Permanent Magnet Alternator theory session for ITDG windpower course

Hugh Piggott
HAMBANTOTA DECEMBER 2003 Properties of electric and magnetic circuits Permanent magnet alternator configurations

Connection of coils and rectifiers

Design calculations

Electrical circuit
I

R1
EMF E is the internal voltage source driving the circuit
+ E

R2

POWER (WATTS): P=IV OHMS LAW: I=V/ R also R=V/ I and V= IR RESISTANCES: R1 IS INTERNAL RESISTANCE, R2 IS LOAD RESISTANCE CURRENT: I = E/R = E/(R1 + R2) So VOLTAGE: V= I/R2 = ER2 /(RI + R2)

EFFICIENCY = POWER OUT /POWER IN = VI/EI =V/E= R2 /(RI + R2)

Magnetic circuit
F
Magnet reluctance + S steel core magnetic circuit

R1
N

Fm

Leakage f lu x

R2 reluctance

air gap

ELECTRICAL TERMS Voltage Current Resistance

MAGNETIC TERMS Magnetomotive force Fm Flux F Reluctance Rm

Flux versus Magnetomotive Force

Operating point for maximum 'energy product'

0 -8 -6 -4 -2 de-magnetising force on magnet - Fm 0

Advantages of permanent magnets over wound field coils

No need to supply current to the magnet rotor
Better efficiency at low power No problems with brushes and sliprings Cheaper to manufacture

Permanent magnet materials are constantly improving

NdFeB neodymium magnets are more and more powerful Also cheaper as royalty agreements expire

Magnet material specifications

Remanence Br is flux density in a short circuit. Coercivity Hc is Field Strength in an open circuit (with no flux). Similar to EMF. Maximum Energy Product BHmax is the point on the curve where you get the most effective use of the magnet. Similar to R1 = R2 in the electrical circuit. Flux density at BHmax (about half of Br ).
Field strength at Bhmax (about half of Hc).

Magnet data from the web site of Magna in Tokyo

www.magna-tokyo.com

(This is typical of data available on many similar web sites.)

Sample demagnetisation curves

The NdFeB material (neodymium) has the highest field strength H and highest flux density B. The energy product (B x H) reaches a maximum at the mid point of the line. The energy product depends on the reluctance of the magnetic circuit. In cases where the air gap area matches the magnet face area, it happens that BHmax coincides with the circuit reluctance where air gap length is the same as magnet length. This applies to both neodymium and ferrite materials. Alnico has much lower field strength, and so this rule does not apply.

Simple alternator

EMF (volts) induced in a loop of wire E = -dF/dt If F is the flux in the magnetic circuit, and N is the rpm, then
dF/dt = 2 FN /60 = FN /30 Hence the average EMF is FN /30

Voltage depends on rate of flux cutting wires Amount of flux Rate of rotation (rpm) Number of turns per coil

TWO EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE ALTERNATOR CONFIGURATIONS

AXIAL FLUX CONFIGURATION
RADIAL FLUX MACHINE MAGNET LINES OF FLUX ROTOR

MAGNET

ROTOR
STATOR COIL

ROTATION SHAFT

LINES OF FLUX
ROTATION

STATOR COIL

A TYPICAL PERMANENT MAGNET ALTERNATOR

COILS MAGNETIC FLUX ROTOR

MAGNETS

STATOR LAMINA TED CORE STATOR MOUNTS AND BEARINGS

Axial Flux alternator

EXPLODED DIAGRAM/VIEW OF ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY

STATOR MOUNTS ROTOR MOUNTS

SHAFT FLANGE BOLTS

SHAFT HUB

TAIL BEARING YAW BEARING

BACK MAGNET ROTOR

STATOR

FRONT MAGNET ROTOR

Axial Flux alternator

STATOR ROTOR STUD

YAW BEARING

5-phase Version of Axial Flux alternator

This alternator has ten coils The magnets pass the coils at different times The output has 5 phases

THE STATOR CASTING CONTAINS TEN COILS

An induction motor body can be adapted to make an alternator

This is the commonest mass-produced electrical machine on earth. Magnets can be fitted to the rotor, and the stator can be rewound.

Toroidally wound axial alternator

Another possible configuration North magnet pole faces north magnet pole on the two rotors. The stator core is made from a strip of suitable low-silicon grade steel wound into a laminated core Coils are wound around the toroidal core. The flux passes through the coils into the core and then along the core tangentially to the next pair of poles. This configuration is used by Proven Wind Turbines of Scotland.

Advantages and disadvantages of using a laminated core in the stator.

DISADVANTAGES

Magnetic loss and drag cause problems with start-up

ADVANTAGES Reduced air gap has lower reluctance and lower leakage, and hence offers higher flux density, at reduced magnet volume and costs. The self inductance increases the shaft speed range. This helps the blades to maintain a more constant tip speed ratio. Cogging torque causes vibration. The self inductance of the stator winding limits the maximum output current Short circuit switches can only be used for braking up to a certain windspeed because of this current limiting Laminations are difficult to manufacture in a small workshop.

Power/speed curves

Air gap alternator without core

1800 1600 1400 1200 1000

output input copper loss total of losses ideal rotor power

Ferrite magnet alternator with slotted, laminated core and small air gap.

