Electrical Drives for Direct Drive Renewable Energy Systems

Wind turbine gearboxes are one of the major reliability issues for wind energy operators, presenting expensive maintenance and repair jobs where problems occur. This situation is made more difficult given the increasing penetration of offshore wind farms, where access is more limited, hazardous and costly than onshore installations. The prospect of gearless, direct-drive wind energy systems, presents a solution to these problems, in both improving reliability and wind energy conversion efficiency through simplified design. This book provides a comprehensive reference on the design and operation of direct-drive wind energy systems, with applications to direct-drive marine renewable energy systems also highlighted.