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E. F. w. ALEXANDERSON.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ALTERNATINGv CURRENTS.


APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26,1915.

1,328,797.
Fig. I.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.


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Inventor : Ernst F. W. ?lexanderson;

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Hi 5 ?ttorneg.

E. F. W. ALEXANDERSON.
MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ALTERNATING CURRENTS.
PP TION FILED NOV. 26, 19

1,328,797.

A MA

'15.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.


3 SHEETS-SHEET 2

Hi5 ?ttorneg.

E. F. w. ALEXANDERSON.
MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ALTERNATING CURRENTS.
APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, I915

1,328,797.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.


3 SHEETSSHEET 3

19
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Fig. 7.

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Inventorv :
Ernst FWAlexanolerson,

by
His/Attorney .

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.


ERNST I. W. ALEXANDERSON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL
ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF. NEW YORK. '

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

1,328,797.
To all whom it may concern:

Speci?cation of Letters Patent. v

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.


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Application med November 26, 1915. Serial m. 63,438.


_

the voltage induced at the terminals of the


the frequency and i is the effective or the

Be it known that I, ERNST F. W. ALEXAN


nnnsoiv, a. citizen of the United States, re

magnetizing winding is 2afLi, where f is


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10

15

siding at Schenectady, in the county of Sche root mean uare of the alternating current. nectady, State of New York, have invented The magnetlzing current i is a, wattless cur-, certain new and useful Improvements in rent being 90 out of phase with the voltage Means for Controlling Alternating Cur .and the voltampere or apparent power re rents, of which the following is a speci?ca quired to' maintain an alternating current ?eld at any particular frequency is thus tion. My present invention relates to electro 21rfLi2. It can be seen from the two above magnetic apparatus for use with high fre expressions for energy stored in the electric quency alternating currentseither for con. ?eld and the apparent power required to trolling the ?ow of such currents in a cir maintain this ?eld at any particular fre cuit, for doubling the frequency thereof or quency that there is a de?nitenumerical re for similar purposes. More particularly lation between the energy per cycle and the my invention relates to electromagnetic ap volt amperes needed for magnetization that paratus of a kind which I term magnetlc depends upon the frequency only. Thus

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1o

20

.the construction of magnetic ampli?ers of the class described in the above-mentioned


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magnetization equal 21: times frequency per 'in my U. S. Patent No.;1,206,643. The object of my invention is to improve eieecnd times energy stored in the magnetic .
e . .

ampli?ers, such for example, as are described we can say generally that the voltamperes of
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When my device is employed as an am

patent in order to render them more e?icient pli?er it is used as a high frequency imped for the purpose for which they may be em ance in order to control the ?ow of power
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ployed. The operation of such devices is from an alternator with constant ?eld ex
based upon the fact that the energy per cycle citation or an equivalent source of high

of high frequency currents is comparatively frequency power. The ?ow of power can be.
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small and consequently the energy stored in the electromagnetic ?eld of the generator circuit is comparatively low. As an ampli ?er of variable currents of comparatively low frequency the device operates b modi

controlled either by inserting theimpedance

in series with the load or in shunt with the source of power, or by some combination of these methods. In either case the maximum 85

volt amperes which must be absorbed by

fying the magnetic ?eld of the high he. the impedance is of substantially the same
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quency circuit in accordance with variations order of magnitude as the power ?owing in in the current to be ampli?ed and inasmuch the load circuit. In the case of an inductive impedance like 90 as the energy necessary to modify this mag netic ?eld is proportional to the energy they device described the energy stored and

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stored during each cycle it may be shown that it is possible to construct a magnetic ampli?er with a ratio of ampli?cation equal to the ratio between the frequenc of the

released in the magnetic ?eld during each


half-cycle is of the same order of magni
tude as the power ?ow in the main circuit.

The method of controlling the inductive ini~

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high frequency current and that o the cur pedance is to superimpose another flux in rent which is to be ampli?ed. When the the same magnetic structure. The control frequency of the current which is to be am ling ?uxi saturates the iron and thereby
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pli?ed approaches zero the theoretically possible ratio of ampli?cation would thus approach in?nity. The theoretical foun dation for this principle of ampli?cation
is as follows:

limits the pulsations of the high frequency ?ux. The controlling ?ux must, therefore,
be of the same order of magnitude as the

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high frequency ?ux and the energy stored


