Revision as of 13:48, 17 February 2006

A motor-generator (an M-G set) is a device for converting electrical power to another form. In some contexts, the other form is mechanical energy; in other contexts, it is a different form of electricity. The two senses refer to different types of equipment.

Conversion to/from mechanical energy

In the context of hybrid vehicles and other lightweight power systems, a motor-generator is used to describe a single power transducer that can be used as either an electric motor or a generator, converting between electrical power and mechanical power. In principle, any generator can also serve as an electric motor, or vice versa. A device that is specifically designed for use in either mode may be called a "motor-generator"; the literature distributed by Toyota to describe the Hybrid Synergy Drive is an example of this newer usage.

Electrical power handling

In the context of electric power generation and large fixed electrical power systems, a motor-generator consists of an electric motor mechanically coupled to an electric generator (or alternator). The motor runs on the electrical input current while the generator creates the electrical output current, with power flowing between the two machines as a mechanical torque; this provides electrical isolation and some buffering of the power between the two electrical systems. One use of this type of motor-generator is to eliminate spikes and variations in "dirty power" or to provide phase matching between different electrical system; another is to buffer extreme loads on the power system. For example, tokamak fusion devices impose very large peak loads, but relatively low average loads, on the electrical grid. The DIII-D and Princeton Large Torus (PLT) tokamaks used a large flywheel on multiple motor-generator rigs to level the load imposed on the electrical system: the motor side slowly accelerated a large flywheel to store energy, which was consumed rapidly during a fusion experiment as the generator side acted as a brake on the flywheel.

Conversions

Motor-generators may be used for various conversions including:

Alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC)
DC to AC
DC at one voltage to DC at another voltage
AC at one frequency to AC at another harmonically-related frequency
Single phase AC to three phase AC

Motor-generators used to increase Ride-Through

Motor-generators have even been used where the input and output currents are essentially the same. In this case, the mechanical inertia of the M-G set is used to filter out transients in the input power. The resulting output power can be (electrically) very clean (noise free) and will be able to ride-through brief blackouts and switching transients on the input power. This may enable, for example, the flawless cut-over from mains power to AC power provided by a diesel generator set.

The motor-generator set may contain a large flywheel to improve its ride-through.

The motor-generator today

Motor-generators have been replaced by semiconductor devices for most purposes.

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 =Electrical power handling=
-In the context of [[electric power]] generation and large fixed electrical power systems, a '''motor-generator''' consists of an [[electric motor]] mechanically coupled to an [[electric generator]] (or [[alternator]]). The motor runs on the electrical input current while the generator creates the electrical output current, with power flowing between the two machines as a mechanical [[torque]]; this provides electrical isolation and some buffering of the power between the two electrical systems.  One use of this type of motor-generator is to eliminate spikes and variations in "dirty power" or to provide [[phase matching]] between different electrical system; another is to buffer extreme loads on the power system.  For example, [[tokamak]] fusion devices impose very large peak loads, but relatively low average loads, on the electrical grid.  The [[DIII-D (fusion reactor)|DIII-D]] tokamak used a large [[flywheel]] on a motor-generator rig to level the load imposed on the electrical system: the motor side slowly accelerated a large flywheel to store energy, which was consumed rapidly during a fusion experiment as the generator side acted as a [[brake]] on the flywheel.
+In the context of [[electric power]] generation and large fixed electrical power systems, a '''motor-generator''' consists of an [[electric motor]] mechanically coupled to an [[electric generator]] (or [[alternator]]). The motor runs on the electrical input current while the generator creates the electrical output current, with power flowing between the two machines as a mechanical [[torque]]; this provides electrical isolation and some buffering of the power between the two electrical systems.  One use of this type of motor-generator is to eliminate spikes and variations in "dirty power" or to provide [[phase matching]] between different electrical system; another is to buffer extreme loads on the power system.  For example, [[tokamak]] fusion devices impose very large peak loads, but relatively low average loads, on the electrical grid.  The [[DIII-D (fusion reactor)|DIII-D]] and [[Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory|Princeton Large Torus (PLT)]] tokamaks used a large [[flywheel]] on multiple motor-generator rigs to level the load imposed on the electrical system: the motor side slowly accelerated a large flywheel to store energy, which was consumed rapidly during a fusion experiment as the generator side acted as a [[brake]] on the flywheel.
 ==Conversions==

Motor–generator: Difference between revisions