AU2012244439B2

AU2012244439B2 - Method for operating a submarine and submarine

Info

Publication number: AU2012244439B2
Application number: AU2012244439A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jurgen Eckert
Original assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2011-04-18
Filing date: 2012-03-26
Publication date: 2015-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 2032-03-26
Also published as: EP2683605B1; RU2013151052A; EP2683605A1; ES2564131T3; RU2561476C2; AU2012244439A1; WO2012143210A1; BR112013026648A2; KR101588101B1; KR20130135959A; DE102011007599A1

Abstract

The invention relates to the operation of a submarine (100) which has a pulse inverter supplied drive motor (2) having a coil (5), which is divided into a plurality of coil strands (6, 6'), wherein the motor (2) has a first operating range, wherein a number of the coil strands (6, 6'), preferably two of the coil strands (6, 6'), are connected in series, and a second operating range, wherein the coil strands (6, 6') are connected in parallel, and wherein an operating point (n

Description

PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 1 Description Method for operating a submarine and submarine The invention relates to a method for operating a submarine according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a submarine according to the preamble of claim 8. A propulsion drive system, described in WO 2004/068694 Al, for a submarine has an electrical machine designed as a synchronous machine, having a permanent magnet-excited rotor and having a stator in which a stator coil is arranged which has a large number of coil strands, by way of example 24 coil strands. One separate single-phase pulse inverter respectively exists for each of the coil strands to supply the coil strand with electrical current. The inverters for supplying the coil strands are situated in the form of inverter modules inside the synchronous machine and in the axial direction are arranged in an inverter support frame between an A-side bearing plate and a B-side bearing plate. The inverters project into a gap which is formed by a shaft of the synchronous machine and a rotor hub which supports the rotor and is non-rotatably secured to the shaft. Submarine propulsion drive systems of this kind are very popular due to their high level of compactness, the accompanying low space requirement and due to the low levels of noise generated during operation, and are sold by way of example by the Applicant, under the product name "SINAVY Permasyn". The single-phase pulse inverter associated with each coil strand is supplied with electrical energy from a DC voltage PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 2 supply device. Each pulse inverter conventionally has two half-bridges each with two semiconductor switches. By means of a suitable activation device the switches are activated in such a way that a desired voltage is established at the output terminals of the pulse inverter, and therefore at the coil strand connected there. The pulse inverter output voltage is produced in this connection as a differential voltage of the output potentials of the two half-bridges. The motor has two operating modes or operating ranges: a) a first operating range for efficiency- and acoustic noise optimized operation of the motor in the lower speed range of the motor, in which two of the coil strands respectively are connected in series by way of an additional choke and are supplied by pulse inverters associated with one half-bridge respectively of the two coil strands. All series circuits of coil strands resulting herefrom and supplied from a shared DC voltage supply device are then in turn switched parallel to each other. b) a second operating range for a comparatively higher speed range and higher driving powers, in which all coil strands are supplied by the pulse inverter respectively associated with them and all coil strands supplied from a shared DC voltage supply device are switched parallel to each other. An electrical circuit for a changeover of this kind is described by way of example in EP 0 334 112 B1 and DE 33 45 271 A. An operating point can be defined, wherein a changeover is made from the first operating range to the second operating range, or the reverse, upon reaching said operating point. The operating point can be defined by way of example by a PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 3 threshold value for a speed of the drive motor, wherein this threshold value is in turn determined by a maximum permissible nominal current across the series circuit of the coil strands. Since in the case of a ship or boot the driving power, and therefore the load current, are linked via the propeller curve to the speed of the drive motor, a speed may be derived above which the permissible nominal current is exceeded. If the motor is in the first operating range and the threshold value for the speed is exceeded, the drive motor is changed over by a controller into the second operating range. If, conversely, the motor is in the second operating range and the threshold value for the speed is fallen below, the drive motor is changed over by the controller from the second operating range into the first operating range. Taking this as a starting point, the object of the present invention is to enable optimally long operation of the motor in the first operating range, i.e. optimized for example in relation to efficiency and acoustic noises, in a method as claimed in the preamble of claim 1 or a submarine as claimed in the preamble of claim 8. The solution to the object directed toward the method is achieved according to the characterizing part of claim 1 in that a different operating point for the changeover is selected during surface travel of the submarine than during submerged travel of the submarine. This is based on the recognition that, without taking the travel condition into account, previously the operating point for the changeover had to be derived from the propeller curve for surface travel since this has a steeper characteristic PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 4 than the propeller curve for submerged travel and is therefore "more critical", i.e. with increasing speeds leads to higher currents through the coil strands than during submerged travel. If the travel condition of the submarine is taken into account, the different propeller curves respectively associated therewith for surface travel and submerged travel can also be taken into consideration, however, and an operating point for the changeover during surface travel and a different operating point for the changeover during submerged travel can therefore be derived. Since the characteristic of the propeller curve for submerged travel is flatter than the characteristic of the propeller curve during surface travel, a speed range exists at which the motor is still in the first operating range in the case of submerged travel but is already in the second operating range in the case of surface travel. With the inventive method operation in the first operating range can therefore be extended for the case of submerged travel, i.e. for example in relation to efficiency and acoustic noises. A particular advantage in this connection is that this is possible without significant constructional modifications being necessary to the motor. The first operating range is preferably a range in which the drive motor is optimized in relation to its efficiency and its acoustic noises. The operating point for the changeover can be defined particularly easily by a threshold value for a speed of the drive motor. Threshold values for other operating parameters are also possible, however. The threshold value for the speed can be derived from a threshold value for a maximum permissible nominal current PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 5 through the respective number of coil strands connected in series, i.e. through the series connection of the coil strands, and a propeller curve. The travel condition can be determined particularly easily by acquisition of the diving depth of the submarine. Various options familiar to a person skilled in the art are available for this purpose. The diving depth is preferably acquired by a higher-order automation system. In one embodiment with a particularly simple construction the coil strands are connected by two half-bridges respectively to a DC voltage supply device. To easily produce the series circuit of the respective number of coil strands two half-bridges respectively of these coil strands are connected to each other by one switching element respectively. The solution to the object directed toward the submarine is achieved according to the characterizing part of claim 8 in that the controller is designed in such a way that a different operating point for the changeover is selected during surface travel of the submarine than during submerged travel of the submarine. According to an advantageous embodiment of the submarine the first operating range is a range in which the drive motor is optimized in relation to its efficiency and its acoustic noises. The operating point is preferably defined by a threshold value for a speed of the drive motor.

