Effects of Design Parameters on Performance of Brushless Electrically Excited Synchronous Reluctance Generator

Permanent magnet synchronous generators, doubly fed induction generators, and traditional electrically excited synchronous generators are widely used for wind power applications, especially large offshore installations. In order to eliminate brushes and slip rings for improved reliability and maintenance-free operation, as well as to avoid costly permanent magnets, a novel brushless electrically excited synchronous reluctance generator having many outstanding advantages has been proposed in this paper. The fundamental operating principles, finite-element analysis design studies, and performance optimization aspects have been thoroughly investigated by simulations and experimentally under different loading conditions. The effects of different pole combinations and rotor dimensions on the magnetic coupling capacity of this machine have been specifically addressed and fully verified by offline testing of the 6/2 pole and 8/4 pole prototypes with magnetic barrier reluctance rotor and a new hybrid cage rotor offering superior performance.