A novel power generation system for ground vehicles

The paper presents a new generation scheme that is capable of efficient high electric power as needed for future automobiles. The new system consists of a permanent magnet (PM) alternator, a split winding and a novel electronic voltage regulator. A proof of concept system, capable of providing 100/250 A (idle/cruising) at 14 V, has been built and tested. The results show that this high output is provided at 15-20 percentage points higher efficiencies than conventional automotive alternators, which translates into considerable fuel economy savings. The alternator is also 8 dB quieter and has a rotor inertia of only 2/3 that of an equivalent production alternator, thus avoiding belt slippage. Analysis show that a 48 V system would be even more efficient with up to 5-percentile points improvement and could use power devices with reduced current rating, size and cost.