Design of an Axial Flux Machine for a micro-wind turbine

This thesis focuses on the design of an Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (AFPMSG) for a micro-wind turbine. The benchmarking study wants to evaluate the performance of an existing generator, revealing the limitations in torque, power and also those derived from the high Joule losses, all confirmed through analytical evaluation. For this reason two stator topologies were compared: a coreless stator and a PCB stator, both aimed at minimizing iron losses and enhancing efficiency. Key specifications: a ten-pole pair, three-phase synchronous generator rated at 350 W, 350 rpm and 12 Nm. The designs were evaluated through analytical modeling. While the coreless stator demonstrated higher efficiency and power density, it was less flexible and more expensive to manufacture. The PCB stator, in contrast, offered a more practical and scalable solution, maintaining acceptable performance while significantly reducing production complexity and cost. The results highlight optimizing stator windings to improve power output and reduce losses, ultimately choosing a PCB design for its manufacturing advantages and cost-effective, performing through finite element analysis (FEA) simulations with FEMM 4.2, with additional optimizations carried out in Altium for PCB prototyping. Future work could focus on thermal study, the cooling system of the PCB and exploring multi-layer configurations to improve efficiency. These findings confirm that PCB-based AFPMSGs are a feasible solution for cost-sensitive wind power applications, balancing performance, affordability, and ease of manufacturing.