Performance and power quality assessment of a linear electric generator focused on microgeneration applications

Abstract

Summary The use of new generation devices based on renewable energy is a subject that increasingly becoming more important for the development of new distributed generation systems; one device developed for this purpose is the permanent magnet linear generator (PMLG). This work deals with the performance and power quality assessment of the PMLG under 2 different generation scenarios of microgeneration: the wave energy converter and the free piston engine linear generator. The performance of the PMLG is evaluated using the finite element method and experimental results under steady state condition of a 100-W prototype are presented to test and validate the proposed process design. The actuator displacement inside the PMLG was obtained from the equation that governs the movement of the 2 systems under study; this displacement was the excitation function used to conduct the simulation and the laboratory experiments. This work contributes to the design and development of power components devoted to microgeneration and creates the need for the modelling and development of power electronic converters for helping in control and power quality.