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SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS, INC.

400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, Pa. 15096

Variable Speed
Constant Frequency (VSCF)
Aircraft Electrical
Power
E. B. Canfield and J. W. Summerford
Aircraft
Equipment Div.
General Electric Co.

Aerospace Meeting
Airport Sheraton Inn, Los Angeles 771002
November 14-17, 1977
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Copyright © Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. 1977

All rights reserved.
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771002

Variable Speed
Constant Frequency (VSCF)
Aircraft Electrical
Power
E. B. Canfield and J. W. Summerford
Aircraft Equipment Div.
General Electric Co.

m THE EARLY 1960's, in quest of more

reliable 400 Hz aircraft power systems, the
U. S. Navy sponsored the development of
VSCF systems using cycloconverters. It
was recognized that a primarily electronic
control system had the capability of achiev
ing the desired reliability, and that the new
technology system could offer other advan
tages to the user. In 1971, General Electric
received the first production contract for a
VSCF system; a 20 kva retrofit system for
the A-4 aircraft. Today, there are over
400 systems in operation, demonstrating
excellent performance and reliability. The
selection of VSCF for the F-18, 40 kva
power generating system is further evidence
that VSCF is a mature system, offering per
formance and system advantages.
The rapid growth of electronic technology control and protective circuits (Fig. 1).(1)*
will continue to improve the reliability and The generator is ordinarily driven from
expand the functional capability of future the engine auxiliary gearbox. Preferred
systems. maximum input speeds range from 23,000
to 27,000 RPM, depending on the system
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION rating. The generator is usually six phase

A VSCF system consists of a high fre

quency, brushless generator and a solid *Numbers in parenthesis designate refer
state frequency converter with associated ences at end of paper.

ABSTRACT
This paper describes the operation, de
sign, performance, and application of high
reliability, variable speed constant fre
quency (VSCF) aircraft electric power gen
erating systems. A high frequency, multi
phase, brushless generator supplies power
to a frequency converter which conditions
the variable frequency generator output into
precision 3-phase, 115/200V, 400 Hz air
craft power, using the cycloconverter
principle. Systems have been built with
ratings from 20 to 150 kva. For a 75 kva
system, the weight to rating ratio is about
1.6 lbs/kva and rated load efficiency is
80%. Predicted MTBF for current systems
is in the 2000 to 6000 hour range.
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2
and operates at output frequencies up to
3600 Hz (Fig. 2). This high frequency power
is delivered to three identical cycloconverters
that convert it to 400 Hz, three-phase power.
Each cycloconverter is followed by a filter
that removes the ripple frequency compo
nents from the output. With a 6-phase gen
erator, there are 12 thyristors in each
cycloconverter that are gated by modulators
to form the 400 Hz output wave. The modu
lators which use the biased cosine method
for gating the thyristors mix firing waves
derived from the generator lines and the
400 Hz reference wave.
The 3-phase, 400 Hz reference waves
are derived from a crystal reference and a
digital wave generator to produce three 120
degree phase displaced waves having less
than 0.5% harmonic distortion. The output
voltage waves are compared with the refer
ence waves by means of negative feedback
to improve the linearity of the cycloconverter
and to reduce the output impedance. Thus,
the cycloconverter with the feedback loop is
a high power amplifier that produces an out
put wave which is a replica of the reference
wave at a much higher power level.
The 400 Hz output voltage is regulated by
means of individual phase voltage regulators
that adjust the amplitude of the 400 Hz ref
erence waves. Since each phase is regulated
separately, there is negligible voltage unbal
ance in the line-to-neutral output voltages
even with large unbalances in load.
CYCLOCONVERTER - Fig. 3 shows the
cycloconverter(2)* for a single output phase.
A 6-phase rectifier connection with an inter
phase transformer is used. Two phase con
trolled rectifier banks generate the 400 Hz
wave. The gating of the two rectifier banks
is shown in Fig. 4. The solid jagged lines
indicate the conduction period of the recti
fiers connected to the generator lines. These
are the unfiltered outputs of the two rectifier
banks. The heavy smooth lines represent
the filtered output of the cycloconverter.
Notice that both rectifier banks are program
med to gate over the entire 360 degrees of
the output wave and each bank can supply
either polarity of voltage. The positive half
of the output voltage wave may be formed by
operating either the positive bank in the rec
tifying mode or the negative bank in the in
verting mode; and conversely, for the nega
tive half of the output voltage wave. The
rectifying and inverting modes define the di rection
of power flow. Power flows toward the
load in the rectifying mode and toward the source
in the inverting mode. The point of switching
rectifier banks occurs where the current
goes through zero and depends upon the
load power factor. The
two filtered output waves of Fig. 4 are
identical in magnitude and phase. When the
rectifier banks are programmed in this manner,
no distortion is produced when the load
current is transfer ed from one bank to
the other. The transfer of current be tween
banks is natural, i. e., no additional control
is required to make the transfer. The
cycloconverter is a voltage source so the
load determines the flow of current in the
rectifier banks. The
thyristors are gated to produce low harmonics
of the 400 Hz wave. Therefore, the
output filter is sized to remove only the rectifier
ripple frequency components. Since the
ripple frequency is high, a smal output filter
may be used. A simple LC filter is used
with the inductance contained in the
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interphase transformer in the form of leak (1)No frequency transients

