Scale-up of Coil Winding and Magnet Assembly Manufacturing Processes for a Rare Earth-Free Permanent Magnet Generator

英国政府打算在减少碳排放方面发挥主导作用，以减少气候变化的影响。它还致力于通过增加可再生能源发电来降低英国的能源成本和改善能源安全。海上风电被视为一个关键贡献者，2030年的目标是50 GW。乌克兰战争导致全球能源成本不断上升，凸显了实现这些目标的重要性。风力涡轮机永磁发电机（PMG）使用传统设计，依赖于一种关键材料，稀土磁体。GreenSpur是Time To Act的子公司，它发明了一种新型的高度创新的设计并获得了专利--PMG，它用稀缺而昂贵的稀土磁铁代替了廉价而丰富的铁氧体磁铁。它还可以使用新的稀土免费的“间隙磁铁”，如那些来自美国的Niron Magnetics进入市场。Niron开发了一种新的中等强度氮化铁磁体，其磁通强度介于低强度铁氧体和高强度稀土之间。全球风力涡轮机市场使用大量稀土磁体，这些磁体几乎全部来自中国。这一风险敞口很大，因为欧盟目前90%以上的稀土磁体从中国进口，预计从2020年代中后期开始将出现供应短缺（Wood麦肯齐）。GreenSpur的创新可以消除稀土风险，这将在我们迈向净零的过程中被证明是至关重要的。GreenSpur的愿景是刺激英国供应链的发展，该供应链可以为陆上风电市场建造30千瓦至6兆瓦的发电机。GreenSpur还计划与主要原始设备制造商合作，为下一代20兆瓦以上海上风力涡轮机开发无稀土设计。在早期DER项目成功开发现场磁化和半自动线圈缠绕的基础上，GreenSpur开发了标准化模块化设计。它可以按比例生产30千瓦至1兆瓦的发电机。该项目将重点开发灵活的工具，以扩大这些创新的制造技术。该项目是与三个合作伙伴合作。其中两个是英国PEMD供应链合作伙伴的主要成员，赫斯特磁性仪器和BC电气技术。第三个是伯明翰大学，被公认为世界领先的磁性研究机构。该项目将大大扩大GreenSpur的制造能力。完成后，它将支持为客户和开发合作伙伴制造30千瓦至1兆瓦的发电机。

The UK Government intends to play a lead role in carbon emissions reduction to reduce the impact of climate change. It is also committed to reducing UK energy costs and improving energy security, via increased renewables generation. Offshore wind is seen as a key contributor, with a 2030 target of 50GW. The war in Ukraine, which has resulted in escalating global energy costs, has highlighted the importance of achieving these objectives.Wind turbine Permanent Magnet Generators (PMGs) use conventional designs that rely on one key material, Rare Earth magnets. GreenSpur, a Time To Act subsidiary, has invented and patented a new and highly innovative design - a PMG that substitutes scarce and expensive Rare Earth magnets for cheap and abundant ferrite magnets. It can also use new Rare Earth-free "Gap Magnets", such as those coming to market from Niron Magnetics of the USA. Niron have developed a new mid-strength Iron Nitride magnet, which has a flux strength in the "gap" between low-strength ferrites and high-strength Rare Earths.The global wind turbine market uses large volumes of Rare Earth magnets, which are almost exclusively sourced from China. This exposure is significant as the EU currently imports \>90% of its Rare Earth magnets from China and supply shortages are forecast from the mid-to-late 2020s onwards (Wood Mackenzie). GreenSpur's innovation can eliminate Rare Earth risk, which will prove crucial as we move towards Net Zero.GreenSpur's vision is to stimulate the development of a UK supply chain that can build generators ranging from 30kW to 6MW for the onshore wind market. It also plans to collaborate with major OEMs to develop a Rare Earth-free design for next generation 20MW plus offshore wind turbines.Building on the success of an earlier DER project, which developed in-situ magnetisation and semi-automated coil winding, GreenSpur developed a standardised modular design. It can be scaled to manufacture generators ranging from 30kW to 1MW. This project will focus on developing flexible tooling to scale-up these innovative manufacturing techniques.The project is in collaboration with three partners. Two are leading members of the UK PEMD supply chain partners, Hirst Magnetic Instruments and BC Electrical Techniques. The third is the University of Birmingham, who are recognised as a world leading magnetic research institution. The project will significantly scale-up GreenSpur's manufacturing capability. Upon completion it will support the manufacture of generators ranging from 30kW to 1MW to customers and development partners.