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A rotating electrical machine, such as an aircraft starter-generator, that may be operated in either a DC motor mode or an AC generator mode. The machine includes a conventionally wound main stator that is selectively configurable as a multi-pole AC stator and a multi-pole DC stator. The machine al

A rotating electrical machine, such as an aircraft starter-generator, that may be operated in either a DC motor mode or an AC generator mode. The machine includes a conventionally wound main stator that is selectively configurable as a multi-pole AC stator and a multi-pole DC stator. The machine also includes rotor windings that are configured to be selectively coupled to either an exciter or a plurality of commutator segments, and DC brushes that are selectively moveable into, and out of, electrical contact with the commutator segments, to thereby electrically couple and decouple a DC power source to and from, respectively, the rotor windings.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A gas turbine engine starter-generator, comprising: a housing; a main rotor rotationally mounted within the housing; and a main stator mounted within the housing and at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the main rotor, the main stator selectively configurable as an M-po

We claim: 1. A gas turbine engine starter-generator, comprising: a housing; a main rotor rotationally mounted within the housing; and a main stator mounted within the housing and at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the main rotor, the main stator selectively configurable as an M-pole AC stator or an N-pole DC stator, M and N each integers greater than one, wherein: when the main stator is configured as the M-pole, multi-phase AC stator, each phase consists of two or more stator winding circuits electrically coupled in parallel with one another, and when the main stator is configured as the N-pole DC stator, the stator winding circuits associated with each phase are directly connected in series with one another. 2. The starter-generator of claim 1, further comprising: a control circuit electrically coupled to at least the main stator and operable to selectively configure the main stator as the M-pole AC stator or the N-pole DC stator. 3. The starter-generator of claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of windings wound on at least a portion of the main stator; and a plurality of stator switches electrically coupled between selected ones of the main stator windings, each of the stator switches having at least a first position and a second position, wherein the main stator is configured as the M-pole AC stator with the plurality of switches in the first position, and is configured as the N-pole DC stator with plurality of switches in the second position. 4. The starter-generator of claim 3, wherein the control circuit comprises: switch control circuitry operable to move the plurality of switches between at least the first position and the second position. 5. The starter-generator of claim 1, further comprising: an exciter rotor rotationally mounted in the housing, the exciter rotor having a plurality of windings wound thereon; an exciter stator having a plurality of windings wound thereon, the exciter stator mounted within the housing and located at least partially around at least a portion of the exciter rotor; and one or more rectifier assemblies electrically coupled in series between the exciter rotor windings and the main rotor windings. 6. The starter-generator of claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of main rotor windings wound on at least a portion of the main rotor, each of the main rotor windings adapted to selectively receive DC current from either the rectifier assemblies or a DC power source. 7. The starter-generator of claim 6, further comprising: at least two brushes adapted to electrically couple to the DC power source and selectively moveable into, and out of, electrical contact with at least a portion of the main rotor, whereby the brushes are electrically coupled to, and decoupled from, respectively, the main rotor windings. 8. The starter generator of claim 1, further comprising: a DC power source electrically coupled in series with the main stator when the main stator is configured as an N-pole DC stator. 9. The starter-generator of claim 1, wherein M is unequal to N. 10. The starter-generator of claim 9, wherein N=(M/2). 11. A stator, comprising: a main stator body; a plurality of stator coils wound around at least a portion of the main body in a configuration that allows the stator to be selectively configured as an M-pole AC stator or an N-pole DC stator, M and N each integers greater than one, wherein: when the stator is configured as the M-pole AC stator, each phase consists of two or more stator winding circuits electrically coupled in parallel with one another, and when the stator is configured as the N-pole DC stator, the stator winding circuits associated with each phase are directly connected in series with one another. 12. The stator of claim 11, further comprising: a plurality of stator switches electrically coupled between selected ones of the stator coils, each of the stator switches having at least a first position and a second position. 13. The stator of claim 12, wherein the stator is configured as the M-pole AC stator with the stator switches in the first position, and is configured as the N-pole DC stator with the stator switches in the second position. 14. The stator of claim 11, wherein M is unequal to N. 15. The stator of claim 14, wherein N=(M/2).