age inductance. A feed-thru type capacitor is
used to improve the filtering at high frequen
cies to meet the electromagnetic interference
requirement of MIL-STD-461.
GENERATOR - VSCF system generators
are currently wound rotor salient pole ma
chines utilizing the same basic elements as
conventional 400 Hz aircraft generators
(Fig. 5). They are oil lubricated and cooled,
and consist of a main machine, a rotating
rectifier brushless exciter, and a small per
manent magnet generator (PMG) to provide
exciter field power and control power for the
system. Since system output voltage regula
tion is accomplished in the cycloconverter
circuits, it is practical to use an unregulated
PMG as the primary power source, signifi
cantly simplifying the generator. We are
presently working on an Air Force develop
ment contract to build a 150 kva VSCF
starter/generator system utilizing a Samar
ium Cobalt PMG.
(2)Short duration voltage transients
(3)Negligible voltage unbalance
(4)Low output impedance
The VSCF output frequency is determined
by a small digital wave generator that is not
disturbed by the load torque. Thus, load
transients do not affect the system output
frequency.
The voltage transients during application
and removal of load are short duration. Since
the generator field time constant does not
enter the converter voltage regulating loop,
the loop dynamics are very fast and the sys
tem voltage recovers quickly during applica

ADVANTAGES OF VSCF SYSTEM - The

advantages of the VSCF system result from
the solid state switches (thyristors) that are
used to generate the 400 Hz waves and the
fast feedback loop dynamics used to control
the devices. Some of these advantages are:
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tion and removal of loads.
Since there is one cycloconverter for
each output phase, individual phase voltage
regulation is used to eliminate the voltage
unbalance caused by unbalanced loads. High
loop gain and low source impedance hold the
phase voltages within close tolerances under
all loads from no load to rated load.
The negative feedback and filter capacitors
reduce the output impedance of the electrical
system. The low output impedance reduces
the load induced harmonics generated by non
linear loads such as transformer-rectifiers,
and greatly decreases subcycle voltage tran
sients resulting from operation of switching
devices and fault clearing.
PROTECTION - The protection circuits
continuously monitor the following param
eters to protect the load equipment from
degraded power quality:
A discrete (ON/OFF) signal is generated
for each parameter exceeding the specified
limit. The presence of any fault condition
causes the VSCF to be de-energized and dis
connected from the load bus by the bus con
tactor (BC). If a disconnect results, manual
reset is required to re-energize the system
and to reconnect it to the load bus. This
manual reset is accomplished by turning the
VSCF control switch off and back on. The
system is also de-energized and disconnected
from the load bus when the drive speed falls
below the specified limit.
BUILT-IN-TEST (BIT) - Reduced main
tenance costs and increased confidences in
protective circuit operation are the prime
objectives of BIT. The BIT uses the system
protection circuits and a minimum of addi
tional hardware.
The VSCF BIT circuits continuously
monitor all protection signals, and perform
end-to-end test on all control and protection
logic as long as power is turned on. Indica
tors display the most likely failed line re
placeable unit with a high degree of confi
dence. In addition, automatic confidence
checks on the operation of passive protective
circuits are made during each period of
operation of the system, to assure that the
protective is available in the event of a sys
tem failure.
PRODUCT DESIGN
The
low number of interconnections be
tween the generator and the converter in a
VSCF system make it extremely versatile
with regard to the location of the converter.
The converter and generator can be separate
packages interconnected by shielded high
frequency feeder cables, (e.g., A-4 aircraft
application) or they can be integrated into a
single package (e.g., F-18). Installation and
cooling considerations determine the optimum
configuration for a given application.
GENERATOR - A high speed (23,000 to
27,000 RPM) input to the generator is desir
able for minimum system weight. Additional
system reliability and weight reduction may
be achieved by integrating the generator oil
system with the engine accessory gearbox.
Incorporating the necessary pumps in the
engine gearbox has minor impact on the gear
box design and permits use of a common heat
exchanger. All oil connections to the gener
ator can be made through transfer tubes in
the mounting flange, eliminating external
plumbing.
Recent generator designs incorporate a
dry cavity oil system eliminating contact of
the oil with the insulation system. The oil
comes in contact only with shaft bearings and
