Testing of a 250-Kilowatt Fault-Tolerant Permanent Magnet Power Generation System for Aeroengines

This paper describes the experimental testing of a 250-kW fault-tolerant permanent magnet power generation system (machine and converter) for the low-pressure shaft of a large civil engine. The relative merits of this system as a reliable electrical power source for safety critical applications are discussed, and its performances under both healthy and fault conditions are analyzed and experimentally tested. It has been shown that the power generation system has a high efficiency over a wide output power range under healthy conditions. However, a large torque ripple and potentially destabilizing shaft power swing will result under an open- or short-circuit fault condition. This problem can be eliminated by employing an optimal torque control strategy. The utility and effectiveness of the control technique have been experimentally validated.