| Summary: | With the heightening concerns toward climate change and global warming, interest in renewable energy sources has increased. Among these energy sources, wind power has experienced high levels of growth in recent years. Accordingly, domestic-sized wind turbines have also been attracting a good deal of social attention as a part of a micro-generation system. Among several types of wind turbines, magnetically levitated vertical axis wind turbines have many advantages over conventional wind turbines, making them suitable for residential applications. In this study several magnetic levitation sections have been investigated on four criteria: (1) axial stiffness; (2) radial stiffness; (3) stiffness against vibration; and (4) ease of manufacture, by using the finite element method (FEM) simulation tool in order to decide the design of a new magnetic levitation section. Furthermore, ferrofluid-sealed magnetic bearings have also been studied with the FEM simulation tool to use them as a method to compensate the negative radial stiffness of the new magnetic levitation section. Based on these simulation results, a test model has been manufactured and then experimentally evaluated. It has been confirmed by the evaluations that the stability of the wind turbine designed in this study is dramatically increased by using the ferrofluid-sealed magnetic bearings with the new magnetic levitation section.
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