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rotating seals. Potential problems due to in
sulation shedding or other oil contamination
sources within the machine are eliminated
making a shared oil system with the engine
gearbox advantageous, offering system sim
plification and increased reliability.
A typical VSCF generator is a wound
rotor, brushless, oil cooled and lubricated
synchronous machine containing an integral
permanent magnet generator and a rotating
rectifier exciter. The permanent magnet
generator rotor, exciter rotor, and main rotor
are mounted on a common shaft. The one
piece hollow steel shaft contains the rotating
rectifiers. High speed oil lubricated bearings
of M-50 tool steel support the ends of the
shaft. Circumferential seals are mounted
inboard of the bearings to contain the bearing
oil and to insure that free oil will not be in
troduced into the machine cavity.
A cast aluminum frame contains the
stators and external electrical connectors,
as well as the oil connections between the
generator and the auxiliary gearbox. Oil
from the gearbox is supplied through an inlet
port in the generator flange. The stator
section is cooled first by oil directed through
passages behind the stator core. Heat is
then removed from the rotor section by oil
flowing inside the hollow shaft and through
oil tubes in the main rotor magnetics. Com
pleting its flow through the cooling path, the
oil is returned to the auxiliary gearbox sump
via an exit oil port in the mounting flange.
Additional drain ports are provided to handle
bearing return oil and any leakage that may
occur.
The insulation system is a combination of
oil resistant, high temperature materials.
It is made primarily of polyimides (duPont
"Kapton" and "Vespel") and epoxides (GE
"Novalac"). Internal wiring is in accordance
with MIL-STD-454 requirement 69 with
most connections brazed.
CONVERTER - Converters can be cooled
either by air or oil. Present designs are of
the "cold plate" type, where the cooling
medium is used to cool the plate, and does
not impinge directly on the components. This
method makes it possible to use either air or
oil cooled plates, with minimum effect on the
converter package. In VSCF converters, the
control and protection circuits remain essen
tially the same regardless of the power rating.
Only the generator and the converter power
related components such as interphase trans
formers, filter capacitors, and SCR's change.
Modular design of the converter components
in functional groups allows for efficient pro
5
duction and ease of maintenance. All the low
level control, protection, built-in-test (BIT),
and logic interface circuitry is contained in
plug-in printed wiring boards. Test points
are available to facilitate trouble shooting,
and are brought out to a connector for com
patability with computer automated trouble
shooting.
When the converter is separated from
the generator, shielded high frequency seven
conduct feeder cables connect the units.
Since the cables are thermal limited rather
than voltage drop limited, their weight
compares favorably with the 400 Hz feeders
that would be required otherwise. In addi
tion to its primary function of containing
EMI, the cable shielding minimizes exposure
of the electrical system to lightning, static
discharge, and electromagnetic pulse for
military applications. The large filter
capacitor on each 400 Hz phase also provides
an excellent means of suppressing these
factors on the 400 Hz output.
On applications where relatively low
temperature oil (80°C) is available for cool
ing purposes, the integral package has many
advantages. In the integral design, the con
verter is essentially wrapped around the
generator. The interface between the genera
tor and converter sections serves as a double
sided heat sink, with inlet oil cooling both
the electronics and the generator stator
section. Integral packages appear feasible
in ratings up to 60 or 75 kva at present. A
40 kva integral VSCF system was selected
for the F-18 aircraft. (3) It has a maximum
operating speed of 26,250 rpm and utilizes
a shared oil system with the airframe
mounted accessory gearbox. Unit weight
is 75 pounds, and rated load efficiency is
78 percent.
PERFORMANCE
The VSCF system offers many perfor
mance advantages in addition to its high
reliability and low maintenance costs.
EFFICIENCY - The full load efficiency
is better than 80% for a 60 kva system. This
high efficiency is the result of the cyclo
converter circuit which converts the genera
tor frequency to 400 Hz in a single stage
having only one semiconductor voltage drop
in the path from the generator to the load.
VOLTAGE REGULATION - The output
voltages are regulated by individual phase
voltage regulators, thus, unbalanced loads
to not produce unbalanced voltage. The in
dividual phases are regulated within 115 ± 1
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feedback techniques at frequencies below 3000

