By way of example, the coordinates of four points of this regulation law are input via the interface of the regulator.

(37) In FIG. 9, the average voltage setpoint of the network is regulated as a function of the temperature measured at the winding of the stator of the alternator. The voltage decreases when the temperature increases in order to avoid overheating.

(38) The invention is not limited to the exemplary regulation laws given in FIGS. 3 to 9. In particular, the number of points input by the user may be different. The regulator 5 is for example designed to allow the operator to input the number of points that he wishes to impose for the regulation law; the regulator 5 then invites him successively to input the coordinates of these various points.

(39) The parameters of the regulation law may be different from those in the examples given.

(40) For example, there is the input variable that is chosen from among the temperature measured at the winding of the stator of the alternator, the excitation current, the average voltage of the network, the average reactive power supplied by the alternator, the power factor cos(phi) of the alternator of one of the phases, phi being the phase difference between the current of the phase under consideration and the voltage of this same phase, and the associated setpoint variable may be chosen from the same list or from among the other parameters of the regulator.

(41) It is possible to produce the regulator 5 in such a way as to allow the operator to input a plurality of regulation laws, these regulation laws being for example applied in parallel or applied such that the final regulation law is a function formed of the various input regulation functions.