CONTROLLER COMPUTING A VIRTUAL TUNING CAPACITOR FOR CONTROLLING A FREE-PISTON STIRLING ENGINE DRIVING A LINEAR ALTERNATOR

摘要

A feedback control circuit and method for a control system used to control an electrical power generating source that comprises a free piston Stirling engine driving a linear alternator. A switching mode rectifier connects the alternator winding to an output circuit that includes an electrical energy storage means and is controlled by a pulse width modulator that controls the rectifier switching duty cycle and phase. The control system controls the pulse width modulator. The improvement computes a voltage across a virtual tuning capacitor and uses the computed voltage to control the switching mode rectifier so that the switching mode rectifier is switched in a manner that makes the alternator circuit operate as if a tuning capacitor were actually present and so that the control system controls the piston of the Stirling engine to maintain balance of the mechanical power generated by the Stirling engine and the electrical power absorbed from the engine by the alternator.