WindSurf- A self-starting, active-pitch, vertical-axis wind turbine

传统设计的风力涡轮机只有在稳定、不间断的空气中才能高效运行。然而，大多数用户希望在城市地区或工业单位附近使用风，因为那里的风性质更湍急和漩涡。在这样的地点，传统的设计不能有效地应对旋风和多变的性质。在这个项目中，SWIFT Energy对垂直轴风力涡轮机进行了彻底的重新设计，并对关键技术进行了改进，使其能够在占地面积较小的城市场所高效运行。这类网站还有一个额外的优势，那就是它们离消费者很近，可以最大限度地减少输电损耗。风帆是一种垂直轴、主动俯仰的风力涡轮机。斯威夫特获得专利的控制技术使用伺服电机不断改变叶片的螺距，允许在低至3米/S的风速下自动启动，并在自由和湍急的风流中优化能量捕获。爱丁堡在这个项目中的角色是为额定功率为16kW的风帆生产一个优化的发电机设计，同时考虑到它将运行的环境。将使用直接驱动发电机来消除变速箱，这将提高可靠性和效率。这两点都有助于LCOE：通过提高可用性和降低运营成本来实现可靠性；提高能效将提高年度能源产量。将设计和制造一种空芯永磁发电机，该发电机针对雨燕风力涡轮机的结构进行了优化。为了实现这种优化设计，需要一种将电磁设计、结构设计和热流体设计联系起来的综合设计方法。爱丁堡在风能和海洋可再生能源应用的直接驱动永磁空芯发电机的集成设计方面积累了10年的经验。空心机消除了试图缩小差距的不必要的磁引力，因此这种拓扑结构有利于制造、组装和结构设计。垂直轴风力涡轮机允许机器的电磁设计具有大直径，靠近叶片。大直径将导致高气隙速度，从而对扭矩密度(Nm/kg)产生积极影响，从而减少活动材料的数量，这是机器最昂贵的部件。将开发一种新的结构布置，以便集成到涡轮机中，在可能的情况下，最好地利用现有的结构材料，再次将材料使用量降至最低，从而降低成本。将采用模块化设计方法，以简化发电机的制造和组装，同时也使操作和维护变得更容易。通过将发电机放置在靠近叶片的位置，我们将研究将涡轮机中的空气“铲”到发电机上以帮助冷却的方法。有效的冷却有利于提高扭矩密度和整机的整体性能。在设计过程中将使用数值建模工具，如用于结构分析的Ansys，用于热-流体分析的StarCCM，用于电磁设计的Infolytica。现有的分析设计工具将根据结构和CFD建模进行改进，以帮助SWIFT未来设计和生产其涡轮机。使用SIMPACK的多体模型将与结构模型相结合，以调查环境载荷对发电机气隙偏转的影响。一旦设计最终敲定，机器将被分包给Fountain Design Ltd制造，我们过去曾与Fountain Design Ltd合作制造原型发电机。这台机器将在爱丁堡大学的风力模拟器测试台上进行测试，以验证性能和开发的设计工具。在实验室测试的支持下，以制造和生产技术为核心的全面集成设计方法将确保SWIFT能够走向商业化。

Conventionally designed wind turbines only operate efficiently in steady, uninterrupted air. However, most users want to access wind in urban areas or near industrial units where the nature of the wind is more turbulent and swirling. Conventional designs do not work efficiently with the swirling, variable nature of wind at such sites. In this project Swift Energy present a radical re-design of a vertical axis wind turbine, with key technological improvements that will allow efficient operation in small-footprint, urban sites. Such sites have the added advantage that they are close to consumers, minimising transmission losses. WindSurf is a vertical axis, active pitching wind turbine. Swift's patented control technology uses servomotors to continually alter blade pitch, which allows self-starting in wind speeds as low as 3m/s, and optimised energy capture in free and turbulent wind streams. Edinburgh's role in this project is to produce an optimised design of the electrical generator for the WindSurf rated at 16kW, taking into account the environment in which it will be operating. A direct drive generator will be used to eliminate the gearbox, which will improve reliability and efficiency. Both of these contribute to LCOE: reliability through increased availability and reduced OPEX; and improved efficiency will enhance annual energy yield. An air-cored permanent magnet generator will be designed and built that is optimised for the structure of the Swift wind turbine. In order to achieve such an optimised design an integrated design approach is required, which links electromagnetic design, with structural design and thermo-fluid design. Edinburgh has built up 10 years of experience in the integrated design of direct drive permanent magnet air-cored generators for wind and marine renewable energy applications. Air-cored machines eliminate undesirable magnetic attraction forces that try to close the gap, and thus this topology benefits manufacture, assembly and structural design. A vertical axis wind turbine allows the electromagnetic design of the machine to have a large diameter, out near the blades. A large diameter will result in high airgap velocity and thus have a positive impact on torque density (Nm/kg), reducing the amount of active material, which is the most expensive part of the machine. A novel structural arrangement will be developed for integration into the turbine, which where possible makes best use of the existing structural material, again to minimise material usage and thus cost. A modular design approach will be adopted to ease manufacture and assembly of the generator, but also to make O&M easier. By positioning the generator close to the blades, we will investigate we will investigate methods of "scooping" air from the turbine onto the generator to assist with cooling. Effective cooling will benefit the torque density and the overall performance of the machine. Numerical modelling tools will be used in the design process, such as ANSYS for structural analysis, StarCCM for thermo-fluid analysis, and Infolytica for electromagnetic design. An existing analytical design tool will be refined based on the structural and CFD modelling in order to assist SWIFT in the future design and production of their turbine. Multi-body modelling using SIMPACK will be combined with structural modelling to investigate the impact of environmental loads on the generator in terms of airgap deflection. Once the design is finalised, the machine will be built under subcontract to Fountain Design Ltd, with whom we have worked in the past to build prototype generators. The machine will be tested at the University of Edinburgh on its wind-emulator test rig to verify performance and the design tools developed. A thorough integrated design approach with manufacturing and production techniques in mind supported by laboratory testing will ensure that SWIFT can move towards commercialisation.