Hardware-based, redundant overvoltage protection

摘要

A generator system includes a generator and a generator control unit (GCU). The GCU is connected to monitor and regulate the generator output voltage. The GCU includes a protection signal processor that receives monitored generator voltages and executes software to detect an overvoltage condition. The GCU further includes redundant, hardware based overvoltage detection that detects a peak voltage value associated with the monitored generator voltage and includes a fast overvoltage detection circuit that generates a first overvoltage fault signal if the peak voltage value is greater than a first threshold value and includes an inverse overvoltage detection circuit that generates a second overvoltage fault signal if the peak voltage value is greater than a second threshold value for a duration of time that varies with a magnitude of the peak voltage value.

主权项

1. A generator control unit (GCU) that provides independent, redundant overvoltage protection for an associated generator, the GCU comprising:
a protection signal processor that monitors an output voltage of the generator at a single point of regulation (POR) and executes software to detect overvoltage conditions based on the monitored output of the generator at the single POR and generates a first overvoltage fault signal in response to a detected overvoltage condition; and a hardware-based overvoltage protection circuit that includes:
a peak detector circuit that detects a peak voltage associated with the monitored output voltage at the single POR;a fast overvoltage detection circuit that compares the peak voltage to a first threshold value and generates a first fault signal in response to the peak voltage exceeding the first threshold value;an inverse overvoltage detection circuit that compares the peak voltage to a second threshold value and generates a second fault signal in response to the peak voltage exceeding the second threshold value for a duration of time;a diode OR circuit that logically combines the first fault signal with the second fault signal to generate a second overvoltage fault signal; wherein the first overvoltage fault signal is combined with the second overvoltage fault signal to generate a combined overvoltage fault signal that signals an overvoltage fault condition in the associated generator.