Testing of a 3 MW High Speed Generator and Turbine Drive for a Hybrid Vehicle Propulsion System

The need for increased design flexibility and reduced weight and volume for electric power generation infrastructure has driven an increased interest in the use of high speed generators directly driven by gas turbine prime movers for both military and commercial power generation applications. This transition has been facilitated by the use of dc distribution and recent advances in the performance of solid state power conversion equipment, enabling designers to decouple the power generation frequency from typical 60 Hz ac loads. Operation of the generator at the turbine output speed eliminates the need for a speed reduction gearbox and can significantly increase the volumetric and gravimetric power density of the power generation system. This is particularly true for turbines in the 3 to 10 MW power range which typically operate with power turbine speeds of 7,000 to 16,000 rpm