Design Requirements for Brushless Permanent Magnet Generators for Use in Small Renewable Energy Systems

This paper reviews some of the arrangements and connection requirements for a permanent-magnet generator. It illustrates the importance of winding reactance minimization when using a diode bridge rectifier. It uses modern CAD methods to design a small PM generator and verifies the performance using simulation software. The design is modified to improve the generator size. This highlights that increasing the electrical loading in an attempt to reduce the generator size can lead to a large reduction in power factor, where a controlled rectifier would have to be used instead of a diode bridge rectifier.