The invention relates to an electrically excited synchronous
machine (1) comprising a
stator (2) having a
stator winding (3) and a rotor (5) having an excitation winding (6). A control device (9) of the synchronous
machine (1) operates the synchronous
machine (1) with a torque (M) which assumes a high value during load phases (12) and, during load pauses (13) between the load phases (12), assumes a value which is at least one
order of magnitude lower than the minimum value (M1) of the torque (M) during the load phases (12). The control device (9) rotates the rotor (5) during the load phases (12) with a constant direction of rotation for each load phase (12) and at a rotational speed (n) above a minimum rotational speed (nmin). The control device (9) determines, on the basis of an angular position (p) of the rotor (5), a d-coordinate and a q-coordinate of a coordinate
system defined by the angular position (p) of the rotor (5). The d-coordinate coincides with the direction of a flux generated by an
excitation current (Ie) flowing in the excitation winding (6). The q-coordinate is oriented orthogonally to the d-coordinate in the coordinate
system. Prior to a load phase (12), still during the load pause (13), the control device (9) adjusts a q-axis current (Iq) to an initial value (Iqa). During the load phase (12), the control device (9) regulates the q-axis current (Iq) to at most twice the initial value (Iqa). No later than at the start of each load phase (12), the control device (9) activates a controller (17) which, during each load phase (12), tracks the d-axis current (Id) and the
excitation current (Ie), but not the q-axis current (Iq). Tracking is performed such that an actual value (x) of the rotor (5) remains equal to a corresponding
setpoint value (x*), and the d-axis current (Id) and the
excitation current (Ie) satisfy the relationship: Id = - ü x Ie + F / Xh x cos(α). While the q-axis current (Iq) is being adjusted, the control device (9) adjusts the