Multi-Pole HTS Generators for Direct Drive Wind Turbines

In this presentation the feasibility of installing a 5MW direct drive superconducting generator for an offshore wind turbine is presented. The reference turbine is a geared 5MW wind turbine that has been installed offshore and has been documented extensively by the National Renewable Energy laboratory (NREL). The emphasis of the investigation is on cost and mass, where the cost limit for the active material is set at €1M; the active mass limit is set at 40 tons; and the outer diameter is 4.2 meters. The allowable engineering current densities have been estimated by measuring the magnetization on two different types of coated conductor. In the specific design the allowable current density was 300A/mm^2 for tape 1 and 70A/mm^2 for tape 2. The design is analytical, based on magnetic circuit analysis, which is validated by finite element modelling. The conclusion is that the either price or the performance of the coated conductor has to improve significantly (by a factor of 10 or more) in order for HTS generators to become feasible in direct drive offshore wind turbines. This price/performance improvement is not unrealistic in the coming decade. Additionally the reliability of such machines will have to be demonstrated.