Status of the technology development of large scale HTS generators for wind turbine

Abstract

Large wind turbine generators with high temperature superconductors (HTS) are in incessant development because of their advantages such as weight and volume reduction and the increased efficiency compared with conventional technologies. In addition, nowadays the wind turbine market is growing in a function of time, increasing the capacity and energy production of the wind farms installed and increasing the electrical power for the electrical generators installed. As a consequence, it is raising the wind power energy contribution for the global electricity demand. In this study, a forecast of wind energy development will be firstly emphasized, then it continue presenting a recent status of the technology development of large scale HTSG for wind power followed by an explanation of HTS wire trend, cryogenics cooling systems concept, HTS magnets field coil stability and other technological parts for optimization of HTS generator design -operating temperature, design topology, field coil shape and level cost of energy, as well. Finally, the most relevant projects and designs of HTS generators specifically for offshore wind power systems are also mentioned in this study.

An experimental assessment of rotor superconducting stack demagnetization in a liquid nitrogen environment

“…Only recently specific rotor lay-outs to be used with superconducting stacks have been proposed to tackle those conflicting requirements [15]. Other approaches consists of smoothing the airgap from the stator side, either by using an air winding [16], by closing the stator slots by magnetic wedges [17] or prolonging the teeth tips themselves. This later strategy was the one implemented in the design of the machine employed in this experiment.…”

Conduction-cooled ReBCO coils for the wind converter: from laboratory to field test

“…Besides the ReBCO coils, the cryogenic cooling system was identified as a design risk [212,213]. In principle, cryogen-free systems can eventually be more reliable and less expensive than systems cooled by a liquid coolant, because of the exhaustive nature of the latter.…”