2016 International Conference on System Reliability and Science

Design Analysis of Direct-Driven PMSG in Wind Turbine Application

Theint Zar Htet, Zhengming Zhao, Qing Gu

State Key Lab of Power Systems, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Tsinghua University
Beijing, China
e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract—This paper focuses on design analysis issues of direct improved because of lack of copper loss of excitation
driven permanent magnet synchronous generator (DDPMSG) winding.
which are widely used in large scale wind turbines. The In PMSG family, either inner rotor or outer rotor can be
permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) of 1.5 MW used. In this study, outer rotor is chosen for designing
output power which is driven directly without gear system is because of the low manufacturing costs and easier
analyzed by Maxwell 2D RMxprt. The characteristics of construction. Fig. 1 shows the scheme of PMSG for direct-
generator include the cogging torque, induced coil voltages at drive wind turbine connected to grid. In this paper, the
rated speed, airgap flux density distribution and so on. For surface mounted PM outer rotor type synchronous generator
analysis of an electrical machine, accurate prediction of the
for direct-driven wind turbine are analyzed by Maxwell 2D.
machine parameters is crucial. A particular interest for
permanent magnet generator is connected with wind turbine,
The output power is 1.5MW, rated mechanical speed is
which seems to be becoming increasing popular nowadays. The 17.3rpm and number of pole pairs are 50, respectively. This
results show a proper performance of PMSG for analysis of an paper will be proved that Maxwell 2D makes the analysis
electrical machine in wind turbine application. process much easier. The analysis results help to improve the
generator design aspects. Moreover, the performance
Keywords-cogging torque; electrical machine; flux density; analysis of the design of PMSG is suitable for wind power
PMSG; wind turbines applications.
PMSG
I. INTRODUCTION Grid

The percentage of installed wind power energy system is Converter

increasing rapidly over the last few decades. Wind power has
an vital role in the future energy in many regions across the
world[1].There are many different types of generator as
direct-driven wind turbine. They are switched reluctance Figure 1. Scheme of a direct-drive PMSG system.
generator, the induction generator, the electrically excited
synchronous generator and the permanent magnet
II. PMSG PROTOTYPE BY MAXWELL 2D
synchronous generator, etc. In wind turbine application,
owing to high efficiency, low mechanical loss, and low RMxprt software speeds the design and optimization
maintenance cost, the direct driven permanent magnet process of rotating electric machines.Maxwell 2D RMxprt is
synchronous generator (DDPMSG) is drawing people's a program that can be used to visualize magnetic fields and
attention more and more [2]. Most of the low speed wind predict magnetic forces. Magnetic circuits are difficult to
turbine generators presented are permanent magnet design because the materials used are non-linear and field
synchronous generators (PMSG). Permanent magnet cannot be confined like electrons within wires. ANSYS
synchronous generators (PMSGs) are one of the most Maxwell software is universal finite element analysis
important parts in wind turbine applications. PMSG type software of magnetic field calculation [3]. The 1.5MW high
wind turbines are so called direct drive gearless wind power PMSG for direct driven wind turbine are analyzed.
turbines because they do not need any gear and they can Table I represents the major parameters of the PMSG. Now
generate power in wide speed range. PMSGs have attracted a parametrical analysis procedure is given. In the first step,
strong interest of research, as they possess a number of steel type of stator and rotor and magnet type should be
advantages such as high efficiency, high power to volume chosen. Then the outer and inner diameters of stator and
ratio, and high reliability. Also, efficiency of PMSG system rotor, yoke thickness and airgap length are roughly
is higher and the outer dimensions are smaller than those of determined. At this step, stator slot type can also be
induction generator with a gear. In a conventional determined. In this prototype, XG196/96 magnets are
synchronous generators, there are multi-phase windings in radially magnetized and are mounted on the surface of the
stator and excitation windings in rotor, but in PMSGs rotor and D21-50 steel type is selected for stator and rotor
excitation windings are removed and substituted by laminations. Considering the almost fixed magnetic field, the
permanent magnets. The efficiency of the generator is rotor core is made of solid steel and is mounted on a steel

