Generator Topologies for Horizontal Axis Tidal Turbine

Over the last decade, research on technologies to exploit tidal current kinetic energy for renewable electricity generation has had a significant growth. However, as to date, there is not a consensus worldwide on standard Power Take-Off (PTO) systems, due to the current immaturity of tidal energy converter technologies. In most cases, mechanical/electrical power conversion follows well-proven technologies derived by the mature wind-energy sector. However, the peculiarities of tidal energy resource impose ad hoc technology solutions. In this paper, different generator topologies and recent developments for marine tidal energy systems are reviewed and compared. The aim is to provide an overall perspective and identify areas for further development. Among considered technologies, the direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator by the full-rated frequency converter (FFC) represents an appealing solution, for reduced system complexity and maintenance requirements and possibility to develop smart Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) strategies.