Large superconducting wind turbine generators

Asger Bech Abrahamsen, Niklas Magnusson, Bogi Bech Jensen, M. Runde

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    To realize large (>10 MW) direct-driven off-shore wind turbines, a number of steps are needed to reduce weight and cost compared to on-shore technologies. One of the major challenges is to provide drive trains which can comply with the large torque as the turbine rotor diameter is scaled up and the rotation speed is lowered in order to limit the tip speed of the blades. The ability of superconducting materials to carry high current densities with very small losses
    might facilitate a new class of generators operating with an air gap flux density considerably higher than conventional
    generators and thereby having a smaller size and weight [1, 2]. A 5 MW superconducting wind turbine generator
    forms the basics for the feasibility considerations, particularly for the YBCO and MgB2 superconductors entering the
    commercial market. Initial results indicate that a 5 MW generator with an active weight of 34 tons, diameter of 4.2 m
    and length of 1.2 m can be realized using superconductors carrying 300 A/mm2 in a magnetic field of 4 T and an air
    gap flux density of the order 2.5 T. The results are compared to the performance of available superconductors, as well
    as the near future forecasted performance.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalEnergy Procedia
    Volume24
    Pages (from-to)60 – 67
    ISSN1876-6102
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012
    Event9th Deep Sea Offshore Wind R&D Seminar - Trondheim, Norway
    Duration: 19 Jan 201220 Jan 2012
    Conference number: 9
    http://www.sintef.no/Projectweb/Deepwind_2012/

    Conference

    Conference9th Deep Sea Offshore Wind R&D Seminar
    Number9
    Country/TerritoryNorway
    CityTrondheim
    Period19/01/201220/01/2012
    Internet address

    Keywords

    • Generators
    • Off-shore wind turbines
    • Superconductors

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