978-1-5090-3278-5/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE 7

shaft. The stator core is made of electrical steel with 300 compare other generators types and thermal limitations
slots for three phase windings. because of permanent magnets. In addition, political issues
on rare earth magnet future would be also considered as
TABLE I. MAJOR PARAMETER OF THE PMSG disadvantage.
Parameters Unit Quantities Permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs)
Rated output power MW 1.5 have two parts; stator and rotor. Rotor has permanent
Rated phase voltage V 690 magnets to create constant magnetic field in electrical
Rated phase current A 1530 machine. Other time and space varying magnetic field is
Rated power factor - 0.9 created with the stator windings.
Rated speed rpm 17.3
Number of poles - 100 A. Mathematical Models of PMSG
Number of phases - 3 Mathematical model of PMSG is usually given in
Permanent magnet - NdFeB
rotating reference frame. Quadrature (q) and direct (d) axis
Permanent magnet flux Wb 4.305
PMSG equations are given below. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show
equivalent circuit of PMSG in d-q frame [4] .
In step 2, design analysis and optimization procedure is
started. Table II shows the design results of 1.5MW PMSG d qs
vqs  Rs iqs    ds (1)
which are based on electrical machine theory. dt
TABLE II. DESIGN RESULTS FOR 1.5MW PMSG d ds
vds  Rs ids    qs (2)
Parameters Unit Quantities dt
Phase 3
Pole 100  ds  ( Lld  Lmd )ids   mag  Lds ids   mag (3)
Stator Slot 300
Conductors per slot 69  qs  ( Lld  Lmq )iqs  Lqs iqs (4)
Length of Rotor mm 603
Outer Diameter of Rotor mm 3119 3P
Outer Diameter of Stator mm 3015
Te   mag iqs (5)
2 2
Magnet Thickness mm 20
Magnet width mm 63 Lld
Rs DC

isd 
In design analysis process, designer should be careful esq
about some parameters and these parameters do not have Vsd
Lmd  If
strict values because each parameter has also depends on
other parameters of generator so only maximum value may
considered. Finally, the 1.5MW PM generator model with
Maxwell 2D RMXprt is presented in Fig. 2. Figure 3. Direct axis equivalent circuit of PMSG

Llq
Rs DC

 esd
isq

Vsq Lmq

Figure 4. Quadrature axis equivalent circuit of PMSG

Figure 2. The 2D geometry of PMSG prototype

B. Equivalent Electrical Circuit of PMSG

III. GENERATOR CHARACTERISTICS
The most important performance of a generator is the
Permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) is external characteristic, i.e. the relationship of output terminal
widely used in wind power application nowadays which has voltage load current, which can be predicted by an equivalent
some advantages compare to other type of generators. There
are high power density, high performance at low speed electrical circuit as shown in Fig. 5, where V1 is the output
application, low maintenance cost, high voltage ride-through voltage, I1 is the phase current, R1 is the phase resistance,
capability due to the full rated converters and so on.
However, it has also some disadvantages; high 1 is the electrical angular frequency, and L1 is the
manufacturing cost due to the existence of permanent synchronous inductance, which equals the self-inductance
magnets, higher capacity power converters that are need to plus half mutual inductance here.

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 A. Cogging Torque
R1  I1
Cogging torque, is the result of the interaction (magnetic
attraction) between the magnetic flux from the magnets and
stator geometry, producing a variable reluctance related with
AC
E 1  the angular position of the rotor. Cogging torque is
influenced by a variety of design factors of PMSG such as
air gap length, slot opening, magnet performance, pole pitch
of the magnet [5]. This torque, overlaps the generator load
Figure 5. Per-phase equivalent circuit of a PMSG torque causing not only stress and vibration, but also an
absence of power delivery at small wind speeds. Cogging
From the above circuit, the external characteristic can be torque can be expressed mathematically by the following
derived as equation,
V1  E12  I12 (1L1 cos  R1 sin )2  I1 (1L1 cos  R1 sin )2 (6) 1 dR
Tcog  g
2
(8)
2 d
where  is the power factor of the load.
where  g is the magnetic flux density, R is the air-gap
C. Comparisons of the No-Load and Short-Circuit
Characteristics reluctance and ϴ is the rotor angular position [6], [7]. In the
permanent magnet machines, the incapacity to regulate the
1) No-load characteristic
current field makes the feature in a no load operation point
In a conventional synchronous machine with field
for a given speed. Cogging torque generated of PMSG is the
winding this feature relates the value of the field current to
the electromotive force (EMF) of the machine in its sum of a series of cogging torque harmonics [8].
operation as a generator without load current. In the Cogging torque calculated from the model and taking
permanent magnet machines, the incapacity to regulate the into account the slot inclination can be seen in Fig. 6.
current field makes this feature in a no load operation point Cogging Torque (N.m) 600
for a given speed. We can mathematically express the value
of this EMF as [7]: 400
200
E f   2 fN1 Kw1 f (7)
0
where N1 is the number of turns per phase, f is the frequency, -200
Kω1is the winding factor and ϕf is the magnetic excitation -400
flux.
-600
2) Short-circuit characteristic 0 125 250 375
As in the previous case, this feature, applied to a PMSG, Electric Degree
becomes in a short circuit point, defined as the operating
Figure 6. Cogging torque in two teeth of 1.5 MW PMSG
status of the machine in short-circuit permanent condition,
that is, once transient phenomena have disappeared from it.
Regarding the model, in order to simulate the short- B. Simulation Results of PMSG
circuit condition, the electrical model must be modified to The following figures are represented by the performance
suit to the load condition of a short circuit. In short circuit results of direct-driven PMSG in wind power application.
condition, besides current, have also been calculated braking
torque generated by the machine. 2

