Maglev Wind Mill Report
Maglev Wind Mill Report
Maglev Wind Mill Report
The volume of air passing in unit time through an area A, with speed V is AV and
its mass M is equal to the Volume V multiplied by its density so:
Where:
With equation above, the power being generated can be calculated, however one
should note that it is not possible to convert all the power of the wind into power
for generation. The power harnessed from the wind cannot exceed 59% of the
overall power in the wind. Only a portion can be used and that usable portion is
only assured depending on the wind turbine being used and the aerodynamic
characteristics that accompany.
Many types of turbines exist today and their designs are usually inclined towards
one of the two categories: horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical-
axis wind turbines (VAWTs). As the name pertains, each turbine is distinguished
by the orientation of their rotor shafts. The former is the more conventional and
common type everyone has come to know, while the latter due to its seldom usage
and exploitation, is quiet unpopular. The HAWTs usually consist of two or three
propeller-like blades attached to a horizontal and mounted on bearings the top of a
support tower as seen.
With the vertical axis wind turbines, the concept behind their operation is similar
to that of the horizontal designs. The major difference is the orientation of the
rotors and generator which are all vertically arranged and usually on a shaft for
support and stability. This also results in a different response of the turbine blades
to the wind in relation to that of the horizontal configurations. A typical vertical
axis design is shown
Their design makes it possible for them to utilize the wind power from every
direction unlike the HAWTs that depend on lift forces from the wind similar to the
lift off concept of an airplane. Vertical axis wind turbines are further subdivided
into two major types namely the Darrieus model and the Savonius model. Pictured
above in figure 4.2 is an example of the Darrieus Model which was named after
designer and French aeronautical engineer, Georges Darrieus.
MAGNET SELECTION
Some factors need to be assessed in choosing the permanent magnet selection that
would be best to implement the maglev portion of the design. Understanding the
characteristics of magnet materials and the different assortment of sizes, shapes
and materials is critical. There are four classes of commercialized magnets used
today which are based on their material composition each having their own
magnetic properties.
The four different classes are Alnico, Ceramic, Samarium Cobalt and Boron
neodymium Iron also known Nd-Fe-B. Nd-Fe-B is the most recent addition to this
commercial list of materials and at room temperature exhibits the highest
properties of all of the magnetic materials. All of the following information is
supported by reference and explains the importance of the B-H curve
corresponding to magnet design. The hysteresis loops also known as the B-H
curve, where B is the flux density and H the magnetizing force, is the foundation to
magnet design. Each type of material has its own B-H characteristic which
describes the cycling of the magnet in a closed circuit as it is brought to saturation,
demagnetized, saturated in the opposite direction, and then demagnetized again
under the influence of an external magnetic field. Of the four quadrants that the
hysteresis loop passes through on the B-H graph, the most important is the second.
This quadrant commonly known as the demagnetization curve, will give the
operating point of a permanent magnet at a given air gap. In the case of maglev for
the wind turbine, the air gap corresponds to the space in between the two opposing
magnets and should stay moderately constant as long as the wind [5] is not too
violent. If the air gaps where to change, the operating point of the magnets on the
B-H curve will change respectively.
The most important points of the hysteresis loop are when it intersects with the B-
H. The point where the curve intersects the B axis in the second quadrant is known
as the magnets retentively, which is the point where a material will stay
magnetized after an external magnetizing field is removed. It seems that levitation
would be most effective directly on the central axis line where, under an evenly
distributed load, the wind turbine center of mass will be found as seen in Figure 4.
This figure shows a basic rendition of how the maglev will be integrated into the
design. If the magnets where ring shaped then they could easily be slid tandem
down the shaft with the like poles facing toward each other. This would enable the
repelling force required to support the weight and force of the wind turbine and
minimize the amount of magnets needed to complete the concept.
The permanent magnets that were chosen for this application were the NX8CC-
N42 magnets from K&J Magnetics. These are Nd-Fe-B ring shaped permanent
magnets that are nickel plated to strengthen and protect the magnet itself. The
dimensions for the magnets are reasonable with outside diameter of 1.5 inches,
inside diameter of 0.75 inches and height of 0.75 inches.
The functioning of this model is dependent on drag forces from the wind. This drag
force produced is a differential of the wind hitting by the inner part of the scoops
and the wind blowing against the back of the scoops. Like the Darrieus model, the
Savonius turbines will work with winds approaching in any direction and also
work well with lower wind speeds due to their very low clearance off the ground.
12 V DRIVE MOTOR
The blade motor used is a 12-volt electric motor. The blade motor is a permanent
magnet motor that operates on the 12-volt battery, which gives the motor enough
power to turn the steel blade at high speeds. The design of the blade motor will
remain consistent to that of other electric mowers except that the microcontroller
with a relay onboard will control it.
TYPES OF DC MOTORS:
Brushed DC Motors
The classic DC motor design generates an oscillating current in a wound rotor with
a split ring commutator, and either a wound or permanent magnet stator.
