Design and Fabrication of Magnetically Levitated Wind Turbine for Power Generation

Magnetic levitation is a method by which an object is suspended above another object with no support other than magnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational force. Magnetic levitation is used to reduce the energy loss due to friction. This energy wasted in friction can be saved by maglev method. This thesis proposes a method to implement non-conventional source of energy for the generation of electricity. A vertical axis wind turbine is introduced by magnetic levitation technology to optimize the performance. The system utilize nature of permanent magnet as a replacement for ball bearings to levitate the turbine component and thus minimize energy losses while rotating, which is the major problem that faced by conventional wind turbine. Furthermore, the system can be suited in use for rural and urban areas of low wind speed regions. The selection of magnet materials in the design of wind turbine system will be discussed. A model of wind turbine is built to perform several tests such as starting wind speed, rotational speed at constant wind speed, and time taken to stop rotation completely. The results obtained will be compared with the model of conventional wind turbine. Power will then be generated with an axial flux generator, which incorporates the use of permanent magnets and a set of coils. Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic pressure is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational and any other accelerations.