IV. SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF PMSG One-Turn

1
One-Conductor
Voltage (V)

The FEA model of electromagnetic field is built by

Ansoft Maxwell 2D and the simulation time is taken some
0
hours. Maxwell 2D RMXprt is a program that can be used to
visualize magnetic fields and predict magnetic forces. The
analysis of 1.5MW PMSG for direct driven wind turbine is -1
presented. The characteristics of generator like cogging
torque, air-gap flux density, induced coil voltage at rated -2
0 125 250 375
speed and winding current under load are analyzed by
Maxwell 2D RMXprt. Electric Degree
The results obtained by using 2D Maxwell model provide Figure 7. Induced coil voltages at rated speed
sufficient accuracy with measured ones in a PMSG prototype.

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 0.25
0.25
26.00
Curve Info

Flux Density (T) 0.13

0.13 Input Current

24.00
(Tesla)

00.00
22.00

(A)
-0.13
-0.13
20.00

-0.25
-0.25
0.00 125.00 250.00 375.00
0 125 Electric Degree 250 375 18.00
Electric Degree
16.00
Figure 8. Air-gap flux density 0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00 120.00 140.00 160.00 180.00
Pow er Angle +6 (degree)

10000
10000.00 Figure 12. Input current of PMSG
Phase Voltage
5000
5000.00 Line Voltage
Voltage (V)

V. CONCLUSION
(Volts)

0 0.00 In this paper, the design analysis of an outer-rotor

permanent magnet synchronous generator in wind power
-5000
-5000.00
applications are studied. The external characteristics of the
PMSG are predicted by an equivalent electrical circuit. Key
-10000
-10000.00
0.00
0 125.00
125 250.00
Electric Degree 250
375.00
375 generator characteristics such as cogging torque, induced coil
Electric Degree voltage at rated speed and winding current under load are
determined based on Maxwell 2D. Moreover, the
Figure 9. Induced winding voltages at rated speed characteristic of permanent magnet synchronous generator
are discussed. Maxwell 2D RMXprt has proved to be a
75.00
75 competent and valuable tool to study and design of PMSGs
50
50.00 Ia used in large wind power generation systems. The analysis
Ib results help to improve the generator design aspects. In
25
25.00 Ic
conclusion, the performance analysis of the design of PMSG
(Amperes)
(A)

0
0.00 is suitable for wind power applications.
Current

-25
-25.00 APPENDIX NOMENCLATURE
-50
-50.00  The power factor of the load
-75
-75.00 g The magnetic flux density
0
0.00 125
125.00 250
250.00 375
375.00
Electric Degree
Electric Degree
R The air-gap reluctance
Figure 10. Winding currents under load
ϴ The rotor angular position
Lmd D-axis magnetizing inductance
30000.00
Curve Info
Air-Gap Power Lmq Q-axis magnetizing inductance
25000.00

 Electrical angular frequency

20000.00
Bm Flux density of the permanent-magnet
(W)

15000.00
N1 The number of turns per phase
10000.00
Kω1 The winding factor
5000.00 ϕf The magnetic excitation flux
0.00
V1 The output voltage
0.00 25.00 50.00 75.00 100.00 125.00 150.00 175.00
Pow er Angle +6 (degree) I1 The phase current
Figure 11. Airgap power of PMSG
R1 The phase resistance
Tcog Cogging torque

10
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