Permanent Magnet Vernier Machine: A Review

Permanent magnet vernier machines (PMVMs) gained a lot of interest over the past couple of decades. This is mainly due to their high torque density enabled by the magnetic gearing effect. This study will provide a thorough review of recent advances in PMVMs. This review will cover the principle of operation and nature of magnetic gearing in PMVMs, and a better understanding of novel PMVM topologies using different winding configuration as well as different modulation poles and rotor structures. Detailed discussions on the choice of gear ratio, slot-pole combinations, design optimisation and role of advanced materials in PMVMs will be presented. This will provide an update on the current state-of-the art as well as future areas of research. Furthermore, the power factor issue, fault tolerance as well as cost reduction will be discussed highlighting the gap between the current state-of-the art and what is needed in practical applications

Electromagnetic muscle actuators

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-194).Actuator performance represents a key constraint on the capability of many engineered devices. Performance of these devices is often exceeded by their muscle-powered natural counterparts, inspiring the development of new, "active material" actuators. This thesis reconsiders a traditional actuator, the linear permanent magnet motor, as a form of active material actuator, and presents new, unified scaling and magnetic field models for its performance. This active material motor model predicts that motors composed of large numbers of very small, actively-cooled repeat units, similar to the architecture of biological muscles, can provide greatly enhanced force density over extant designs. Our model is constructed by considering the motor winding as an active material, with its performance limited by the diffusion of waste heat. This allows a quantitative scaling model for the motor constant and force-to-mass ratio to be built for the case of a winding immersed in a homogeneous magnetic field. This model is then modified with a small set of dimensionless parameters to describe the performance penalties imposed by the use of practical sources of magnetic field, specifically periodic arrays of permanent magnets. We explain how to calculate these parameters for a variety of different types of magnet arrays using analytical magnetic field and heat transfer models, and present a new field model for tubular linear motors having improved numerical stability and accuracy. We illustrate the use of our modeling approach with two design case studies, a motor for flapping-wing flying and an actuator for high-performance controllable needle-free jet injection. We then validate our predictions by building and testing a novel water-cooled motor using a tubular double-sided Halbach array of magnets, with a mass of 185 g, a stroke of 16 mm, and a magnetic repeat length of 14.5 mm. This motor generates a continuous force density of 140 N/kg, and has a motor constant of nearly 6 N/[square root]W, both higher than any previously reported motor in this size class.by Bryan Paul Ruddy.Ph.D

A high-performance electromagnetic vibration energy harvester based on ring magnets with Halbach configuration: design, optimization, and applications

