Design and Property Analysis of a Performance Evaluation System for HTS Wind Power Generators

Large-scale High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) wind generators produce strong electromagnetic force and high torque due to the high magnetic load of the machines, which is produced by HTS coils with high excitation current. Therefore, in order to properly maintain the mechanical strength of the HTS coil part, the torque and Lorentz force of the HTS wind generator must be scrutinized and reflected in the design. The authors proposed a method for assessing mechanical and electrical stability of a large-scale HTS wind generator based on a Performance Evaluation System (PES) that has the same characteristics as some of the pole-pairs of the HTS generator. The generator and the PES were analyzed using 3D finite element method. The performance of the HTS coil was evaluated by comparing the tangential, radial force and magnetic field distribution of the 10 MW HTS generator with the PES. The tangential and radial forces of the 10 MW HTS generator were 73 kN and 11 kN, respectively. The tangential, radial forces and magnetic flux density of the HTS coils in the PES were equal to one pole in the 10 MW HTS generator. Therefore, the proposed PES-based generator characteristic evaluation method can be used to estimate the mechanical stability of the generator under a high magnetic field and high torque before manufacturing the HTS wind turbine.