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 V
+ R2
internal voltage E
source driving the
circuit

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= R 2 /(RI + R2)

 Magnetic circuit
 Φ

Magnet
reluctance R1
N Leakage air gap
Fm R 2 reluctance
+ flux

S
steel core magnetic circuit

ELECTRICAL TERMS MAGNETIC TERMS

Voltage Magnetomotive force Fm
Current Flux 
Resistance Reluctance Rm
Current versus voltage if R1 =1 ohm Flux versus Magnetomotive Force
14
12
10 Operating point
8 for maximum
Operating point if R2=1 ohm also
6 'energy product'
4
2
0
0 5 10 15
0
Voltage available to load -8 -6 -4 -2 0
de-magnetising force on magnet - Fm
 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 = -d/dt
If  is the flux in the magnetic circuit,
and N is the rpm, then

d/dt = 2 N /60 = N /30

Hence the average EMF is N /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 MAGNET
FLUX ROTOR

ROTOR

ROTATION
STATOR
COIL SHAFT

LINES OF FLUX

ROTATION
STATOR COIL
A TYPICAL PERMANENT MAGNET ALTERNATOR
COILS

MAGNETIC FLUX

ROTOR

MAGNETS

STATOR
OUTPUTS FROM THE THREE COILS LAMINATED
CORE

1.5 STATOR
MOUNTS AND
1 BEARINGS

0.5

0
1
-0.5

-1

-1.5
Time
 Axial Flux alternator

EXPLODED DIAGRAM/VIEW OF ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY

STATOR MOUNTS

ROTOR MOUNTS

SHAFT FLANGE BOLTS

SHAFT
HUB

TAIL
BEARING
BACK FRONT
YAW
MAGNET STATOR MAGNET
BEARING
ROTOR ROTOR
Axial Flux alternator

STATOR

ROTOR
YAW
BEARING
STUD
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

5-phase AC voltage

time axis
 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 •“Cogging” torque causes
•Reduced air gap has lower vibration.
reluctance and lower leakage, •The self inductance of the
and hence offers higher flux stator winding limits the
density, at reduced magnet maximum output current
volume and costs.
•Short circuit switches can
•The self inductance increases only be used for braking up to
the shaft speed range. This a certain windspeed because
helps the blades to maintain a of this current limiting
more constant tip speed ratio.
•Laminations are difficult to
manufacture in a small
workshop.
 Power/speed taken from bench testing
Power/speed
curves 1400
1200
12V

1000
14V
800
600
16V
400
“Air gap” alternator
200
without core
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
rpm

1800
output

1600
input

1400 copper loss

1200 total of losses

ideal rotor
1000
power
Ferrite magnet alternator with 800
slotted, laminated core and
small air gap. 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
FINISH
2.00

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

START FINISHES

FINISH

1.00

VAC

START
STARTS
 3-phase windings

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

STARTS
FINISH
Delta START

FINISH
1.00 START
FINISH

VAC FINISH

Resistance
in star is 2 x coil resistance FINISH
in delta is 2/3 x coil resistance START
 Series-star and series-delta
FINISH

START
3.46 2.00
FINISH
VAC
VAC

START

START
START

FINISH FINISH
START START

FINISH FINISH
Converting AC to DC with a rectifier

Bridge rectifier Star connection 3-phase bridge rectifier

starts all linked
together

Fuse Fuse

+ +

Battery Battery
 COIL CONNECTIONS
EACH DIODE ALLOWS CURRENT TO FLOW
5-phase stator
THE POSITIVE DC
TERMINAL IS AT 90
DEGREES TO THE ONLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARROW
OTHER TERMINALS RECTIFIER
wiring to battery START COIL FINISH

START COIL FINISH

EACH
START COIL FINISH
-
COIL
FINISH
CONNECT START COIL FINISH
S TO AN
'AC'
TERMINAL CABLE TO BATTERY
+
LOCATION START COIL FINISH

START COIL FINISH

STOP
'BLOCKING GO CONTROL
THERE ARE FIVE BRIDGE RECTIFIER
DIODE' BOX
UNITS IN THE WIND TURBINE START COIL FINISH
THE RECTIFIERS CONVERT THE
A
ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) INTO
DIRECT CURRENT (DC) FOR THE FUSE
BATTERY V START COIL FINISH

START COIL FINISH

FUSES OR CIRCUIT START COIL FINISH

CABLE TO BREAKERS
LOADS

- +
- + DO NOT USE 'CROCODILE CLIPS'
FOR PERMANENT CONNECTIONS
OUTPUT
12 VOLT BATTERY
 Calculation of EMF

Total coil turns connected '3-phase star' n =turns per coil*Total no. of coils in series*1.73
Area of magnet faces on one rotor (m^2) A =no. of magnets*length mm*width mm/10^6
Flux density in Tesla B =From BH curve or experience Fe=0.2-0.3 T, NiFeB=0.5-0.7 T
Total flux in Webers =A*B
Shaft speed rpm

Average EMF during cycle Emean=2*n*A *B*(rpm/60)

rms EMF Erms =1.11*Emean
Peak EMF Epeak =1.414*Erms
DC output after rectifier Edc =Epeak-1.4
 Voltage Waveform Effects
Average EMF during cycle Emean =2*n*A *B*(rpm/60)
rms EMF Erms =1.11*Emean
Peak EMF Epeak =1.414*Erms =1.56E*mean
DC output after rectifier Edc =Epeak-1.4

Once we know the mean 1.56

voltage, we can estimate
peak voltage. 1

We assume that the

waveform is sinusoidal
although it may not be. 0
1
Voltage Waveform
We subtract the diode
Mean Voltage
voltage from the peak to
estimate DC output. rms Voltage= 1.11*Mean

-1.56

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.