Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Performance of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Based on the Magnetic Levitation Concept

Abstract

In this research, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) with a Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) design was fabricated and tested. Numerical simulations were conducted to predict the magnetic flux distribution and generated voltage in the axial flux generator. Rare earth magnets were used to generate a repelling force to suspend the turbine rotor in order to minimize friction and increase rotational speed. Axially magnetized disc magnets and specific coils arrangements were set to produce voltage. The performance of the turbine was studied at various rotor rotational speeds ranging from 20 rpm to 200 rpm. Results show that the height of the gap between rotor and stator plates as well as the gap between coils and rotor magnets has a significant influence on the output voltage. The peak voltage was found to be increased by at least 1.3 V for each 1 mm reduction in the gap between coils and rotor magnets. The information provided in this paper may be beneficial for future researches related to efficiency optimization of Maglev wind turbines.