Electromagnetic-Thermal Analysis of a Hybrid-Excited Flux Switching Permanent Magnet Generator for Wind Turbine Application

An accurate thermal analysis needs to be performed on the machines with new structures to ensure that their electromagnetic performance is not negatively affected. In this regard, this paper details an investigation into the electromagnetic-thermal analysis of an outer rotor hybrid-excited flux switching permanent magnet generator that gains from ferrite PMs in stator yoke and neodymium PMs in rotor segments. Incorporating ferrite PMs and barriers in the stator core enhances the power density of the proposed generator compared to the basic topology. Also, the temperature of the stator and windings of the HEFSG decreases due to the presence of barriers. As a result, the HEFSG can be a potential candidate for DDWT applications. In this study, the thermal modeling started with a 3-D FEM electromagnetic analysis to calculate the losses as heat sources. Afterward, an accurate thermal network was plotted to elucidate the thermal behaviors between various parts of the generator, where the heat sources, heat transfer coefficients, thermal resistances, and heat capacitances form the thermal characteristics of the network, which was then followed by the 3-D FEM thermal analysis. Finally, the experimental test results from the prototyped generator confirmed the accuracy of the simulation results.