POWERENG 2007, April 12-14, 2007, Setúbal, Portugal

Homopolar Inverter Design Study

Michael Owen.
Bechtel Corporation, London, UK
michael-owen@ieee.org

Abstract - A Homopolar Inverter has been designed using comprising a DC multi-coil; the coils arranged to complement
conventional electromechanical rotating machine technology. the AC induction output coils. The description was
Considered application is for Distributed Generation powered by
Fuel Cells, where improved lifetime efficiency is predicted over conceptual. Reversion to the original concept [1] however, of
Power Electronic Converter systems. a single Principal Winding coil driven by a current source that
excites the magnetic circuit is more appropriate for
I. INTRODUCTION construction, having no electromagnetic disadvantage over the
multi-coil proposal. In respect of the stator AC induction coils,
The emerging technology of the Fuel Cell is demanding high
the distributed winding approach used in modern rotating
energy conversion efficiency and creating power quality issues.
machine technology is also considered more appropriate.
Conventionally, Fuel Cell power conditioning uses Power
Electronic Converters (PECs), which are generally known to
cause power system distortion and suffer from low efficiency III. OPERATING PRINCIPLE
especially when operating at part load. The basis of operation may be understood by comparison to
In previous publications [1,2] the author has described a a conventional three-phase synchronous generator. The
Homopolar Electro-mechanical Rotary Power Converter construction detail of the machine is shown in Fig. 1, and slot
(HERPC), that when operated as a Homopolar Inverter (HI), detail in Fig 2. In the HI, the rotor has only homopoles,
claims potential lifetime efficiency improvement [3] of 4%, whereas the synchronous generator has heteropole pairs. Also,
over the PEC, particularly when applied to Distributed the HI obtains power via a current source that feeds the
Generation systems powered by Fuel Cell arrays. It was Principal DC Winding, as opposed to mechanical input via the
estimated that an efficiency of 96.8% could be achieved. The shaft in a synchronous generator. (Multiple current sources
claim was based upon the different behavior of the variable may be accommodated with multiple Principal DC Windings.)
losses with load, published efficiencies for synchronous Also in the conventional synchronous generator the flux path is
generators, and the fact that in the HERPC most of the flux two dimensional, however the HI has a three dimensional path,
paths are uni-directional, allowing the use of low loss flowing through the rotor homopole, main air gap and stator,
transformer steel. This paper shows that the claim is and then longitudinally along ribs on the outside of the stator
achievable. core, returning through a secondary airgap and along the rotor
The earlier work described the concept of the machine. That yoke. The Principal DC Winding is statically placed encircling
is now developed into a practical arrangement using an extended rotor.
conventional rotating machine design methods. Aspects of Unlike the synchronous generator, no excitation windings or
construction are considered with attention being given to damper bars exist on the rotor. The armature reaction flux is
magnetic flux distributions, efficiency and the various losses therefore unable to impress the Lorentz force (F=B.I.L) that is
that occur. normally observed on the rotor conductors of a conventional
To be suitable for a Distributed Generating application, the generator. Power input to the machine is not therefore
machine must be of a size sufficient to supply a small mechanically supplied via a prime mover, but is instead
community or a small industrial plant. To make the most supplied electrically via the Principal DC Winding. The
efficient use of the energy source, it should also be able to run electrical power input is a reaction to demagnetizing direct flux
constantly at optimum load, by supplying power to the mains shown in equation (1) below that results from a summation of
when the local need is light. A 600VDC to 3.3kV mains the armature reaction fluxes derived from the back emfs at the
synchronized converter of approximately 400kVA, is therefore stator winding.
studied on the basis that the requirement for a step up
transformer is eliminated, and that low voltage lower rated
Φdm = ∫ eb sin(ωt) d(ωt) (1)
machines would be generally less efficient.
+ ∫ eb sin(ωt+120º) d(ωt)
+ ∫ eb sin(ωt+240º) d(ωt)
II. CONCEPT
= α+β+γ
The concept of the HERPC was initially released for general
where α, β and γ are the integration constants representing
publication [2] illustrating concentrated stator windings
the demagnetizing direct flux.

1-4244-0895-4/07/$20.00 © 2007 IEEE 168

Fig. 1. Construction detail for Homopolar Inverter.

