A compact, high efficiency contra-rotating generator suitable for wind turbines in the urban environment

J.D. Booker, P.H. Mellor, R. Wrobel and D. Drury

Renewable Energy, 2010, vol. 35, issue 9, 2027-2033

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the design, development and performance testing of a permanent magnet (PM) generator for wind turbine applications in urban areas. The radially interacting armature windings and magnet array are carried on direct drive, contra-rotating rotors, resulting in a high torque density and efficiency. This topology also provides improved physical and mechanical characteristics such as compactness, low starting torque, elimination of gearboxes, low maintenance, low noise and vibration, and the potential for modular construction. The design brief required a 50kW continuous rated prototype generator, with a relative speed at the air-gap of 500rpm. A test rig has been instrumented to give measurements of the mechanical input (torque and speed) and electrical output (voltage, current and power) of the generator, as well as temperature readings from inside the generator using a wireless telemetry device. Peak power output was found to be 48kW at a contra-rotating speed of 500rpm, close to the design target, with an efficiency of 94%. It is anticipated that the generator will find application in a wide range of wind turbine designs suited to the urban environment, e.g. types sited on the top of buildings, as there is growing interest in providing quiet, low cost, clean electricity at point of use.

Keywords: Permanent magnet generator; Contra-rotating; Wind turbine; Urban environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148110000522
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:35:y:2010:i:9:p:2027-2033

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2010.02.003

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

More articles in Renewable Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().