MAGNETICALLY LEVITATED VERTICAL-AXIS WIND …

1 I MAGNETICALLY LEVITATED VERTICAL-AXIS wind TURBINE A Major Qualifying Project Report submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science By Gene Abbascia _____ Kojo Asenso _____ Adam White _____ Submitted: April 30, 2009 Approved by: Professor Alexander Emanuel, Project Advisor _____ ii I. ABSTRACT This project dwells on the implementation of an alternate configuration of a wind turbine for power generation purposes. Using the effects of magnetic repulsion, spiral shaped wind turbine blades will be fitted on a rod for stability during rotation and suspended on magnets as a replacement for ball bearings which are normally used on conventional wind turbines.

2 Power will then be generated with an axial flux generator, which incorporates the use of permanent magnets and a set of coils. A SEPIC converter will then be used to regulate the varying voltage from the rectifier to output a steady DC voltage. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Professor Alex Emanuel of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department for his relentless patience and guidance throughout every phase of the project. His impressive intellection and insightfulness was a major contributing factor to the success of this project. We would also like to acknowledge Tom Angelotti for his help in the acquisition of parts for the project and making the shop available during the building process.

3 Finally we would like to thank our friends and families for their continuous support throughout all our endeavors. iv Contents I. ABSTRACT .. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. iii II. INTRODUCTION .. 1 III. OVERVIEW .. 3 A. wind Power .. 3 B. Generator .. 3 C. Magnetic Levitation .. 4 D. DC-DC Conversion .. 4 IV. wind POWER AND wind TURBINES .. 5 A. wind Power Technology .. 5 1. The Power of wind .. 5 2. Types of wind Turbines .. 7 3. Major Components and Operation of a wind Turbine .. 9 4. wind Sails Design Selection .. 11 V. Generator .. 13 A. Introduction .. 13 B. Induced EMF From Changing Magnetic Field .. 13 C. Flux .. 13 1. Ways to Induce 14 2. Time Varying Magnetic Flux.

4 14 3. Flux Magnitude .. 14 4. Coil Design .. 16 5. Coil Polarity .. 17 D. 3-Phase Connections .. 20 1. Types of Connections .. 20 2. 22 E. Calculations .. 24 1. Finding Field Density (B) .. 25 VI. MAGNETIC LEVITATION .. 29 v A. Introduction .. 29 B. Magnet Selection .. 29 C. B-H Curve .. 31 D. Calculations .. 33 VII. DC-DC CONVERSION .. 44 A. Circuit Selection .. 44 B. Analysis .. 45 1. Circuit Description .. 45 2. Block Diagram .. 46 3. Operation Principles: .. 47 4. ON-OFF Characteristics: .. 48 5. Discontinuous Conduction Mode: .. 49 C. CIRCUIT DESIGN .. 50 1. Overview .. 50 2. SEPIC Design .. 50 3. Input Rectification .. 55 4. Feedback Design: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).

5 57 D. RESULTS .. 58 1. Simulations .. 58 2. Measured Results .. 74 3. Constructed Circuit .. 82 VIII. CONCLUSION .. 84 APPENDIX .. 85 References .. 86 vi Table of Figures Figure -Horizontal axis wind Turbine .. 7 Figure -Darrieus Model vertical axis wind Turbine .. 8 Figure -Savonius Model vertical axis wind Turbine .. 9 Figure -Components of a wind Turbine .. 10 Figure - wind Rotors Side View .. 11 Figure -Rotors Connected to Stator .. 12 Figure - Field Lines through Coil .. 15 Figure - Coils (400 Turns) .. 16 Figure - Coils and Magnets .. 17 Figure - Magnet Entering Coil Region .. 18 Figure - Magnet Directly Above Coil Region .. 18 Figure - Magnet Exiting Coil Region .. 19 Figure - Voltage From A Single Coil.

