A Homopolar HTSG Topology for Large Direct-Drive Wind Turbines


KEYSAN O., Mueller M. A.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY, vol.21, no.5, pp.3523-3531, 2011 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 21 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2011
  • Doi Number: 10.1109/tasc.2011.2159005
  • Journal Name: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.3523-3531
  • Keywords: Direct drive, homopolar generator, offshore wind energy, superconducting generator, wind-power generation, wind turbine, MOTOR, FLUX
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

For offshore wind energy, there is a trend toward larger wind turbines. The increased mass of a power-takeoff system increases the installation cost of the turbine. Direct-drive superconducting generators have the potential to reduce the installation cost of wind turbines. For a successful entry to the off-shore-wind-energy market, a high-temperature superconducting generator should be as reliable as conventional generators. It is proposed that a stationary superconducting direct-current-field winding may increase the reliability of the generator. An axial-flux homopolar generator topology is proposed to be used in low-speed high-torque applications. The topology is modified by using two superconducting field windings to obtain a bipolar flux-density distribution for higher power density. Different core types and dimensions were examined to find the most suitable design, and a conceptual design of a 6-MW 12-r/min generator is presented.