Magnetic bearing for wind turbine power generator shaft: an emulator prototype design for vibration control

Abstract

The objective of this work is to present a practical demonstration of the relevant role that can be played by micro-sized wind turbines (µSWTs) in research and education. To this end, we have designed an experimental platform for active magnetic bearing vibration control of a rotary shaft, which provides an excellent illustration of the mechatronical multidomain approach and, at the same time, makes it possible to perform advanced full-scale experimental studies on fundamental aspects of µSWTs, such as vibration control, fault detection or health monitoring. The platform prototype has been designed following the principles of cost-efficiency and limited usage of resources, which can be critical factors for its practical application. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a simple vibration control strategy has been implemented using a low-cost digital microcontroller.