Materials for Wind Permanent Magnet Generators

The different types of materials required for a wind permanent magnet generator are mentioned below:

Winding Wires

In electric industries, winding wires play a very important role. Their role spreads from generators to transformers, control devices and pumps. Many materials can be used to make wires. The most popular material used is copper. Copper has many advantages which make it the most accepted. It offers very little resistance. It can be either solid or stranded. Materials which make the water impervious to water, grease, chemicals and oil are needed at this stage. Hence insulation used is of tough grade polymer compounds.

Winding wires are either enameled or coated with various types of varnish and other insulating materials. These wires are used as semi-finished material for generating electromagnetic fields and transforming electrical energy.

Varnishing of Winding Wires

A layer of insulation is provided on the wires by varnishing. One important feature of these varnishes is that they must resist high temperatures. Wires are mainly made of conductive material; of copper being the most popular. Varnishes are made of copolymer which is made from thermoplastic of thermosetting resin. The conductor can be covered with one or more layer of varnishing. These layers can withstand temperatures up to 200°C.

Importance and need of Varnishing

Varnishing is done to give extra strength and stability to the copper winding wires. Varnishing increases the ability of these wires to withstand partial discharge and voltage peaks at high temperatures. Thus these varnished insulated windings are used to make coils for permanent magnet alternators.