Exciter circuit for a synchronous machine

1 . An exciter circuit for a synchronous machine, the exciter circuit comprising:

at least one charge storage device configured to supply energy to a DC output of the exciter circuit that is coupled to the synchronous machine; and

control circuitry configured to:

receive a first signal indicative of an operating state of the synchronous machine,

receive a second signal indicative of an electrical demand for the synchronous machine, and

supply at least a portion of energy stored by the at least one charge storage device for excitation of the synchronous machine to satisfy the electrical demand indicated by the second signal when:

the electrical demand indicated by the second signal exceeds a threshold capability of the synchronous machine that would otherwise exist if the at least one charge storage device was not present, and

the synchronous machine is in an appropriate operating state that enables the use of the at least one storage device to supply the at least a portion of the energy stored by the at least one storage device as derived from the first signal;

wherein the first signal is indicative of a measured parameter of the operating state of the synchronous machine, the measured parameter comprising at least one of a voltage output, current output and power output of the synchronous machine, and one or more of a voltage demand, current demand, power demand, inductance demand and power factor from a load connected to the synchronous machine; and wherein the second signal is indicative of a parameter requirement of the electrical demand for the synchronous machine, the parameter requirement comprising at least one of a field voltage and/or a field current of an exciter of the synchronous machine, an input, output and/or one or more internal values of an automatic voltage regulator configured to control the synchronous machine, a voltage and/or current provided by a generator of the synchronous machine, a real or complex inductance demand of the synchronous machine, and a power factor from a load connected to the synchronous machine.

2 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , further comprising rectifier circuitry configured to convert an AC input to the DC output.

3 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

initiate charging of the at least one charge storage device by the DC output when the electrical demand indicated by the second signal is associated with a removal of energy from the synchronous machine.

4 . The exciter circuit of claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

receive a third signal indicative of an amount of charge stored by the at least one charge storage device; and

initiate charging of the at least one charge storage device by the AC input when the amount of stored charge indicated by the third signal is below a predefined threshold and the operating state indicated by the first signal satisfies the control electrical demand indicated by the second signal.

5 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is indicative of a measured parameter of the operating state of the synchronous machine, wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply at least a portion of energy stored by the at least one charge storage device when the operating state indicated by the first signal does not satisfy the electrical demand indicated by the second signal by a predefined amount.

6 . The exciter circuit of claim 5 , wherein the predefined amount is an absolute or relative amount.

7 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is indicative of a measured parameter of the operating state of the synchronous machine, wherein the control circuitry is configured to supply at least a portion of energy stored by the at least one charge storage device when the operating state indicated by the first signal does not satisfy the electrical demand indicated by the second signal for a predefined period of time.

8 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to electrically isolate the at least one charge storage device from the DC output to provide a pre-defined voltage ceiling at the DC output when the operating state indicated by the first signal satisfies the electrical demand indicated by the second signal.

9 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the DC output is a positive or negative voltage.

10 . The exciter circuit of claim 2 , wherein the AC input is a three-phase signal or a single-phase signal.

11 . The exciter circuit of claim 1 , wherein the threshold capacity is based on an output voltage of an automatic voltage regulator configured to control the synchronous machine, wherein the automatic voltage regulator comprises a smoothing capacitor and the threshold capacity is limited by a voltage on the smoothing capacitor.

12 . A method of using the exciter circuit of claim 1 , the method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicative of an operating state of the synchronous machine;

receiving a second signal indicative of an electrical demand for the synchronous machine; and

supplying at least a portion of energy stored by the at least one charge storage device to satisfy the electrical demand indicated by the second signal when:

the electrical demand indicated by the second signal exceeds a threshold capability of the synchronous machine that would otherwise exist if the at least one charge storage device was not present, and

the synchronous machine is in an appropriate operating state that enables the use of the at least one storage device to supply the at least a portion of the energy stored by the at least one storage device as derived from the first signal;

wherein the first signal is indicative of a measured parameter of the operating state of the synchronous machine, the measured parameter comprising at least one of a voltage output, current output and power output of the synchronous machine, and one or more of a voltage demand, current demand, power demand, inductance demand and power factor from a load connected to the synchronous machine; and wherein the second signal is indicative of a parameter requirement of the electrical demand for the synchronous machine, the parameter requirement comprising at least one of a field voltage and/or a field current of an exciter of the synchronous machine, an input, output and/or one or more internal values of an automatic voltage regulator configured to control the synchronous machine, a voltage and/or current provided by a generator of the synchronous machine, a real or complex inductance demand of the synchronous machine, and a power factor from a load connected to the synchronous machine.

13 . A computer program comprising computer code configured to perform the method of claim 12 .

14 . An exciter circuit for a synchronous machine, the exciter circuit comprising:

at least one charge storage device configured to supply energy to a DC output of the exciter circuit that is coupled to the synchronous machine; and

control circuitry configured to:

receive a first signal indicative of an operating state of the synchronous machine,

receive a second signal indicative of an electrical demand for the synchronous machine, and

supply at least a portion of energy stored by the at least one charge storage device for excitation of the synchronous machine to satisfy the electrical demand indicated by the second signal when:

the electrical demand indicated by the second signal exceeds a threshold capability of the synchronous machine that would otherwise exist if the at least one charge storage device was not present, and

the synchronous machine is in an appropriate operating state that enables the use of the at least one storage device to supply the at least a portion of the energy stored by the at least one storage device as derived from the first signal;

wherein the control circuitry comprises one or more transistors, and an automatic voltage regulator configured to control the one or more transistors to discharge the at least one charge storage device to the DC output, wherein the one or more transistors are insulated-gate bipolar transistors, and wherein the control circuitry comprises a capacitor configured to protect the insulated-gate bipolar transistors from circuit inductance when the insulated-gate bipolar transistors are switched from an on-state to an off-state by the automatic voltage regulator.