A modular, permanent-magnet generator for variable speed wind turbines

The variable speed operation of a high pole-number, modular, PM generator is discussed and the benefits of the modular arrangement for variable-speed wind turbine generators are demonstrated. The single phase output of each stator module is rectified and fed to a common DC link. The power delivered by each module is limited by its internal impedance. However, a capacitor connected in parallel with the coil can partly compensate and enhance the output power. The resulting significant improvements are demonstrated by simulation and experiment