6 The threshold value for the speed is advantageously derived from a threshold value for a maximum permissible nominal current through the respective number of coil strands connected in series and a propeller curve. The coil strands are advantageously connected by two half bridges respectively to a DC voltage supply device. According to a further advantageous embodiment, for series connection of the respective number of coils strands, two half-bridges respectively of these coil strands can be connected to each other by one switching element respectively. The advantages cited for the inventive method and its advantageous embodiments apply accordingly to the inventive submarine and its corresponding advantageous embodiments respectively. According to an aspect of the disclosed invention, there is provided a method for the operation of a submarine which has a pulse inverter supplied drive motor having a coil, which is divided into a plurality of coil strands, wherein the motor has a first operating range, wherein a number of the coil strands respectively, preferably two of the coil strands respectively, are connected in series, and a second operating range, wherein the coil strands are connected in parallel, and wherein an operating point (nsmax; nt,max) is defined, wherein a changeover is made from the first operating range to the second operating range, or the reverse, upon reaching said operating point, characterized in that a different operating point for the changeover is selected during surface travel of the submarine than during submerged travel of the submarine. P083272/9905035v1 6a According to another aspect of the disclosed invention, there is provided a submarine having a pulse inverter supplied drive motor which has a coil that is divided into a plurality of coil strands, wherein the motor has a first operating range, wherein a number of the coil strands respectively, preferably two of the coil strands respectively, are connected in series, and a second operating range, wherein the coil strands are connected in parallel, and having a controller for changing over the drive motor from the first operating range into the second operating range, or the reverse, if the drive motor reaches a defined operating point (nsmax; nt,max), characterized in that the controller is designed in such a way that a different operating point for the changeover is selected during surface travel of the submarine than during submerged travel of the submarine. The invention and further advantageous embodiments of the invention according to features of the subclaims will be explained in more detail below in the figures with reference to exemplary embodiments. In the figures: Fig. 1 shows a section of a basic embodiment of a propulsion drive system for a submarine with a permanent magnet-excited synchronous machine and pulse inverters arranged inside the machine housing, Fig. 2 shows a submarine with a propulsion drive system from Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an arrangement of coil strands and pulse inverters of the drive motor from Fig. 1, P083272/9905035v1 PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 7 Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the supply of two coil strands in a parallel circuit and in a series circuit and Fig. 5 shows a diagram with propeller curves for surface travel and submerged travel. Fig. 1 shows in a basic form and in section a submarine propulsion drive system 1 which, as is shown in Fig. 2, is conventionally arranged in the rear 102 of a submarine 100 and drives a propeller 101 for driving the submarine 100. The submarine 100 is by way of example a conventional manned submarine with a crew of 20 to 50 men. The propulsion drive system 1 has by way of example an output of 0.5 to 2 MW. The submarine propulsion drive system 1 includes a drive motor 2 designed as a synchronous machine, having a permanent magnet-excited rotor 3 and a stator 4 with a stator coil 5. As emerges in particular from the basic diagram in Fig. 3, the stator coil 5 is divided into a large number of coil strands 6, 6', of which 24 coil strands 6, 6' are provided in the case of the stator coil 5 shown in principle in Fig. 3. The drive motor 2 includes a machine housing 10 which encloses an interior 19 in which the rotor 3 and the stator 4 are arranged. The machine housing 10 is formed in the axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the axis of rotation of the machine shaft 9, by an A-side bearing shield 11 and a B side bearing shield 12. One separate single-phase pulse inverter 7 respectively for supplying the respective coil strand 6, 6' with electrical current exists for each of the coil strands 6, 6' (see Fig.

PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 8 3). Each individual coil strand 6, 6' is connected to the inverter 7 associated with it by means of connecting lines 8. The inverters 7, which supply the stator coil 5, are arranged inside the motor 2 in an inverter support frame 13 between the A-side bearing shield 11 and the B-side bearing shield 12 and are located in inverter modules 14. The inverter modules 14 project into a gap 20 which is formed between the shaft 9 of the motor 2 and a bell-shaped rotor hub 21 non-rotatably secured thereto and which supports the rotor 3. Instead of a bell-shaped rotor hub 21 a T-shaped rotor hub may also be used which forms one gap 20 respectively on either side of the rotor shaft 9, into which gap the inverter modules 14 project. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 3, in each case two of the inverters 7 designed as power inverters, namely the inverters WR101 and WR102, inverters WR103 and WR104, inverters WR105 and WR106, inverters WR107 and WR108, inverters WR109 and WR110, inverters WR111 and WR112, inverters WR201 and WR202, inverters WR203 and WR204, inverters WR205 and WR206, inverters WR207 and WR208, inverters WR209 and WR210 and inverters WR211 and WR121 are combined to form one inverter module 14. The six inverter modules 14 for supplying the coil strands 6 are connected by a connecting line 15 provided for them to a subnet 17 of a DC voltage supply device of the submarine, here a DC on-board supply system of the submarine. The six inverter modules 14 for supplying the coil strands 6' are connected by a connecting line 16 provided for them to a subnet 18 of the DC voltage supply device.

PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 9 Instead of two inverters 7 per inverter module 14, more than two inverters 7 may also be combined to form one inverter module. The motor has a first operating range, wherein two of the coil strands 6 and 6' respectively are connected in series, and a second operating range, in which all coil stands 6 and 6' are connected parallel to each other. The schematic diagram of Fig. 4 shows by way of example for the inverters WR101 and WR102 the supply of the respectively allocated coil strands 6. A corresponding functionality exists for the other inverters or inverter pairs of the drive system 1 as well. The inverters WR101 and WR102 are connected by current- and voltage-carrying conductors 15, 15' with positive potential +UDC or with negative potential -UDC to the DC voltage supply device 17. The single-phase pulse inverters WR10 and WR102 each have two half-bridges W1, W1' or W2, W2'. Each of the half-bridges W1, W1', W2, W2' has one semiconductor switch respectively arranged in an input branch and one semiconductor switch arranged in an output branch (for example in the form of an IGBT). In the case of the half-bridges W1 and W1' these are the switches SE1 and SAl or SEl' and SAl'. In the case of the half-bridges W2 and W2' these are the switches SE2 and SA2 or SE2' and SA2'. The index "E" stands for a switch arranged in an input branch in each case and the index "A" stands for a switch arranged in an output branch in each case.

PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 10 By means of a suitable activation device 30 for each of the inverters WR101, WR102 in each case, the switches SE1, SA1, SEl', SAl' and SE2, SA2, SE2', SA2' are activated in such a way that a desired voltage is established at the output terminals of the inverters WR101 and WR102 and therewith at the coils strands 6 connected there in each case. The coil strand 6 associated with the inverter WR101 can be separated by means of a switch Si from the second half-bridge Wi of the inverter WR101 and the coil strand 6 associated with the inverter WR102 can be separated by means of a switch S2 from the first half-bridge W2 of the inverter WR102. In addition, the coil strand 6 associated with the inverter WR101 can also be connected in series by means of a switch S3 and by way of a conduction path 31, in which an additional choke 32 is connected, with the coil strand 6 which is associated with inverter WR102. The two coils strands 6 can therefore be supplied with electrical energy in a series circuit by way of the first half-bridge Wi of the first inverter WR101 and the second half-bridge W2' of the second inverter WR102. The additional choke 32 is used to smooth the current in order to avoid harmonics and alternating torques of the motor caused as a result. Switches SE1, SAl and SE2', SA2' are activated by means of the activation devices 30 in such a way that a desired voltage is established at the series circuit of the coil strands 6. If the two coil strands 6 are operated in the series circuit the drive motor is in a first operating range for efficiency optimized and acoustic noise-optimized operation of the motor.

PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 11 If the switch 3 is open and switches Si and S2 are closed each coil strand 6 is supplied by the inverter WR101 or WR102 associated with it. All coil strands are then connected in parallel with each other and the drive motor 2 is in a second operating range. A controller 40 is used to changeover the drive motor 2 from the first operating range into the second operating range, or the reverse, if the drive motor 2 reaches a defined operating point. The controller 40 acquires information about the travel condition of the submarine 100 (for example in the form of information about the diving depth T of the submarine) from an automation system of the submarine 100 for this purpose and the speed n of the drive motor 2 and gives control commands to the activation devices 30 of the inverters WR101 and WR102 and to switches S1, S2 and S3 as a function of this information. The controller 40 is designed in such a way that it a different operating point for the changeover during surface travel of the submarine than during submerged travel of the submarine. The operating point for the changeover is defined in the exemplary embodiment by a threshold value for a speed of the drive motor 2. This threshold value is in turn determined by the permissible nominal current which flows across the coil strands 6 connected in series. The permissible nominal current is in turn crucially determined by the current carrying capacity of the choke 32. As shown in Fig. 5, the driving power P, and therefore the load current, is linked by a propeller curve to the speed n of the drive motor for a ship or boat. Ps designates a propeller PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 12 curve for surface travel and Pt a propeller curve for submerged travel. A speed may therefore be derived above which the maximum permissible nominal current is exceeded. However, in the process it is considered whether the submarine finds itself in a submerged travel or surface travel situation. For surface travel a maximum speed nsmax can be derived from the propeller curve Ps for surface travel for a maximum driving power Pmax associated with the maximum current for operation of the motor 2 in the first operating range. For surface travel a maximum speed nt,max can accordingly be derived from the propeller curve Pt for submerged travel for a maximum driving power Pmax associated with the maximum current for operation of the motor in the first operating range. The threshold values ns,max and nt,max are stored in the controller 40. For speeds n < nsmax or ntmax the motor 2 is then in the first operating range and for speeds n > nsrmax or ntmax the motor 2 is then in the second operating range. If the motor 2 is in a first operating range, the controller 40 causes a changeover into the second operating range when with increasing speeds the speed nsmax is reached in the case of surface travel and when the speed nt,max is reached in the case of submerged travel. If, in the reverse case, the motor is in the second operating range, with decreasing speeds the controller 40 causes a changeover into the first operating range when the speed nsrmax is reached in the case of surface travel and when the speed nt,max is reached in the case of submerged travel. Since the propeller curve Ps for surface travel is steeper than the propeller curve Pt for submerged travel, nt,max > nsmax applies. By taking into account the travel condition of the PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 13 submarine 100 operation in the first operating range can therefore still be enabled in the case of submerged travel for speeds in the range from nsmax to ntrmax, whereas this is no longer possible in the case of surface travel.

