In a system for recharging electric accumulators, including a polyphase alternator connected to a rectifier circuit, and a voltage regulator circuit connected to the rectifier circuit and the field winding of the alternator, there is connected a circuit for detecting and indicating faults and operating anomalies. This circuit includes a signal processor circuit which is connected to the armature winding of the alternator and is operable to provide an output test signal substantially proportional to the mean value of the signal appearing, in operation, at the actual or virtual star point of the phases of the armature winding of the alternator. Generator means provide first and second predetermined reference output signals. A comparison circuit activates alarm signalling means when the test signal falls below the first reference signal, and when the test signal exceeds the second reference signal.

Circuit for detecting and indicating faults and operating anomalies in a system for recharging electric accumulators

An integrated thin-film solar battery having a plurality of unit elements connected in series includes a substrate, a plurality of spaced apart first electrode layers formed on the substrate; a plurality of semiconductor layers disposed on said plurality of first electrode layers in such a manner that each of the semiconductor layers is formed on two adjacent first electrodes and has a connection opening located on one of the two first electrodes, an electrically conductive layer formed on each of the semiconductor layers except on the region of the connection opening, and a second electrode layer disposed on each of the electrically conductive layers such that the second electrode layer is electrically connected to one of the two adjacent first electrode layers through the connection opening, to form a region interposed between the second electrode layer and the other first electrode layer as the unit element.

Integrated thin-film solar battery and method of manufacturing the same

A voltage regulator for regulating the output voltage of a diode-rectified alternating current generator that supplies the electrical loads on a motor vehicle including the storage battery. The voltage regulator has an up-down counter which is incremented when the output voltage of the generator is below a desired regulated value and is decremented when the output voltage of the generator is above the desired regulating value. The magnitude of the count in the counter is repeatedly sampled and used to determine the on time of a semiconductor switch that is connected in series with the field winding to thereby control the duty cycle of the field voltage pulses. The counter is incremented at a lower rate when the speed of the engine that drives the generator is below a predetermined speed than it is when the speed of the engine is above the predetermined speed. When the generator is not rotating, the up-count of the counter is limited to a predetermined value that provides a minimum field voltage duty cycle. The system is capable of sensing either battery voltage or rectifier output voltage and is controlled to automatically switch between battery voltage and rectifier voltage under certain operating conditions.

Generator voltage regulating system

A control device for an electric generator for use with a vehicle engine includes an armature winding (stator) and a field winding (rotor) driven by the vehicle engine. A chopper is provided for controlling the field current of the field winding and a pulse width modulator is provided for controlling the duty cycle of the chopper in response to the operating conditions of the engine. A voltage feedback loop is provided from a normally provided battery which loop incorporates a detector for detecting the actual battery voltage and a comparator for comparing the battery voltage with a predetermined set voltage so that the difference in voltage is rendered to zero. The invention additionally provides a current feedback loop for controlling a deviation between a current command value determining the duty of the chopper and an actual current flowing through the field winding so as to be substantially zero. There is also disclosed means for adaptively modifying the current command signal and means for controlling the current demanded by the field winding to reduce the torque demanded by the generator at times, inter alia, of acceleration and engine knocking.

Control apparatus for electric generator

A voltage regulator for a charging generator is disclosed which comprises an a.c. generator having armature windings and a field winding, and a battery which receives the rectified output of the a.c. generator and is charged by the same. The voltage regulator regulates the output voltage of the a.c. generator by controlling the current flowing through the field winding. To prevent the output voltage of the a.c. generator from becoming a high voltage when a connecting wire connecting the rectified output of the a.c. generator to the battery is broken, the regulator also includes an abnormality detection means which compares the rectified output of the a.c. generator with the battery voltage and detects the abnormality when both voltages are different by more than a predetermined value. This arrangement makes it possible to detect the abnormality at the point of time where the output voltage of the a.c. generator is not yet very high.

Voltage regulator for charging generator

A voltage control apparatus for an electric generator (2-4) for vehicles includes an armature winding (3), an exciting coil (4), a rectifier (2) for rectifying an a.c. output from the armature winding (3), and a voltage regulator (5). The voltage regulator (5) comprises a differential amplifier circuit (26) producing a detected voltage corresponding to a difference between a battery charging voltage and a reference voltage, a comparator circuit (30) comparing the detected voltage with a triangular waveform voltage generated at constant periods and producing a pulsed output voltage, a first driver circuit (51) effecting duty-factor-control of an exciting current flowing through the exciting coil (4) in response to the pulsed output voltage, and an initial excitation circuit (32) for causing a predetermined small initial exciting current to flow through the exciting coil (4) intermittently during a time interval after the start of the electric generator (2-4).

A voltage control apparatus for electric generators for vehicles

A voltage regulator of a generator for vehicles includes an excitation control circuit for controlling the initial excitation of the generator and the full excitation succeeding to the initial excitation. The excitation control circuit also includes an indication lamp for indicating whether the generator is in a generating state or not. A generator output detecting circuit has a single input terminal to receive an output voltage developed in a stator winding of the generator and compares the output voltage respectively with a first reference level corresponding to an initial voltage build-up and a second reference level higher than the first reference level. An on-off control signal producing circuit produces an on-off control signal having a predetermined duty ratio and delivers the on-off control signal to the excitation control circuit until the output voltage of the generator reaches the first reference level, that is, during the initial excitation stage, thereby to excite the field winding intermittently with the predetermined duty ratio. When the output voltage of the generator reaches the second reference level, the indication lamp is extinguished to indicate that the generator is now in the generating state.

Voltage regulator for vehicles

A power generation control system (2) for a vehicle generator comprises a generator (1) including an armature coil (3), an exciting coil (4) and a rectifier (5) for rectifying the AC output of the armature coil, a battery (10), and a voltage control device (6), (7) for controlling the activation of the generator in accordance with the terminal voltage of the battery. This power generation control system further comprises an abnormal voltage detector circuit (8) for detecting the voltage generated across the armature coil and cutting off the current flowing in the exciting coil when said voltage exceeds a predetermined value. The abnormal voltage detector circuit has the function to hold this forcible stoppage of power generation.

Power generation control system for vehicle generator

A generation control apparatus for vehicles comprises a voltage regulator circuit for controlling the generation of power by a vehicle generator. The power is supplied to the voltage regulator circuit through a first circuit including an ignition switch and a second circuit not including the ignition switch. The supply of power through the second circuit is dependent upon the generating condition of the generator thus allowing the control of the power generation by means of the current flowing through a charge indicator even if the detection of the power generation is prevented. In this way, even if a fault such as a break occurs in the first circuit, the generating operation is maintained until the engine is turned off and the generator has stopped.

Generation control system for vehicles

A semi-conductor voltage regulation system for a vehicle includes engine rise-up detection circuit and an oscillator circuit. The field exciting current is intermittently supplied by the oscillator circuit before the engine starts and continuously supplied after the engine has started so as to minimize battery discharge. The engine rise-up detection circuit changes its input impedance in accordance with the voltage applied thereto, whereby a highly reliable regulator with less heat generation may be obtained.

Yoshio Akita

Papers

A voltage control apparatus for electric generators for vehicles

Voltage regulator for vehicles

Power generation control system for vehicle generator

Generation control system for vehicles

Voltage regulator system for vehicle generator