Electromagnetic vibration energy harvesting is a relatively modern technology that has received relevant attention in the last decade from the research community and industry as a potential complement or alternative to the inconvenient employment of batteries for powering ultra-low-power devices, microelectromechanical systems, and wireless sensor networks. However, there are still many flaws in this technology that require to be addressed to develop truly practical, reliable, and cost-effective electromagnetic generators, without which industries can still not avoid relying primarily on batteries for powering wireless devices. This dissertation is mainly concerned with developing a high-power, compact, and yet simplified electromagnetic vibration energy harvester capable of reaching high power density levels without the necessity of a complex design, which is generally accompanied by an increment in fabrication costs. For this purpose, a ring-shaped magnet structure consisting of three ring magnets in a linear Halbach configuration is proposed in the present thesis. This particular structure is also compared, in terms of their output performance, with several ring magnet arrangements that include single magnets, double magnet arrays, and an alternative Halbach configuration to determine the actual benefits of the employed Halbach array within the proposed architecture. Also, the coil-magnet parameters of the selected transducer have been further optimized, mainly as a function of the inner radius, the height, and the wire diameter of the coil, to maximize its power generation. Besides, a harvester prototype based on the proposed configuration has been fabricated to validate the modeling strategy used and to certify the reliability of the proposed design regarding its power generation capabilities. The results of the power density normalized to the square of the excitation amplitude obtained for the optimized device and the fabricated prototype are found to be significantly higher than the ones associated with devices described in the literature for similar applications. Furthermore, the proposed electromagnetic generator has been tested and simulated in the framework of two industrial applications to determine its feasibility and output performance: a railway tunnel and a water distribution system. In both cases, the most relevant characteristics of the site under evaluation and the field test setup employed for data acquisition are thoroughly described. The field test measurements and overall results are presented and discussed together with the performance simulations obtained for various scenarios, including different significant natural frequencies of the harvester and several locations of particular interest. Results demonstrate that the applicability of the proposed electromagnetic harvester in the context of underground railway systems is feasible, even for non-usual locations subjected to low vibration amplitudes. Also, for the case of water distribution systems, in which the vibration levels are extremely low, the output performance results of the proposed generator are found promising.La recolección de energía de vibración mediante transductores electromagnéticos es una tecnología relativamente moderna que ha recibido especial atención en la última década por parte de la comunidad científica e industrial como una potencial alternativa al uso de baterías para alimentar dispositivos de ultra baja potencia, sistemas microelectromecánicos y redes de sensores inalámbricos. Sin embargo, existen aún muchas problemáticas en esta tecnología que requieren ser atendidas para poder desarrollar generadores electromagnéticos realmente prácticos, confiables y económicos, necesarios para proveer a la industria de una solución confiable que permita no depender primordialmente de las baterías para alimentar dispositivos inalámbricos. Esta tesis doctoral se enfoca fundamentalmente en el desarrollo de un recolector de energía de vibración mediante transducción electromagnética, de alta potencia, compacto y simplificado, capaz de alcanzar altos niveles de densidad de potencia generada sin la necesidad de un diseño complejo, el cual, generalmente, viene acompañado de un incremento de los costes de fabricación. Para este propósito, esta tesis propone una estructura magnética formada por tres imanes anulares en configuración Halbach lineal. Para determinar los beneficios reales de la configuración Halbach empleada dentro de la arquitectura propuesta, esta estructura en particular se compara, en términos de rendimiento de salida, con varias configuraciones de imanes anulares: un único imán, dos imanes y una configuración Halbach alternativa. Además, los parámetros del sistema bobina-imán del transductor seleccionado han sido optimizados, principalmente en función del radio interno, la altura y el diámetro del cable de la bobina, para maximizar su generación de potencia. Adicionalmente, se ha fabricado un prototipo de recolector de energía basado en la configuración propuesta para validar la estrategia de modelado utilizada y certificar la fiabilidad del diseño propuesto con respecto a su capacidad de generación de energía. Los resultados en términos de densidad de potencia normalizada por cuadrado de la amplitud de excitación, obtenidos para el dispositivo optimizado y el prototipo fabricado, son significativamente más altos que los asociados con dispositivos descritos en la literatura para aplicaciones similares. Finalmente, el generador electromagnético propuesto ha sido probado y simulado en el marco de dos aplicaciones industriales para determinar su aplicabilidad y eficiencia en situaciones reales. Concretamente, la aplicaciones escogidas han sido un túnel ferroviario y un sistema de distribución de agua. En ambos casos, las características más relevantes del emplazamiento de estudio y la configuración de los ensayos de campo desarrollados para la adquisición de datos son descritas minuciosamente. Las medidas de campo y los resultados generales se presentan y discuten junto con las simulaciones de rendimiento de salida obtenidas para distintos escenarios, incluyendo diferentes frecuencias naturales significativas del dispositivo y varias locaciones de particular interés. Los resultados demuestran que la aplicabilidad del recolector de energía de vibración mediante transducción elec-tromagnética propuesto en el contexto de los sistemas ferroviarios subterráneos es factible, incluso para lugares no habituales sujetos a bajas amplitudes de vibración. Para el caso de los sistemas de distribución de agua, aunque los niveles de vibración obtenidos experimetales son extremadamente bajos, los resultados de rendimiento de salida del generador propuesto son prometedores.Postprint (published version

Desenvolvimento de um sistema de refrigeração magnética do tipo rotativo

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Mecânica, Florianópolis, 2015.Abstract : Magnetic refrigeration is an emerging cooling technology for applications at room-temperature. The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is the thermal response of a magnetic material when subjected to a changing magnetic field. Magnetic refrigeration harvests the MCE in a regenerative thermodynamic cycle to transfer heat from a low-temperature environment to a high-temperature one by means of magnetic work in an active magnetic regenerator (AMR). In this thesis, several aspects of this technology were analyzed with contributions on four research fronts. First, a temperature controlled facility was constructed to improve the direct measurements of the MCE by means of the adiabatic temperature change, ?T_ad. Measurements of the benchmark magnetocaloric material gadolinium (Gd), and one of the most promising magnetic refrigerants, MnFe(P,As), were investigated. Second, a magnetic circuit with a 2-pole rotor-stator configuration with high magnetic flux regions of approximately 1 T was designed aiming at an efficient use of the Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets. A novel method to optimize the magnetic circuit was proposed by employing a magnet wedge concept. Third, a novel rotary magnetic refrigerator was designed and built at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) using the optimized rotary magnetic circuit and a stationary AMR composed by 8 pairs beds packed with 1.7 kg of Gd spheres. Two low-friction rotary valves were developed to synchronize the hydraulic and magnetic cycles and positioned at the hot end to avoid heat generation in the cold end. The last part of this thesis comprised an experimental and thermodynamic performance analysis of the rotary magnetic cooler prototype developed at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). A detailed study of the losses external to the regenerator and a methodology to breakdown the COP and the motor power was developed to quantify the efficiency improvements of the system and the major losses. The performance of both magnetic refrigerators were evaluated in terms of the regenerator temperature span, coefficient of performance (COP) and the overall second-law efficiency (?_2nd) as a function of different operating conditions. A refrigeração magnética é uma tecnologia alternativa de refrigeração para aplicações ao redor da temperatura ambiente baseada no efeito magnetocalórico (EMC). Este efeito se manifesta por meio de uma variação instantânea na temperatura de um material magnético quando submetido a uma variação de campo magnético externo. Um regenerador magnético ativo (RMA) submetido a um ciclo termodinâmico regenerativo permite transferir calor de um reservatório de baixa temperatura para um de alta temperatura através do trabalho magnético. Neste trabalho de doutorado foi realizada uma análise desta tecnologia com contribuições em quatro frentes de pesquisa. Na primeira etapa foi desenvolvida uma câmara de temperatura controlada para melhorar a medição direta do EMC por meio da variação adiabática da temperatura, ?T_ad. Neste trabalho foram caracterizadas amostras do material magnetocalórico de referência, gadolínio (Gd), e amostras de um dos refrigerantes magnéticos mais promissores, MnFe(P,As). A segunda frente consistiu no projeto de um circuito magnético do tipo rotor-estator com dois polos magnéticos de fluxo magnético de aproximadamente 1 T visando o uso eficiente dos ímãs permanentes de Nd-Fe-B, por meio de uma metodologia proposta através do conceito de segmentos magnetizados. Na terceira etapa, foi projetado e construído um refrigerador magnético do tipo rotativo na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) composto pelo circuito magnético otimizado e um RMA fixo com 8 pares de camadas empacotadas com 1.7 kg de esferas de Gd. A sincronização magneto-hidráulica foi realizada por duas válvulas rotativas de baixo atrito, desenvolvidas neste trabalho, ambas alocadas no lado quente do sistema para evitar geração de calor no lado frio. Na última parte desta tese, foi realizada uma análise experimental e termodinâmica de um sistema de refrigeração magnética desenvolvido na Universidade Técnica da Dinamarca (DTU). Um mapeamento detalhado das perdas externas ao regenerador e uma análise de decomposição do COP e da potência consumida pelo motor foram conduzidos para quantificar as melhoras na eficiência do sistema e as perdas mais relevantes. O desempenho de ambos sistemas foi avaliado em termos da amplitude de temperatura do regenerador, do coeficiente de performance (COP) e da eficiência de segunda lei da termodinâmica (?_2nd) em função de diferentes condições de operação

