Magnetic bearing for wind turbine power generator shaft: an emulator prototype design for vibration control

In this chapter, the relevance and potential of micro-sized wind turbines (μSWTs) have been discussed and the following facts have been stated In wide areas of developing countries with a poor grid power supply, μSWTs can be an important factor of social, economic and technological development. From an educational point of view, μSWTs can be a valuable source of motivation, helping to provide a practical presentation of basic and advanced mechatronical principles. Moreover, μSWTs can also be an excellent field for cooperative and project-based learning, allowing to define a wide variety of experimental projects with a direct real-life application. From a research perspective, μSWTs constitute a unique opportunity to perform full-scale physical experimentation on advanced research topics at a very low cost and with very limited resources. To provide a practical demonstration of the μSWTs potential in academic and research experimentation, a low-cost platform for active magnetic bearing vibration control has been presented.