Doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind turbines are most employed for onshore applications because of their cost-effectiveness. The drivetrain improvement is barely studied due to the maturity of the DFIG based systems. This paper investigates two methods for improving the annual energy production (AEP) of the DFIG based wind turbines. They are referred to as short-circuited and -Y-connected DFIGs. The origins of the AEP improvement are elaborated from the drivetrain perspective. The improvement is quantified by the aerodynamic model of the turbine and the steady-state model of the DFIG. The two methods are then compared when applied to six regions with different wind speed distributions. The AEP improvements at six regions are evaluated and compared to derive the feasibility of the methods for different locations.

Superconducting permanent magnet generators (SCPMGs) are a potential candidate for 10 MW direct-drive wind turbine applications. This paper presents two 10 MW SCPMG designs using MgB<sub>2</sub> cables for the armature winding and investigates the short-circuit characteristics of the designed SCPMGs. The first part of the results shows that the SCPMGs can double the shear stress of a conventional low-speed permanent magnet (PM) generator (from 65 kPa to 130 kPa) whilst avoiding demagnetization of the PMs in rated-load operation. However, the power factor has to drop to a range of 0.7-0.8. The second part of the results shows that during a sudden three-phase short circuit, the superconducting armature winding is prone to quench and the PMs are likely to be demagnetized in both proposed designs.

Compared with partially superconducting generators, fully superconducting generators (F-SCGs) can further increase the torque density in large direct-drive wind turbine applications. Design trends of F-SCGs intend to increase the electrical loading by applying superconducting wires and boost the current density in the armature winding to meet the critical current density with a safety margin. High currents may cause a low power factor and require the power electronic converter to have a much larger capacity. In an F-SCG, furthermore, torques could be too high, and field and armature currents may exceed the critical currents during a generator short circuit. This paper studies the design of a 20 MW F-SCG with consideration of the control strategy and the power factor, and then evaluates the short circuit characteristic of the F-SCG. The results analysis shows that a capacitive load control should be adopted to avoid a significant drop in the power factor and to make full use of the current-carrying capability of superconductors. An I_{d} = 0 control can also be used with a medium current level. During the short circuit, the negative side is that the phase currents exceed the critical currents and cause quenches. The positive side is that the field currents stay below the critical currents and the torques do not exceed the mechanical limitation of three times the rated torque.

In recent years, permanent magnet superconducting (PMSC) generators have become a candidate for applying superconducting (SC) generators in large direct-drive wind turbines. This configuration keeps the SC armature winding and its cooling system stationary and eliminates rotational cooling couplings. However, the low excitation by permanent magnets may lead to poor power factors if the armature current is high. Furthermore, the permanent magnets are prone to demagnetization when the armature reaction is strong. This paper investigates the design challenges regarding the power factor, demagnetization and short circuit characteristics by analyzing two PMSC generator designs. The results show that the power factor cannot be as high as 0.9 and a low power factor such as 0.6 can take advantage of the high current carrying capability of the SC armature winding. However, this low power factor will cause demagnetization. The armature current may cause quenching of the SC wires during a three-phase short circuit. Demagnetization of the permanent magnets during the short circuit is strong and could be an intrinsic weakness of a PMSC generator.