Woodhead Publishing Electrical Drives for Direct Drive Renewable Energy Systems (Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy)

Wind turbine gearboxes present major reliability issues, leading to great interest in the current development of gearless direct-drive wind energy systems. Offering high-reliability, high-efficiency and low-maintenance, developments in these direct-drive systems point the way to next generation of wind power, and Electrical drives for direct drive renewable energy systems is an authoritative guide to their design, development and operation. Part one outlines electrical drive technology, beginning with an overview of electrical generators for direct drive systems and going on to review varied aspects of the principals of electrical design for these systems. Part two then focuses on wind and marine applications, including commercial overviews of wind turbine drive systems and direct drive wave energy conversion systems. Key Features: an authorative guide to the design, development and operation of gearless direct drives; discusses the principles of electrical design for permanent magnet generators and electrical, thermal and structural generator design and systems integration; investigates the commercial applications of wind turbine drive systems. Contents: Part 1 Electrical drive technology: Electrical generators for direct drive systems: A technology overview; Principles of electrical design of permanent magnet generators for direct drive renewable energy systems; Electrical, thermal and structural generator design and systems integration for direct drive renewable energy systems; An overview of power electronic converter technology for renewable energy systems; Power electronic converter systems for direct drive renewable energy applications. Part 2 Applications: Wind and marine: Wind turbine drive systems: A commercial overview; Case study of the permanent magnet direct drive generator in the Zephyros wind turbine; Direct drive wave energy conversion systems: An introduction; Case study of the Archimedes Wave Swing (AWS) direct drive wave energy pilot plant; Application of high temperature superconducting machines to direct drive renewable energy systems.