The power production of the linear generator wave energy converter developed at Uppsala University is affected by variations of mean sea level. The reason is that these variations change the distance between the point absorber located on the surface and the linear generator located on the seabed. This shifts the average position of the translator with respect to the center of the stator, thereby reducing the generator output power. A device mounted on the point absorber that compensates for tides of small range by regulating the length of the connection line between the buoy at the surface and the linear generator has been constructed and tested. This paper describes the electro-mechanical, measurement, communication and control systems installed on the buoy and shows the results obtained before its connection to the generator. The adjustment of the line was achieved through a linear actuator, which shortens the line during low tides and vice versa. The motor that drives the mechanical device was activated remotely via SMS. The measurement system that was mounted on the buoy consisted of current and voltage sensors, accelerometers, strain gauges and inductive and laser sensors. The data collected were transferred via Internet to a Dropbox server. As described within the paper, after the calibration of the sensors, the buoy was assembled and tested in the waters of Lysekil harbor, a few kilometers from the Uppsala University research site. Moreover, the performance of the sensors, the motion of the mechanical device, the power consumption, the current control strategy and the communication system are discussed.
A low-cost method, which integrates distance sensing functionality into a switched electromagnet by using a hybrid switching mode and current ripple measurements, is proposed. The electromagnet is controlled by a micro-controller via a MOSFET H bridge, utilizing a comparator-based current control. Additionally, a method for calculating the inductance of the electromagnet and approximating the magnetic contact between the electromagnet and its target is also presented. The resulting tool is attached to an industrial robot, and the system performance using this setup is evaluated. Distance sensing in the range of 0 mm to 5.2 mm is demonstrated. It is also shown that the relation between magnetic contact, coil current and calculated inductance can be reduced to a predictive look-up table, enabling the quality of the magnetic contact to be estimated using minimal computational effort.
A hollow cylinder flywheel rotor with a novel outer rotor switched reluctance machine (SRM) mounted on the interior rim is presented, with measurements, numerical analysis and analytical models. Practical experiences from the construction process are also discussed. The flywheel rotor does not have a shaft and spokes and is predicted to store 181 Wh/kg at ultimate tensile strength (UTS) according to simulations. The novel SRM is an axial flux machine, chosen due to its robustness and tolerance for high strain. The computed maximum tip speed of the motor at UTS is 1050 m/s. A small-scale proof-of-concept electric machine prototype has been constructed, and the machine inductance has been estimated from measurements of voltage and current and compared against results from analytical models and finite element analysis (FEA). The prototype measurements were used to simulate operation during maximal speed for a comparison towards other high-speed electric machines, in terms of tip speed and power. The mechanical design of the flywheel was performed with an analytical formulation assuming planar stress in concentric shells of orthotropic (unidirectionally circumferentially wound) carbon composites. The analytical approach was verified with 3D FEA in terms of stress and strain.
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