Fuel consumption minimization of variable-speed wound rotor diesel generators

In this paper, a method for minimizing the fuel consumption in a diesel generator set using a wound rotor synchronous generator (WRSG) is introduced. The proposed method uses direct monitoring of fuel flow rates and generator output to actively search for an optimal stator voltage. By weakening the field of the WRSG, the overall efficiency of the system is increased. Simulation models of the diesel engine and the WRSG are implemented to test the efficacy of the proposed method. The proposed control scheme manages to successfully find the lowest fuel consumption for a given power level. Specifically, the proposed method aims to enhance the gains in fuel economy afforded by variable speed diesel generator operation by increasing the efficiency of the wound rotor generator being used.