6 19 Figure - Wye Connection .. 20 Figure - Delta Connection .. 21 Figure - Three Phase Voltage in Time Domain .. 21 Figure - Three Phase Voltage in Phasor Domain .. 22 Figure - Harmonic Current in Delta-Connection .. 23 Figure - Rectangular Coil .. 24 Figure - Flux Waveform .. 24 Figure - Voltage Waveform .. 25 Figure - Distance between Magnets .. 26 Figure - Circuit Analogy .. 26 Figure - Magnetomotive Force .. 27 Figure - Time Varying .. 27 Figure -B-H Curve of Various Magnetic Materials .. 30 Figure -Basic Magnet Placement .. 31 Figure -General Hysteresis Loop .. 32 Figure -General B-H Curve: Second Quadrant .. 33 Figure -Magnetic Circuit .. 34 Figure -Flux Distribution around Permanent Magnet .. 36 Figure -Distorted Flux Distribution.

7 37 Figure -Flux Distribution Top, Dft .. 38 Figure -Flux Distribution Bottom, Dfb .. 39 Figure -2-D Flux Distribution .. 40 Figure -Magnetic Circuit .. 41 Figure -Magnetomotive Force vs. Flux .. 42 Figure - Boost Converter .. 44 Figure DC/DC Converter Circuit with Feedback .. 45 Figure - Circuit Block Diagram .. 46 Figure -Ideal SEPIC DC/DC Converter Circuit -ON MODE .. 47 Figure -Ideal SEPIC DC/DC Converter Circuit -OFF MODE .. 47 Figure -Ideal SEPIC DC/DC Converter Circuit ON/OFF Characteristics .. 49 vii Figure -Output Ripple Voltage Characteristic [ ] .. 54 Figure -Bridge Rectifier .. 56 Figure -LM3478 Pin Layout .. 58 Figure -SEPIC DC/DC Converter Circuit with Losses .. 58 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: Vin and Vout Transients.

8 59 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: Vin and Vout .. 60 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: Vout Steady State .. 61 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: Iout Transients .. 62 Figure -Actual Model: Iout Steady State .. 63 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: Iin Transients .. 64 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: Iin Steady State .. 64 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: IL2 Transients .. 65 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: IL2 Steady State .. 65 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: I Transistor, I Diode .. 66 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: IC2 and IC1 Steady State .. 67 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model: I Transistor and I Diode in Steady State .. 68 Figure -SEPIC-Actual Model with Losses: System Efficiency .. 69 Figure -SEPIC Averaged Model .. 69 Figure -SEPIC Feed-Back .. 70 Figure -SEPIC-Averaged Model with Feed-Back: Vin and.

9 Vout Transient .. 72 Figure -Averaged Model with Feed-Back: Vin and Vout .. 73 Figure -Measured Results: Vin, Vout and Vgate .. 74 Figure -Measured Results: Vout and Vgate .. 75 Figure -Measured Results: Vout and Vgate .. 76 Figure -Measured Results: ON MODE, Vgate and Vds .. 77 Figure -Measured Results: Turn ON Transients, Vgate and Vds .. 78 Figure -Measured Results: Turn OFF MODE, Vgate and Vds .. 79 Figure -Measured Results: Turn OFF Transients, Vgate and Vds .. 80 Figure -Measured Results: Turn ON to OFF, VAC .. 81 Figure -Measured Results: Turn ON to OFF, VDC and Vout .. 81 Figure -SEPIC CIRCUIT: Top View .. 82 Figure -SEPIC CIRCUIT: Bottom View .. 82 Figure -SEPIC CIRCUIT: Side View .. 83 1 II. INTRODUCTION Renewable energy is generally electricity supplied from sources, such as wind power, solar power, geothermal energy, hydropower and various forms of biomass.

10 These sources have been coined renewable due to their continuous replenishment and availability for use over and over again. The popularity of renewable energy has experienced a significant upsurge in recent times due to the exhaustion of conventional power generation methods and increasing realization of its adverse effects on the environment. This popularity has been bolstered by cutting edge research and ground breaking technology that has been introduced so far to aid in the effective tapping of these natural resources and it is estimated that renewable sources might contribute about 20% 50% to energy consumption in the latter part of the 21st century. Facts from the World wind Energy Association estimates that by 2010, 160GW of wind power capacity is expected to be installed worldwide which implies an anticipated net growth rate of more than 21% per year [ ].