Analysis of External Rotor Electric Drives for an All-Automatic Airborne Wind Energy System

Abstract

Summarizing the above, six types of electric machines were investigated firstly to identify feasible external rotor electric machines for the presented application, an all-automatic airborne wind energy system. After evaluating the machine designs, two types of machines, the permanent magnet synchronous machine with ferrite magnets and the reluctance synchronous machine, were investigated in detail. In both cases, key factors for innovative and practical machine dimensioning were outlined and discussed. Furthermore, the overall kite system as well as the dimensioning process for the power electronic parts were presented. Even though further investigations, especially regarding the manufacturability and the dynamic behavior, are necessary for a successful application, implementing either an external rotor PSM-FM or an external rotor RSM in an airborne wind energy system would be a new step towards a CO2-free energy supply.

Publication
2019 IEEE International Electric Machines Drives Conference (IEMDC)