Development of axial flux permanent magnet generator for direct driven micro wind turbine

This paper presents the development of Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Generator to be used for wind turbines in the range below 5 kW power applications. The proposed generator that is to be directly coupled to the wind turbine, unlocks the potential for energy harvesting due to its outstanding merits such as high efficiency, low cogging torque, high power density and ease of manufacturing and assembly. In this paper, the analytical model for generator sizing is presented, main parameters to meet the requirements are defined. The generator is also modeled using Matlab/Simulink to predict its performance under certain operating conditions. In addition, generator model and simulation results are validated via experimental tests. The preliminary experimental results showed a good match with the simulation results hence demonstrate the concrete benefits of utilizing the axial flux permanent magnet generator in scavenging energy to generate electrical power from micro wind turbines.