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50

The energy stored in a ma

represented by the quantity % i2, where L, frequency ?ux. If the controlling ?ux is
'is the coefficient of self-induction and i is constant no energy ?ow is needed in the con
varles in accordance with the slne wave law,

in the magnetic ?eld of the controlling ?ux etic ?eld is is, therefore, of the same order as the high

the magnetizing current. If the current trolling circuit and the rate of ampli?cation

may theoretically be in?nity.- If, however,

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the controlling ?ux pulsates with some def inite frequency or combination of several frequencies there must'be an energy ?ow in the magnetizing winding of the control ?ux
in order to change the amount of energy stored in the same ?ux. This ?ow of energy is substantially wattless inasmuch as the energy durin the ?rst art of each half-cycle is re turne during t e second part of the same

Figs. 4 and 5, and Fig. 10 is a diagram showing how the system of Fig. 6 may be

.for telephony instead of telegraphy.

modi?edin such a way that it may be used

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1 two magnetic cores 1 are provided

with windings 2 for carrying the high fre


quency current. The windings are so ar

70'

10 half-cycle. However, the 'urrent necessary


that the voltamperes consumed by this con trolling magnetizing current must transfer during "each cycle of its pulsations an amount of energy corresponding to the change in energy stored in the controlling ?eld and consequently the voltamperes needed for magnetization of the control

ranged that the ?ux is in opposite directions


in the two cores and as a result the high fre- .

for this transfer of energy is of a character quency ?ux ?ows only through the cores 1 75 of an ordinary wattless magnetizing cur and through small portions 3 of the struc rent. It may be seen from the preceding ture adjacent the cores. A second winding

4 which is adapted to carry the controlling


current is wound around both of the cores

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as indicated.

The flux produced by this

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winding traverses the two cores in the same

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direction and also traverses the outer legs 5 of the magnetic structure. It will be ap parent. that each turn of this controlling winding are as much lower than the high winding is threaded by the ?ux in the two 85 frequency power that is being controlled as cores 1 in opposite directions so that any ' the frequency of the control pulsations is electromotive forces induced in the winding lower than the radio frequency. The ratio by the high frequency flux are neutralized of ampli?cation is, therefore, the same as in each turn. It will also be noted that the
the ratio of these two frequencies. I controlling winding covers substantially the Electro-magnetic devices of the present entire length of the high frequency mag
90

- class may be developed in a variety of netic circuit.

forms, taking into account the principles as


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above explained.

The preferred form is Fig. 1 it will be seen that the controlling


winding has to produce a ?ux through a
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In the form of my invention shown in

that in which the structure consists of a

I. magnetic circuit with a high frequency comparatively long magnetic circuit and winding interlinked therewith and a con that the high frequency ?ux passes through trolling winding so related to' the high fre only a small part of this circuit. This may
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-40

complished either by making the control section and the ampere turns required to ling winding inductively independent of the force a great enough ?ux through this por ?ux induced by the high frequency winding tion to saturate the cores 1: would be com
or by so arranging the windings that the paratively small. In case, however, this feature should be objectionable it can be linked with the high frequency ?ux in one largely avoided by the form shown in Fig.

quency windingthat there will be substan not offer any serious objection as the por tially no ?ow of high frequency current in tion of the magnetic circuit not linked with the controlling winding. This may be ac the high frequency ?ux is of large cross

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controlling winding has one portion inter

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direction and another equal portion inter 2 in which'four high frequency windings 6, linked with the high frequency ?ux in the 7, 8 and 9 are employed as indicated to pro
opposite direction so that'the induced po tentials are neutralized in the winding itself. The features of my invention which I con sider novel are pointed out with particular
duce a'?ux in each pair of cores in the same way that the flux is set up in the single pair of cores in Fig. 1. The controlling windings
10, 11, 12 and 13 are connected in series so
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ity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further ob jects and advantages will best be understood by reference to the following description

that the '?ux produced by all of them is in


the same direction. The operation will be
the same as in the form shown in Fig. 1 and the only material which must be ma ne
1 is a Small portion at each corner.
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taken in connection with the accompanying tized by the controlling current and w ich drawings in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 show is not traversed by the high frequency ?ux
7 In case it is desirable to have all of the

diagrammatically as many modi?cations of my invention; Fig. 4 is an elevation of a structure in which the magnetic circuits and windings are as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is 60 a. vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of

material in the magnetic circuit threaded by


both ?uxes the two'magnetic cores may take the form of two rings 14 and 15, as shown
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Fig. 4; Figs. 6 and 7 show systems in which in Fig. 3 with high frequency windings 16 my invention may be utilized; Figs. 8 and 9 and 17 respectively so arranged that the show modi?ed forms of elements which may high frequency ?ux is in opposite directions be used for building up the device shown in - in the two rings. A controlling winding 18,

