Power characteristics of a permanent magnet flux switching generator for a low-speed wind turbine

This study evaluates the power characteristics of a novel permanent magnet flux switching generator (PMFSG) for a low-speed wind turbine. The PMFSG is an outer-rotor type generator. An induced voltage is generated by the change in the magnetic flux flow when the relative position of the teeth changes. The 2-D finite element method (2D-FEM) is used to analyze the PMFSG. The results reveal that the PMFSG generates the large power at the low-speed range and has the low cogging torque. The electrical energy that a PMFSG generates when it is used for a cross-flow type windmill is calculated using wind conditions of three cities. The ratio of the electrical energy generated per hour by the PMFSG to that of a conventional generator is large in places that have the weak winds. This demonstrates that the PMFSG is suitable for the wind power generation in locations where there are weak winds.