A direct drive electric generator for vertical axis wind turbines.

Abstract

An electric generator consisting of a rotor and a stator part, especially suited for direct drive operation with vertical axis wind turbines, has been described in this invention. The device is designed in the form of three pairs of separate components. Two of the pairs 8 define the rotor while one pair 15 defines the stator. The rotor part 8 is directly attached to the outer rotating shaft 22 of the vertical axis wind turbine, while the stator part 15 is loosely mounted between the two rotor pairs 8 with vertical supports 24 from the ground. The stator part 15 contains several pairs of copper winding loops 17, and the rotor part 8 contains twice that many pairs of rectangular blocks of the neodymium iron boron magnets 9. The space inside the winding loops 17 is filled with a mixture 18 of iron filings and epoxy resin. The greatest advantage of this generator design is the convenience in its installation, repair and maintenance, as all the work may be carried out from the ground without disturbing the rest of the installed wind turbine structure.