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a portion of which, for convenience in illus characteristics tend toward reducing the" tration, is not shown, surrounds the two skin effect, in fact, it has been found by rings and the windings thereon. careful tests that skin effect is entirely ab In the operation of my invention, if the sent at ordinary radio frequencies. I have control ?ux is great enough to saturate or found also that sheets of other magnetic 70 almost saturate the high frequency core the material such as electrolytic iron or silicon permeability of the magnetic circuits is steel may be made thin enough so that they changedand the impedance of the high fre have no appreciable skin effect at radio fre quency circuit is modi?ed accordingly. The quencies. ' object of the present design of ampli?er is The losses in a device of this nature which 75
appear in the form of heat are considerable

10

\ to get as effective control of the high fre

quency current as possible by producing a and therefore it is desirable that the mag variation of impedance over a wide range netic core should be well cooled. ' In build
15 transformer- structure there is a certain

in the high frequency winding. In, any ing up a core of thin ?exible sheets such as
amount of leakage in the air surrounding difficult. to provide ventilating spaces be
those which I prefer to use however, it is
tween laminations in the usual way. To overcome this di?iculty I/?rst build up ele ments for the core structure by fastening together by means of an adhesive alternate sheet of iron and paper or other insulating material of the desired shape and size until a rigld body is formed and one which is not too thick to radiate the heat easily from the in ner layers. In practice I ?nd that about

' the winding which creates a leakage react ance in addition to the reactance of the ?ux
20

in the iron core. This leakage reactance in air cannot be controlled because the per

meability of air is constant. Hence the greater the leakage reactance the less ef
?cient the control. Also since the volt am

peres required to produce this leakage ?ux


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30

is of no effect in controlling the high fre quency current the degree of ampli?cation one-sixteenth of an inch is a suitable thick is reduced because of this leakage. In the ness for these elements. As shown in Figs. present case I have reduced the leakage re 4. and 5, the elements 19 which form the actance to a minimum by bringing the two high frequency magnetic circuit have the windings as close together as possible and shape of a hollow rectangle with the high making the controlling winding cover sub frequency windings 20 and 21 around the two stantially the entire length of the high fre sides of the rectangle. In building up the

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core these elements 19 are interleaved with In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated a prac~ the short rectangular elements 22 at their tical construction for a device embodying ends and these elements in turn are inter 100 the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. leaved with the elements 23 which form the 1. In constructing electromagnetic devices sides of the magnetic circuit for the con of the class under consideration it is custom trolling ?ux. The elements '24'and 25 which .
ary to build up the cores with thin sheets _

quency magnetic circuit.

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of magnetic material, separated by insulat


losses.

form the top and bottom of the magnetic


circuit are also interleaved between the side 105

45

ent permeability of such iron with radio ing is also made up of a plurality of coils frequencies is much less than with low fre 26 with spaces between. The vmagnetic quen'cies. In order to produce a certain ?ux structure with the coils thereon is held
50

ing layers to avoid excessive eddy current elements. With this arrangement it will be When iron such as is usually em seen that spaces are provided for ventilation ployed for ordinary frequencies is used with or for the circulation of a cooling fluid be high frequency current the skin effect is tween all of the "elements making up the appreciable, or, in other words, the appar complete structure. The controlling wind

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it is, therefore, necessary to use a corre ?rmly in place between the frame members spondingly greater amount of iron. The 27 and 2-8 by means of bolts 29. Since the controlling current ?ux which is needed to high frequency ?ux is con?ned almost en saturate the iron will also be correspond tirely to the elements 19 and the other ele ingly greater. The degree of ampli?cation ments carry only the controlling ?ux of depends upon the ratio between the high comparatively low frequency it is not essen frequency energy controlled and the energy tial that these elements be made of as thin necessary to produce the saturating ?ux. If laminat-ions as the elements 19. Similar the saturating ?ux is greater on account of methods of construction. may equally well be such skin effect the ampli?cation is there employed with the other forms of my inven fore correspondingly smaller. tion shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When the core is

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In order to overcome this skin effect and in the form of a ring it may be made by wind obtain an increased efficiency in the ampli ing continuous strips of magnetic material ?er, I may use an iron scale which is ob and insulating material to form cylindrical tained in the annealing of silicon steel. This elements of different diameters with spacers scale is about one and one-half mils in between adjacent elements for cooling. In thickness and has high resistance. These stead of using separate strips of insulating

