Dual Three-Phase Partitioned Stator Flux-Switching PM Machine for Wind Generating Systems

This paper studies the performance of novel design of partitioned stator (PS) switched flux PM machines which are designed for direct-driven (DD) wind energy conversion systems (WECSs). The DD machines removes the gearbox; hence it is more reliable, efficient, and requires less maintenance. However, DD generators are bigger, heavier and expensive than generators for wind energy systems with gearbox. The study compares the performance of the conventional PS machine with cylindrical inner stator (CY) with two novel machine designs i.e. the PS machine with salient inner stator (SA) and the PS machine with dual armature (DA). The main design parameters of the three machines are same, whereas the other parameters are optimized for maximum torque and minimum torque ripples. The parameters design and optimization processes for the three machines are briefly presented. The performance of the three machines is studied using the ANSYS/Maxwell 2D finite element analysis (FEA). The study shows enhanced electromagnetic performance of the DA machine under normal and faulty conditions. In addition, the SA provides the same performance of the CY machine with reduced weight and cost, hence it represents a strong candidate for DD applications.