800 600 400 200 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Single phase windings

If a single coil gives 1 volt
1.00 VAC

then two coils in series give 2 volts

2.00 VAC FINISH

2 coils in parallel give one volt, but the resistance is only half compared to one coil
START FINISH

FINISHES

1.00 VAC

START

STA RTS

3-phase windings
Star
1.73 VAC FINISH

Coils in different 3 phases connected star give root(3) times higher voltage (x 1.73) than they would connected delta

STARTS

Delta
FINISH FINISH

FINISH START

1.00 VAC

START FINISH

Resistance in star is 2 x coil resistance in delta is 2/3 x coil resistance

FINISH START

Series-star and series-delta

FINISH

START 3.46 FINISH VAC

2.00 VAC

START
T AR ST ST AR T

T AR ST ISH FIN

ST AR T FIN ISH FIN ISH

ISH FIN

Converting AC to DC with a rectifier

Bridge rectifier

Star connection starts all linked together

3-phase bridge rectifier

Fuse

Fuse

+ Battery

+ Battery

COIL CONNECTIONS
THE POSITIVE DC TERMINAL IS AT 90 DEGREES TO THE OTHER TERMINALS

5-phase stator wiring to battery

EACH DIODE ALLOWS CURRENT TO FLOW ONLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARROW RECTIFIER START COIL FINISH START COIL COIL FINISH

EACH COIL FINISH CONNECT S TO AN 'AC' TERMINAL

START
-

FINISH FINISH

START
CABLE TO BATTERY LOCATION

COIL COIL

START START
CONTROL BOX

FINISH FINISH

STOP THERE ARE FIVE BRIDGE RECTIFIER UNITS IN THE WIND TURBINE THE RECTIFIERS CONVERT THE ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) INTO DIRECT CURRENT (DC) FOR THE BATTERY 'BLOCKING DIODE' GO

COIL COIL

START START

FINISH FINISH

A
FUSE

COIL COIL

START START

FINISH FINISH

CABLE TO LOADS -

FUSES OR CIRCUIT BREAKERS

COIL

DO NOT USE 'CROCODILE CLIPS ' FOR PE RMANENT CONNECTIO NS

OUTPUT

12 VOLT BATTERY

Calculation of EMF

Total coil turns connected '3-phase star' Area of m agnet faces on one rotor (m^2) Flux density in Tesla Total flux in Webers Shaft speed

n A B rpm

=turns per coil*Total no. of coils in series*1.73 =no. of magnets*length mm*width m m/10^6 =F rom B H curve or experience Fe=0.2-0.3 T, NiF eB=0.5-0.7 T =A*B

Average EMF during cycle rms EMF Peak EMF DC output after rectif ier

Emean Erms Epeak Edc

=2*n*A *B *(rpm/60) =1.11*Emean =1.414*Erms =Epeak-1.4

Voltage Waveform Effects

Average EMF during cycle rms EMF Peak EMF DC output after rectif ier
Once we know the mean voltage, we can estimate peak voltage. We assume that the waveform is sinusoidal although it may not be.

Emean Erms Epeak Edc

1.56
1

=2*n*A *B *(rpm/60) =1.11*Emean =1.414*Erms = 1.56E*mean =Epeak-1.4

0 1

We subtract the diode voltage from the peak to estimate DC output.

-1.56

Voltage Waveform Mean Voltage rms Voltage= 1.11*Mean

Cut-in rpm = (Vbat+1.4)*60/(1.56*2*n*A *B)

Calculation of internal resistance

Internal resistance is easy to calculate, using the dimensions of the coils and the conductivity of copper. R (ohms )=L/Aw*0.022*(1+0.004*(temp-70)) where L is the length of copper wire in the coils of one phase in metres, Aw is the wire cross sectional area in mm (pi()*square(diameter)/4), and temp is wire operating temperature in degrees C. Length L = Mean turn length * number of turns Aw = Cross sectional area of coil * Space factor / number of turns Space factor depends on insulation and on skill of winding. A good figure to use is about 0.5 - 0.6. Winding wire is specified by metric diameter or by wire gauge. Diameter = (Aw*4/pi())^.5

AWG gauge = LOG(53.5/Aw,1.261)

Wire is available is standard sizes and therefore the choice of size will dictate the space factor and the resistance in the end.

Computing the power/speed characteristic

You can use E and R to predict the output current. There is no current until Edc>Vbat. After that, current Idc will be

Idc (amps)=(Edc-Vbat)/R (in theory)

However this neglects ripple. I In practice a more accurate result is obtained by using this equation Idc (amps)=(Edc-Vbat)/R/1.3 NB The equation neglects reactive effects (self induction) Where the coils are wound on laminations, the inductance is strong and it is hard to predict output current. The current will be limited by the inductive reactance at higher speeds. But with air-core coils in a stator which does not contain iron, we can look at the resistance R in ohms as the main impedance. Using this equation in a spreadsheet we can go ahead and calculate current at each of a series of different speeds. Multiplying Idc by Vbat we arrive at output power at each rpm. We can also use : Copper Loss (watts) = (Idc)^2*R and Diode Loss = Idc * 1.4 to estimate input power before copper and diode losses.