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material and magnetic material the latter high frequency potential. By proper regu
. may be coated with insulating material and
elements. In some cases it may be desirable

lation of the circuits the ampli?er may be the sheets or strips thus coated built up into made practically self exciting in this way
so that a very feeble telegraph current will
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10

to build up the high frequency magnetic be able to cause a complete change from core of alternate portions of smaller and minimum to maximum voltage. The resist larger cross-section so that the smaller cross ance of rheostat 42 should preferably be sections will determine the saturation and large and the inductance of winding 37 the larger cross-sections will tend to reduce small in order that the circuit willrespond the magnetizing current when the core is not quickly to changes in the voltage derived saturated, thus arti?cially increasing the from transformer 39. The circuit supply range of permeability of the combined ing controlling winding 34 should also pref structure. .In Fig, 8 I have shown a form erably have a high resistance in comparison
in which the elements 19 of Figs. 4 and 5 to its inductance. In case this circuit 'com

15

may be constructed in order to accomplish prises a long telegraph line this condition this result. The same result may be ob will usually be present. In case however tained by perforating these elements in the it merely consists of a local circuit as indi manner indicated in Fig. 9. The novel fea? cated -a resistance 43 may be laced in the tures residing in the construction of the circuit. The circuit supplied - y battery 38
magnetic core are claimed in my applica
which is a division of this application.

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20

should have a high inductance and this 85


ductance 44 as indicated. .

tion, Serial No. 283,306, ?led March 18, 1919, may be secured by the use of an extra in
In Fig. 6 I have shown a transmitting The amplifying e?'ect may also be in system for wireless telegraphy which villus creased by inserting an adjustable condenser trates one way in which my invention may 45 in series with the high frequency wind be employed. In this case the antenna 30 is ing in order that the'impedance of the shunt
In some cases it may be desirable to use

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coupling 32. The high frequency winding


30

supplied with high frequency current by circuit may be reduced to a minimum when means of the alternator 31 and the inductive the current is the maximum.

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shunt to the coupling 32. Controlling wind quencycircuit and the controlling circuit. ing 34 is supplied with current by the bat One way in which this may be done is illus tery 35 when the telegraph key 36 is closed trated in Fig. 7. In this instance the high as indicated. A second controlling winding frequency generator 46 is connected in series 37 has connected t ereto a battery 38 in with, the antenna 47 and two high frequency
windings in shunt to the generator surround rent through the winding in the same direc the rings 48- and 49. When. key 50 is closed tion that current ?ows through winding 34. the battery-51 sends current'through the 'two A second source'of direct current may be windin s in series. With this arrangement
such a direction that it will tend to send cur

33 of a magnetic ampli?er is connected in the same winding for both the high fre .95

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40

obtained by rectifying the ,high frequency it will e evident that the ampere turns of 105 current in the secondary of transformer 39 the high frequency winding are linked as by means of recti?er 40. These two currents closely as ossible with the ampere turns 'of may be balanced by means of the rheostats the centre ling winding and that the high
41 and 42. When the high frequency volt

frequency electromotive forces in thecon

45 age is at a maximum the recti?ed current

trolling circuit being equal and opposite to


each other no high frequency currents will

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?ow through the battery 51 when key 50 is closed. Condensers 52 inserted in the high frequency circuits prevent the short-circuit .50 ing of the battery 51 and variable condens 11; current is also at a minimum and approxi ers 53 may be used to increase the amplify mately all of the current derived from bat ing effect as in the arrangement shown in tery 38 is effective in increasing the satura Fig. 6. This modi?cation of my invention tionof the core produced by the current in is described and claimed in my copending as the telegraph circuit. With this arrange application, Serial No. 229,686, ?led April 120 ment, when the key 36 is opened the permea 20, 1918, which is a continuation in part of bility of the magnetic circuit is lowered and the present application. > the impedance of winding 33 increases and While in the above illustrations I have de the ?ow of current th-erethrough decreases. scribed a method of amplifying telegraphic 60 As a result the high frequency voltage is in signals it will be apparent that the same 125 creased and the recti?ed current in increased principle may equally well 'be adapted 'for accordingly. The current from battery 3-8 transmitting signals of other character such, through controlling winding 37 then be for example. as telephone currents. In Fig.
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should be equal and opposite to the current derived from battery 38 so that the result ing current in winding 37 will be zero. When on the other hand the high frequency voltage is at a minimum the high frequency

the impedance of winding 33 and in the rangement shown in Fig. _6 in which a tele

comes less and there is a further increase in 10 I have shown a modi?cation of the ar
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phone receiver 54 is substituted for the tele a variable controlling current, each turn of graph key 36 in order to adapt the system the controlling winding interlinking a pair

for transmitting telephone signals. A tele

phone receiver may equally well be. substi tuted for the telegraph key 50 in the ar
structure of the apparatus and in the appli
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winding covering substantially the entire rangement shown in Fig. 7_. It_w1ll also be length of the high frequency magnetic cir
apparent that many modi?cations 1n the cuit. 5. Means for controlling the flow of high