Improving the torque density of C-GEN Direct Drive Axial Flux Air Cored Permanent Magnet Generator

In the energy sector, the fossil fuels available are being exhausted and to support the increase in energy demand and reduction of greenhouse gases, countries are looking towards renewable energy. Wind power offers many advantages, which explains why it's one of the fastest-growing energy source and it is expected to continue to flourish as countries seek to reduce their carbon footprint. The newer wind turbines are better at generating wind power, especially in variable wind speeds. They have bigger rotors, higher towers, and lighter blades which increases the capacity of the turbine, therefore, improving reliability and e ciency. Nevertheless, as wind turbines grow increasingly in size and weight, this can make it di cult to manufacture and to transport the generator as a whole. The C-GEN air-cored permanent magnet machine o ers many attractive advantages over existing generator technologies used for direct drive. It's modular concept makes it easy to assemble and disassemble for transportation, manufacture and repairs. The output power depends on the number of stages among other factors, which gives rise to the idea of stackability. This thesis lays out the concept and operating principles of Halbach arrays and applies it to a C-GEN Axial Flux Air-Cored Permanent Magnet Generator. The machine is analysed using analytical methods and 2D/3D FEA simulations. A conclusion of the undertaking is given with a brief discussion of possible design considerations in a bid to nd a highly torque-dense generator

Projeto e desenvolvimento de um fuso magnético de relutância variável

Esta dissertação aborda o desenvolvimento de um fuso magnético de relutância variável com topologia de caráter inovador. Este dispositivo magnético é composto de um translator, que se desloca linearmente ao longo de um eixo, e um rotor que gira em torno do mesmo eixo. Ele é capaz de converter, sem contato mecânico entre suas partes móveis, movimentos de alta densidade de força e baixa velocidade linear em baixa densidade de conjugado e alta velocidade angular, atrativo para inúmeras aplicações industriais. Por possuir ímãs permanentes somente na menor de suas partes móveis, a topologia proposta torna-se economicamente viável em aplicações de longos cursos. O fuso magnético é projetado em software de elementos finitos e um estudo de sensibilidade paramétrica é realizado com o objetivo de maximizar a força produzida por unidade de volume dos ímãs permanentes. Após a definição dos parâmetros de projeto, um protótipo é construído e experimentalmente ensaiado. Os resultados obtidos das simulações são confrontados com os experimentalmente adquiridos apresentando boa concordância.This master thesis presents the design and realization of a novel reluctance-based magnetic lead screw (RBMLS) topology. This magnetic device is composed of two moving-parts: a translator moving linearly back and forth along the z-axis and a rotor rotating about the same axis. The device is capable of convert low-speed, high-force linear motion to high-speed, low-torque rotary motion, without mechanical contact between the two moving parts, which makes it attractive for many industrial applications. The RBMLS has permanent magnets (PMs) in only the shortest of its moving parts, making it economically suitable for long-stroke-applications. The proposed RBMLS is designed in a finite element analysis software, in which a parametric study is conducted in order to maximize the stall force produced per PM volumetric unit. Once the parameters were chosen, a prototype was fabricated and experimentally analyzed. The experimental results are then compared to those supplied by the FEA analysis, showing good agreement

NASA Tech Briefs, May 1997

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