Design and Analysis of High Temperature Superconducting Generator for Offshore Wind Turbines

This paper presents the magnetic analysis and design of a high temperature superconducting generator (HTSG) for offshore wind turbines. High temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes form the rotor winding to produce a strong magnetic field when excited. This allows the generator to achieve high torque density with a compact size and light weight. Gearboxes can be removed for direct-drive operation to improve the reliability and efficiency of the offshore wind turbine. The lightweight and compact generator also helps reduce the construction cost. However, the high cost of HTS tapes should be considered and the reduction of the amount HTS material used should be carefully assessed. An HTSG is designed and analyzed for a 5 MW offshore wind turbine. The analysis involves several factors that affect the amount of HTS material utilized. The weight and volume of the HTSG is also considered in the design and analysis. Finite element analysis is employed for simulation of the HTSGs.