10 MW Direct-Drive Superconducting Vernier Machines for Offshore Wind Power Application

This paper presents a comparative study between conventional superconducting machine and Superconducting Vernier machine (SCVM) with two different topologies, i.e. iron-cored stator and rotor topology (ISIRT) and iron-cored stator and air-core rotor topology (ISART), both featuring superconducting rotors and conventional stators. Designed for offshore wind power applications at a 10 MW power level, these machines are evaluated using finite element analysis. Key performance metrics such as average torque, cogging torque, torque ripple, flux density, efficiency, mass, and cost are thoroughly compared. Additionally, the impact of rotor tooth tips on the electromagnetic performance of the superconducting Vernier machine is investigated. Moreover, there is a study of flux density between ISIRT and ISART for SCVMs. Results showed that the superconducting Vernier machine demonstrates higher average torque, lower cogging torque and torque ripple than the conventional superconducting machines. Furthermore, it was found that the SCVM without tooth tips can provide higher torque compared to the SCVM with tooth tips. Finally, ISART can achieve reduced weight and enhanced efficiency.