Phase II Amount
$1,329,098
Power generation at remote locations is increasingly important in providing support for logistic and combat operations. The traditional genset driven by a diesel engine, however, is bulky, not highly efficient, and requires non-trivial maintenance. In addition, the power quality that these traditional gensets supply is not sufficient for many field applications. Thus, a compact, yet high efficiency auxiliary power generation system (APGS) integral to the tracked or wheeled military vehicle, at the 4 kW power level, is an essential new component to aid the warfighter. This advanced generator and power control unit makes use of direct-cooled lamination permanent magnet motor technology and a proprietary interphase transformer technique using sub-phases controlled by a digital signal processor. The flexibility of power output of 24VDC, 270VDC, and 120VAC, makes this device especially valuable for a number of field applications. The proposed Phase II effort will develop an advanced on-board (APGS) that will have a higher efficiency, lower harmonic distortion, lower electromagnetic interference, in addition to the greatly lower volume and weight advantages when compared to current generators. AeroVironment will build on our Phase I work, which demonstrated feasibility, and tackle these challenges using our extensive generator, inverter, and digital control experience.
Keywords: POWER GENERATION, APU, POWER ELECTRONICS, HIGH POWER DENSIT