169
 IV. DESIGN
The design method and equations by Say [4] are
used to develop the HI. The main parameters for the
machine are listed in the Appendix.
A salient pole rotor design is chosen. The HI rotor is
similar to that of a conventional synchronous generator
with one set of heteropoles missing. The design adopts
three salient homoploles. The rotor is therefore
statically balanced. The shaft speed is 1000 rpm.
Harmonic cancellation is sometimes used on
conventional synchronous generators by short
chording. With the HI however, it is not possible to
develop a phase displaced emf in the returning
conductor of a coil due to the lack of heteropoles. This
disadvantage is not seen as significant because short
Fig. 2. Slot detail. chording is not a universally applied technique.
Rotor torque in the HI is undesirable and
consequently circulating current paths in the rotor must
When operated in parallel with a mains supply, the be minimized. Torque production due to interaction
machine has a compound action and will run either as a with rotor eddy currents is therefore avoided by
synchronous reluctance motor or synchronous laminating the rotor poles.
reluctance generator. This occurs as a result of the A unique feature of the HI design is the use of
rotor being displaced from its minimum energy conventional low voltage power cable for the Principal
position with respect to the rotating field of the stator Winding. The winding is constructed from a
winding. The synchronous reluctance effects are of continuous length, looped and secured to the stator
second order compared to the main power circuits, and body. The machine diameter is adequate to prevent
are cancelled by an auxiliary drive, either by it violation of the minimum bending radius. For reasons
generating or absorbing power to or from the mains. of compactness and heat dissipation, the cable is
The auxiliary motor drives the rotor at the stripped down to the insulation. Spacers (2mm) are
appropriate speed to generate the desired output AC inserted to ensure the fan induced airflow through the
frequency. To transfer power, when operated in coil and ventilation ducts in the stator end plate (not
parallel with a mains supply, the auxiliary drive visible in Fig. 1) is maintained.
controls the rotor angle with respect to the rotating In common with conventional synchronous
field. Unlike a conventional alternator, and apart from generators, ventilation slots are incorporated into the
synchronous reluctance effects, no electromagnetic stator core. No ventilation slots are however necessary
restraining force acts. The driving torque is required on the rotor because there is no attached winding to
for inertial accelerations and to counter friction and generate heat.
windage losses. The ampere turns for the machine are calculated in
The acceleration torque required to achieve the traditional way [4]. Dimensions are chosen to
synchronous speed is provided through a variable ensure typical flux densities exist in each part of the
frequency low voltage induction motor drive. magnetic circuit. The magnetizing characteristic used
Standards [5] indicate that under “direct on line” start is a good match to commercially available electrical
conditions a 63kW 8 pole motor is more than adequate steel and follows equation (2).
for the calculated 49 kg·m2 inertia. With a variable
frequency drive, controlled starting with a smaller AT·m-1 = 0.63 x exp (5.67 x B) (2)
driver (e.g. 11 kW) is possible without the risk of
stalling. A smaller driver unit results in an increase in The open circuit characteristic shown in Fig. 3 is
the starting time to several minutes. Starting duration calculated by consideration of mmf and ampere turns.
however is not an important issue since the HI is only
anticipated for use in continuous power applications.
 Friction & Windage loss 4.1 kW
Auxiliary drive loss 1.0 kW

Total loss = 2.02 + 3.14 + 4.1 + 1.0 = 10.26kW

A 412kVA machine operating at unity power factor

therefore operates at a full load efficiency of 97.5%.
The value for stator coil eddy current loss is noted to
be small. No special measures therefore, such as
twisted slot conductors or transpositions are necessary
to limit eddy currents.
Fig. 3. Open Circuit Characteristic.
V. COST & WEIGHT
The weight of the 412kVA HI is comparable to that
of a 2000kVA synchronous generator. Although the
cost and weight of generators is approximately linear
with rating, there is a fixed cost that offsets the
relationship, with the result that a 400kVA HI is
estimated to be approximately four times the cost of an
equivalent synchronous generator. Some further
reduction in the cost of an HI may be also assumed due
to the simplicity of its Principal Winding, which uses a
statically mounted conventional cable. This is
contrasted to the synchronous generator that requires
Fig. 4. Phasor Diagram. an exciter and an intricate field winding on the rotor.
The cost of the small variable frequency drive unit
The phasor diagram and related equivalent circuit must however be factored in to the overall cost
are shown in Fig. 4. The figure illustrates the Voltage comparison. The cost of the unit is estimated to
Regulation of the device. The ratio of Et to Vo balance the benefit gained by using cable for the
indicates that upon rejection of full load, the output Principal Winding. A final cost ratio of four times is
voltage will rise by 7.8%. therefore assumed.
Core loss in the stator laminations is assumed at Although the object of this paper is the HI, the
5.0W·kg-1. The stator ribs, and stator end plate, which converter system also requires a front end current
are constructed from six segments use cold rolled grain source [3]. A cost comparison with the PEC must take
oriented silicon steel with loss of 0.7W·kg-1. Core loss that into account, plus also the benefit gained by
in the rotor, through which the direct flux flows, is eliminating the step up transformer. Although PEC
considered negligible. costs are reported to be [3] substantially higher than
The overall losses for the machine at full load are: electromechanical machines, it is not prudent to judge
which system would result in a higher capital cost
Core losses without a more detailed assessment.
Stator core loss 0.27 kW
Tooth loss 0.46 kW VI. CONCLUSION
End plate loss 0.46 kW
Rib loss 0.83 kW The paper illustrates that conventional
Total core loss 2.02 kW electromechanical rotating machine technology may be
used to construct an HI. A consequence of the
Copper & stray losses conventional design is an inherent compatibility of the
Principal Winding loss 1.0 kW output waveform with mains power supply systems.
Stator coil DC loss 1.77 kW This is an advantage compared to the PEC that
Stator coil eddy loss 0.01 kW typically introduces distortion into the supply.
Stray loss 0.36 kW Full load efficiency is calculated as 97.5%
Total copper & stray losses 3.14 kW supporting the claim [3] that, in comparison to PEC
equipment, lifetime efficiency over a variable load