of turns of the high frequency windin in opposite directions and the control ing
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circuit in opposite directions and covering ing ?uxes in both of these cores by means of substantially the' entire length of the high the high frequency currentand by means frequency magnetic circuit. 6. Means for controlling the flow of high of a controlling current and a second mag "netic circuit, which includes the two cores frequency current comprising an electro of the ?rst circuit in parallel, and which is magnetic device having two cores both'of traversed by the ?ux produced by the con which are traversed by a ?ux produced by trolling current, the windings being so ar the high frequency current and by a second ranged that at any given instant the two ?ux produced by a controlling current, the 25 ?uxes are in the same direction in one core windings which produce these ?uxes being and in opposite directions in the other core, so arranged that the high frequency induc and that voltages induced from the high fre~ tion is not effective in the circuit supplying quency ?ux in the winding of the control the controlling winding and the controlling
circuit with two cores, windings for produc
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tromagnetic device having a_closed magnetic ing the two portions of the high frequency

cation thereof may be made without depart frequency current comprising an electro in from the scope of the appended claims. magnetic device having two cores both of , Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure which are traversed by a ?ux produced by by Letters Patent of the United States, is : the high frequency current and by a second 1. Means for controlling the flow of a ?ux produced by a controlling current, the high frequency current comprising an elec circuit of the controlling current interlink

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35 of the high frequency current, a second mag

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the ?rst circuit in parallel, a winding for circuit adapted to carry a high equency producing a ?ux in the second magnetic cir alternating current and a second magnetiz cuit by means of a controlling current, the ing winding for said circuit adapted to windings being 'so arranged that at any carry a controlling current, the windings given instant the two ?uxes are in the same being so related to each other that substan direction in one core and in opposite dlrec tially no high frequency current will ?ow in tions in the other core, and the turns of the the circuit supplying the controlling wind

pendent of the frequency of the magnetiz netic circuit which includes the two cores of ing current, a magnetizing windin for said

stantially the entire length of the magnetic frequency current comprising an electro circuit of the high frequency ?ux. 7. An electromagnetic device having a magnetic device having a closed magnetic circuit with two cores, a winding on these closed magnetic circuit, the apparent per cores for producing a flux therein by means meability of which is substantially inde
2'. Means for controlling the ?ow of big

ling current are neutralized in that wmdrn .

winding being distributed so as to cover sub

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controlling current windingl being uniformly

ing.

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distributed and covering t e high frequency

8. Means for controlling the ?ow of high

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current winding on all parts of the cores frequency current comprising an electro magnetic device having a closed magnetic where the latter winding is placed. _

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ond magnetizing winding for said circuit a high frequency flux in one direction and adapted to carry a controlling current, the by a controlling ?ux in the opposite direc controlling winding interlinking the high tion, other portions bein traversed by the frequency winding in such a way that the ?uxes in the same dllBCtlOIl' and the wind high frequency electromotive forces in ing which produces the controlling ?ux be
duced therein are neutralized in each turn in
distributed so as to cover substantially

3. An electromagnetic device having a circuit the apparent permeability of which closed magnetic circuit, a magnetizing wind is substantially independent of the fre ing for said circuit adapted to carry a quency of the magnetizing current, certain high frequency alternating current, a sec portions of said device being traversed by

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and covering substantially the entire length al of the device which is traversed by the of the magnetic circuit of the high fre- high frequency ?ux.
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9. An apparatus of the character de _ LL Means for controlling the ?ow of high scribed comprising a single magnetic circuit frequency current comprising an electro made up of two parallel magnetic cores,

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magnetic device, having two cores both means for producin a radio frequency traversed by a ?ux' produced by the high magnetic ?ux which ows in opposite direc- ' 85 frequency current and by a ?ux produced by tions in said cores, means for producing a 130

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the same magnetic circuit so arranged that

controlling ?ux which ?ows in the same di

rection through said cores, the Winding they will be magnetized by said windings which produces the controlling ?ux cover in opposite directions, and a winding sup ing substantially the entire length of said plied by the variable current so arranged
cores. .

as to produce a ?ux through the two cores

in the same direction and covering substan tially the entire length of said cores. In witness whereof, I have hereunto vset plied by said source, two windings included my hand this 24th day of November, 1915. 10 in said circuit, two parallel cores included in ERNST F. W. ALEXANDERSON.

10. Means for amplifying a variable elec tric current comprising a source of high fre quency alternating current, a circuit sup

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