Design Optimisation and Performance Evaluation of Flux Switching Machines for Geared Medium-Speed Wind Generator Drives

In this paper, a novel Ph.D. research process leading to the multi-objective design optimisation (MDO) of geared medium-speed flux switching machine (FSM) for wind generator drives is rehashed. The highlights of the study include, among other things, the electromagnetic design of two preferred FSM topologies based on an in-house two-dimensional finite element analyses tool, the MDO of key generator design and performance data, and the evaluation of different FSM drivetrain variants such as rare-earth versus none-rare-earth designs, as well as their characterisation at different small-and large-scale power levels. The major findings of the study include the superior performance of the proposed generator brands at multi-megawatts power levels, as well as the feasibility of the MDO procedure yielding a cocktail of multiple designs options with some useful data relating to torque density, torque ripple and power factor of the studied machines. Lastly, a practical demonstration based on a 10 kW none-rare-earth prototype as undertaken to validate the design approach, displayed good confidence.