Comparative Design and Performance Analysis of 10 kW Rare-Earth and Non-Rare Earth Flux Reversal Wind Generators

Manne Bharathi, Udochukwu Bola Akuru and Malligunta Kiran Kumar
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Manne Bharathi: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Educational Foundation, Guntur 522502, India
Udochukwu Bola Akuru: Department of Electrical Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0183, South Africa
Malligunta Kiran Kumar: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Koneru Lakshmaiah Educational Foundation, Guntur 522502, India

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Generators are a key technological element of the wind energy generation system. Currently, there is an increasing interest in adopting non-conventional stator-mounted permanent magnet generators, e.g., flux reversal generators (FRGs), which is a good alternative to conventional synchronous generators for medium-speed wind turbine generator applications. The usage of FRG with rare-earth (RE) permanent magnets (PMs) is increasing due to their high efficiency and high power density factors. However, RE PMs are unattractive to wind generators in terms of their cost and unpredictable market supply. In this paper, an attempt is made to study the potential of FRG with non-rare earths (ferrite PMs) for wind generators. The three-phase, 6/8 pole FRG is designed and compared with RE and NRE PMs for wind generator application at 375 r/min, 10 kW. Using 2D FEA, both the generators are compared in terms of their power generating performance with excellent overload capability. It shows that the average efficiency of the generators is approximately similar, but the torque density of NRE-FRG is only 51% that of RE-FRG. The NRE-FRG design is heavier, with the total active mass being 2.6 times higher than the RE-FRG, but with the estimated total active material cost of both generators almost the same. Moreover, the toque ripple for RE-FRG is 64% higher than for NRE-FRG. The demagnetization risk analysis was performed, and it is found that at higher temperatures, RE-FRG structures are prone to higher demagnetization risks, while it is much lower in NRE-FRGs. In summary, it is found that NRE-FRG is a suitable alternative to RE-FRG for medium-speed wind turbine generator applications in the 10-kW power range.

Keywords: finite element analysis (FEA); flux reversal generator (FRG); medium-speed; non-rare earth (NRE); permanent magnet (PM); rare earth (RE); wind turbine generator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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