High Output Alternator Control System

The HPD (High Power Density) PM (Permanent Magnet) alternators designed and built by MagApp (Magnetic Applications Inc) have the highest power density of any vehicle alternators available today. 28 volt HPD systems from 300 to 600 amps at vehicle engine idle, with alternators from 38 to 48 pounds are being built and sold for commercial use. This power density could offer a tremendous advantage to supply 16kw of export power at idle or 33kw at 1500 rpm by replacing the conventional vehicle alternator. Mounts have been designed to install these alternators on Army HMMWVs and FMTVs. A 300 amp system was installed on a TARDEC supplied HMMWV and has been used in testing for the past year. A disadvantage of the HPD PM alternator is the wild frequency and voltage that the associated control has to manage. The control currently being built and used by MagApp on commercial applications is large and produces output ripple content unacceptable for the military. This SBIR proposal discusses a unique hybrid control that meets military ripple requirements, may be smaller and may offer tremendous robustness to wild, out of boundary load and engine rpm occurrences that can be fatal to electronic switching controls.