Many of the limitations of the classic commutator DC motor are due to the need
for brushes to press against the commutator. This creates friction. At higher speeds,
brushes have increasing difficulty in maintaining contact. Brushes may bounce off
the irregularities in the commutator surface, creating sparks. This limits the
maximum speed of the machine. The current density per unit area of brushes limits
the output of the motor. The imperfect electronic contact also causes electrical
noise. Brushes eventually wear out and require replacement, and the commutator
itself is subject to wear and maintenance.
D.C MOTOR
A stepper motor is an electromechanical device which converts
discrete electrical pulse into discrete mechanical movements. The shaft or spindle
of a stepper motor rotate at equal angle of increment called steps when electrical
command pulses are applied to it in the proper sequence. The sequence of the
applied pulse is directly related to the direction of rotation of motor shaft and its
speed directly related to the frequency of input pulses and total radiation at a
stretch is directly related to the number of input pulse applied. Stepper motors with
steps of 12, 24, 72, 144, 180 and 200 per revolution are available resulting in angle
of the shaft increments of 30, 15, 5, 25, 2 and 1.8 per step. Special micro-
stepping circuitry is sometimes provided to allow many more steps per revolution
and these circuitry offer 10,000 steps per revolution or even more.
SPECIFICATION OF D.C MOTOR
Length: 80mm
Weight: 130.00g
Supply Voltage 12V
Speed = 500 RPM
A wind turbine basically draws the kinetic energy from the wind and converts this
power to electrical energy by means of a generator. Its operability is dependent on
key components of the turbine and its response to the wind based on how it is built.
illustration of a conventional wind turbine and its parts.
MAGNETIC LEVITATION
In selecting the vertical axis concept for the wind turbine that is implemented as
the power generation portion of this project, certain uniqueness corresponded to it
that did not pertain to the other wind turbine designs. The characteristic that set this
wind generator apart from the others is that it is fully supported and rotates about a
vertical axis. This axis is vertically oriented through the center of the wind sails,
which allows for a different type of rotational support rather than the conventional
ball bearing system found in horizontal wind turbines. This support is called
maglev, which is based on magnetic levitation. Maglev offers a near frictionless
substitute for ball bearings with little to no maintenance. The four different classes
are Alnico, Ceramic, Samarium Cobalt and Neodymium Iron Boron also known
Nd- Fe-B. NdFe-B is the most recent addition to this commercial list of materials
and at room temperature exhibits the highest properties of all of the magnetic
materials. It can be seen in the B-H graph shown in Figure 5.1 that Nd-Fe-B has a
very attractive magnetic characteristic, which offers high flux density operation
and the ability to resist demagnetization. This attribute will be very important
because the load that will be levitated will be heavy and rotating high speeds,
which will exhibit a large downward force on the axis[3] . The next factor that
needs to be considered is the shape and size of the magnet which is directly related
to the placement of the magnets. It seems that levitation would be most effective
directly on the central axis line where, under an evenly distributed load, the wind
turbine center of mass will be found as seen in Figure 5.2. This figure shows a
basic rendition of how the maglev will be integrated into the design.
APPLICATIONS
Wind Solar Hybrid Street LED Lights
Residential z Commercial
FUTURE SCOPE
The home for the magnetically levitated vertical axis wind turbine would be in
residential areas. Here it can be mounted to a roof and be very efficient and
practical. A home owner would be able to extract free clean energy thus
experiencing a reduction in their utility cost and also contribute to the Green
Energy awareness that is increasingly gaining popularity.
CONCLUSIONS
At the end of the project, the magnetically levitated vertical axis wind turbine was
a success. The rotors that were designed harnessed enough air to rotate at low and
high wind speeds while keeping the centre of mass closer to the base yielding
stability. The wind turbine rotor levitated properly using permanent magnets,
which allowed for a smooth rotation with negligible friction. Generator satisfied
the specifications needed to supply the LED load. An output ranging from 40V to
45V was obtained from the magnetic levitated vertical axis wind turbine prototype.
A modified design of savonius model wind turbine blade was used in the
construction of the model. An aluminium shaft was used to avoid the wobbling
movement of the rotor. Overall, the magnetic levitation wind turbine was a
successful model.
REFERENCES
[1] Dinesh N Nagarkarand Dr. Z. J. Khan,Wind Power Plant Using Magnetic
Levitation Wind Turbine, InternationalJournal of Engineering and Innovative
Technology (IJEIT) Volume 3, Issue1, July 2013.
[3] MagLev Wind Turbine Technologies, Inc. (MWTT) & Off Grid Technologies,
Inc. (OGT), Vertical Axis Wind Turbine 200 Mega Watt off Shore Wind Farm
(VAWT Off Shore JV)-City of Evanston, Illinois Lake Michigan Project.
[6.1] Magnet Design. 2000 Magnet Sales & Manufacturing Company, Inc. .