Hz and by the output filter above 3000 Hz. The
typical total waveform distortion for non VSCF
systems is 3% at most loads and speeds with
a specifcation limit of 4%. The low out
volts.
The converter voltage regulators control
the gating of the thyristors and not the genera
tor field. Since the long field time constant
is not in the regulating loop, the loop dyna
mics are very fast permitting only short
duration voltage transients on application and
removal of load. Fig. 6 shows a typical
voltage transient of less than 8 millisec on
removal of rated load.
FREQUENCY CONTROL AND TRANS
IENTS - The VSCF output frequency is not
affected by generator speed. The converter
output is a replica of the 400 Hz reference
wave which is controlled by a crystal to
better than 500 parts/million. Shock loads
and input speed changes do not affect the
crystal frequency and have negligible effect
of the output frequency of the VSCF system.
CONVERTER
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE Fig.
7 compares the output impedance of the VSCF
system with the output impedance of a 400
Hz aircraft generator. The VSCF system has
significantly lower impedance at the high frequencies
which reduces the load induced harmonics
caused by non-linear loads such as
transformer rectifiers. The effect of the low
output impedance is shown in Fig. 8. This
figure compares the voltage waveforms of
a 30 kva aircraft generator and a 20 kva VSCF
system with the same transformer rectifier
load (28 volts, 100 amperes dc). The
aircraft generator waveform (top) has a 2%
distortion at 4400 Hz. The VSCF wave form
(bottom) was not affected. Waveform
distortion is reduced by nega tive
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7
put impedance assures negligible degradation
of the waveform by load induced harmonics
when the VSCF system is installed in the
aircraft.
A summary of the performance of a 30/40
kva VSCF system is shown in Table 1. The
continuous rating is 40 kva with the overloads
based on the 30 kva rating.
SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS

VSCF channel weight is competitive with

other systems of the same rating, and in con
trast to hydromechanical devices and controls
in which wear increases proportionally with
load, VSCF has very few parts subject to
mechanical wear. There are only two bearings
and seals. Therefore, a VSCF system can
be operated at its full rating continuously
without significant adverse impact on life or
reliability. A 60/75 kva system with a shared
oil system and an input speed range of 11,500
to 23,000 rpm would weight 120 pounds. A
150 kva system with similar characteristics
would weight about 200 pounds. The 60/75
kva converter would occupy 1,600 cubic inches
and the 150 kva converter would occupy about
3,000 cubic inches. System efficiency is
above 80% for both ratings. Current con
verters contain approximately 1,200 elec
tronic parts. MTBF's range from 2,000 to
6,000 hours, depending on the environment
and mission profile.
APPLICATIONS
plified because the drive dynamics do not enter
The versatility of the VSCF concept makes into the control loops. Torque disturbances,
it adaptable to a wide range of both installa gear backlash, and rotor inertia cause no sys
tion and electrical requirements. Integral tem stability problems.
or separate packages may be used, as the STARTER OPERATION (4) - The VSCF
application requires. Possible cooling system can be used to start the aircraft engine
methods include shared or independent oil, with the addition of a small amount of control
ram air, electronic bay air, or combinations circuitry. Power can flow through a cyclo
of these methods. converter in either direction, and the rotating
The system is capable of both isolated and machine can act as either a generator or a
parallel operation. When operated isolated, motor. In the start mode, the system func
it can be synchronous with other operating tions as a brushless dc machine when 400 Hz
channels, maintaining most of the benefits of power is applied to the converter low frequency
parallel operation and the system reliability terminals. After the start is completed, the
of independent sources. This consideration system automatically reverts to the generating
is important where redundant avionic equip mode and supplies 400 Hz power to the air
ment is required for aircraft operation and craft load equipment. No major power cir
safety. cuit changes are required to provide the
start function.
PARALLEL OPERATION - In parallel
operation, load division is achieved by biasing SUMMARY
voltage and frequency with signals proportional
to the current circulating between systems . In VSCF has demonstrated significantly im
the VSCF system, the control problem is sim proved reliability, maintainability, and power
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quality with over 400 systems now in operation. REFERENCES

Continued development resulted in the integral
system selected for the F-18, and many other 1.H. G. Carlson, "VSCF Technology."
system options including engine start capability Technical Proceedings of General Electric
are possible. Continued growth in electronic Aircraft Electrical Power Seminar held in
technology provides further opportunity for im Binghamton, New York, May 10-11, 1977.
provement as new devices and materials become
available. 2.W. McMurray, "The Theory and
With frequency variations eliminated and Design of Cycloconverters." The MIT
voltage transients reduced because of the fast Press, 1972.
dynamic response and low output impedance
of the system, the stresses on components in 3.
H. G. Carlson and R. N. Wright,
the utilization equipment are reduced, im "VSCF Aircraft Electrical Power." IEE
proving overall aircraft reliability. 1977 National Aerospace and Electronics
High reliability and advanced maintenance Conference, May 17-19, 1977.
concepts result in a system with long life that
is relatively easy to troubleshoot and repair, 4.D. L. Lafuze, "VSCF Engine Start
thus insuring the lowest cost of ownership for Capability." Technical Proceedings of
the user. General Electric Aircraft Electrical Power
Seminar held in Binghamton, New York,
May 10-11, 1977.
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