A Stator-PM Transverse Flux Permanent Magnet Linear Generator for Direct Drive Wave Energy Converter

Transverse flux permanent magnet linear generator (TF-PMLG) is widely used in direct drive wave energy converter (DD-WEC) because of its high power density. Traditional transverse flux machine (TFM) is designed and built in form of translator-PM. But translator-PM configuration needs a large amount of PM and the cost is high in long stroke application, like DD-WEC. Recently, the stator-PM linear machines have gained more attention for reducing the PM volume and improving the generator performances under low-speed conditions. In this paper, a novel stator-PM TF-PMLG for DD-WEC has been proposed. The fundamental configuration and operation principle of the generator are illustrated. Then, the expressions of the back EMF and the electromagnetic thrust are derived by magnetic circuit analysis. Main dimension parameters, such as PM thickness, central angle of the outer stator shoe and pole pitch are determined and optimized based on finite element analysis (FEA). This topology has advantages of low PM consumption and high power density, and is a suitable candidate for long stroke applications, like DD-WEC, in which a high power per PM volume is usually needed to reduce the amount of permanent magnet and ensure high power density.