Claims

1. A method for the operation of a submarine (100) which has a pulse inverter supplied drive motor (2) having a coil (5), which is divided into a plurality of coil strands (6, 6'), wherein the motor (2) has a first operating range, wherein a number of the coil strands (6, 6') respectively, preferably two of the coil strands (6, 6 ') respectively, are connected in series, and a second operating range, wherein the coil strands (6, 6 ') are connected in parallel, and wherein an operating point (nsmax; nt,max) is defined, wherein a changeover is made from the first operating range to the second operating range, or the reverse, upon reaching said operating point, characterized in that a different operating point for the changeover is selected during surface travel of the submarine than during submerged travel of the submarine.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first operating range is a range in which the drive motor (2) is optimized in relation to its efficiency and its acoustic noises.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating point is defined by a threshold value for a speed of the drive motor (2).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the threshold value for the speed is derived from a threshold value for a maximum nominal current through the respective number of coil strands (6, 6') connected in series and a propeller curve (Ps, Pt). PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 15

5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the travel condition is determined by acquisition of the diving depth of the submarine.

6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coil strands (6, 6') are connected by two half-bridges (W1, W1' or W2, W2') respectively to a DC voltage supply device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that for series connection of the respective number of coil strands (6, 6'), two half-bridges (W1, W1' or W2, W2') respectively of these coil strands (6, 6') are connected to each other by one switching element respectively.

8. A submarine (100) having a pulse inverter supplied drive motor (2) which has a coil (5) that is divided into a plurality of coil strands (6, 6'), wherein the motor (2) has a first operating range, wherein a number of the coil strands (6, 6') respectively, preferably two of the coil strands (6, 6') respectively, are connected in series, and a second operating range, wherein the coil strands (6, 6') are connected in parallel, and having a controller (40) for changing over the drive motor (2) from the first operating range into the second operating range, or the reverse, if the drive motor (2) reaches a defined operating point (ns,max; nt,max) , characterized in that the controller (40) is designed in such a way that a different operating point for the changeover is selected during surface travel of the submarine (100) than during submerged travel of the submarine (100).

9. A submarine (100) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the first operating range is a range in which the drive PCT/EP2012/055315 / 2011P06727WO 16 motor (2) is optimized in relation to its efficiency and its acoustic noises.

10. The submarine (100) as claimed in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the operating point is defined by a threshold value for a speed of the drive motor (2).

11. The submarine (100) as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the threshold value for the speed is derived from a threshold value for a maximum nominal current through the respective number of coil strands (6, 6') connected in series and a propeller curve (Ps, Pt).

12. The submarine (100) as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the coil strands (6, 6') are connected by two half-bridges (W1, W1' or W2, W2') respectively to a DC voltage supply device (17).

13. Submarine (100) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that for series connection of the respective number of coil strands (6, 6'), two half-bridges (W1, W2') respectively of these coil strands (6, 6') are connected to each other by one switching element (S3) respectively.