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A directly coupled linear permanent magnet generator of longitudinal flux-type is investigated. The generator will be used for power take-off in a wave energy converter. A combined field- and circuit model, solved by a time stepping finite element technique, is used to model and analyse the electromagnetic behaviour of the machine. A large number of simulations form the basis of a design study where the influence of armature current level, number of cables per slot, and pole width is investigated with respect to efficiency, generator size, and the load angle. A case study is performed for a chosen generator design. The electromagnetic behaviour is examined both for nominal load and for overloads. The generator has a nominal output power of 10 kW for a constant piston speed of 0.7 m s(-1). The electromagnetic efficiency at nominal load is 86.0%, the load angle 6.6 degrees, and the power fluctuation 1.3%. At 300% overload the load angle barely exceeds 12 degrees and the cable temperature is below 25 degrees C provided that the stator back is thermally connected to the sea water. The numerical calculations have been verified for small speeds by experiments.

A concept for a wave power plant is being developed at the Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion at the A˚ngström Laboratory at Uppsala University. The concept is based on a permanent magnet linear generator placed on the seabed, directly driven by a surface following buoy. Critical for the survival of the generator is that the air gap between the moving and static parts of the generator is constantly fixed at the designed width to prevent the moving and static parts from connecting during operation. This paper shows the design and evaluation of an inductive sensor for measuring the air gap width during generator operation. In order to survive during years on the seafloor inside the wave power plants, the sensor has deliberately been chosen to be a passive component, as well as robust and compact. A coil etched on a printed circuit board, i.e., a search coil, was the chosen basis for the sensor. The sensor has been tested on an existing test rig of a wave power plant and the results have been compared with finite element simulations.The results show that a search coil magnetic sensor etched on a printed circuit board is a suitable concept for measuring the air gap width. Experimentally measured and theoretically calculated sensor signals show very good agreement. The setup has a sensitivity of +/-0.4 mm in the range of 4-9.5 mm air gap. The potential for future improvements of the sensitivity is considerable.

Motions in nature, for example ocean waves, can play a significant role in tomorrow's electricity production, but the constructions require adaptations to its media. Engineers planning hydropower plants have always taken natural conditions, such as fall height, speed of flow, and geometry, as basic design parameters and constraints in the design. The present paper describes a novel approach for electric power conversion of the vast ocean wave energy. The suggested linear electric energy converter is adapted to the natural wave motion using straightforward technology. Extensive simulations of the wave energy concept are presented, along with results from the experimental setup of a multisided permanent magnet linear generator. The prototype is designed through systematic electromagnetic field calculations. The experimental results are used for the verification of measurements in the design process of future full-scale direct wave energy converters. The present paper, describes the energy conversion concept from a system perspective, and also discusses the economical and some environmental considerations for the project.