Power transistors inside the power inverter (1) are used to rectify the AC current produced by the generator into DC current. The DC current produced by the power transistors is stored in two large capacitors inside the power inverter. The generator may not be able to react quickly enough to the drive motor’s changing current demands during machine operation, so the capacitors store electrical energy and release the energy during times of peak drive motor usage.
The Generator ECM (2) monitors the operation of the generator when enabled by the Machine ECM. The Generator ECM also controls and monitors the operation of six power transistors (three pair) in the control No. 1 section of the power inverter. The Generator ECM tries to maintain a constant 650 volts on the DC bus regardless of engine speed and machine load.