171
regime may be improved by approximately 4%. This ACKNOWLEDGMENT
is substantially due to variable losses (copper and
stray) in the HI being proportional to the square of the
load, whilst in the PEC the variable losses vary The author acknowledges the support of the Bechtel
linearly. Additional benefit is derived from the use of Corporation in the presentation of this paper.
cold rolled grain oriented silicon (transformer) steel in
the uni-directional flux paths. There is also greater REFERENCES
potential for improvement with the HI since the design
is sensitive to the selection of materials and the [1] M. Owen, “Homopolar Electro-mechanical Rotary Power
Converter (HERPC).” European patent application No.
dimensions of the active components. In the PEC 04726562.4, Priority date 30th May 2003.
however, there is little scope for improvement without [2] M. Owen, “A Homopolar Electro-mechanical Rotary Power
further technological break through. Converter (HERPC).” The 12th IEEE Mediterranean
Electrotechnical Conference, MELECON. May 2004.
When discounted over an equipment lifetime of [3] M. Owen, “Fuel Cell with Novel Power Conditioning.” China
fifteen years, the cost benefit can accrue to sums many Electric Power Research Institute. International Conference,
times greater than the capital cost of the original July 2005.
[4] M. G. Say, The Performance and Design of Alternating
equipment. Current Machines. 3rd ed. Pitman.
The time constant of the Principal Winding is [5] BSEN60034-12, “Starting Performance of Single-speed Three-
calculated as 2.4s. The value may restrict use of the phase Induction Motors for Voltages up to and Including 690V,
50Hz.
device in rapid load following applications. In this
design however, due to the low Voltage Regulation,
only relatively small voltage changes are predicted to
occur following load rejection and the slow response
may not therefore be generally restrictive. The long
time constant is not however a problem for grid
synchronized Distributed Generation plant where load
fluctuation may be accommodated through the mains.

172
 APPENDIX

TABLE I

HOMOPOLAR INVERTER MAIN DESIGN PARAMETERS

Line voltage 3300 V B stator core 0.58 T

Frequency 50 Hz Top tooth width 23.6 mm
No. of homopoles 3 Bottom tooth width 26.5 mm
No. of stator phases 3 Tooth depth 39.4 mm
Slots per homopole per phase 10 B tooth 1.2 T
Double layer
-1
Winding diamond Armature reaction 1325 AT· pole
Principal Winding current
No of slots 54 density 2.32 A· mm-2
Core length 520 mm Principal Winding rated voltage 591 V
Principal Winding full load
Core diameter 647 mm current 697 A
Conductor width 3 mm No of Principal Winding turns 14
Conductor depth 2 mm Principal Winding loss 1 kW
Turns per coil 3 Length of Principal Winding 29.8 m
No. of coils per slot 2 Area Principal Winding cable 300 mm2
No of conductors per slot 6 Principal Winding time constant 2.4 s
Coils per phase 18 Stator winding overhang length 528 mm
Stator conductor current density 3.43 A· mm-2 Stator conductor coil length 6.3 m
Current per phase 72 A rms Stator phase resistance 0.113 Ω
Rating 412 kVA Stator phase resistance per unit 0.004
Primary air gap length 4 mm Stator coil dc + eddy loss 1.78 kW
Secondary air gap length 4 mm Stator coil stray loss 0.36 kW
Winding distribution factor 0.955 Total iron loss 2.02 kW
Flux per pole 0.083 Wb Total copper loss 3.1 kW
B per rib 1.1 T Slot leakage 1.2 mWb
B rotor axial 1.5 T Overhang leakage 6.0 mWb
B secondary air gap 1.1 T Pole pitch 677 mm
Slot width 14.1 mm Total leakage reactance per unit 0.086
Slot pitch 37.6 mm Rotor inertia 49 kg · m2
Effective slot pitch 31.7 mm Cross reaction coefficient 0.33
Slot pitches per pole arc 6 Rotor iron weight 1547 kg
Effective pole arc 190 mm Stator iron weight 3167 kg
No. of ventilating ducts 10 mm Weight of stator windings 64 kg
Width of ventilating ducts 10 mm Weight of Principal Winding 80 kg
Effective core length 482 mm Total weight 4858 kg
B per pole primary gap 0.91 T