This study presents the performance analysis and testing of a 250 kW medium-speed brushless doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), and its associated power electronics and control systems. The experimental tests confirm the design, and show the system's steady-state and dynamic performance and grid low-voltage ride-through capability. The medium-speed brushless DFIG in combination with a simplified two-stage gearbox promises a low-cost low-maintenance and reliable drivetrain for wind turbine applications.

This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

The brushless doubly fed machine (BDFM) is an alternative to the doubly fed induction generator, widely used in wind turbines without use of brush gear and slip ring. Rotor design is important for achieving an optimal multi-MW BDFM. To date, nested-loop rotors have been exclusively used in various BDFMs, although they may not be ideal for larger machines. This paper studies, both analytically and experimentally, different rotors for the D160 and D400 frame size BDFMs. An optimization on the rotor equivalent circuit parameters is carried out and verified with different parameter extraction methods. A comparison of the performance of the suggested rotors is also presented. Index Terms-Brushless doubly fed machine (BDFM), electrical machines, nested-loop rotor, optimization. 0885-8969

This paper studies the unbalanced magnetic pull in the brushless doubly fed machine (BDFM) caused by both static and dynamic rotor eccentricities. Several parallel winding designs for the two stator windings are proposed, and the practicality of such designs is discussed with respect to direct coupling between the stator windings and with rotor undesirable harmonic fields. Once practical parallel winding designs are established, their effects on reducing deflection as a result of static and dynamic eccentricities are shown and compared with series wound stator. This study has been carried out on a prototype D400 250-kW BDFM. Index Terms-Brushless doubly fed machine (BDFM), finiteelement (FE) analysis, parallel winding, rotor eccentricity, unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP). 0885-8969

This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.