Study of an innovative electrical machine fitted to marine current turbines

This paper is included into the theme "challenges for marine renewable energy". It discusses an innovative concept of electrical machine that should be particularly fitted to marine current turbine generators. Our investigations focus on permanent magnet direct-driven synchronous generators connected to a variable speed power electronic drive. Original and conventional solutions are compared in terms of mass and cost for a common set of specifications of a realistic application.

I. Introduction

THE concept of power generation converting the kinetic energy of tidal streams into electricity is not new as someexperimental works already started in the 1970s [1]. Nevertheless, the amount of academic and industrial studies has significantly increased in the last years, essentially due to new environmental constraints on power generation technologies. Let's remindthat the countries that ratified the Kyoto protocol committed to reduce their global greenhouse gas emissions below their 1990 levels by 2008–2012.