Investigations on the performances of the electrical generator of a rim-driven marine current turbine”

Laurent Drouen (1, 2) , Jean-Frederic Charpentier (1) , Eric Semail (2) , Stéphane Clenet (2)

1 IRENAV - Institut de Recherche de l'Ecole Navale
2 L2EP - Laboratoire d’Électrotechnique et d’Électronique de Puissance - ULR 2697

In this paper, the electrical generator of a rim-driven horizontal-axis current turbine is modeled in detail. Its main characteristics and performances are evaluated (efficiency, mass, cost, etc). This generator is of permanent magnet direct-driven synchronous type and is connected to a variable speed power electronics drive. It is then compared to a more traditional technology (a pod generator) in terms of mass and cost for a common set of specification. In addition, due to the specific geometry of the machine, the use of low-cost ferrite magnets is investigated in place of NdFeB magnets.

Mots clés: Tidal energy; Rim-driven machine; Thruster

Domaines: Energie électrique

Laurent Drouen, Jean-Frederic Charpentier, Eric Semail, Stéphane Clenet. Investigations on the performances of the electrical generator of a rim-driven marine current turbine”. International Conference on Ocean Energy, Oct 2008, Brest, France. pp.1-8. ⟨hal-01107783⟩