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A motor-generator (an M-G set) is a device for converting electrical power to another form. In some contexts, the other form is mechanical energy; in other contexts, it is a different form of electricity. The two senses refer to different types of equipment.
The Motor Generator Set is used to convert frequency, voltage, and phase of power. They may also be used to provide complete line isolation in addition to the various types of power conversion and control.
Conversion to/from mechanical energy
In the context of hybrid vehicles and other lightweight power systems, a motor-generator is used to describe a single power transducer that can be used as either an electric motor or a generator, converting between electrical power and mechanical power. In principle, any generator can also serve as an electric motor, or vice versa. A device that is specifically designed for use in either mode may be called a "motor-generator"; the literature distributed by Toyota to describe the Hybrid Synergy Drive is an example of this newer usage.
Electrical power handling
In the context of electric power generation and large fixed electrical power systems, a motor-generator consists of an electric motor mechanically coupled to an electric generator (or alternator). The motor runs on the electrical input current while the generator creates the electrical output current, with power flowing between the two machines as a mechanical torque; this provides electrical isolation and some buffering of the power between the two electrical systems. One use of this type of motor-generator is to eliminate spikes and variations in "dirty power" or to provide phase matching between different electrical system; another is to buffer extreme loads on the power system. For example, tokamak fusion devices impose very large peak loads, but relatively low average loads, on the electrical grid. The DIII-D and Princeton Large Torus (PLT) tokamaks used a large flywheel on multiple motor-generator rigs to level the load imposed on the electrical system: the motor side slowly accelerated a large flywheel to store energy, which was consumed rapidly during a fusion experiment as the generator side acted as a brake on the flywheel.
Conversions
Motor-generators may be used for various conversions including:
- Alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC)
- DC to AC
- DC at one voltage to DC at another voltage
- AC at one frequency to AC at another harmonically-related frequency
- Single phase AC to three phase AC - Referred to as phase conversion, see US Phase Converter Standards Organization
Motor-generators used to increase Ride-Through
Motor-generators have even been used where the input and output currents are essentially the same. In this case, the mechanical inertia of the M-G set is used to filter out transients in the input power. The resulting output power can be (electrically) very clean (noise free) and will be able to ride-through brief blackouts and switching transients on the input power. This may enable, for example, the flawless cut-over from mains power to AC power provided by a diesel generator set.
The motor-generator set may contain a large flywheel to improve its ride-through.
The motor-generator today
Motor-generators have been replaced by semiconductor devices for some purposes. In industrial settings where harmonic cancellation, frequency conversion, or line isolation is needed, MG sets remain a popular solution.
See also
External links
"Motor-generator"