Permanent Magnet Ship Propulsion Engine Electric Starter

The following proposal sets forth a technical plan to design and develop an advanced electric start system to replace the existing high pressure air motors, used to start the ship propulsion gas turbine engines. The proposed design will be based on a three phase Permanent Magnet Motor (PMM), controlled and operated by means of a power inverter system. The PMM design will utilize rare earth permanent magnets capable of operating throughout the specified temperature range, while meeting the power output requirements in a compact package. The inverter design will utilize Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT), as the switching device of choice, controlled by a microprocessor based control unit. This proposal will discuss the technical issues involved in the design and development of the PMM, the starting circuitry, the inverter system, and the control unit. Thermal and installation issues will be presented to determine performance and reliability characteristics. Additionally, the starting power requirements will be discussed and recommendations will be made toward the size, type, and configuration of the power source. This proposal will also present the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed design compared with other advanced electrical start systems, such as switch reluctance systems.